RuthN
05-03-2019, 15:06
I attended the Flip Flop Festival last weekend (description from their website is at the end of this post for those who aren't familiar with the event). I thought I'd briefly share my impressions.
It was a well designed program that provided real, concrete information. The best proof I have to offer is that my husband, who despite being an avid hiker has never camped a night in his life, left the event talking about how we will prepare for our first backpacking trip together. :)
Although the festival is largely dedicated to promoting flip flop thru-hikes, I didn't feel like I was given a hard sell. I'm planning an AT thru in 2021. Because my schedule requires me to leave in mid-May (and I'm a slow hiker), I will have to flip flop, and the festival helped me get past the idea that NOBO or SOBO is the optimal way to do a thru-hike. On Saturday there was a panel discussion by AT flip floppers who described the personally fulfilling nature of a non-linear hike. That sealed the deal for me.
The workshops and outings weren't focused on gear, which was refreshing. The focus was more on the personal experience of hiking the AT and being a responsible hiker.
On Sunday we joined a guided African-American history hike. The two hour-long tour was illuminating. It started at the ATC HQ and finished near where the C&O Canal Towpath intersects with the AT.
The weak part of the festival was the vendor line-up. The offerings weren't very robust. Also, I never found whatever REI was supposed to be doing at the Barn, which was disappointing.
I was curious to see how diverse the event would be, and was unsurprised that it was mostly white, but was happy to see that many attendees were in their 40s and up. It was a good mix of people with a range of reasons for hiking the AT. I learned a lot and was able to connect with past thru-hikers and others who, like me, are planning future thru-hikes.
**From www.flipflopfestival.org: "The Flip Flop Festival is a two day, no charge community event, sponsored by the Harpers Ferry Town Foundation's Trail & Town Alliance, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and the towns of Harpers Ferry and Bolivar, WV. The Flip Flop Festival combines activities designed to promote “flip-flop thru-hikes” of the Appalachian Trail with activities that celebrate the beginning of the outdoor season in Harpers Ferry, as well as economic development for the Town and its merchants."**
It was a well designed program that provided real, concrete information. The best proof I have to offer is that my husband, who despite being an avid hiker has never camped a night in his life, left the event talking about how we will prepare for our first backpacking trip together. :)
Although the festival is largely dedicated to promoting flip flop thru-hikes, I didn't feel like I was given a hard sell. I'm planning an AT thru in 2021. Because my schedule requires me to leave in mid-May (and I'm a slow hiker), I will have to flip flop, and the festival helped me get past the idea that NOBO or SOBO is the optimal way to do a thru-hike. On Saturday there was a panel discussion by AT flip floppers who described the personally fulfilling nature of a non-linear hike. That sealed the deal for me.
The workshops and outings weren't focused on gear, which was refreshing. The focus was more on the personal experience of hiking the AT and being a responsible hiker.
On Sunday we joined a guided African-American history hike. The two hour-long tour was illuminating. It started at the ATC HQ and finished near where the C&O Canal Towpath intersects with the AT.
The weak part of the festival was the vendor line-up. The offerings weren't very robust. Also, I never found whatever REI was supposed to be doing at the Barn, which was disappointing.
I was curious to see how diverse the event would be, and was unsurprised that it was mostly white, but was happy to see that many attendees were in their 40s and up. It was a good mix of people with a range of reasons for hiking the AT. I learned a lot and was able to connect with past thru-hikers and others who, like me, are planning future thru-hikes.
**From www.flipflopfestival.org: "The Flip Flop Festival is a two day, no charge community event, sponsored by the Harpers Ferry Town Foundation's Trail & Town Alliance, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and the towns of Harpers Ferry and Bolivar, WV. The Flip Flop Festival combines activities designed to promote “flip-flop thru-hikes” of the Appalachian Trail with activities that celebrate the beginning of the outdoor season in Harpers Ferry, as well as economic development for the Town and its merchants."**