View Full Version : milage markers ?
I haven't been on the trail yet but still planning my journey. i understand there is " white blaze" markers to follow the trail and i see many people say they do 10 miles or 15 miles etc ... a day. So my question is : are there mile markers along the way to know how far you have come or do people use a pedometer ? how do each of you know what you have hiked for that day ??
ADVStrom14
10-22-2016, 20:54
I haven't been on the trail yet but still planning my journey. i understand there is " white blaze" markers to follow the trail and i see many people say they do 10 miles or 15 miles etc ... a day. So my question is : are there mile markers along the way to know how far you have come or do people use a pedometer ? how do each of you know what you have hiked for that day ??
I'm not an expert but I am measuring mileage using the guide book and data book. Those books have mileages for the destinations along the trail and in my planning I know how far I'm supposed to get each day and how many miles the book says it is from point A to B.
Jes
Studlintsean
10-22-2016, 21:22
Quick answer is no there are not mile markers. The guidebook/ topo maps allows you to determine where you are at a point in time and then the guidebook has mileage marked on it or a map has a scale so you can gauge your mileage based on where you are at the time you're checking it. I hope that makes sense
Sarcasm the elf
10-22-2016, 21:25
Generally people keep track using either the ALDHA Thru hiker's companion or the AWOL A.T. Guide, or more recently phone apps such ad Guthook's which I haven't tried. Both list out known refernce points with mileage.
https://www.amazon.com/Appalachian-Thru-Hikers-Companion-Distance-Association/dp/1889386960
http://www.theatguide.com
Here is an example from the ALDHA book.
(I promise the actual book is less blurry than my photo. ;) )
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MuddyWaters
10-22-2016, 21:46
Profile maps have mile marks and significant features. You can tell when you arrive at shelters, trail intersections, roads, peaks, gaps, etc. You can see how far apart they are on profile map
Spirit Walker
10-22-2016, 21:57
Also, after a while you develop a fairly consistent pace. In my case, on the AT I usually hiked 2 miles an hour, so after 4 hours I knew I had walked close to 8 miles.
rocketsocks
10-22-2016, 22:57
I think mile markers would annoy the crap outta me, "Yes I know...8 more miles, thank you"
rocketsocks .... that got me to laugh " yes i know .... 8 more miles " i can understand that well
I just ordered these and cant wait to get them now !
c'mon guys, really, there are **NO** mileage markers on the trail? you guys hike in some area where every few miles you **DON'T** come to a sign telling you how far it is to the next major road crossing or the next shelter or the next major mountain summit? really? I've never hiked there.
that said, it is definitely true, i think, that those signs, though they are definitely present, is not generally how hikers keep track of their daily mileage.
In the South there are almost no markers that I saw...maybe a random one every several days...really! They become a bit more common in the North but still not enough to use them to plot your course from. I used Guthook's app and always knew where I was and how far I had to go.
steve_zavocki
10-23-2016, 06:22
There are often signs after road crossing that list miles to the next shelters and/or road crossings, hiwever he signs aren't always acurate. For example in Georgia the sign from Neels Gap to Woody Gap says 11.3, when my guide book says 10.6. In that case I believe my guidebook.
Starchild
10-23-2016, 08:30
Just to add GPS trail apps such as Guthook's AT guide can and are also be used for mileage.
In the South there are almost no markers that I saw...maybe a random one every several days...really!
where is this exactly? through SNP and points south there are signs.the area north of damascus has signs.ive seen signs in the smokies.
i suppose if there are no signs in GA or between the smokies and damascus i couldnt say one way or the other. but still, thats a very very small percentage of the trail.
Slo-go'en
10-23-2016, 11:40
where is this exactly? through SNP and points south there are signs.the area north of damascus has signs.ive seen signs in the smokies.
The National Parks have signs with mileage on them and is about the only place you'll consistently see them. Sometimes there are trail head signs with mileage to some point on them, but these are sporadic.
I kind of wish there were signs which let you know when your getting close to a shelter, like a mile out. (don't give up, your almost there!)
The printed trail guides are what most people use to figure out how far they've gone or how far to go, but you have to keep track of landmarks and sometimes there aren't any for quite a distance.
The Gunthook app is nice as it will tell you exactly how far you've gone and how far to go to the next way point. Since nearly everyone has a smart phone these days, many are now just using this app. However, it's still a good idea to have one of the printed guides as back up. Also I find the printed guides better for longer term planning, for say the next week or two.
