The 67 year old Trailblazer Who’s Almost Done Hiking Across Texas & Mapping the Cross-Texas Trail for Others to Do it Too

For Immediate Release March 18, 2025

From: Melissa Balmer Melissa@xtexas.org Cell (360)265-2883 (please text first)

Excellent images, maps and video availablehere!

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Fifth generation Texan Charlie Gandy, founder of thexTexas Trail Project (nicknamed the xTx), is on schedule to finish his 3-month, 1,500-mile hike across Texas around March 31st in El Paso. The route he travelled is mapped out on the Ride for GPS here: xtexas.org/xtexas-trail-sections

Like the Appalachian Trail, the xTx will take years to bring to its fullest potential. In its current iteration the xTx travels through the heart of rural Texas, weaving together public paved, gravel, and dirt roads, and travels near or through sections of 17 state parks and 3 national parks. 

Launched as a project in August of 2024, this legacy trail is being created for hikers, cyclists, and equestrians. It’s meant to be travelled in late fall, winter, and early spring because of heat and water conditions. 

Gandy, a former Texas Legislator, is accompanied by his thru-hiking champion companions Pam and Richard Hershberger of Pennsylvania. The trio of intrepid late 60-somethings left Toyah, TX (mile 1,200) on March 17th and are heading west for the Guadalupe Mountains and the final leg of their journey. 

The three hikers braved rain and ice, wind, and heat on their inaugural hike of the xTx which starts on the Louisiana border at the southern end of the Toledo Bend Reservoir, travels through the piney woods, the Hill Country, the Chihuahuan desert, and up into the Tran-Pecos Mountains, before finishing on the New Mexico border at El Paso. 

Charlie, Pam and Richard are hiking 20-28 mile days, and currently begin at 4 am to beat the heat. Only the ice storm in January, a couple of special events earlier this month, and a handful of days for R&R have taken them off the trail. 

Along the way Texans have shown their famous hospitality, curiosity, and pride. Most nights the trio camp, but they’ve been offered places to stay and meals by trail angels (kind and generous humans who offer voluntary support to trail users) along the way. 

Mission & Vision

We’re establishing a 1,500-mile seasonal late fall through early spring hiking, cycling, and horseback trail through the heart of true Texas. It’s the first of its kind for the state.

The xTexas Trail Project is working to connect the magnificent people, cultures, and landscapes of rural Texas. From the Piney Woods in the East, through the Hill Country, the Chihuahuan desert, and up into the Tran-Pecos Mountains, the xTx is a rugged, remote, romantic work in progress. Learn more at xTexas.org.

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The Trail Magic & Medicine Tour: Inaugural thru hike of the cross-state xTexas Trail begins January 1st!

For Immediate Release December 29, 2025

Excellent images and video are available for the media via this link!

Media Contact: Melissa@xtexas.org Cell (360)265-2883 (text first)

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Austin TX - This January through March 2026 Founder Charlie Gandy is making his inaugural thru hike on the first cross-state 1,500-mile xTexas (xTx) hiking, biking, and equestrian adventure trail. On January 1st he departs from the Louisiana border near the Sam Forse Collins Recreation area on Toledo Bend Reservoir. He’s joined by his good friends and fellow thru hiker afficionados Pam and Richard Hershberger from Pennsylvania.

Named the “xTx Trail Magic & Medicine” tour, Charlie’s goal is to spread the positive alchemy of what long distance trails can do for people personally as well as for communities. The media are invited to join Charlie for a mile or more to get a true taste of the trail.

>> Join us January 8th at 6:30 pm CT when the xTx team debuts the new route via Zoom!

A 5th generation Texan, former state legislature, founder of BikeTexas, and active living advocate, Charlie knows intimately the power of trails both personally and for communities. As a long time student of long distance trails, he’s seen first hand how rural communities can thrive when they embrace the magic and welcome travelers by sharing the unique experiences their communities have to offer.

After spending a year and a half mapping, ground proofing, and testing the route with the xTx leadership team, board, and volunteers by driving, hiking, biking and trail riding, Charlie will make his grand depart on January 1st.

Charlie estimates the hike will take him 75 days hiking 20-25 miles a day (and includes time off for rest and events). He’s hiking the trail during its prime season. The xTx is designed for traveling late fall through early spring. It’s a target rich, rugged, romantic adventure route across rural Texas that has been created for hikers, cyclists, and equestrians. 

At present the xTx utilizes mostly quiet, rural public paved, gravel, and dirt roads, public trails, state parks (17), and both Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains national parks. The route is fluid and will continue to morph and improve. 

In the future, sections of the route will navigate onto private land for greater safety and scenic beauty. Land owners along the trail have already reached out wanting to grant access for the trail, including a couple who has bought property in order to become trail angels in the Hill Country.

The trail is capturing Texan’s imagination, pride, and support. Hundreds of people have volunteered and donated to help make the trail happen, and almost 2k subscribe to the xTx email newsletter. The xTx has been featured in Gear Junkie, Dallas Morning News, Fox News, Houston Chronicle, NPR’s All Things Considered, Texas Monthly,Texas Parks and Wildlife, Texas Public Radio, the Texas Standard and more.

