Where's the bubble?

[MrMRSWalkinghome]

Hey class of '13! I was wondering where the bubble is. I am heading down south and may hit up some trail time, maybe get some trail magic going for you.

Where's everyone at?!

Journeyman '12

[The Cleaner]

Lots of hikers still south of Damascus......instead of a hiker feed, a hiker decontamination booth is needed...

[1234]

Erwin +- 2days is a lot of hikers.

[map man]

Historically it would be Damascus, as you can see from this table:

TABLE 3 -- Date Landmarks Were Reached

MEDIAN DAY ~~ MEAN DAY ~~~ LANDMARK
March 17............March 20...........Springer
March 25............March 28...........Georgia Border
April 1................April 5...............Fontana
April 28..............April 29..............Damascus
May 29..............May 28..............Waynesboro
June 9...............June 8...............Harpers Ferry
June 29.............June 27..............DWG
July 12..............July 10...............Kent
Aug. 5...............Aug. 2...............Glencliff
Aug. 15.............Aug. 12..............Gorham
Aug. 26.............Aug. 22..............Stratton
Sept. 9..............Sept. 4..............Katahdin!

But the "bubble" is more spread out than a single place and you could find a decent number of NOBO thru-hikers anywhere within a three week hike north or south from there (let's say Davenport Gap NC to Daleville VA).

[Coosa]

I think a nice "hand washing" station might be a good idea.

Hot water, soap, rinse water, fingernail brush .......

Does anyone know what caused the outbreak of 'whatever that was' and if people are still suffering?

[Rasty]

I think a nice "hand washing" station might be a good idea.

Hot water, soap, rinse water, fingernail brush .......

Does anyone know what caused the outbreak of 'whatever that was' and if people are still suffering?

If it's Norovirus then it comes from human feces and is primarily spread by poor hand washing practises.

[bear bag hanger]

Does anyone know what caused the outbreak of 'whatever that was' and if people are still suffering?

I have a theory about that, but I don't know if it holds up or not. I have a couple friends who started on the AT last year, but gave up due to all the partying going on. Don't know how it's been this year. At every shelter they encountered large numbers of drinkers and noise, etc. Not a night went by when someone would throw up inside the shelter and not clean it up. While not as bad as feces, the uncleaned upchuck isn't exactly the healthiest thing to have around. I think in a normal year, any given shelter might get one or two kids throwing up and a parent or two who would clean it up. Last year, a lot of the shelters in the southern part of the trail have had some drunk person throw up in the shelter maybe 30 to 60 nights in a row with very little cleaning. While maintainers try their best, they can't come close to cleaning up a shelter every day! So, does this make sense or not?

[Lone Wolf]

Hey class of '13! I was wondering where the bubble is. I am heading down south and may hit up some trail time, maybe get some trail magic going for you.

Where's everyone at?!

Journeyman '12

there's too many in damascus. the town stinks

[Lone Wolf]

Does anyone know what caused the outbreak of 'whatever that was' and if people are still suffering?

nasty shelters, hostels and privies. plus too many folks

[Coffee]

I have a theory about that, but I don't know if it holds up or not. I have a couple friends who started on the AT last year, but gave up due to all the partying going on. Don't know how it's been this year. At every shelter they encountered large numbers of drinkers and noise, etc. Not a night went by when someone would throw up inside the shelter and not clean it up. While not as bad as feces, the uncleaned upchuck isn't exactly the healthiest thing to have around. I think in a normal year, any given shelter might get one or two kids throwing up and a parent or two who would clean it up. Last year, a lot of the shelters in the southern part of the trail have had some drunk person throw up in the shelter maybe 30 to 60 nights in a row with very little cleaning. While maintainers try their best, they can't come close to cleaning up a shelter every day! So, does this make sense or not?

I hate to say it but so much of what I read makes me not want to do a Northbound AT thru hike ever ... I suspect that Southbound hikers experience much, much less of this sort of thing. I don't like the idea of staying in shelters to begin with and staying with a bunch of drunken people throwing up makes it even less attractive. I think the PCT will be my first thru attempt maybe in 2014 or 2015 and then maybe a Sobo AT in several years.

[max patch]

I have a theory about that, but I don't know if it holds up or not. I have a couple friends who started on the AT last year, but gave up due to all the partying going on. Don't know how it's been this year. At every shelter they encountered large numbers of drinkers and noise, etc. Not a night went by when someone would throw up inside the shelter and not clean it up. While not as bad as feces, the uncleaned upchuck isn't exactly the healthiest thing to have around. I think in a normal year, any given shelter might get one or two kids throwing up and a parent or two who would clean it up. Last year, a lot of the shelters in the southern part of the trail have had some drunk person throw up in the shelter maybe 30 to 60 nights in a row with very little cleaning. While maintainers try their best, they can't come close to cleaning up a shelter every day! So, does this make sense or not?

No. I call BS on your friends story.