The National Parks have signs with mileage on them and is about the only place you'll consistently see them. Sometimes there are trail head signs with mileage to some point on them, but these are sporadic.
sorry but ive hiked all of the trail from montebello, VA to Monson ME and this statement isn't true.
i guess it depends on your definition of what constitutes "regularly." unless you're in a designated wilderness area, i'd say you're like to pass a sign every 5 miles or so. sometimes might be every 3 miles, sometimes might be every 10 miles, but i doubt youd find 20 mile stretch of the trail anywhere that is signless. i've never seen one.
there are generally signs at shelters.
there are generally signs at major road crossings
there are generally signs at intersections with side trails.
any of these would give AT relevant mileage marks.
yes, it is more common in ANY sort of designated area (not just national parks- state parks, forests, recreation areas, you name it) than they are at other parts of the trail, but that doesnt account for much area where there isnt likely to be signs.
its really just in wildnerness areas that you wont really see them.
I, and others, are into taking pictures of all of the signs. i've uploaded a few over the years as parts of discussions, and others have uploaded entire libraries of photos just of mileahe signs. look around this website, youll find a zillion of them.
some signs i passed and photographed on my most recent hike from damascus to MT roger's headwuarters. about 60 miles of trail. all the signs below were with maybe at most a 25 mile stretch.
366543665536656366573665836659
Seems to me the signage is mostly random. As Slo said, it seems more regular in the national parks. Other than that, its presence or absence seems to be largely at the whim of the local trail organization.
Overall I found it to be particularly lacking in some of the most critical places, especially where the trail meets civilization -- a parking lot, road crossing, road walk, or in some of the towns directly on the trail. (I'm thinking Dalton, MA and Williamstown MA, where you get dumped right onto town streets without much clue as to where to go next.)
You really need a guide, or guide app, or a summary listing of waypoints and their mileage. And yes, after a while you do learn to estimate distance via dead reckoning, ie., knowing your last waypoint, walking speed and time from the last waypoint.
There are enough landmarks along the trail that you can usually know where you are within a mile or two, if not exactly. Get the AT Databook and you'll see what I mean. Shelters are generally 8 to 10 miles apart, but the databook also lists water sources, campsites, the summits of mountains, roads and many other landmarks. I never carried a watch, but I got to where I could guess the time correctly within about 15 minutes based upon where I was because I knew how fast I was walking. You will almost always have a general idea of where you are.
Overall I found it to be particularly lacking in some of the most critical places, especially where the trail meets civilization -- a parking lot, road crossing, road walk, or in some of the towns directly on the trail. (I'm thinking Dalton, MA and Williamstown MA, where you get dumped right onto town streets without much clue as to where to go next.)
signs in places like that are generally as you enter the woods, not as you exit them.i wont put forth an opinion as to if this is good,bad orotherwise. but i bet you as you leave dalton MA and enter the woods in either direction out of town that there is indeed a sign telling you how far the next shelter is,the next road crossing,etc.
Puddlefish
10-23-2016, 12:20
I think mile markers would annoy the crap outta me, "Yes I know...8 more miles, thank you"
I was hiking for a while with a guy who would whip out his phone every quarter mile and give me a mileage update. It was seriously annoying. I preferred to limit my mileage checks, using either the Guthook app, or the AWOL guide to once or twice a day. Maybe as a reward for finishing that fourth or fifth PUD, I'd check my mileage or see what's ahead. Maybe.
importman77
10-23-2016, 12:37
I use AWOL's guide and the ATC maps but by far my favorite tool is Guthooks app. It will show your location on the map and you can visually see how far you've gone and how far it is to the next point. Plus you can click on any point of interest and see photos and a description of what's there along with the mile marker and elevation. Plus now it has the online equivalent of shelter logs where people can post useful information about places such as water reports or facts like the shelter is overrun with mice or whatever the case may be. You can also look at the elevation profile to see what you're facing as well. But to me I really, really like to be able to pinpoint my location on the map. The only downside is, in my experience, the app is pretty hard on your batteries.
There are enough landmarks along the trail that you can usually know where you are within a mile or two, if not exactly. Get the AT Databook and you'll see what I mean. Shelters are generally 8 to 10 miles apart, but the databook also lists water sources, campsites, the summits of mountains, roads and many other landmarks. I never carried a watch, but I got to where I could guess the time correctly within about 15 minutes based upon where I was because I knew how fast I was walking. You will almost always have a general idea of where you are.
