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bamboo bob
12-30-2011, 16:43
My wife is thinking of joining me during my thruhike to do the Shenendoah. Does she officially need a permit to do that. Or does my self registration cover her as well. I recall something about 100 miles before the park suffices for self registration..

scudder
12-30-2011, 16:58
I think she'll need one. You can get on the Shenandoah National park website and request one in advance , or fill one out at the boundary of the park as you enter. they are free.

GoldenBear
12-30-2011, 17:14
http://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/upload/SHEN_Backcountry_Camping_Permit_Application2.pdf

You need to specify the following:

1) how many people will be in your group.
2) the day you will enter the park.
3) a landmark near to where you plan to camp each night.
4) the day you will leave the park.
5) what car you will be parking.
6) where that car will be parked.

There does not seem to be any requirement about who, exactly, will be in your party. If you fill out the permit form two weeks in advance, or self-register when you get there, you can specify "Two" as the number of people in your back-country party. At that point you're completely covered. If you actually have only one person in the party (ie, yourself without your wife) when your permit states you will have a party of two, then you can explain the situation simply by telling the truth.

Rocket Jones
12-30-2011, 17:25
As long as she meets up with you outside the park boundries, I would think that a single permit will be fine for both of you. If she wants to park inside the park, then she would need her own permit to include the car info, not to mention paying the entrance fee to the park.

Harder to describe than actually do. It really is painless.

bamboo bob
12-30-2011, 18:11
Thanks. She wont have a car. She'll likely meet me in Waynesboro and continue on to Harpers Ferry. I just recall something about you had to start 100 prior to the park to self register like a thruhiker.

Pedaling Fool
12-30-2011, 18:36
There is no such rule for SNP; you're probably thinking of GSMNP, which is start and finish south and north of the park. That's all so you can be counted as a thru-hiker and not make reservations for the shelters. There is no reservation system along the AT thru SNP, so all that needs to happen is for ya'll to fill out a backcountry permit and she can call herself a thru-hiker, just doesn't matter, she is thru-hiking SNP, so that's all that matters.

Pedaling Fool
12-30-2011, 18:39
There is no such rule for SNP; you're probably thinking of GSMNP, which is start and finish south and north of the park. That's start and finsh 50 miles (at least) north and south of the park.

Blissful
12-30-2011, 18:46
One permit per group, but you need to designate how many in your "group". I'd be proactive and just include her.

No shelter reservations but you must designate approx places you will stay on your permit. Permit needed only within Shenandoah boundaries - actually Jarmin Gap to Compton Gap, but hikers get it before that at the kiosks.

Pedaling Fool
12-30-2011, 18:58
I've never designated shelters, I do the same thing as in GSMNP, I write "thru-hiker" in big letters in that spot, but IIRC, I do give a estimate of start and finsh dates (entrance and exit dates for the park). As for permits, you can either do one permit and list number in group, as others have said, or each of you could do individual permits for yourself. I always do individual permits in case I get separated, but ya'll being husband and wife I guess that point is nill.

Creek Dancer
12-31-2011, 08:35
There is no such rule for SNP; you're probably thinking of GSMNP, which is start and finish south and north of the park. That's all so you can be counted as a thru-hiker and not make reservations for the shelters. There is no reservation system along the AT thru SNP, so all that needs to happen is for ya'll to fill out a backcountry permit and she can call herself a thru-hiker, just doesn't matter, she is thru-hiking SNP, so that's all that matters.

Everyone needs a back country permit for camping, not just thru-hikers. It doesn't matter if you are thru hiking or not. Also, be sure to hang your permit from the outside of your pack so that the park rangers can see it from a distance. Generally, if they can see you have one, they won't ask if you do.

Pedaling Fool
12-31-2011, 09:57
Everyone needs a back country permit for camping, not just thru-hikers. It doesn't matter if you are thru hiking or not.That's basically what I said. My only point about thru-hiking was that his wife could be listed as a thru-hiker for SNP's purposes.


Also, be sure to hang your permit from the outside of your pack so that the park rangers can see it from a distance. Generally, if they can see you have one, they won't ask if you do.You can do that, but it's not a big deal; I just put it in the very top of my pack, in the pocket of the pack cover/lid, that way it's less likely to get torn off.

I was only asked once by a ranger to see my permit and that was when I was taking a break at a parking lot.

nitewalker
12-31-2011, 09:59
Thanks. She wont have a car. She'll likely meet me in Waynesboro and continue on to Harpers Ferry. I just recall something about you had to start 100 prior to the park to self register like a thruhiker.

i thought it was 50 miles from either end of the park but im not totally sure. curtis had told me this at standing bear farm but i could have it wrong...

bamboo bob
12-31-2011, 10:05
I am not smart enough to figure this out. I've self registered, etc more than once. That's fine. But my wife should just say she's a thruhiker and do the same? Don't they define thruhiker as starting 100 miles before the park or something? I'll do the usual plan and wing it. I just don't want some over zealous ranger cuffing my dear wife. Especially while crossing parking lots which is their known habitat.

Pedaling Fool
12-31-2011, 10:11
I am not smart enough to figure this out. I've self registered, etc more than once. That's fine. But my wife should just say she's a thruhiker and do the same? Don't they define thruhiker as starting 100 miles before the park or something? I'll do the usual plan and wing it. I just don't want some over zealous ranger cuffing my dear wife. Especially while crossing parking lots which is their known habitat.SNP does not define thru-hiker the same as GSMNP, which defines a thru-hiker as one that starts 50 miles before entering the park, hikes thru the park and then ends their hike 50 miles after exiting the park.

I've done this exact same hike as your wife (starting in Waynesboro and ending in Harpers Ferry) and I registered as a thru-hiker, because I was thru-hiking through SNP. They don't care if you're thru-hiking the entire AT, they just want to know what you're doing in the park.

BTW, I've also done it in the reverse direction (SOBO) also.

Pedaling Fool
12-31-2011, 10:14
But my wife should just say she's a thruhiker and do the same?BTW, as others have said, you can just include your wife on your permit as thru-hikers or she can fill out her own as a thru-hiker, it doesn't matter.

scudder
12-31-2011, 13:33
You're overthinking this Bob. The permits are available right on the trail and its a two minute procedure to fill it out.You can write hut to hut , estimate your entry and exit dates and keep on trucking. Main reason to have two tags is that it is likely that your wife may hike at a slower pace than you with your seasoned trail legs at that point ,and it could eliminate the need for explanation at a random road crossing. So when do you start?

Wise Old Owl
12-31-2011, 14:02
more regulations - ugggh.:mad: