Happy trails

In the early 1920s a big dreamer named Benton MacKaye envisioned a trail along the spine of the eastern United States' Appalachian mountains. MacKaye was worried about the urbanization of the nation. City workers needed a retreat from the pressures of factory life. The result, thanks to the work of thousands, is the Appalachian Trail.

It's not exactly what Mackaye dreamed of. However, many ambitious hikers have covered the 2,000 miles from Georgia to Maine.

As of Sunday, the trail officially become longer, adding another state to its list.
Alabama's Pinhoti Trail now connects to Georgia's Benton MacKaye Trail which eventually joins the Appalachian Trail on Springer Mountain in north Georgia. A ceremony Sunday on Alabama's Mount Cheaha marked the occassion.

Read more about the event here.