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Wasn't completely sure where to put this, as I did not see any other threads talking about this.
ASL is my main form of communication, just wondering if anyone else on the trail uses it? I'm starting first week of april 2020. Haven't decided if I'm going NoBo or SoBo just yet.
Thanks for reading
If you're starting in April, then your only real choice is NOBO. There's just no way to thru-hike SOBO that early in the season. You'd hit both mud season and black fly season right through New England, which is not the way you want to start a thru-hike. You'll also have a much easier time finding hiking companions that know some ASL if you're with the NOBO hiker bubble, which is much bigger than the SOBO equivalent.
As already posted, SOBO is pretty much impossible until sometime in late May / early June, or later. Baxter State Park didn't open the AT up Katahdin until June 15 this year. You should probably do some more general thru-hiking research - and then ask more questions. Many basic questions, including when to start, gear, travel, the reasons for needing for a sleeping pad, where your dog can and can't go (unless it's a service animal) and others will be answered. Some people on the trail may know ASL, but probably no more than you would find in the general population. Many younger people have learned at least some ASL while in school. You will find most fellow hikers very willing to communicate in whatever way necessary though, especially if you need help with something.Quote:
Originally Posted by wanderlyst
http://www.appalachiantrail.org/home...il/thru-hiking
https://thetrek.co/how-to-thru-hike-...ail-101-guide/
https://whiteblaze.net/forum/content.php [read the linked articles on the left side of the page]
Thank you for the replies.
I had been planning to do NoBo, but I have family living in Maine, and they offered to let me go there before starting the trail, and just going SoBo. The offer was sprung on me rather suddenly and recently and i did fail to do research on SoBo hiking.
I know that my dog will be unable to go through some parts of the trail and already made arrangements for that.
I've been doing research of things such as gear for both me and my dog, I've been training my dog(taking longer walks in places more like the AT), etc.
I do appreciate the advice though.
Thanks