View Full Version : Intinerary how to's?
Brother in Arms
03-17-2007, 17:29
Ok everyne
I have never planned an Itinerary, and I dont know anything about ther AT after it leaves Maine...I also have no idea about mailing stuff to myself but it sounds complicated and like it would be a chore..
I dont want people to worry about me while I am on the trip but on the other hand I dont want to devote to much of my time sticking to a schedule..
any suggestions would be great.
Brother in Arms
Planning for a SOBO trip can be pretty straight forward.
Once you figure your start date, you will likely want to make reservations inside Baxter State Park for two nights-- one for the night before you climb Katahdin and one for after you come down. These can be made here: http://www.baxterstateparkauthority.com/
The next step is planning on having enough supplies to get you through the 100 Mile Wilderness. Meaning to Monson, ME. Some people might fine tune this a bit. There is an oportunity to resupply at a camp along the way, for example. But to keep it simple, the most simple aproach is to carry food for the whole stretch.
From there, buy food at towns along the way. The details will all be laid out in either one of two books that most every thru hiker carries with them in his backpack.
Then flow with the Trail. There are no logistical issues that will catch you by surprise after you leave Maine. WHere they exist, they are trivial. And you will see them coming in plenty of time to adjust.
mountain squid
03-17-2007, 18:20
Suggest you get either the ALDHA Companion (http://www.aldha.org/companyn.htm) or Wingfoot's Handbook (http://www.trailplace.com/) and then go from there. Both of them contain data on road crossings, town stops, water sources, hostel locations, shelter locations, etc. Town data includes lodging, grocery stores, restaurants, laundry, etc.
As for maildrops, the more you do the more complicated it might get...Remember if you get to a town on Sat, you'll have to wait until Mon to retrieve you package. Something to think about. You will be able to easily resupply along the way. You will definitely need a mail drop for cold weather gear at some point, though.
Detailed itineraries are difficult to follow because until you are hiking you don't know how many miles you can do or will want to do on any given day. Frequently, weather gets in the way of plans. An injury might also slow you down.
Anyway, hope this helps...
See you on the trail,
mt squid
You might want to check out the articles section on this web site also.
Spend some time browsing ATC's website (http://www.appalachiantrail.org), read Trail Years: A History of the Appalachian Trail Conference (http://www.appalachiantrail.org/atf/cf/%7BD25B4747-42A3-4302-8D48-EF35C0B0D9F1%7D/TrailYears.pdf) (a large *.pdf download) and consider buying the guide books too. I'm amazed how people can hike the A.T. from one end to the other and still seem to know little about it and the natural and cultural history of the region through which they have travelled.
I believe learning about Appalachia should be a primary reason for hiking the A.T. Otherwise, you might as well just hike across America on blacktop roads or anywhere else.
A good book to read is The Appalachians by Maurice Brooks, now out-of-print, but you may be able to borrow a copy from your local library. I began a thread about that book a few days ago and will add information there as I have time and remember to do so.
terrapin_too
03-17-2007, 19:55
One of the things about a SOBO hike is that you need to have your act together from the get-go... more so (IMO) than NOBOs, who have strength-in-numbers and more opportunities to bail and reconfigure. AFAIK, there is no easy resupply between Abol Bridge and Monson, but maybe things have changed since I did that stretch many years ago. So you need to pick a daily mileage for that stretch, and plan accordingly.
Appalachian Tater
03-17-2007, 20:19
All you need is Baltimore Jack's supply article. It has exactly the information you need to figure out how much food you need and where to get it.
terrapin_too
03-17-2007, 20:23
All you need is Baltimore Jack's supply article. It has exactly the information you need to figure out how much food you need and where to get it.
Not to detract from BJ's work, but how did folks ever thru-hike before this invaluable bit of data? ;)
For that matter, WB's own AT Data Base is now public and free. Not to mention Wingfoot's guide, or the ALDHA guide, or the AT Data book, or....
Not to detract from BJ's work, but how did folks ever thru-hike before this invaluable bit of data?;)
:-? I can't imagine now, how I did that back then. If it wasn't a miracle, then maybe ATC's A.T. Data Book, first published in 1980?, Hiking the Appalachian Trail and advice from locals and other hikers on the A.T. -- yes, I hate to admit it, some south-bounders -- may have played a role.:D
If my hike was a miracle, then there may have been about 150 miracles that year as I recall. This number seems to suggest some other mysterious force(s) at work.;)
pokeyhontas98
03-18-2007, 00:41
It is always nice to receive care packages from friends and family. Definitely get one of the guide’s mentioned earlier so that you have addresses of post offices along the way. Then you can call friends and family and let them know when and where you will be. You will look forward to the letters of encouragement from friends and family. It is also nice to send postcards so your family can keep track of your journey. You might buy a map of the entire A.T. so they can keep track of your progress, it makes them feel like they are apart of your journey.
Happy trails
Blue Jay
03-18-2007, 01:24
I don't remember who said it first but the most important thing to remember is to burn your itinerary the first night out. This might be the MOST important advice you will get. If you want to follow a schedule, get a job. Free your mind, the rest will follow (also not original).
Jack Tarlin
03-18-2007, 14:47
Terrapin:
Thanx for the kind words, I knew I could count on you. If you can provide better information to people, have at it.
