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Is there a way to get the info that's in the Apalachin Trail Data Book in spread sheet? I've bought the book but want to customize it for a NOBO hike (like reverse the order (go South to North, etc.)
Is there a way to get the info that's in the Apalachin Trail Data Book in spread sheet? I've bought the book but want to customize it for a NOBO hike (like reverse the order (go South to North, etc.)
I don't know from spread sheet.
But with 5 section hikes in the past few years I know what I want. So have taken the infor from the Handbook & the data book & eliminated the "useless" stuff. Took a few days, but I have a personalized guide to the AT. I have even gotten the entire AT down to 3.5 pages (8.5 X 11 sheets of paper) with only the "Essentials" like: water, shelters (No names, takes up space, not exactly important), resupply points.
My "Full" guide is only 12 pages. Both list: the miles, resupply points, water, campsites, resupply, phone numbers. The full lists additionaly: shelter & spring names & if a privy is avalable, important landmarks (Important to ME), names of some road crossings. It rarely lists: Mountains or their names, Gaps - sags - stamps or their names, "Viewpoints", weather a bridge crosses a creek or that "Joe Blow died here", Maybe a major elevation change, like the climb up Blood, but then now I know where that is so,,,,,,,,,
That's how I do it. I suspect if I had a clue as to how to use a spread sheet, I would use that. If you are familure with that option, go for it. Shouldn't take that much effort
:jump
Doctari.
There is a CD Rom called Appalachian Trail Mate with all the same info found in the Data Book. Its a trip planner for hikes on the AT. Not exactly a spread sheet but it lays out all the "data" just like a spread sheet and it will do calculations too.
http://www.atctrailstore.org/catalog/itemlist.cfm?catid=44&compid=1&pcatid=120
Is there a way to get the info that's in the Apalachin Trail Data Book in spread sheet? I've bought the book but want to customize it for a NOBO hike (like reverse the order (go South to North, etc.)I will try to attach a spreadsheet file that includes many parts of data book (all shelters and a few towns and road crossings). The mileages are from last year's data book.
(first, put your start date in column E row 7. All date calculations run off this)
The columns are
M The place of interest, ie, Springer Shelter
K A column for you to put BUY or MD for a place you will buy food or get a maildrop. This will change the number in column B, which calculates number of days since last maildrop
J The working column. Put a numeral one (1) in this column if you intend to spend the night in this location. For example, place a 1 in column J opposite Springer Mountain shelter. This shows you intend to spend your first night in this shelter. Note that the nmber 9.0 immediately shows up in column H. This is how many miles you walked that day (this runs from Amicalola). Feeling frisky? Delete that 1 form opposite Springer Mountain shelter and plut a 1 in column J opposite Hawk Mountain shelter. 16.4 miles. Big day. Note that Column A and B have changed. You can see how many trail days you've been hiking (Column A) and how many days since your last maildrop/food puchase(column B) Leave that 1 there and put another 1 in column J opposite Woody Gap. Daily mileage is 12.3 in collumn H and now you have two trail days and two days since last mail drop.
Example of maildrop: Say you send a maildrop to Hikerhostel in Woody Gap. Type MD in column K. Note the trail days is unchanged but the maildrop column resets itself. Use this to make sure you don't go 14 days between planned drops. (Typing "Buy" also resets the maildrop counter.)
Work your way down the spreadsheet, putting in 1's for everywhere you want to spend the night (put in a 2 for a zero day).
Only columns J and K are for data entry. The rest of columns are calculated columns. DO NOT enter data in other columns or the speadsheet will not work. Explanation of other columns:
A Number of days on the trail
B Number of days since last maildrop
C Null column
D The day of the week you will be at that particular shelter for the night
E The date associated with your night's stay. You must enter your start date in column E row 7. All other dates are automatically calculated from you entries in Column J
F Cummulative AT miles hiked
G The distance between the data point you are at and the prior data point
H Cummulative miles hiked since the last stop
I A separate column to show daily miles. It is the same as column H but stands out better in it's own column.
This was done over the years at work on days I had nothing else to do. It is overmanagement to the nth degree, and if you don't like planning you won't like this at all. Feel free not to like it - you needn't tell me how stupid you think it is. Just don't use it. If you DO like to plan, have fun. If your hike is way in the future, you may love this. I have planned numerous hikes over the years. It is harmless fun, and will not lead to blindness or cause hair to grow on your palms.
Tim Rich
03-14-2005, 12:11
I will try to attach a spreadsheet file that includes many parts of data book (all shelters and a few towns and road crossings). The mileages are from last year's data book.
(first, put your start date in column E row 7. All date calculations run off this)
The columns are
M The place of interest, ie, Springer Shelter
K A column for you to put BUY or MD for a place you will buy food or get a maildrop. This will change the number in column B, which calculates number of days since last maildrop
J The working column. Put a numeral one (1) in this column if you intend to spend the night in this location. For example, place a 1 in column J opposite Springer Mountain shelter. This shows you intend to spend your first night in this shelter. Note that the nmber 9.0 immediately shows up in column H. This is how many miles you walked that day (this runs from Amicalola). Feeling frisky? Delete that 1 form opposite Springer Mountain shelter and plut a 1 in column J opposite Hawk Mountain shelter. 16.4 miles. Big day. Note that Column A and B have changed. You can see how many trail days you've been hiking (Column A) and how many days since your last maildrop/food puchase(column B) Leave that 1 there and put another 1 in column J opposite Woody Gap. Daily mileage is 12.3 in collumn H and now you have two trail days and two days since last mail drop.
Example of maildrop: Say you send a maildrop to Hikerhostel in Woody Gap. Type MD in column K. Note the trail days is unchanged but the maildrop column resets itself. Use this to make sure you don't go 14 days between planned drops. (Typing "Buy" also resets the maildrop counter.)
Work your way down the spreadsheet, putting in 1's for everywhere you want to spend the night (put in a 2 for a zero day).
Only columns J and K are for data entry. The rest of columns are calculated columns. DO NOT enter data in other columns or the speadsheet will not work. Explanation of other columns:
A Number of days on the trail
B Number of days since last maildrop
C Null column
D The day of the week you will be at that particular shelter for the night
E The date associated with your night's stay. You must enter your start date in column E row 7. All other dates are automatically calculated from you entries in Column J
F Cummulative AT miles hiked
G The distance between the data point you are at and the prior data point
H Cummulative miles hiked since the last stop
I A separate column to show daily miles. It is the same as column H but stands out better in it's own column.
This was done over the years at work on days I had nothing else to do. It is overmanagement to the nth degree, and if you don't like planning you won't like this at all. Feel free not to like it - you needn't tell me how stupid you think it is. Just don't use it. If you DO like to plan, have fun. If your hike is way in the future, you may love this. I have planned numerous hikes over the years. It is harmless fun, and will not lead to blindness or cause hair to grow on your palms.
This is a really neat tool. Thanks for sharing your work.
Take Care,
Tim
Thanks Frosty. I've also been looking for something like this.