Ford?!? Are you kidding? And miss the free canoe ride? Never!
I forded once and wouldn't do it again nor would I suggest that anyone else does.
I forded 27 years ago and believe that if you do not, you are not worthy to stand in my presence.
I don't know. I'll cross that bridge* when I get to it.
Ford? What? Huh? I need to research this further.
whatever. it's been way blown out of proportion.Originally Posted by STEVEM
Water never gets tired, hikers do... foot entrapment is a killer (that and what are called strainers, trees and such). If the service was not available I would ford but, why risk it? Part of the experience IS the canoe ride. Enjoy it... Steve Rocks!! WB
Peace
True, but since you're already on the A.T., that doesn't really float as a reason.To know that you did it.
I hear there's a trail over 2,000 miles that can be walked from ME-GA or GA-ME, but why would anyone do that???
So you float across a 70 yard river. I like the idea of staying dry from the chest down. Especially in Maine.
This is one river that fording seems to be foolish, especially since there is a classic alternative.
More garbage pick-up (post #32)
"Doyle is fording with only a daypack, and has a van with dry clothes waiting for him on the far bank. That's not the situation the majority of AT backpackers will find themselves in when they reach the Kennebec."
In 1973, I forded the Kennebec with a full pack (no van on the other side)
In 1975, I forded the Kennebec with a full pack. (no van on the other side)
In 1977, I forded the Kennebec with a full pack. (no van on the other side)
In 1980, I forded the Kennebec with a full pack. (no van on the other side)
In the 1980's, I probably forded the Kennebec about 2-3 times with a full pack with no van on the other side.
In the 1990's, I forded the Kennebec two times with a full pack and no van on the other side.
Litter pick-up completed (hopefully).
Hmmmm, First quote says 2 dozen times you've forded
2nd quote adds up to 9 times forded at most
More litter pickup time, lol
WALK ON
2nd quote is those times "with no van on the other side." (I think to counter Teej's charge...)
Reading comprehension time
That is because I was specifically responding to garbage post #32.
All the other times, I forded the Kennebec with a day pack both with and without a van waiting on the other side (and I have never changed into dry clothes).
This August, I will ford the Kennebec again in the early morning with a day pack (without a change of clothes). I'll be heading south to a car which will be waiting for me at the end of the day at Flagstaff Lake.
Twice, I have had the opportunity to swim across the Kennebec without pack or day pack after the dam release reached the trail crossing. I do not count these 'swimming' crossings in my section hikes.
Very literal notion of purity, IMO.
Last edited by rafe; 02-06-2007 at 21:11. Reason: typo
Paying a nickle to walk across the Bear Mountain Bridge would be a far greater afront than taking a canoe.
That's the issue. There is no "regular water levels in summer." Most of the time the water level is difficult but traversable by strong hikers. Periodically, and without warning, it becomes dangerous to most any hiker, regardless of the strength of the hiker.
Weary
Q: Have you every carried a full pack from one end of the trail to the other?
A: No, I haven't carried a full pack from one end of the trail (Appalachian) to the other (i.e., thru-hike).
However, I have carried a full pack the entire Long Trail four times, the entire Wonderland Trail once, the entire John Muir Trail twice and the entire Pennine Way once.
If I recall, rightly, some time ago, MATC and Steve agreed that packs should not be carried in the canoe, while hikers crossed the river unemcumbered by their packs.
I don't know whether that is still the policy or not. Nor do I particularly care. However, ferrying gear, but not the hiker, simply encourages an irresponsible practice.
Hike the river with your pack, or use the canoe. I can think of no reason for using scarce trail funds for ferrying gear. It's not wet gear that caused us to pay for the ferry service, it is lost lives.
Weary
Warren, I'm a day hiker who hopes to someday attempt a thru hike. In your AT classes what do you tell your students if they ask a question about crossing this river?
Slackfording doesn't count as a true ford and if you don't cross directly where the trail hits the water you are blueblazing. I don't think anyone could ford directly where the trail hits the water.
TODAY'S WORD:
Blueblazing Slackforder
WALK ON
Hahdly. I haven't made it from one end to the other yet.pot calling kettle black?Warren's done it many times. I was just curious if Warren's been slackpacking from the get-go, or if that was a "later" development.
I've done very little slackpacking, but I can't say zero. A handful of one-day sections with a day pack, yes indeed.
I was not privy to these discussions. I'm not encouraging fording; I was just thinking out loud about a way of doing it with less risk. I'm done with that section of trail; it's not a concern for me. (Nor did I even realize it was the least bit "controversial" until I came to WhiteBlaze.)
Not surprising. I'm sure we'd argue about what color the sky was yesterday if we didn't have anything better to do. Oh, right, some of us don't.
He has a contract for providing the service, May through October. I forget the figure, but it's around $20,000.
Aside from his own ferrying of hikers, he hires others when he can't be around for some reason, plus supplies the canoes, and, I suspect, pays a major liability insurance bill.
The money used to be funneled through MATC. It's now paid by ATC with funds, I think, that are paid by the National Park Service.
Weary
Last edited by weary; 02-06-2007 at 22:20.
When you're right, you're right, Jack.
I shouldn't have made specific mention by name of another hiker in my last post.
Teej
"[ATers] represent three percent of our use and about twenty percent of our effort," retired Baxter Park Director Jensen Bissell.
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