Aqua Blazing

[WineyJack]

Has anyone Aqua blazed? I do a section hike every year with my daughter. She's hitting her teens and she's tired of carrying her world on her back for a week with me so I'm looking to switch it up. We just purchased kayaks and I'm thinking of trying the Aqua Blaze through Shenandoah. Has anyone done this? Any thoughts or tips?

[TX Aggie]

Has anyone Aqua blazed? I do a section hike every year with my daughter. She's hitting her teens and she's tired of carrying her world on her back for a week with me so I'm looking to switch it up. We just purchased kayaks and I'm thinking of trying the Aqua Blaze through Shenandoah. Has anyone done this? Any thoughts or tips?

Normally I wouldn't ask, but since you paired it with Shenandoah and hiking with your daughter, you piqued my interest: what's aqua blaze?

[blw2]

I haven't but hope to some day.....

Well not totally true, did a one night canoe trip when I was maybe 13 years old or so on a river in KY. I was just talking with him about that a week or two ago. I'd love to know exactly where that was but of course he doesn't remember specifics. That was a long time ago

Then, back in the late 1990's I did quite a lot of flat water kayaking and I always wanted to paddle over to some of the islands just off shore over near clearwater, FL and camp. Never made it happen sadly...I was always travelling for work back then.

Ye[p, I think it would be a great way to go.

Curious though about doing it in Shenandoah. A particular river?

Or am I misunderstanding what you mean by aquablazing?

[Slo-go'en]

I've meet a few who have done it. Be sure there is enough water in the river, apparently it can get pretty low at times.

From a few minutes googling, you can go from Luray to Front Royal via the south fork of the Shenandoah river. There maybe some white water involved, likely in the spring. There are a couple of outfits which will rent canoes for the trip. The river is of course in the valley to the west of the Shenandoah NP and actually borders the George Washington NF on the west side. The east side is private land. If one were truly adventurist, looks like you could go all the way to DC.

[Southerner]

Another really nice paddle in the A.T. corridor is the James River just north of Roanoke. The Upper James River Water Trail (https://upperjamesriverwatertrail.com/) goes for 64 miles and has a nice mix of flat water up through class III white water. There's a lot of beautiful scenery as the river makes its way through the Alleghanies, across the Great Valley, then through the Blue Ridge at the river gorge. The water trail ends right at the A.T. (James River Foot Bridge at US 501). A really cool option that would have both backpacking and paddling would be to hike from the James River Foot Bridge to Buchanan (about 40 miles), then paddle from Buchanan back to the Foot Bridge (about 34 miles).

Sounds like a cool idea, though, no matter where you end up going! I know a few through-hikers do the Shenandoah every year. The ones I have talked with said it was an awesome experience, though a little more work than they were expecting with portages and shoals.

[WineyJack]

Aqua blazing is taking part of the trail on water versus hiking it. As many have mentioned there are outfits that will assist with it but I'm looking to do it with our own equipment

[Slo-go'en]

Aqua blazing is taking part of the trail on water versus hiking it. As many have mentioned there are outfits that will assist with it but I'm looking to do it with our own equipment

Actually, aqua blazing is skipping part of the trail. "Thru" hikers who do this have to go back and hike the part they skipped or they do not qualify for a AT thru hike completion certificate.

[MuddyWaters]

Actually, aqua blazing is skipping part of the trail. "Thru" hikers who do this have to go back and hike the part they skipped or they do not qualify for a AT thru hike completion certificate.

+

Yep

Hyoh

But, skipping 100 miles of hiking trail to take a canoe trip, is still skipping 100 miles of trail

I drove thru shenandoah a couple days ago taking kid to college in NYC. Saw a mom and cubs. Didnt see any bears when I hiked thru. First bears in wild my wife ever saw. Between the bears and the waysides, i dont know why anyone would skip it.

[The Snowman]

Lots of people do it In CT in fact its a state water trail.

[Starchild]

You can also aqua blaze in MA/CT on the Housatonic which is pretty much parallel to the AT, but must be done SoBo due to the direction of river flow.

[WineyJack]

I'm a SECTION hiker not a through hiker, thought that was clear! I'm not interested in gaining certification for my adventures, just enjoy having them!

[Alligator]

I'm a SECTION hiker not a through hiker, thought that was clear! I'm not interested in gaining certification for my adventures, just enjoy having them!

You picked a term that has some controversy. You are interested in river camping correct? Coming from OH you might look into the New River. It depends on how many days you are I interested in. Some nice longer trips available up in Maine, 5+ days.

[TNhiker]

fontana lake down in the smokies also provides great canoeing adventures and plenty of camping along the way.....

[MuddyWaters]

I'm a SECTION hiker not a through hiker, thought that was clear! I'm not interested in gaining certification for my adventures, just enjoy having them!

In that case your just taking a canoe trip. Period.
Not called anything else.

[Starchild]

In that case your just taking a canoe trip. Period.
Not called anything else.

Not called anything else ...

Except aqua Blazing

[MuddyWaters]

Not called anything else ...

Except aqua Blazing

A thru hiker skipping sections of trail is called yellow blazing, aqua blazing, etc

A section hiker not hiking a section ...yet....isnt called anything

[Starchild]

A thru hiker skipping sections of trail is called yellow blazing, aqua blazing, etc

A section hiker not hiking a section ...yet....isnt called anything

Good point, that only applies to thru hikers (with white, blue, aqua, and, if we must, yellow). I could stretch that to lashers, but for section hikers, yeah I agree, it's a canoe/kayak pack trip.

[JC13]

Good point, that only applies to thru hikers (with white, blue, aqua, and, if we must, yellow). I could stretch that to lashers, but for section hikers, yeah I agree, it's a canoe/kayak pack trip.

You forgot pink, green and brown blazing. All colors matter.

[HighlandsHiker]

On a related side note, in North Carolina, the MST (Mountains-to-Sea Trail) has an "official" option to paddle down the Neuse River for segments 11-16 instead of hiking the alternative "trail". This part of the state is flat and frankly the MST is still on roadways for much of these segments, so the paddle alternative makes a lot of sense, and it's good to have the alternative that still counts toward completion.

http://mountainstoseatrail.org/the-trail/segments/

[Malto]

If you want to do a multi-day paddle then look into the Boundary Waters in Minnesota. Pound for pound much better than anything you will get close to the AT.