Walking the Appalachian trail

[weisan]

My son is 13. I want to take him with me to walk the Appalachian trail this summer. We have never done it before. What's your recommendations?

[mhespenheide]

I assume you don't mean the entire trail, but rather a section?

Go here for the Paceline-equivalent: https://whiteblaze.net/ (https://whiteblaze.net/forum/content.php)

[ultraman6970]

Be really careful with the bears and the ticks, looks like the winter is gone and that will bring tons of tons of ticks around.

[gdw]

mhespenheide is right, Whiteblaze is the best website for info on the trail. Since you're planning a summer trip I'd recommend hiking a northern section of the trail to avoid the heat and bugs. New Hampshire would be a good starting point. The trail passes through Mattuck's stomping grounds and he probably could be coerced into putting you up for a night while you recover from the flight east.

[Tony T]

Bring a Sat GPS (like a Garmin eTrex), don't reply on a cellphone GPS.

[Dale Alan]

I assume you don't mean the entire trail, but rather a section?

Go here for the Paceline-equivalent: https://whiteblaze.net/ (https://whiteblaze.net/forum/content.php)

+1 on Whiteblaze...many helpful folks on there . Good luck with your journey.

[zmudshark]

I walked a portion in the early 1970's. At that time you could send food ahead to the local PO. I don't know if you can still do that, but if you can, do.

That's all I got, other than it's a nice way to spend a month or two, and I envied the guy I hiked with for a week or so that was living off what he could forage, and I had a very heavy pack. Technology has changed since 1972, I assume.

[sparky33]

My son is 13. I want to take him with me to walk the Appalachian trail this summer. We have never done it before. What's your recommendations?


Cool idea Weisan! Maybe do a test overnight hike to see how you two do packing big packs and to refine your packing list.

[Louis]

Whatever you do, be sure that his boots and yours are well broken-in before you start.

(not my feet)

[bironi]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lzx3ZvxK1Ro

[schwa86]

I've done most of the NE stretches, not much of the rest.

My general two cents -- don't underestimate difficulty just b/c mts are lower. It's a lot of granite boulders, downed trees etc. I frequently feel that western hiking is easier.

The AT itself can feel like a superhiway sometimes. You either enjoy the crowds or not. There are plenty of side trails if doing the actual route is not so important.

The huts are a little pricy but can be really fun for kids -- I really like Madison hut should you go that route -- it nestles between two good peaks (Madison and Adams).

My personal favorite section up this way is saddleback/sugarloaf area in ME. Really nice long ridge walk, a bit less crowded than NH.

[schwa86]

Also where did Louis get a picture of my heels? Duct tape can fix that!

[Schmed]

OMG - you have to read Bill Bryson's book ASAP. Funny stuff.

[clyde the point]

http://www.limmerboot.com/Midweight.html

[rounder]

We visited Mt. Katahdin years ago and were at the end of the trail, and there was a message board for folks who had finished. The messages were cool and appropriate for those who had finished.

It is a long walk from Georgia to Maine. Not everyone who walks the trail walks from beginning to end. I think our niece did. She was on a cross country scholarship at Boston University at the time.

[zmudshark]

I was going to skip the blister thing. I got them, in spite of having hiked a great deal in the Canadian Rockies and in the US West.

I'm relieved to see my experience was not an outlier. For 45 years I thought I had messed something up in my prep. Worst blisters ever.

[Louis]

The trail passes through Mattuck's stomping grounds and he probably could be coerced into putting you up for a night while you recover from the flight east.

Party at Matt's place!!!

https://themoviereviewdude.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/toga-dance-shout.jpg

[pinkshogun]

a friend was only gonna do a portion but ended up doing the whole thing. along the way met his future wife and ended up wearing a kilt as it dissipates heat better than shorts or pants

[weisan]

a friend was only gonna do a portion but ended up doing the whole thing. along the way met his future wife and ended up wearing a kilt as it dissipates heat better than shorts or pants

I like to think that the kilt has other "advantages" too. :D

Love the feedback and advice so far...thank you pals, pls keep em' coming.

[gdw]

How many days off do you have to hike?

[weisan]

How many days off do you have to hike?

as many as I want.

serious.

[gdw]

Excellent. When do you plan to start?

[weisan]

Excellent. When do you plan to start?

Mid-July probably.

[roguedog]

OMG - you have to read Bill Bryson's book ASAP. Funny stuff.

+1 totally made me think the same!

