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Tim Causa
09-28-2012, 17:23
My backpacking partners backed out on this weekend so I planned on improvising. I'm going to drop my car off near Waynesboro, VA and start walking south on the blue ridge parkway with my thumb in the air. I'd like to catch a ride to rt 56 and hike back the 30 or so miles. How easy is it to get picked up on blue ridge parkway? Any suggestions? I've never hitch hiked, ever. I'm not nervous, but my plan will be foiled if I can't hitch a ride at all.

moocow
09-28-2012, 17:47
I hitched about 10 miles north of Daleville. It was kind of tough. Maybe an hour or so.

Lone Wolf
09-28-2012, 19:05
My backpacking partners backed out on this weekend so I planned on improvising. I'm going to drop my car off near Waynesboro, VA and start walking south on the blue ridge parkway with my thumb in the air. I'd like to catch a ride to rt 56 and hike back the 30 or so miles. How easy is it to get picked up on blue ridge parkway? Any suggestions? I've never hitch hiked, ever. I'm not nervous, but my plan will be foiled if I can't hitch a ride at all.

i've hitched a bunch of times on the parkway over the years. never had to wait more than a half hour or so

Tim Causa
09-28-2012, 19:19
Do you guys ever offer any cash? 10 bucks for a half hour ride, maybe?

Bobby
09-28-2012, 19:27
haven't hitched hiked down there in a while, but I'm a big hitch hiker in general. Couple of pointers - face the cars - don't walk with your back to traffic and stick you thumb out - let them see your smiling face. Make sure you are in a place cars can easily stop and pull over to give you a ride. Let them see your pack so they know you are a hiker - near the trail people are aware of hikers and many will stop and offer a ride. usually not necessary to offer money - just provide good conversation and stories as pay back.

generally people like to help hikers and will go out of their way if they like you and you are nice

good luck

Lone Wolf
09-28-2012, 19:44
Do you guys ever offer any cash? 10 bucks for a half hour ride, maybe?

no. only if they go out of their way

fredmugs
09-28-2012, 23:14
Isn't it illegal to hitch on the BRP or just in certain areas?

joshuasdad
09-28-2012, 23:36
My understanding is that under Federal regulations, it is illegal to hitchhike on the BRP unless there is a district policy allowing it. Also, I'm pretty sure I just read something indicating that BRP and SNP in Virginia do not allow hitchhiking.

Bronk
09-29-2012, 05:12
I was walking on the BRP near Waynesboro and somebody stopped and offered me a ride (which I wasn't looking for at the time, so I declined)...he told me that hitchhiking was not allowed. But there's nothing illegal about walking down the road and looking like a hiker, and there's nothing illegal about somebody offering you a ride. I was offered a ride several times. If you're there during a busy time of year you probably won't have to stick your thumb out to get a ride.

1azarus
09-29-2012, 09:47
I've done a fair amount of hitch hiking in that area, and it is an interesting experience because the road is a scenic thoroughfare. Getting a ride is directly related to the amount of traffic -- so you want to plan to hitch when the traffic is likely to be heaviest. Too early or too late, middle of the week or bad weather = no traffic = long wait. on a sunny weekend mid-day moment the ride is easy. 7 am in the rain, not so much.

bear bag hanger
09-29-2012, 11:21
I did a lot of hitch hiking during my 04 thru hike to get to and from towns. First, it turns out to be illegal on the Blue Ridge, something a cop told me when I was trying to get back to town when my shoes came apart. At least he didn't arrest me. I waited until he was out of sight and stuck my thumb out again (I was kind of desperate, couldn't walk very good with the broken shoes I had) and was able to get a ride in about 20 minutes. But, if you have a choice, I'd have to say don't do it, like I said it's not legal. Best bet is to go to a outfitter in one of the near by towns and they can probably give you a ride.

Virginia Archer
09-30-2012, 10:51
Wish I had known....I had planned going from Reeds Gap back to Rockfish. And my partner backed out too. So I had plenty of Honey Do's around here to do so I hung around and got some done. If we could have hooked up earlier I could have went with you.

Tipi Walter
09-30-2012, 12:13
Isn't it illegal to hitch on the BRP or just in certain areas?

I was on a long backpacking trip thru NC and VA and got kicked off the Parkway by a ranger. He told me to hike over to a regular road and get off the scenic route. What a motard. Meanwhile, 40 foot RV's and motorcycles w/o mufflers roar by. A guy with a thumb is the biggest threat I guess. Who knows? An unsightly backpacker might interfere with the high rollers and disrupt the Image So Favored by the head honcho types.

Carl Calson
10-02-2012, 00:07
whatever you do, DO NOT accept a ride from a guy in a white pickup truck. trust me on this one.

Carl Calson
10-02-2012, 00:10
also, it's incredibly hard to get a ride in shenandoah, so i would assume it's the same in blue ridge. we got lucky and were picked up by an IT guy on a work visa from india picked us up, having been inspired from listening to the audio from "into the wild" as he was driving past us. great man he was. drove 40 miles out of his way to help us out. all the fat white oompa loompas ignored us as they drove past.

Tipi Walter
10-02-2012, 07:42
also, it's incredibly hard to get a ride in shenandoah, so i would assume it's the same in blue ridge. we got lucky and were picked up by an IT guy on a work visa from india picked us up, having been inspired from listening to the audio from "into the wild" as he was driving past us. great man he was. drove 40 miles out of his way to help us out. all the fat white oompa loompas ignored us as they drove past.

This reminds me of the time I spent 2 days on I-40 trying to hitch a ride and had to spend a night in some trees nearby and start again on the second day. I calculated around 40,000 cars passed in those two days---bug eyed people with scrunched up faces---but I had a copy of the Bhagavad gita to read so it wasn't a complete waste of time.

10-K
10-02-2012, 08:04
This reminds me of the time I spent 2 days on I-40 trying to hitch a ride and had to spend a night in some trees nearby and start again on the second day. I calculated around 40,000 cars passed in those two days---bug eyed people with scrunched up faces---but I had a copy of the Bhagavad gita to read so it wasn't a complete waste of time.

It was probably that hoop of cheese you have hanging around your neck.. :)

kyhipo
10-02-2012, 09:56
I always got a ride with park ranger,twice same ranger picked me up checked my ID and than gave me a ride to the store to get some beer before it closed!shotgun in the middle made me a little uneasy.ky