When people have talked to me about my Re-Supply article, one of the things I've had good feedback on is where I talk about how long it'll take the average hiker to cover a specific section of Trail. Obviously, seventy miles of Trail in North Carolina is different from 70 in Central Virginia or 70 in Maine; what I've tried to do is tell folks not only where the best places are to re-supply, and also the places where an actual food maildrop might be useful, but also, I've tried to give them an idea of how long it'll take them to cover a particular stretch and how much food they might want to carry on these stretches. It helps hikers avoid the two problems of either packing way too much food, or worse, discovering they haven't packed enough.
Note to Brother in Arms who started this thread: The frst thing you want to do is get a current edition of Dan Bruce's "Thru-Hikers Handbook" or "The Thru-Hikers Companion." Then, have a look at the articles here on Whiteblaze, where there's all sorts of info on Re-Supply, how to mail yourself stuff, the best places to send it, etc. There are al sorts of threads here in the Forums section about food and re-supply and the different ways to do it. As far as food is concerned, most hikers nowadays buy most of their stuff while en route; there really aren't that many places where you'll need to send yourself food. As to the other info on scheduling/itinerary, that really depends on YOU. Most folks take 24-27 weeks to hike the whole Trail, meaning they have to average about 12 miles a day, every day of their trip, INCLUDING days of, or half days off. If you plan to hike in a shorter time, then you'll obviously have to have a higher daily milegae average. I strongly advise you to do a search on all of Mapman's posts here, most of which provide incredibly useful info on pacing, mileage, and various "scenarios" on how long it'll take you to cover specific stretches of the Trail.
Anyway, there's a lot of info here on WB if you take the time to look for it; good luck and have a great trip.
Or just plan so far as Monson, ME and arrive there with one of the two excellent (many would say required) books Jack mentions in your pack and money in your bank account. Then walk south. Like your teachers did in high school, all you need to do is read a few chapters ahead as you go along to be an expert. With regard to logistics, anyway.
Other than that, you could (I would say should) read this:
http://www.spiriteaglehome.com/THP%20top.html
And spend a bit of time reading about the history, and of natural history along the trail.
And flow.
Or not. I understand planning one's schedule in detail can can be satifying for many. All I am saying is that you hardly need to. A SOBO who can make it to Monson, can wing it the rest of the way without much effort (IMHO).
terrapin_too
03-18-2007, 16:20
A SOBO who can make it to Monson, can wing it the rest of the way without much effort (IMHO).
I agree. The 100-mile wilderness isn't particularly hard (or easy) but it's all of a piece, with relatively few opportunities to bail. My only caveat for SOBOs is that you're eating desert before the main course. :) But then, life is short...
Is leaving before May 31st that much of an issue? Anybody know?
http://www.baxterstateparkauthority.com/hiking/thru-hiking.html
"A.T. hikers going south should not count on hiking Katahdin trails before May 31st. Before this date, even if trails are clear of snow and ice, soils are so saturated that even light foot traffic has been determined to result in irreparable damage to Katahdin's alpine and sub-alpine areas. Several of Maine's endangered and threatened species live in the alpine area and we take our job of protecting them seriously. The Park Director, with input from field personnel, determines when the trails are open for use. Throughout the year, trail status reports can be obtained by calling BSP Headquarters in Millinocket."
Is leaving before May 31st that much of an issue? Anybody know?
http://www.baxterstateparkauthority.com/hiking/thru-hiking.html
"A.T. hikers going south should not count on hiking Katahdin trails before May 31st. Before this date, even if trails are clear of snow and ice, soils are so saturated that even light foot traffic has been determined to result in irreparable damage to Katahdin's alpine and sub-alpine areas. Several of Maine's endangered and threatened species live in the alpine area and we take our job of protecting them seriously. The Park Director, with input from field personnel, determines when the trails are open for use. Throughout the year, trail status reports can be obtained by calling BSP Headquarters in Millinocket."
May 31st has gone by, do you mean March 31st? If so then it is 26 March now and Katahdin still had a bunch of snow on it.
http://www.mainesledder.com/index.php?page=camkathdin
May 31st has gone by, do you mean March 31st? If so then it is 26 March now and Katahdin still had a bunch of snow on it.
http://www.mainesledder.com/index.php?page=camkathdin
????? Ok, I am blonde but..... I'm confused. March, April, May... I meant May 2007, for a SOBO.
OK, I had a blonde moment and I am not blonde. I don't know what the heck I was thinking, DAH!
Trails on Katahdin may still be closed due to snow and ice prior to early June. That's why Baxter State Park recommends not starting prior to then.
Even then, the streams crossings will be very high and cold with spring runoff. And then it's black fly season. Best to wait until early July for SOBO
TJ aka Teej
03-26-2007, 17:54
The first trail up Katahdin to open will be the Abol Slide Trail. So whether or not the AT (aka Hunt Trail) opens before Memorial Day weekend you should be able to summit by the third weekend in May. A trail crew will go up the Hunt Tail the weekend before May 15th, so BSP will have a good idea of conditions. There's a shady stretch along the ravine up past the cave that will probably remain ice/snow covered until late May, and that's what keeps the AT closed most years. Another factor is the snow pack on the Tableland, and if the AT isn't clear enough to follow, the trail remains closed to protect the fragile plants from wandering boots.
Worry not, if you end up unable to summit the mountain's not going anywhere.