Charlie, Executive Director Beckie Irvin, Charlie’s wife and xTx Chief Storytelling Officer Melissa Balmer are available to interview via Zoom. If you’re interested in connecting with Charlie on the trail in person, email Melissa. 

Learn more at xTexas.org. Follow Charlie’s adventure on Facebook and Instagram too.

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3/10/25 Media Advisory: xTexas Trail Group Ground Proofing Begins!

For Immediate Release March 10, 2015

Media Contacts: Melissa Balmer Melissa@PedalLove.org cell (360)265-2883

On trail Charlie Gandy gandy.charles@gmail.com cell (562) 298-7681

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Austin TX - This evening, a group of tough, talented volunteers will camp in Kirbyville at Adams EE Stringer Funeral Home as day one of the "Sweaty Taste of the xTx: First 100 Miles" group ground-proofing project is completed.

14 volunteers of hikers, bicyclists, and equestrians (and four horses!) began this morning from the start of the trail at Quicksand Creek at the Sabine River near the Louisiana border on a group ground-proofing project. The majority of the group will travel 20-mile days gathering information for the xTexas Trail Project's first 100 miles of trail conditions, water sources, camping locations, re-supply stops, and more.

Two members of the group will travel the full 1,500 miles of the route over March and April.

The full 1,500-mile xTexas Trail Project route has been ideated, mapped, and ground-proofed by project founder Charlie Gandy, who leads this group expedition. Today’s group ground-proofing departure is the beginning of Phase 2 for the project. You can find the GPS draft route and print quality maps here: The GPS Route — xTexas.org

The camping stops for the first 100 miles of this group ground-proofing are:

• Monday night 3/10 Adams EE Stringer Funeral Home in Kirbyville 111 S Margaret Ave, Kirbyville, TX 75956.

• Tuesday night 3/11 First Baptist Church in Spurger 12676 F.M. 92 South Spurger TX 77660.

• Wednesday night 3/12 First Baptist Church in Woodville 202 S. Charlton St.
  Woodville, TX 75979, but the camping site is adjacent in the Grove.

• Thursday night 3/13 Circle J Farm in Barnum 1215 east Barnum loop, Corrigan Texas 75939 close to the Barnum First Baptist Church.

• Friday night 3/14 in Livingston - address to come!

Media are invited to meet the ground-proofers at the campsites for interviews, or for the hardy outdoor types, join the ground proofers on the trail!

About the xTexas Trail Project

The new xTexas Trail Project (nicknamed the xTx) is Texas's first cross-state trail. It begins on Quicksand Creek on the Sabine River in the East and ends in El Paso. Founded by 5th-generation Texan and active living advocate Charlie Gandy, the xTx rambles through quiet public backcountry paved and gravel roads, public trails, state and national parks, and will eventually cross private ranch land and farms once permission has been established. It ends in El Paso and includes Big Bend and the Guadalupe Mountains.

While Charlie Gandy was hiking California’s Tahoe Rim Trail in June of 2024, he wondered why his home state of Texas didn’t have its own cross-state, long-distance trail. He realized Texas is perfect to hike in the winter and early spring when many other popular long-distance hiking trails in the U.S. are unavailable. He decided to do something about it. By August, the xTexas.org website was launched, and Charlie had begun ground-proofing a route that would share the wonders of Texas with other trail enthusiasts.

The xTexas Trail Project exceeded its launch fundraising goals and has garnered the interest of over 200 volunteers thus far, eager to share their time and talent. The xTx has been featured in NPR's All Things Considered, CNN’s 5 Good Things Podcast, Condé Nast Traveller.com, the Houston Chronicle, Texas Monthly, The Texas Standard, and Texas Public Radio, among others. Find out more at xTexas.org. xTx is a project of the non-profit BikeTexas.org.

3/4/25 Media Advisory: The first Texas cross-state trail beings phase 2 with group ground-proofing

For Immediate Release March 4, 2025

The first Texas cross-state trail begins phase 2: group ground-proofing

Media Contact: Melissa Balmer Email: Melissa@PedalLove.org, text (360) 265-2883

Images, video, and maps of the trail are available upon request 

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Austin TX – On Monday, March 10th at 7 am, a team of tough, talented, generous people will depart from Quicksand Creek on the Sabine River at 190 near Bon Wier and the Louisiana border. They’re adventuring forth on the first group ground-proofing for the xTexas Trail Project. The media is invited to see them off (and for the tough few) invited to join them for an hour, a day, or the full adventure.

Nicknamed the xTx, it’s the state’s first cross-state hiking, biking, and equestrian trail. It’s tough and target-rich. As mapped out by founder Charlie Gandy, the xTx rambles through quiet public backcountry paved and gravel roads, public trails, state, and national parks, and will eventually cross private ranch land, and farms once permission has been established. It ends in El Paso, and includes Big Bend and the Guadalupe Mountains.

