I can answer some of your questions based on the extensive planning I've done. Of course we'll see how reality comes out after my NOBO thruhike starts on Tuesday, May 18.
As noted in previous posts to this thread, the ALT is maintained by the
West Virginia Scenic Trails Association. You can purchase the guidebook & maps from them but the last edition of the book is dated 2003. If you want more current updates, you must join the WVSTA - dues are only $12.
You asked about shelters - there are about 6 or so on the entire 292 miles of the AT. The Guidebook also lists areas where camping is good and the few areas where camping is prohibited. I composed a spreadsheet with key data points (camping areas, state parks, road crossings, lodging, etc.) and have attached it to this post. It apparently exceeds the size limit so if it doesn't show, send me a PM or e-mail and I'll send it to you. The spreadsheet also lists the nights where we plan to camp and the mileage for each day. I composed it in QuattroPro and converted it to Execel dropping the formulae so I'm not sure how it will come out.
Resupply options: we don't want to leave the immediate trail corridor so we're using 4 maildrops. In order from the south, they are a B&B in Huntersville (Mile 75), a cottage in Durbin (Mile 119), the Canaan Valley Lodge in the state park (Mile 184) and the PO in Rowlesburg (Mile 238). The closest the ALT passes to any full-scale grocery stores is in Davis outside of Blackwater Falls SP (Mile 195) but it's still a 2-3 mile walk. Until you reach the Canaan Valley at mile 184, the closest town for any meaningful resupply is Marlinton which is 6 miles off the trail. Otherwise, there are small grocery stores in Huntersville (75), Cass (101), Glady (147), Thomas (197), and Rowlesburg (238).
A word about mileage: it's not exactly precise. The WVSTA website says "330 miles or will be when last 20 miles are complete" but adding the mileage up in the Guide results in 292 miles. Then there's a major trail closure in the north resulting in a relocation that shaves off some miles but how much is uncertain because of contradictory descriptions in the WVSTA guide & website. As near as I can figure, the total mileage now is 288 miles which you'll see is the total on my spreadsheet.
Regarding that reference to the "last 20 miles," the ALT has a missing link in the south. You'll find plenty of references to it and how to deal with it in the previous posts.
Logistics: public transportation is limited and you have to arrange for some shuttles. Here's what we're doing:
- Parking our car Sunday evening May 16 at the northern trailhead on the WV/PA border (I've been told it's safe);
- Getting a ride to Cumberland, MD where we spend the night;
- AMTRAK the next day at 9:30 AM to Washington DC, thence another train to Lynchburg, VA where we spend the night;
- Early Tuesday morning the 18th, shuttle to where the AT intersects Stony Creek Rd. very near Pine Swamp Branch Shelter.
- Hike the AT southbound for 2.5 miles to the Peters Mountain ridgeline where the ALT begins.
- Hike on that day and camp
- About 1 PM the next day (Wednesday) arrive at the end of the southern missing link and pick up another shuttle to where the ALT resumes at I-64 on the WV/VA border and continue our hike north.
One note re. AMTRAK: you can take AMTRAK closer to the ALT junction at I-64 on a different line and alight at White Sulphur Springs but this train only leaves 3 days a week so you have to arrange your schedule around it. As far as I can tell, bus service is virtually non-existent.
At the southern end, you can contact the shuttlers from the ATC list who service Central Virginia or you can contact Hikerhead who lives in Roanoke and is very familiar with the southern half of the ALT - you'll note his many posts above. For the northern end, I was lucky in that I lived in Western MD for 2 1/2 years and had enough contacts I was able to secure a shuttle.
Administratively and trail maintenance-wise, the ALT is broken into 4 segments with a coordinator for each one. I e-mailed all the coordinators for any info/updates on trail conditions. In general, the ALT is not maintained anywhere near to AT standards so I expect blowdowns and faint-to-zero blazes. I also asked the northern coordinator about shuttlers but to no avail.
FYI the ALT drops below 1,200 only once briefly and that's on the aforementioned detour. The highest point is 4,120'. And based on my perusal of the guide, it appears (famous last words here) that there are few if any long uphills so characteristic of the AT. There's a 27 mile stretch along a river, the Glady Fork, which I'm eagerly anticipating. And there's one major river ford (Greenbrier) where a high-water alternative is also available.
I could go on and on but hope this helps. Again feel free to contact me.
Originally Posted by Cookerhiker
Gee do you really think so?
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