View Full Version : Top reasons you come off the trail and use the towns?
lifeisalwaysgood
07-14-2019, 14:14
Would be interested in finding out what are the top reasons that would cause you to go to the towns along the applachian trail?
The most obvious I would assume is buying food supplies and occasionally staying somewhere.
Any others?
soumodeler
07-14-2019, 14:30
Food and shower. That may be an overnight in a hotel or hostel, sometimes in and out in one day. Most people use town stops to recharge phones and other electronics.
Gear repair and replacement also comes to mind.
food, shower, laundry, zero
bigcranky
07-14-2019, 14:56
Resupply food. Drink beer. Get a shower. Not in that order.
Is someone gathering info for an article or school report?
Trailweaver
07-15-2019, 02:25
To get medical attention after a fall (or other accident) or illness. Not what you want to happen.
garlic08
07-15-2019, 08:31
Mechanical heat.
Mechanical cooling.
Communication. A library with internet is often a top priority.
Laundry.
Mail drop for maps/shoes/prescriptions.
Tourism/entertainment/culture (e.g. Shakespeare festival in Ashland OR).
Meet a loved one or friend.
Take a vacation from your vacation and do something else for a day.
Need to leave the trail to attend to business/family matters.
Gambit McCrae
07-15-2019, 09:24
I have learned the hard way that for a multi hundred mile trip for me- that the first 3-4 days on trail are real weird. I for 1 have great OCD and anxiety so that time is spent over analyzing a lot of things and as well pushing my body to far. What this results in is me having to take a nero on day 4 of a long hike and kinda recover. After that its pretty well smooth sailing permitting good weather. IF a thunderstorm is slated for a day of hiking, I am typically well ahead of schedule and will take time off the trail to let the bad weather pass and then hike on. I use both of these instances to resupply while I am at a motel.
peakbagger
07-15-2019, 09:26
There is point where its better to resupply than carry more food. For most folks that five or six days. The problem is most folks turn a resupply into a zero and an overnight at a local accommodation and inevitably a meal and drinks. The budget and weekly mileage suffers. I did a 5 week stretch one year with two cars. We broke it into 4 to 5 day backpacks and would plan our last day to leave the campsite early and get to the car by around noon. We would resupply, wash gear, get a motel or hostel spot, shuttle a car if need be and be on the trail the next morning. Our daily mileage wasn't thru hiker grade but we made up a lot of it by having no zeros. We also got to see a lot more of the country while we were shuttling cars.
nsherry61
07-15-2019, 12:23
To get medical attention after a fall (or other accident) or illness. Not what you want to happen.
Or just plain resting an injury, often from overuse instead of an accident.
... I did a 5 week stretch one year with two cars...
Somebody (I forget the trail name) did the whole AT by shuttling 2 cars himself. He parked car A, drove a few trail days north in car B, then hiked south back to car A, which he then drove north a few trail days north of car B, hiked south back to car B, and so on. Hiked the whole trail from Georgia to Maine, but hiked all of it southbound!
Early on and in the Whites, Weather - Usually to Dry out both person and gear, to warm up when not hiking, and to avoid Thunderstorms. Late in the hike, for Re Supply—Nutrition, Laundry, Rest from pushing miles and Keep the stench down. Like everything on the trail, you experience the hike and towns meant for you. Just have to Keep the Faith and Keep HikN^.