General idea is all well and good, but sometimes you need specifics. ;)
General idea is all well and good, but sometimes you need specifics. ;)You'll have a specific location each time you pass a landmark, which I found was every hour or so.
rocketsocks
10-23-2016, 16:41
I was hiking for a while with a guy who would whip out his phone every quarter mile and give me a mileage update. It was seriously annoying. I preferred to limit my mileage checks, using either the Guthook app, or the AWOL guide to once or twice a day. Maybe as a reward for finishing that fourth or fifth PUD, I'd check my mileage or see what's ahead. Maybe.exactly......
rocketsocks
10-23-2016, 16:43
c'mon guys, really, there are **NO** mileage markers on the trail? you guys hike in some area where every few miles you **DON'T** come to a sign telling you how far it is to the next major road crossing or the next shelter or the next major mountain summit? really? I've never hiked there.
that said, it is definitely true, i think, that those signs, though they are definitely present, is not generally how hikers keep track of their daily mileage.dosent PA have some, or am I thinking of state game land markers?
sorry but ive hiked all of the trail from montebello, VA to Monson ME and this statement isn't true.
i guess it depends on your definition of what constitutes "regularly." unless you're in a designated wilderness area, i'd say you're like to pass a sign every 5 miles or so. sometimes might be every 3 miles, sometimes might be every 10 miles, but i doubt youd find 20 mile stretch of the trail anywhere that is signless. i've never seen one.
there are generally signs at shelters.
there are generally signs at major road crossings
there are generally signs at intersections with side trails.
any of these would give AT relevant mileage marks.
yes, it is more common in ANY sort of designated area (not just national parks- state parks, forests, recreation areas, you name it) than they are at other parts of the trail, but that doesnt account for much area where there isnt likely to be signs.
its really just in wildnerness areas that you wont really see them.
I, and others, are into taking pictures of all of the signs. i've uploaded a few over the years as parts of discussions, and others have uploaded entire libraries of photos just of mileahe signs. look around this website, youll find a zillion of them.
The mileage on some signs aren't very accurate. Somewhere within a mile is close enough, for me and apparently some sign makers :banana
I was hiking for a while with a guy who would whip out his phone every quarter mile and give me a mileage update. It was seriously annoying. I preferred to limit my mileage checks, using either the Guthook app, or the AWOL guide to once or twice a day. Maybe as a reward for finishing that fourth or fifth PUD, I'd check my mileage or see what's ahead. Maybe.
The Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail has mile markers. I kept doing time distance calculations and driving myself (more) crazy. Then I'd think that I missed one because it was "past due".
anyone use the " fitbit" or other trackers on the trail?
The mileage on some signs aren't very accurate. Somewhere within a mile is close enough, for me and apparently some sign makers :banana
oh for sure,theyre often comically wrong.a fav game of mine sometimes is catching inconsistencies.ya know,like a sign at road A says roadB is 8 miles away,and when you get there the sign pointing back to roadA claims it is 7miles away.
that and i swear in the whites the mileages on all of the signs is wildly underreported. always seems like ive gone 8 miles and the signs insist ive only gone 3. its the darndest thing.
but all of this doesnt change the fact that the signs do exist.
Another Kevin
10-24-2016, 14:27
oh for sure,theyre often comically wrong.a fav game of mine sometimes is catching inconsistencies.ya know,like a sign at road A says roadB is 8 miles away,and when you get there the sign pointing back to roadA claims it is 7miles away.
that and i swear in the whites the mileages on all of the signs is wildly underreported. always seems like ive gone 8 miles and the signs insist ive only gone 3. its the darndest thing.
but all of this doesnt change the fact that the signs do exist.
Yeah, the signs do exist.
But just as they might well be plus-or-minus a mile or two over a day's walk, they may literally be plus-or-minus a hundred miles over the length of the Trail. I pass signs with "mileage to Springer" that vary by that much.
The answer that most people rely on guidebook mileages is correct.
Sometimes I wind up using GPS, carefully watching RMS error and dilution of position, and estimate median positions from walking a section in both directions. Just as back in the day, I'd estimate mileages from the turn count on a wheel or even from chaining. Because I'm coming up with mileages that go INTO the guidebook. That's most often, nowadays, from some sort of GPS log rather than from wheeling or chaining out the trail. It's a lot faster, and one guy can do it rather than needing a crew of at least four - one to sight and record, one to hold the sighting rod, and two to work the chain or tape. You might be able to get away with three with a wheel. I think it's a wonderful luxury NOT having to hump a plane table. (FWIW, I haven't done any of that on the AT. A lot of the field work that went into http://www.nptrail.org/?page_id=59 had my boots on the ground.)