[jplogan19]

I just spent nearly 50 days on the trail, from Springer to Mt. Rogers, and the experience was nothing like what was described in this post. I started 3/10, probably a little ahead of the main bubble, but I can tell you that shelter occupancy really thinned out after the Smokies, I witnessed no frat boy type partying, and while those afflicted will certainly disagree, the reports of a trail plague have been slightly exaggerated. It's hard to argue with folks who got sick and/or encountered multiple sick hikers, but I was unaffected and know that lots of others did not get sick. My tent vs shelter ratio was about 50/50. Take care of yourself out there and stay positive, and you will have a safe and enjoyable hike. Some of these doom and gloom posts are bumming me out. A bad experience on the AT probably says more about the hiker than it does about the AT. It is awesome out there, and there's plenty of room for everyone. Most days I could count on one hand the number of other hikers I encountered.

[Praha4]

for those dissing the AT in favor of the PCT ... I enjoyed reading this rant by Guthook from 2010 regarding PCT myths....comparisons to the AT.... could be enlightening

http://www.guthookhikes.com/2010/10/...hook-rant.html

[Coffee]

for those dissing the AT in favor of the PCT ... I enjoyed reading this rant by Guthook from 2010 regarding PCT myths....comparisons to the AT.... could be enlightening

http://www.guthookhikes.com/2010/10/...hook-rant.html

No insult intended. I love hiking on the AT and have not personally found the sections I've hiked to be crowded. It's the description of the thru hikers in the "bubble" that sounds unattractive but there's probably a fair bit of exaggeration going on and like Guthook says avoiding shelters could avoid much of the "social" scene.

[MrMRSWalkinghome]

I will acknowledge that Ihad a couplr experiences last year of people partying and generally disrespectful of trail etiquette. However, my term of bubble is more like a wave. Through a few weeks where hikers took through. Like in MA its usually end of June/beginning of july. So generally what I'm getting is near damascus.

[springerfever]

Easy solution...don't stay in/near shelters. Grab some water if needed and head for the best campsite. Also, a lot of these party animals will drop out.

For those committed...stay the course!

[The Old Chief]

I have a theory about that, but I don't know if it holds up or not. I have a couple friends who started on the AT last year, but gave up due to all the partying going on. Don't know how it's been this year. At every shelter they encountered large numbers of drinkers and noise, etc. Not a night went by when someone would throw up inside the shelter and not clean it up. While not as bad as feces, the uncleaned upchuck isn't exactly the healthiest thing to have around. I think in a normal year, any given shelter might get one or two kids throwing up and a parent or two who would clean it up. Last year, a lot of the shelters in the southern part of the trail have had some drunk person throw up in the shelter maybe 30 to 60 nights in a row with very little cleaning. While maintainers try their best, they can't come close to cleaning up a shelter every day! So, does this make sense or not?

Just don't see how this was possible last year and now is the first time it's been talked about. How many different threads would have been started on WB if a lot of the shelters had been thrown up in for 30 to 60 nights in a row? I hope Cleaner, who I believe is the caretaker for Jerry Cabin Shelter, comes on and can either confirm or deny this post.

[Carry-On]

Just don't see how this was possible last year and now is the first time it's been talked about. How many different threads would have been started on WB if a lot of the shelters had been thrown up in for 30 to 60 nights in a row? I hope Cleaner, who I believe is the caretaker for Jerry Cabin Shelter, comes on and can either confirm or deny this post.

Based on my own experience I disagree with that theory.

I thru-hiked last year and I can say that even though there were some partiers around, they did not cause too much trouble, or annoyance, at least not to me. I never saw or heard anybody throw up inside a shelter, ever. I hiked through two noro-virus outbreaks, one where I got it in Damascus in June and the other in NH/ME in August (I only got it the one time). Three of the four women in my group got the noro-virus (two of us in Damascus, one in The Whites). Most of the other thru-hikers I knew got it. Both sobos and nobos got it in NH/ME.

I saw a sign in one shelter, in Maine, that said three people had thrown up in there, but I didn't see any evidence left behind. It was very likely contaminated with noro-virus, as the sign implied, but there was no vomit visible.

I've been wondering, since in both 2012 and 2013 people were getting sick BEFORE Erwin, (south of Erwin), if it could have anything to do with all those Tennessee shelters that have no privies. I think of the "toilet areas" that cover the sides of hills by the shelters in the Smokies. I think of all the hikers who don't carry trowels in their effort to save weight, so they don't dig good cat holes (you really can't dig a good cat hole with a stick, trekking pole, or boot heel....I tried, before I bought a trowel on the trail).

I think about a lot of things.

[Malto]

for those dissing the AT in favor of the PCT ... I enjoyed reading this rant by Guthook from 2010 regarding PCT myths....comparisons to the AT.... could be enlightening

http://www.guthookhikes.com/2010/10/...hook-rant.html

its funny I just met Guthook on Bear Mtn in Ct yesterday. I would agree with much of his rant. You can make the trail experience anything you want. But I also wonder if there isn't a bit of truth in the up chuck theory as well. I stayed near the Fontana Hilton in April 2011 and someone blew chunks all over the shelter the night before. But more than likely the virus is likely caused by a number of factors not just one.

[10-K]

Lots of hikers in Erwin but I'm feeling like we've peaked and I believe we're on the downside now.