[Louis]

+1 totally made me think the same!

I'm pretty sure he used to live not far from where Matt lives (Hanover NH, or thereabouts).

[tuxbailey]

You may enjoy this book :) Or you should read it first.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000S1LSAM/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

[Kirk007]

Many who do the entire trail do the trail in sections rather than a through hike. NE would be good that time of year but the sections through Great Smoky NP and Shenandoah are very nice and with NP services available at regular intervals they make for nice entry hikes. I did the length of the Smokies when I was 16 - very doable for a teen, I think we did it in 5-6 days. Shenandoah is a bit shorter as I recall. Might consider starting small and see how it goes. That said the but system in the White Mountains is really fun.

And yes beware of ticks - nasty little things and lime disease is a real deal chronic illness.

[verticaldoug]

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1iOKaunJ70fmPsO9VaO-nnGsZNV8&ll=45.10621910243811%2C-69.70591731786891&z=10

you can zoom into the interactive map and click on the icons. If has photos of all the lean-tos and other lodgings available.

I'd recommend starting in Pittsfields, MA. I'd start at Arrowhead (Herman Melville's house, hey Greylock is Moby Dick) and hike a few days to Stratton. Drop down to Manchester for B&B, from there take a car over to Hanover, visit Dartmouth, then hike from Hanover to Franconia Notch.

[mg2ride]

Take the whole family to Shenandoah and you and your 13 y/o can slack pack as much of the trial as you like.

Unless there is a reason you want to stay only on the AT, I would recommend camping in different sections of the park and doing day hikes.

The AT is great but for day hikes the other trails offer better destinations like over looks, water falls (dinks) and historical cabins.

They can be up and backs from camp or parking lots or if the family is with you they can drop you off at one location and pick you up at another.

[guido]

How much hiking experience do the two of you have? The AT should not be any ones first (or even their 20th) hike. Spend the summer getting to know your selves, each other and working out the details of your gear before even thinking about doing the whole thing in a single effort.

[merlinmurph]

Mid-July probably.

Wow, you're talking hot.

Like others have suggested, you might want to stick to the northern sections that time of year. Like from MA on up.

How much backpacking experience do you have? The AT shouldn't be the place where you learn as you go.

This is a great thing for a father/son to do. I hope you end up doing some version of it.

A couple of years ago, a good friend did the whole AT in 4 1/2 months at age 55. I was following him on twitter and he was just relentless, just screaming along. We had a small group hike Katahdin with him on the last day. At the top, there were others finishing up, too, and it's pretty emotional for all of them.

Good luck!

[weisan]

Thank you pals.

Yes, I am very realistic and conservative when it comes evaluating our abilities so hell no, we are not tackling the whole thing. In fact, a lot of the suggestions on doing certain sections that might appeal to us are on point. That's what we will focus on.

[echelon_john]

The AT runs along a ridge about 2000' above my house, north of Manchester, VT. Give a shout if you come this way and you can pop down for a shower, beer, whatever you need.

[verticaldoug]

If Grandma Gatewood could through hike it, you'll be fine. Don't let people scare you.

[verticaldoug]

The AT runs along a ridge about 2000' above my house, north of Manchester, VT. Give a shout if you come this way and you can pop down for a shower, beer, whatever you need.

Take the 13yr old to the rock slide in Danby on the Mill Brook. He'll like that.

[weisan]

Thank you John pal.

The main reason we are doing this is to have shared memories, fireside chats, teachable moments, build up his confidence...

[PaMtbRider]

Do you have any current hiking / backpacking equipment? Outfitting 2 people for a week long hike can add up fairly quickly. It is not bicycle expensive, but like the bicycle you will appreciate having decent gear.

My father thru hiked the AT in 87. One of his favorite stories was meeting people on Springer Mountain Ga his first day out. He met people fully outfitted to hike the entire trail, giving up and going home after one day. Who drives cross country to the start of the A.T., with the intention of spending 4-5 months backpacking with zero experience.

You should also watch A Walk in the Woods. Not true to life but entertaining.