I use AWOL's guide and the ATC maps but by far my favorite tool is Guthooks app. It will show your location on the map and you can visually see how far you've gone and how far it is to the next point. Plus you can click on any point of interest and see photos and a description of what's there along with the mile marker and elevation. Plus now it has the online equivalent of shelter logs where people can post useful information about places such as water reports or facts like the shelter is overrun with mice or whatever the case may be. You can also look at the elevation profile to see what you're facing as well. But to me I really, really like to be able to pinpoint my location on the map. The only downside is, in my experience, the app is pretty hard on your batteries.It runs for quite awhile if you are in airplne and low power mode. I went 5-6 days between charges, that included photos, video, .pdf guide and guthook.
anyone use the " fitbit" or other trackers on the trail?My wife an I both used Misfit trackers but unless you move them somewhere other than your wrist, they don't read correctly when you use trekking poles. YMMV
Alligator
10-24-2016, 15:10
There are periodically signs to tell you how far something is, but not your actual mile point on the trail. The trail length changes pretty much every year so the exact mile number is most times going to change. Relative changes between points are more static unless there has been a relocation between the sign and the point ahead.
When planning a trip I use the guidebooks but on the trail I use the profiles on the maps for daily planning.
The answer that most people rely on guidebook mileages is correct.
dont disagree with that at all. ijust thought it was funny that some one stated there were no mileage signs on the AT and then 3 people agreed with that.i guess they were all imagining signs that literally stated what mile# you were at like on a highway.
i will also add that, in a sense, i DO depend on the signs and imagine others do to an extent as well. if i come to a road crossing and it says the shelter i am heading for that night is 6.4 miles away, i more or less believe it. i dont get out my map and make sure it isnt actually 6.2 or 6.7. i have a feeling others do the same.
the other thing is, unless you are at one of those special places where there is likely to be a mileage sign anyway, knowing exactly where you are by reading it off of a map is not always straight forward without having legit map skills. and certainly reading it out of a guidebook is, more often than not, not possible if you arent a landmark, and many landmarks have signs at them.
MuddyWaters
10-24-2016, 21:09
Theres signs that occassionally say how far it is to X, but there isnt "mile markers" is the distinction.
The signs often have distances that conflict with guidebook or other signs, by 0.1 to 0.5 miles. Sometimes its as if someone simply guessed at the distance for the sign.
A sign says X is 0.4 miles, you walk 10 minutes and another sign says X is 0.3 miles, etc.
LIhikers
10-24-2016, 22:10
Somewhere in New England, Mass, Vermont, or NH there's an obelisk type marker with mileage numbers on the front and back. Of course the numbers are wrong because of trail reroutes.
AfterParty
10-24-2016, 22:25
That will be cool to see
Somewhere in New England, Mass, Vermont, or NH there's an obelisk type marker with mileage numbers on the front and back. Of course the numbers are wrong because of trail reroutes.
NH, a little north of the dartmouth skiway parking lot.
Somewhere in New England, Mass, Vermont, or NH there's an obelisk type marker with mileage numbers on the front and back. Of course the numbers are wrong because of trail reroutes.
I once asked Bill Ackerley (The Ice Cream Man) who put the obelisk there. It's not far from where he lived. Bill had no idea nor has anyone else I have asked.
Another Kevin
10-25-2016, 11:01
I once asked Bill Ackerley (The Ice Cream Man) who put the obelisk there. It's not far from where he lived. Bill had no idea nor has anyone else I have asked.
It's a typically lame Dartmouth Outing Club joke, just like the "Scenic Overlook - Beware Of Tourists" and "Speed Limit 20" signs.
(ETA: Spoken as a former DOC trail maintainer...)
Sometimes the white blazes are not as well marked as you would think. I didn't carry a guide. I printed on a piece of paper the mile markers from Summit post for whatever section I was doing and used it as reference..... there are signs usually every 10-15 miles or so however.
Slo-go'en
10-25-2016, 16:04
I think what the OP was really wondering about was if there were markers every mile along the trial, like on the highway. The only place I've seen a marker every mile was on the Iron mountain trail south of Damascus. As shown here:
36679
Mileage signs along the AT are seemingly randomly placed, but are most commonly found at road trail heads.
