Where to find out How many leave Springer each day
Is there a site that tracks who leaves each day?
Like how many left today?
Now that's a novel idea.
"Fish Camp Woman.... Baby, I like the way you smell"
- Unknown Hinson
you could try calling Amicalola Falls State Park visitor center and asking, they keep a hiker register there... granted not all thru hikers are going to stop at the Visitor center, but a pretty good percentage stop there before heading up the Approach Trail, or just to get their picture at the "archway"
It would be nice if they had a twitter feed. Wouldn't be too hard to send out a SMS with the numbers.
Yeah. White Blaze.Originally Posted by takethisbread
Keep an eye peeled for threads from mountain squid. He tries.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=37611
Skids
Insanity: Asking about inseams over and over again and expecting different results.
Albert Einstein, (attributed)
no. there is no accurate number
You can figure it out by knowing how many start out at the visitor center and quit by the time they reach the top of the falls
Probably the best record of starts is at Mountain Crossings/Neils Gap. Not perfect, becasue it's 30 miles up the trail.
If you do get the daily count for a full season, please PM me with it. I'd like to see it on a day by day basis to prove or disprove some of the perceptions frequently posted.
I think "Peaks" has a good measuring point. I know there are a few that bail out before getting to Neals Gap, but this would at least give everyone a good idea of how many to expect at the shelters over the course of the next few weeks. I, for one, am not looking forward to any crowds. I know it will be busier than my previous two thru-hikes, but I hope not by a ridiculous amount. I see the Southbounders leaving Maine each year and the numbers remind me of the early years. I'd consider hiking South, but there's nothing like walking hoME.....
In recent years, there actually is a caretaker up on Springer, who is in residence at the shelter/campsite for several weeks each year, and one of his principal jobs is to collect precisely this information.
But I'm not sure when he starts each season, and he certainly doesn't encounter everyone who passes by, as some folks never visit this location and don't encounter him.
The "count" at Amicalola is entirely unreliable as with every passing year, more folks skip the approach Trail and go up Springer from the North, i.e. from Forest Service road 42. These folks for the most part never even see Amicalola Park or a Ranger and thus, never "sign in."
The logs at Neel Gap are extensive, but not everyone signs in there, and every year, many folks have dropped off the Trail beofre they even get there, like at Woody Gap, etc.
So Lone Wolf, who said "there is no accurate number" is entirely correct.
The actual number of folks who start a thru-hike every year is essentially an estimate and a guess.
The AMC could go a long way towards fixing the incompleteness of records by requiring that in order to get the coveted "patch" you must sign in both the Baxter and Amicalola Falls State Park visitor center.
Yes, this could cover sectionals. No requirement that those sign-in be the first and last parts of the trip and sectionals need to pass those two points as well.
Love people and use things; never the reverse.
Mt. Katahdin would be a lot quicker to climb if its darn access trail didn't start all the way down in Georgia.
Why? Who the hell cares?
Frosty
What if we setup an buried metal detector sensitive enough to pickup the filling in your teeth at springer approach 20, 50, 100, 500, 1000, 1500 miles all hard wired into a server to keep track of how many hikers pass that point.
Hmmm problem with that, this method would pickup section hikers and day hikers too.
Ok, Frosty..... what you said.
WalkingStick"75"
The OP for one.
Love people and use things; never the reverse.
Mt. Katahdin would be a lot quicker to climb if its darn access trail didn't start all the way down in Georgia.
By the middle of Feb when he is on the trail he won't care. Digger if you still care call me and I'll make something up for you.
Digger - "Sasquatch how many started out today?"
Sasquatch - " About 75 today and they are moving fast you better hurry up or all the good camping spots will be taken"
Digger - "you are lying!"
Sasquatch - " No I am not and if you don't hurry they will run out of the Pecan Waffles at the new Waffle house at Neels Gap!"
Often Accused, Often Guilty but Seldom Guilty of What I am Accused.
what's the AMC have to do with it?
Why? AFSP isn't part of the trail.
You can get summaries of the trail reports from the Springer caretaker sent directly to your mailbox.
Just join the GATC.
You never turned around to see the frowns
On the jugglers and the clowns
When they all did tricks for you.
Opps meant ATC.what's the AMC have to do with it?
It sorta is.
Love people and use things; never the reverse.
Mt. Katahdin would be a lot quicker to climb if its darn access trail didn't start all the way down in Georgia.
it most certainly ain't. fact
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