Sperryville’s Tony Lavato joins 500-mile club
On May 4, 2019, Tony Lavato of Sperryville completed all 512 miles of hiking trails in Shenandoah National Park.
It took Lavato 2 years and 9 months to accomplish the feat, hiking on average twice a week to complete the national park’s numerous trails.
He shared photos and highlights of his accomplishment to a full house at Before & After in Sperryville on Saturday evening.
The “SHEN 500,” as it is known, includes 107 miles of the Appalachian Trail — or all told consists of 175 separate trails in the park, some quite rigorous.
To complete all the trails, Lavato said it requires about 750 miles of hiking, especially to pick up every selection and spur that is identified on a spreadsheet maintained by the group Shenandoah National Park Hikers.
He pointed out that he initially didn't set out to hike every trail in the Park, but once he began hiking with his Rappahannock neighbors and friends the miles started added up.
Before each hike, Lavato would review numerous maps and books, plus comments on various hiking groups’ webpages to plan each hike in excruciating detail.
He admits to only one planning mistake that led to a 23-mile "death march," during which he sent texts to his mother and wife, Brenda Lavato, saying that he thought his dad was trying to kill
him. They made it out safe.
With experience on every park trail, Lavato shared his five favorite hikes with the Before & After crowd: Staunton River Trail, Bear Church Rock, White Oak Canyon, Rose River Loop and Block Rock Summit.
Joining Lavato for the discussion was Mike Salko, a frequently hiking partner who is closing in on 470 miles; and Patty Lane, who also just recently completed her SHEN 500.