[Tony T]

I know I said it before, but get one of these. Don't rely on cel service.



https://static.garmincdn.com/en/products/010-00970-10/g/rf-lg.jpghttp://www.thegpsstore.com/Assets/ProductImages/Garmin-etrex30-Handheld-GPS.jpg

[Tony T]

Might consider geocaching (https://www.geocaching.com) while on the trail.
You can d/l geocach locations into the garmin units

[AngryScientist]

I know I said it before, but get one of these. Don't rely on cel service.



https://static.garmincdn.com/en/products/010-00970-10/g/rf-lg.jpghttp://www.thegpsstore.com/Assets/ProductImages/Garmin-etrex30-Handheld-GPS.jpg

Tony - do those have stronger GPS receivers than a typical iPhone or something? what makes one of those trail oriented units better than a cell?

not second guessing you, just wondering?

[Tony T]

Tony - do those have stronger GPS receivers than a typical iPhone or something? what makes one of those trail oriented units better than a cell?

not second guessing you, just wondering?

AFAIK, smartphones use cel towers to determine locations while the eTrex units use satellites
(I would think that there are sections of the trail w/o cel coverage)

(If smartphones use satellites, then forget everything I said :))

[gdw]

No offense guys but you don't need a GPS unit for the Appalachian Trail. Paper maps, a compass, and above all commonsense are all that are needed.

[Tony T]

I've never hiked the AP, so I really don't know if it's possible to inadvertently get of the trail (i.e. lost), but if it is, I'd want a GPS unit (the garmin units are smail and run on 2AA batteries), and if smartphones have GPS chips, then you'll have a GPS unit anyway.

[GregL]

I've never hiked the AP, so I really don't know if it's possible to inadvertently get of the trail (i.e. lost), but if it is, I'd want a GPS unit (the garmin units are smail and run on 2AA batteries), and if smartphones have GPS chips, then you'll have a GPS unit anyway.
Sadly, it's easy to get off trail with tragic consequences: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/10/16/remains-hiker-missing-2-years-found-maine/74052914/

Greg

[Ken Robb]

You can rent most of the gear required from REI, I think.

[PaMtbRider]

I've hiked several different sections of the A.T. I can never remember needing or wanting a gps. It typically is so well traveled and marked, getting lost shouldn't be a big concern.

[malcolm]

Vermont long trail may be another to consider. It's pretty cool and you can through hike it in a couple weeks. I think flies may be bad that time of year but honestly can't recall. It can be very wet as well. Way fewer peeps than the AT though which may or may not be a good thing.

https://www.greenmountainclub.org/the-long-trail/

[gdw]

PaMtbRider
That was my experience as well although my hiking was done over 20 years ago.

[ElHardeen]

On my last bike tour in Maine I met a number of AT hikers who had just finished through hiking the Trail.

A common theme of determination and reliance on bare necessities seemed to be what got them through.

That said, the northern sections, while cooler in July, will be much more mountainous and rugged, as well as subject to later season weather depending on how long you plan on being out there. The south provides easier terrain as well as lighter packs as less clothing will be necessary to prevent that pesky freezing to death at night.

Still, my favorite piece of advice comes direct from the AT guidebook:

"A bear that enters a campsite or cooking area should be considered predatory. Yelling, making loud noises and throwing rocks may make it go*away; however, you should be prepared to fight back if necessary. If you are actually attacked by a bear, you should fight for all you are worth with anything at hand ."

[echelon_john]

Common misperception that bugs are a problem here; they're really only bad from April 5th or so until September 20th or thereabouts.

Vermont long trail may be another to consider. It's pretty cool and you can through hike it in a couple weeks. I think flies may be bad that time of year but honestly can't recall. It can be very wet as well. Way fewer peeps than the AT though which may or may not be a good thing.

https://www.greenmountainclub.org/the-long-trail/

[OtayBW]

Common misperception that bugs are a problem here; they're really only bad from April 5th or so until September 20th or thereabouts.
I think ticks, too - unless you're walking in tall grass or much more dense underbrush.

[Tony T]

I've hiked several different sections of the A.T. I can never remember needing or wanting a gps. It typically is so well traveled and marked, getting lost shouldn't be a big concern.

I rarely use a GPS when driving. I usually just use google maps to plan my route and take a print out with me. That said, I have a GPS in my glove box in case I need it :)

[Peter P.]

No offense guys but you don't need a GPS unit for the Appalachian Trail. Paper maps, a compass, and above all commonsense are all that are needed.

BINGO! No batteries either!

Weisan-Consider combining the hike with D2R2; the AT crosses west of Deerfield MA, more toward Lenox MA, I believe. You could end or start around D2R2 and have the best of both worlds!