FlyPaper
10-25-2016, 16:10
Generally, these signs do not get updated often. That means that if there are reroutes in the area, the signs may not accurately designate
the distance. I always trust the most recent year's data book over any sign I see on the trail.
c'mon guys, really, there are **NO** mileage markers on the trail? you guys hike in some area where every few miles you **DON'T** come to a sign telling you how far it is to the next major road crossing or the next shelter or the next major mountain summit? really? I've never hiked there.
that said, it is definitely true, i think, that those signs, though they are definitely present, is not generally how hikers keep track of their daily mileage.
Another Kevin
10-25-2016, 17:36
I think what the OP was really wondering about was if there were markers every mile along the trial, like on the highway. The only place I've seen a marker every mile was on the Iron mountain trail south of Damascus. As shown here:
36679
Mileage signs along the AT are seemingly randomly placed, but are most commonly found at road trail heads.
Several rail-trails around here still have the mileposts from the former railroads. Of course, those measure miles from the railroads' chaining origins, not from the start of the trail. Most of those branch lines are still in service up to some point.
soumodeler
10-25-2016, 19:13
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Some markers exist. I remember comparing this to the guthook app and awol and all 3 were different.
The signposts with distances to Katahdin and or Springer are notoriously unreliable. Short distances eg., to a nearby summit, shelter or trailhead -- are likely to be much more reliable.
Yes, I've seen the continuous mileage markers on (for example) the Great Allegheny Passage (rail trail.) And even on the GAP, the mileage markers are of two different systems, and out of sync. Kind of amusing. Moot anyway, since I never found mile Zero at the end of the ride... the trail just petered out in Georgetown, a mile or so from the White House.
I still feel that the overall signage on the AT is kinda random. Not horrible. Mostly manageable. But could be be better. I'd work to fix it.
Maybe the problem with signs/directions at road crossings & trailheads (my main gripe) is that they'd be vandalized. I dunno. Really, that just occurred to me.
There are mile markers immediately north of Harpers Ferry on that flat section along the Patomic river. Not AT miles but 1, 2, 3, etc.
SWODaddy
10-26-2016, 08:40
Seems to me the signage is mostly random. As Slo said, it seems more regular in the national parks. Other than that, its presence or absence seems to be largely at the whim of the local trail organization.
Overall I found it to be particularly lacking in some of the most critical places, especially where the trail meets civilization -- a parking lot, road crossing, road walk, or in some of the towns directly on the trail. (I'm thinking Dalton, MA and Williamstown MA, where you get dumped right onto town streets without much clue as to where to go next.)
You really need a guide, or guide app, or a summary listing of waypoints and their mileage. And yes, after a while you do learn to estimate distance via dead reckoning, ie., knowing your last waypoint, walking speed and time from the last waypoint.
I also think those signs with mileage are the last thing to get updated after re-routes. Not particularly reliable.
There are mile markers immediately north of Harpers Ferry on that flat section along the Patomic river. Not AT miles but 1, 2, 3, etc.
That short section is also part of the GAP.
The signposts with distances to Katahdin and or Springer are notoriously unreliable. Short distances eg., to a nearby summit, shelter or trailhead -- are likely to be much more reliable.
I think those to Springer/Katadhin signs are really more for the geewhiz factor anyways.
I think those to Springer/Katadhin signs are really more for the geewhiz factor anyways.
For sure. I'm not suggesting they be moved or changed. That geewhiz effect is what brought my attention to the AT way back when.
Maybe from now, on new signs of that sort, the numbers should be rounded to the nearest 100 miles and suffixed with "... or so".
swisscross
10-26-2016, 09:52
I prefer no mileage signage. I sort of get lost in my mind while hiking and the next think I know, I have reached my destination for the day.
I also cycle. My local RTT has mileage markers and it sucks riding by them in pain knowing you have another 12 or so miles to ride. Same as when I rode the Blue Ridge Parkway. With all the climbing and hurt it is hard not to get somewhat discouraged.
the numbers should be rounded to the nearest 100 miles and suffixed with "... or so".
Agree with this, not that they re cut signs with every reroute, but this still gets the geewhiz factor without confusing anyone. Plus would continue the tradition of unintentionally humorous signs at National Parks / Forests.
peakbagger
10-26-2016, 16:36
Isnt the halfway marker on wheels and gets moved as the mileage changes