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hikerfriend
07-15-2014, 10:26
Teaching my kids to be Trail Angels (Wantage NJ)?
We are looking to take our children (ages 9 and 4) to the AT at Wantage NJ (North of High Point State Park - 41.328492, -74.643219) to distribute trail magic on an afternoon this weekend.
1) Are thru hikers supposed to be in North Jersey during this time?
2) Are we likely to meet up with hikers during those afternoon hours (2-4pm)?

RED-DOG
07-15-2014, 11:18
the Leading edge of the NOBO thru's that has actually made it that far should be past their, what you will see is the back half, the Slower hikers and ( the STRAGGLERS ) and section hikers, day hikers, and yes this would be the perfect oppurtunity for you to take your children out and teach them the fundamentals of Meet and greet and how to give without expecting something back, and 2:00-4:00 thats a little later but yes you should meet a few hikers but if you could try to go out their a little bit earlier.
and as for the trail Magic something COLD would be nice.
and Bologna and Cheese sandwiches, what i am trying to say is Keep the magic SIMPLE.

RED-DOG
07-15-2014, 11:19
and :welcome to WB.

hikerfriend
07-15-2014, 13:48
the Leading edge of the NOBO thru's that has actually made it that far should be past their, what you will see is the back half, the Slower hikers and ( the STRAGGLERS ) and section hikers, day hikers, and yes this would be the perfect oppurtunity for you to take your children out and teach them the fundamentals of Meet and greet and how to give without expecting something back, and 2:00-4:00 thats a little later but yes you should meet a few hikers but if you could try to go out their a little bit earlier.
and as for the trail Magic something COLD would be nice.
and Bologna and Cheese sandwiches, what i am trying to say is Keep the magic SIMPLE.

Thanks for the advice :) What time of day do you think is best?

Deer Hunter
07-15-2014, 14:56
and :welcome to WB.

+1..........

shelb
07-16-2014, 01:16
Also, you might not only promote to your kids that their not only help others - but helping others makes THEM feel good!

My oldest son tipped the scales to acquire a job managing non-profit foundations with his answer to this question: Why do you personally support philanthropy (giving to others). His answer: "Because I am selfish. I like the warm fuzzies I get when I help others. I want to teach more people the merits of that feeling."

WingedMonkey
07-16-2014, 08:11
Teaching my kids to be Trail Angels (Wantage NJ)?
We are looking to take our children (ages 9 and 4) to the AT at Wantage NJ (North of High Point State Park - 41.328492, -74.643219) to distribute trail magic on an afternoon this weekend.
1) Are thru hikers supposed to be in North Jersey during this time?
2) Are we likely to meet up with hikers during those afternoon hours (2-4pm)?

1) No
2) No

hikerfriend
07-16-2014, 20:38
1) No
2) No

Seems like Red-Dog and WingedMonkey are not agreeing on this. Can anyone verify who is correct? I really want my kids to see some hikers (section hikers are good too) and have them experience the joy of giving trail magic - any ideas?

Lone Wolf
07-16-2014, 20:48
Seems like Red-Dog and WingedMonkey are not agreeing on this. Can anyone verify who is correct? I really want my kids to see some hikers (section hikers are good too) and have them experience the joy of giving trail magic - any ideas?
is this something YOU want for your kids or do they have a great desire to feed folks on a walkin' vacation? i'm serious. there's real needy folks that could benifit from "magic"

Teacher & Snacktime
07-16-2014, 20:54
Do what you want to do. I highly recommend introducing kids to the "fun" of trail magic. I have NEVER had anyone say they regretted receiving one of Snacktime's trail magic bags.
It's a nice way to teach good deeds, and improve communication and social skills.

hikerfriend
07-17-2014, 11:14
I guess you are not understanding my question. Let me rephrase it.
If I go out with my kids for 2 hours on the trail in North Jersey (Wantage - just outside High Point State Park) on Sunday afternoon, will they see any hikers? I don't want them to be disappointed.
(I was thinking of taking them for a short hike from Greenville Rd. to Mt. Salem Rd along the NY/NJ border, a distance of about 2 miles).

hikerfriend
07-17-2014, 12:41
BTW, I just came across this handy sheet with average times for NOBO thru hikers, and it seems that with an April 1st start the hikers should be just around this point on the trail for this weekend.
Am I missing something?

http://www.kollelguy.com/at-distance-guide.pdf

Odd Man Out
07-17-2014, 13:12
BTW, I just came across this handy sheet with average times for NOBO thru hikers, and it seems that with an April 1st start the hikers should be just around this point on the trail for this weekend.
Am I missing something?

http://www.kollelguy.com/at-distance-guide.pdf

That is extracted from this original source - a comprehensive analysis by Map Man

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/content.php?44

What you really want from that is table 3

TABLE 3 -- Date Landmarks Were Reached

MEDIAN DAY ~~ MEAN DAY ~~~ LANDMARK
March 17............March 20...........Springer
March 25............March 28...........Georgia Border
April 1................April 5...............Fontana
April 28..............April 29..............Damascus
May 29..............May 28..............Waynesboro
June 9...............June 8...............Harpers Ferry
June 29.............June 27..............DWG
July 12..............July 10...............Kent
Aug. 5...............Aug. 2...............Glencliff
Aug. 15.............Aug. 12..............Gorham
Aug. 26.............Aug. 22..............Stratton
Sept. 9..............Sept. 4..............Katahdin!

And FWIW, I just did a section south of Roanoke. In mid July the thru hikers are "supposed" to be in CT/MA, but down in SW VA I met about 8 backpackers per day, including some thru hikers. Others were section hikers on extended (several hundred mile) sections. A few were people like me out for a set schedule (a week +/-). I would say that if you intent to help backpackers, it matters not where they were starting or finishing or how long they are out there.