[Tony T]

A lot of us have a Garmin GPS on our bikes (not me), but not for hiking?
Worth it just to track something as epic as a AT hike on Strava :)

[kingpin75s]

http://www.limmerboot.com/Midweight.html

Beat me to the punch! This ^. Picked up my Limmer's 2 years ago when I was out to NH for my annual family trip. Wear good boots. Have fun!

[daker13]

Weisan, I heartily recommend taking your son up to the White Mountains and hiking the AT up there. The AMC is a great organization and you can hike from hut to hut, get a comfortable bunk and good hot meal, and it's lots of fun, especially for young people. I've done it with my daughter a couple of time.

https://www.outdoors.org/lodging-camping/huts/

Crawford Notch to Franconia would be great--rigorous, but very do-able. There are some good maps online to show you the route, but I can't find one at the moment.

The only downside is, it's not any cheaper than a motel, though you're staying in a bunk bed with lots of other people, but the AMC is a terrific organization and the young people who run the huts are lots of fun.

[Dana Kilalps]

I too recommend New Hampshire and staying in huts. The above tree line terrain is spectacular. The huts, while expensive, crowded and rather primitive accommodations, are a nice respite and usually a good opportunity to hang out with a wide variety of other people. Although largely harmless, black flies can be horrendous, especially at lower elevations, swarming about you ceaselessly. But they should not be too bad by mid July. These are recollections of 15 years ago.

[gemship]

Weisan, I heartily recommend taking your son up to the White Mountains and hiking the AT up there. The AMC is a great organization and you can hike from hut to hut, get a comfortable bunk and good hot meal, and it's lots of fun, especially for young people. I've done it with my daughter a couple of time.

https://www.outdoors.org/lodging-camping/huts/

Crawford Notch to Franconia would be great--rigorous, but very do-able. There are some good maps online to show you the route, but I can't find one at the moment.

The only downside is, it's not any cheaper than a motel, though you're staying in a bunk bed with lots of other people, but the AMC is a terrific organization and the young people who run the huts are lots of fun.

Ok so I checked out the link you posted and I then checked out a youtube video giving testamonials by young folks who crew/manage the huts and...oh man what a riot to listen to this bunch. I mean really great kids but absolutely out to lunch, the flock of them are. I imagine it's not a year round gig. They must be on to bigger and brighter things but wow they really are a bunch of characters. When one of them noted the good time of spending an hour in conversation about birds, the way he said it really was funny. Oh to just pontificate life and...do it some more.... I dunno maybe it's me, I was born to be greedy and work too much in a NY minute and to think I don't even live in NY.

All kidding aside I would love to hang with this crowd in the huts. Can't help but think there must be some kind of shenanigans going on in those huts. Maybe some booze, weed, wild nudity, I dunno...jus' say'in.

[Louis]

All kidding aside I would love to hang with this crowd in the huts. Can't help but think there must be some kind of shenanigans going on in those huts. Maybe some booze, weed, wild nudity, I dunno...jus' say'in.

Typical evening in an AT hut:

(the in-shape guys are the through-hikers)

http://static.idolator.com/uploads/2015/01/gaga-bachelorette-2-550x560.png

[CunegoFan]

AFAIK, smartphones use cel towers to determine locations while the eTrex units use satellites
(I would think that there are sections of the trail w/o cel coverage)

(If smartphones use satellites, then forget everything I said :))

iPhones use a combination of sources for location. This includes assisted GPS (from GPS and GLONASS satellites), cell tower trilateration, and a database of known wireless locations. In a city with a dense mesh of wireless locations and cell tower coverage, you may be getting location mostly from those, those can be used to increase location accuracy, or those can be used to get an initial position before relying on GPS. Out in the boonies your phone will rely on GPS, and with no signal it may take a few minutes to get an initial position.

The advantage of dedicated GPS devices is that cell phone battery life is pretty terrible.

[NHAero]

I lived in NH '76 - '10 and spent a lot of time in the White Mtns as well as the VT and ME mountains. I would suggest spending some time learning about lightweight hiking - things have changed so much since we traipsed around with big leather boots to support our bodies carrying 40 pound packs (and yes, I still own a pair of custom Limmers from '79, re-soled multiple times plus one major rebuild - but I haven't worn them in the mountains in years). These days I either use low hiking shoes (Merrell or Garmont) or some lightweight Timberland leather boots that weigh half what the Limmers weigh. Going light means less stress on the body and a more enjoyable experience.

You might find that poles help with footing in the more rugged areas.

I don't know what the current best info on lightweight hiking is, but 20 years ago it started with Ray Jardine's Beyond Backpacking.

