View Full Version : Max Days worth of Food in Shenandoah
Anyone have an idea of what the 'max' number of days worth of food you have to carry in North, Central and South Shenandoah?
I would guess about 3 days max - resupply at Elkwallow Wayside, Big Meadows Wayside/Campstore, Lewis Mtn. Campstore, and Loft Mtn. Campstore. There are snacks at Panarama and restaurants at Skyland Lodge, Big Meadows Lodge, and at Loft Mtn. Wayside.
squirrel bait
08-19-2003, 11:27
Can I send mail drops to any of these resupply spots?
I doubt it - they are all run by Aramark - IMO one of the most customer hostile organizations that I have ever had to deal with
Aside from the fact that a resupply would cut into the profits of a privately run campground store concession, the very existence of the stores makes resupply unnecessary.
Hog on Ice, did you have any particular problems in SNP that you can share with us? I had no problems at all, nor did I know anyone who did.
squirrel bait
08-19-2003, 15:18
My pea size brain shorts out easily. Can I get everything I need at these places that I don't even worry about the difference in cost or selection? Just take staples/favorites? Just stay home? Sometimes I feel like I'll get in other peoples way.
i'd say the answer to this question is about no food at all... when I thru hiked in 2000 i carried a lot of food and barely ate any. in 2001 I carried almost no food at all. Between the waysides, little camp grocery stores and abudant yogying thru-out the park it made carrying food (for me) almost unnecessaRY...
aswah
What is abundant yogying? I have heard of Yogi Bear but this still beats me.
To yogi is a fine art. It is the process where you get picnickers to share there picanic baskets with you without actually asking for anything. You might strike up a conversation, or just look like you're starved, but the idea is to not come out and ask for whatever it is you might want. Let the folks offer and voila, you've yogi'd yourself a meal (or whatever you may need).
Yogiing means trying to get something from someone using guilt or trying to make them feel sorry for you. Generally, it is something nice that you wish you would have brought, but were too lazy to carry. It isn't a good idea to try to yogi food from weekenders or tourists. It turns thru hikers into mere vagrants. If they offer without persuasion, that is a different matter. The worst is trying to yogi from other thru hikers.
Note that asking directly for something isn't yogiing. If you've run out of fuel because of a spill or really need a ride to town, just ask politely
Trying to get something from somebody by using guilt?? I've never heard yogiing interpreted that way. If you're good at it, people offer it because they want to be nice or because they've enjoyed your company. Generally, yogiing involves food, and not something that someone was too 'lazy' to carry. The very fact that you aren't supposed to ask for anything negates that vagrant thru-hiker remark. When you've successfully yogi'd something, the person that has offered whatever it is, has no idea that you wanted it in the first place. That is the true art of the yogi.
B Thrash
08-28-2003, 21:20
Snacks at the Panorama, when I come through about four years ago I eat breakfast there and did not see a snack bar. Tell me more, I was planning on eating there again but driving through this time.
yogying is an art form... to me it was a game we played throughout the whole hike but especially in the Doahs (where pick-a-nick baskets are plentiful)... No it is not begging, asking for or anything like that. It usually involves looking dirty, with blank staring eyes and a sucked in stomach. Then asking a family enjoying a large picnic basket full of goodies if they don't mind if you sit under a tree somewhat near them to get out of the oppressive sunshine and enjoy your lunch. Somewhere along the line they find out you are one of those poor souls (poor soles are good too) that is walking across the states just like Bill Bryson. Then you open your water bottle (must have clear plastic) and take a sip of your water. It is best if you had dropped a few twigs and leaves in it prior to appearing on the scene. Then you look especially pathetic as you open your package of off brand Ramen noodles and dip them (uncooked) into your twig filled meager jar of peanut butter. Just sit under the tree crunching away minding your own business. And voila... they start offering you chips, and fried chicken and pie and.... well, you get the point. We had little yogi-bingo cards printed for the stretch. Yes, it is all about the trail games (fart baseball, yogi-bingo, and most creative ways of obtaining a hitch into town or out of town... oh yes, and aero-blazing... but that is for another thread). I won the competition hands down. I think what truly sealed my victory in this section was the Orange chicken and another chinese dish I actually yogiied from two women at a chinese restaurant in Front Royal. Is it bad to yogi... it depends on your tactics. Most people are kind and hip to the scam. And after u-thriking in 2000 and walking 1,200 in 2001 I treated many a wayward thruhikers at my house and p/u truck throughout the Damascus area in 2002... So peace and love to all...
ASWAH the Ignorant:banana
squirrel bait
08-29-2003, 04:54
U so funny. Tell us more about the trail games please.
Originally posted by B Thrash
Snacks at the Panorama, when I come through about four years ago I eat breakfast there and did not see a snack bar. Tell me more, I was planning on eating there again but driving through this time.
Panorama discontinued meals in Spring 2002.
trail games... The first great game I played in 2000 was Fart Baseball...
well here's tghe original post about it....
"I was tired by the time I got to the shelter. But there was a lively group there which kicked me into party mode. Seven of us ended up playing Fart Baseball for 3 hours. For those of you looking for nature related stuff skip to my next entry. Fart baseball is a game best played after a chili dinner. Each time you fart you get a single. If you burp-that's a foul. If someone else farts within 5 seconds of your fart-it's an out. If someone expresses disgust it's a double. The group playing included Eagle Eye, Grizzly (who thru hiked in '99), Fireball (who hiked 900 miles in '99), myself and 2 other thru-hikers (sorry didn't get their names). I realize it sounds disgusting but out here it's entertainment. We cracked jokes and partied for awhile."
oh yeah that sounds disgusting but we had fun and laughed far into the dark hours...
stranger
08-29-2003, 22:24
I went into Shenandoah with about 4 days worth of food and that was enough to get through with buying some stuff along the way. Buy a Lipton here, some candy bars there and pig out on some burgers....expensive burgers!
I don't think I know enough about baseball to play that particular game. We don't have trail hiking so we really don't have an equivalent. Although whilst camping with a group the other week they did share their kalamata olives and camenbert cheese with me and I did'nt have to ask. Maybe I'm a born natural.
We just finished a week in North and Central Shenandoah. There are quite a few places to resupply, as mentioned, once you hit the campground areas--I have to agree, however, that the Aramark folks are about the LEAST pleasant people I have ever encountered--with the exception of the folks at the Lewis Mountain campstore (nice campgrounds by the way).
Yogiiing does involve guilt. The whole "art form" is dependent upon giving the impression of not having something or wanting something. For example, some extra food. You might suck in your stomach or pull out your lunch, which probably consists of a snickers bar and crackers. The family with the large basket sees how pathetic you are (trying) to look and feels guilty about how fat and well fed and provided for they are. They then turn over some food to you because it helps aleviates their guilt or makes them feel good. The fact that you are putting on a show is what is wrong. If you don't have enough food to satisfy your hunger, try carrying more and better food.
The fact that people regard yogiing as an art form indicates that they actively engage in a show to try to get stuff from others. People who engage in it are manipulating people, and I do not think that is right or good. Perhaps worst of all are those who try to yogi from other thru hikers. Tobacco seems to be the most common object of desire in this, although I've had other thru hikers try to get maps off me in the past.
Whether or not to yogi is a personal choice. I've made mine and am happy with it. I think the other is wrong, but in the end probably (if done discreetly) doesn't negatively impact the community as a whole.
Originally posted by gumball
We just finished a week in North and Central Shenandoah. There are quite a few places to resupply, as mentioned, once you hit the campground areas--I have to agree, however, that the Aramark folks are about the LEAST pleasant people I have ever encountered--with the exception of the folks at the Lewis Mountain campstore (nice campgrounds by the way).
People are people. On my thru-hike, I found great Aramark people at Elkwallow Wayside. I certainly wouldn't characterize anyone in SNP as being unpleasant
i went into shenendoah with 5 days of food. It took me 5 days to get thru, however i did have food left over. Panorama has no meals or snacks at all, its been shut down. Be aware of when you plan to go thru. We were early in the season and loft mtn store was just stocking the shelves as we went by. they were very kind and let us hang in the store during a terrible cold rain. We could purchase things but not get change back :) I did snack at Lewis mtn store and ate a meal at both skyland and elkwallow. Skipped Big meadows.
I could have got by coming in with only 3 days, but its up to the individual here. I felt like the food was a bit pricey and the resupply quite shotty. I suppose that if you needed a dinner or snack it would be just fine, but some thrus were trying to resupply from elkwallow to get to harpers ferry on ramen and little debbies. All depends about your funds and how you wanna hike ur hike.
You can always hitch into luray and send a maildrop to the PO there. Couple folks did that.
A-Train
When we got to SNP, all of the concessions were closed except one, despite what the Thru-hikers Handbook says, SNP stores may not open until the end of May or so. If you are planning an earlier start date this may be a problem for resupply. That being said- I think it took us about 5 days to hike the park so it is not a problem if you are aware that the stores may be closed.
The one store that was open charged about 2 times what anything was worth and I would have been eating crackers and cookies if we had relied on the store for resupply.