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mattman578
01-04-2015, 14:27
Hi I have not done a lot of camping since High school I am planning on doing a section Hike with my Daughter she is 11. We are not going to be going far and I am sure some of you are going to make fun of me. But I am working on a contingency plan in case we have a emergency minor or major. I want to make sure my daughter has a good time on her first back county camping experience. Is there a way to find a shuttle service that I can have on call in case I need them. If somebody is local I will even be willing to pay a few dollars deposit to have you on call none refundable

thanks

illabelle
01-04-2015, 14:38
Matt, first off, :welcome to White Blaze! The website below has a wealth of basic information to get you started. The page I linked to has a list of shuttles organized by state from south to north. Call one of them up, and tell them what you need.
http://www.appalachiantrail.org/hiking/find-a-hike/parking-shuttles-transportation
I'm guessing you plan to get started close to home in Maryland. Maryland is one of the easier states with respect to AT terrain. Your daughter should be able to handle it. If you want to get a sense of how much she'll like it, be sure to take her on a few day hikes. If she hates the outdoors, backpacking won't be fun for her. Best of luck to you!

mattman578
01-04-2015, 18:42
illabelle thanks for the answer that is just what I was looking for that will make my wife rest easier knowing that if I have to I have a easy ride to a warm safe hotel bed. My daughter is really looking forward to this she is a girl scout and not happy because her troop does not camp much she tags alone with my cub scout with her little bother so she loves the outdoors and for some reason is really excited about pooping in the woods not sure why but she is. We are not leaving until April and starting on a Friday and stopping on a Tuesday. As for the practice hikes we are doing those with a loaded pack on hilly terrain well as hilly as I can get on the Eastern shore of MD we are even doing it in the rain and having fun !!! any other suggestions from people will be greatly appreciated

map man
01-04-2015, 18:58
You are not that far from Shenandoah National Park, in northern Virginia. An advantage to hiking in that park is that it is scenic and yet while on the AT you are always close to the main road and an easy bail-out if you need it. Some seasonal services are available there in April (like places near the trail to eat) and some are not. Check out their web-site for more info and good luck to you and your daughter!

http://www.nps.gov/shen/index.htm