Sounds like some great adventure in your future with your boy!

[gdw]

Backpackinglight.com is probably the best place to learn about lightweight hiking. Their articles and forums have a lot of useful info.

[TiminVA]

I live about 15 minutes from the AT in southern VA and this is my biased answer. Look into the area(s) around Damascus, VA, Mt. Rogers, Roan Highlands in TN and the Smokies. From Damascus across Whitetop through Grayson Highlands ending at Fox Creek is an awesome 40 mile hike. There are shuttles in Damascus for drop off or pick up. I run on the AT a lot and know the trail very well so let me know if you have any questions about the area. Oh, it will be nasty hot/humid in mid July.

[douglas]

TiminVA has offered you great advice. I live about 1 1/2 hours from there and have done many day hikes there. The beauty of the area keeps drawing me back. Damascus is a tiny outdoors town with services (the shuttles being one) for hikers. Grayson Highlands offers great sweeping views. It'll be hot but no where near as hot as Texas.

[staggerwing]

Curious what draws you to the AT, versus anything else? While iconic, and certainly beautiful in spots, it sees a lot of traffic.

When our girls were 11, and our son 15, we did the 33 mile Feldtmann Loop in Isle Royale NP, in 4 days/3 nights. While my son and I had a little backpacking experience, my girls and wife did not. Only saw a couple of other hikers, and a ranger, the whole time out. A very special place. Most hike the length of the Island on the Greenstone Ridge Trail, getting dropped off and one end and picked up at the other, but that is a bit longer, and a lot more traveled.

http://www.summitpost.org/feldtmann-loop/260525

[mhespenheide]

Weisan, are you looking at other options, or do you specifically want to be on the AT? Let us know if you're willing to consider elsewhere; there are many recommendations I could make in the Western US.

[weisan]

I am so SO thankful for all the suggestions, encouragement and support I been getting from my pals on this thread. My hope is, it will not only help me with my current planning but serves also as a valuable resource for others who might attempt to do the same in the near future. This is really special.

No, we are certainly not married to the idea of AT only. There are so many beautiful places yet to be explored. So, yeah, if you got other places you would like to recommend in lieu of AT, feel free, we would love to hear them!

Again, my heartfelt thanks.

[AngryScientist]

we would love to hear them!



maybe an Outside article of interest:

TEN THRU-HIKES THAT AREN’T THE PACIFIC CREST TRAIL OR APPALACHIAN TRAIL

http://blog.rei.com/hike/ten-thru-hikes-that-arent-the-pacific-crest-trail-or-appalachian-trail/

[moose8]

My brother in law did the entire pacific crest trail and has done lots of the AT (I've done much of the Maine/nh sections myself). He likes the john Muir trail section most of all. He also like goat rocks wilderness. You can't go wrong with any, and the ones out west don't get the rain you get on the AT.

[mhespenheide]

...

No, we are certainly not married to the idea of AT only. There are so many beautiful places yet to be explored. So, yeah, if you got other places you would like to recommend in lieu of AT, feel free, we would love to hear them!

Again, my heartfelt thanks.

Okay, so: what's your experience level with backpacking?

[gdw]

The Colorado Trail has spectacular views, is close by, less crowded, has very few bugs, and given your starting date could be thru hiked before the weather turns cold.

[gregblow]

great thread. Now i want to go hiking. I have run the Grand Canyon two years in a row. Rim to Rim to Rim. Not going this year. Injured. I would recommend that hike. Its really amazing.
Gregg

[merlinmurph]

great thread. Now i want to go hiking. I have run the Grand Canyon two years in a row. Rim to Rim to Rim. Not going this year. Injured. I would recommend that hike. Its really amazing.
Gregg

You, sir, are an animal.

[weisan]

Okay, so: what's your experience level with backpacking?

This was asked a couple of times...ok, I will give a straightforward and literal answer. I have done very little leisure-type backpacking (2-3 times week-long backpacking trips. that's all). Most of my "backpacking" experience comes from the army, week-long field expeditions, survival training and such...BUT that was loooooong time ago, back when dinosaurs walked the earth. I have already said this, we are going to take a very conservative approach here towards our abilities. This is not an ego-driven or make-you-into-a-man kinda trip. In fact, I want to treat our hiking distance the same way I ride my bike, I like to end my ride with plenty of reserves in the tank and before...I mean, WAY before my butt starts to hurt - in other words, no centuries for me. :D