The Group Ground-proofers 

Moondog Roop (thruskating and hiking) and Rhea Wallace (biking) will travel the full 1,500-mile route during March and April.

xTx founder Charlie Gandy will lead the rest of the self-supporting team (including journalists) to hike, bike, and ride horses for the first hundred miles over seven days. They’ll end in Livingston. The event is called, “The Sweaty Taste of the xTx: The first 100 miles.”

Thus far the 100-mile team includes endurance equestrian Tracy Kelly and her horse Vandy, her husband cyclist Stewart Kelly, of Waco; hiker Kevin Pare of Killeen; cyclist John Ellerston of Mission; endurance equestrian Devan Horn of Spring; hiker Lloyd Segler of Plano, and hiker Joshua Aaron of Leander.

All of the ground-proofers will be gathering information on the trail’s conditions, water sources, camping locations, resupply, and more.

Media interested in interviewing any of the ground-proofers in advance should contact Melissa Balmer to set that up: Melissa@pedallove.org, Cell (360)265-2883 (text is best).

About the xTexas Trail Project

While Charlie Gandy was hiking California’s Tahoe Rim Trail in June of 2024, he wondered why his home state of Texas didn’t have its own cross-state, long-distance trail. He realized Texas is perfect to hike in the winter and early spring when many other popular long-distance hiking trails in the U.S. are unavailable. He decided to do something about it. By August, the xTexas.org website was launched, and Charlie had begun ground-proofing a route that would share the wonders of Texas with other trail enthusiasts.

The xTexas Trail Project exceeded its launch fundraising goals and has garnered the interest of over 200 volunteers thus far, eager to share their time and talent. The xTx has been featured in CNN’s 5 Good Things Podcast, Condé Nast Traveller.com, the Houston Chronicle, Texas Monthly, The Texas Standard, and Texas Public Radio, among others. Find out more at xTexas.org.

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2/12/25 - Media Alert & Invite: Sweaty Taste of the xTx: 1st 100 Miles

For Immediate Release February 12, 2025

Media Alert: Texas is getting its first cross-state trail for hiking, biking, and trail riding—come see the kickoff for the first 100-mile group ground-proofing!

Media Contact: Melissa Balmer Email: Melissa@PedalLove.org Text (360) 265-2883

Images and videos from the trail are available upon request. 

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Austin TX – The xTexas Trail Project is a 1,500-mile target-rich trail through the heart of Texas, intended for use in winter and early spring by hikers, cyclists, and equestrians. This legacy project was ideated by fifth-generation Texan, active outdoor advocate, thru-hiker, and thru-cyclist Charlie Gandy. It’s a project of the non-profit BikeTexas.

Join us on March 10th for the “Sweaty Taste of the xTx: The First 100 Miles,” which will kick off at 7:00 am at Quicksand Creek on the Sabine River just off the I90 and end at Livingston.

Find more details here: Sweaty Taste of the xTx: The First 100 Miles — xTexas.org

This is the first group ground-proofing adventure for the draft xTx route. Over seven days, Gandy and a group of seasoned volunteers of self-supporting hikers, cyclists, and equestrians will travel the first 100 miles of the route Gandy has put together, gathering information on the trail’s conditions, water sources, camping locations, resupply, and more.

The Sweaty Taste kickoff at Quicksand Creek will also mark the start of two longer journeys, as two men attempt to travel the full route, collecting important data for future improvements along the way:

• Fifth-generation Texas (now Washington state resident) Rhea Wallace will travel Gandy’s draft route by bike.

• Moondog Roop of New Mexico will travel the route by skateboarding and hiking. Follow his adventures for the trail here: Moondog Roop - YouTube

Gandy, Wallace, Roop, and other participants who are participating in the ground-proofing, such as retired veterinarian and endurance rider Tracy Kelly of Waco, are happy to speak with the media.

Journalists with the skills to participate in the group ground-proofing are welcome to join in for a day, or for the entire trip.

About the xTexas Trail Project

While Charlie Gandy was hiking California’s Tahoe Rim Trail in June of 2024, he began to wonder why his home state of Texas didn’t have its own cross-state, long-distance trail. He decided to do something about it. By August, the xTexas.org website was launched and Charlie had begun ground-proofing a route that would share the wonders of Texas with other trail enthusiasts.

The xTexas Trail Project draft route begins on the Louisiana border, rambles through quiet public backcountry paved and gravel roads, public trails, state and national parks, and will also cross private ranch land, and farms once permission has been established. It ends in El Paso, and includes Big Bend and the Guadalupe Mountains. 

The xTexas Trail Project exceeded its launch fundraising goals, and has garnered the interest of over 200 volunteers thus far, eager to share their time and talent. The trail project has been featured in CNN’s 5 Good Things Podcast, the Houston Chronicle, Texas Monthly, The Texas Standard, and Texas Public Radio, among other publications. Find out more at xTexas.org.

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