AT ... It's Really a Small World

[Ridge]

I wonder how many hikers realize just how small the AT is? I know theres all kind of variables, towns, wide open fields ect, ect. but I want to just throw out some average widths, an area represented of the actual path and not try to figure in all the other stuff.

10 ft wide x length of trail = 2 sq miles
50 ft wide x length of trail = 4.5 sq miles
100 ft wide x length of trail = 6 sq miles

Relative small areas when you consider all the hikers (on the path) and their gear, (and dogs) always being in it at the same time.

[sliderule]

Interesting point. But you might want to recheck those numbers.

[Ridge]

Interesting point. But you might want to recheck those numbers.

I rechecked them, there within a tenth or two.

[hammock engineer]

(2175 mi long)*(10 ft wide)*(1mi/5280 feet)=4.1193 square mi.

[sliderule]

I rechecked them, there within a tenth or two.

Could you show me the numbers?

[SGT Rock]

I came up with 4.12 with a 10' width.

[Ridge]

Could you show me the numbers?

You are correct, my example describes the distance of one side of a boxed area. Example ;a box ea leg 2miles = 4sq miles or 2 miles squared

[SGT Rock]

2175 * 10/5280 = 4.12

[Programbo]

Hmmm..I see your point mathmatically..BUT in your example the farthest apart any two people could be would be 2 miles or so as opposed to the 2,000+ miles they could be apart on the AT.....If there were 2000 hikers in your 4 sqaure mile box that gives a population of 500 per sq miles which would indeed be crowded..But spread out over 2200 miles that`s less than 1 per square mile...Of course with so many people starting in GA within a month combined with just short distance hikers I`m sure it`s way crowded down that way

[Ridge]

10 ft wide x length of trail = box 2 mi x 2mi = 4 sq miles
50 ft wide x length of trail = box 4.5 mi x 4.5mi = 20 sq miles
100 ft wide x length of trail = box 6mi x 6mi = 36miles

I'm not trying to use to the decimal correct numbers, just ballpark.
I've rounded and only used 2100miles as trail length. Anyway, I stand corrected in my original presentation of the numbers.

I just wanted folks to picture in their heads all the hikers/gear/etc at once in a square area. Setting up camps and then moving around and then setting them up again. It would probably be difficult to stay out of each others way if so. The numbers are still small when you consider all that.

If one had some count on that number of hikers, we could compare density ratios to large cities.

[Ridge]

.....If there were 2000 hikers in your 4 sqaure mile box that gives a population of 500 per sq miles which would indeed be crowded..But spread out over 2200 miles that`s less than 1 per square mile... ..

Instead of "1 per square mile" don't you mean 1 hiker per mile (1x2200)

[hammock engineer]

10 ft wide x length of trail = box 2 mi x 2mi = 4 sq miles
50 ft wide x length of trail = box 4.5 mi x 4.5mi = 20 sq miles
100 ft wide x length of trail = box 6mi x 6mi = 36miles

I'm not trying to use to the decimal correct numbers, just ballpark.
I've rounded and only used 2100miles as trail length. Anyway, I stand corrected in my original presentation of the numbers.

I just wanted folks to picture in their heads all the hikers/gear/etc at once in a square area. Setting up camps and then moving around and then setting them up again. It would probably be difficult to stay out of each others way if so. The numbers are still small when you consider all that.

If one had some count on that number of hikers, we could compare density ratios to large cities.

This is a good point. Especailly when you consider the impact on such a small area.

[sliderule]

This is a good point. Especailly when you consider the impact on such a small area.

Agreed. And if you assume that the footpath itself is 30 inches wide, then the entire trail is only one square mile. Makes it seem like trail maintenance should be child's play, doesn't it? And why should it take 5-6 months to hike one square mile?

[Ridge]

This is a good point. Especially when you consider the impact on such a small area.

Yea, buried tp comes to mind.

Talking about comparing to population densities of large cities, you really can't do it. The AT is "Single Story"(except for the few 2 storie shelters) the cities "Multi-Story".

[SGT Rock]

Agreed. And if you assume that the footpath itself is 30 inches wide, then the entire trail is only one square mile. Makes it seem like trail maintenance should be child's play, doesn't it? And why should it take 5-6 months to hike one square mile?

Well when you thing about how that maintenance is done, but hand, and that the distances walked to do the maintenance can be 10 miles of walking round trip to work on a few feet of trail a day.

But less than one square mile (I was going to bring that up) means that the entire AT has less potential for run off and takes up less footprint in that regard than a good sized footprint for a mega mall in Birmingham Alabama.

[Ridge]

Well, if you take the rear to front dimensions of a hiker w/pack and figure 2160 miles of trail I would say the max numbers of hikers on the trail at one time should be between 3.5 and 4 million hikers. They would have to step in cadence for sure. And, 4 to a tent at night. LOL Oh yea, any Shelter reservation policies will not apply.

[bfitz]

Huh?

[weary]

The "official" figure I hear is 250,000 acres. I'm not sure how that is calculated but I'm guessing it's the acreage owned by the federal government, with maybe an estimate of the state land assumed to be part of the trail.

I think for the state lands in Maine, there is no defined corridor dedicated to the trail. Just an agreement to allow the footpath to go through.

Anyway, 250,000 acres figures out to be around 388 square miles. I would calculate it precisely, but I'm too lazy on a humid Saturday afternoon to look up the square feet in an acre, but it maybe 43,200, or something close to that.

But the trail is still pretty small, a bit bigger than Baxter State Park, a quarter the size of the White Mountain National Forest, and half the size of Maine's long forgotten public lands that were recovered in the decade of 1972-1982.

Around 51 of those square miles of Appalachian Trail are located in Maine -- 33,000 acres divided by 645 acres.

BTW. All these figures are taken from memory and no one should believe any of them, but they aren't too far off, I hope.

Weary

[Programbo]

Instead of "1 per square mile" don't you mean 1 hiker per mile (1x2200)

Yes..Worded that wrong..Or maybe one per linear mile..I was just picturing the mile distance seperating each hiker and cubing it around them

[Just Jeff]

...If there were 2000 hikers...

2000 probably includes just thrus and not day hikers, tourons at Clingman's, etc. I'm guessing that, at any one time during the hiking season, there is more than 1 person per mile on the AT.

Point taken, though - just bringing up the numbers.