Appalachian Hike Planning Workshop

Presenter: Andy “Captain Blue” Niekamp My Experience 9,500 Miles

Four End-To-End Completions

30+ Section Hikes

Length: 35 – 850 miles The Buckeye Trail 1,444 Miles - 88 Days

The Ohio To Erie Trail

325 Miles - 21 Days The Colorado Trail 485 Miles - 39 Days

Vermont’s The Long Trail

272 Miles - 27 Days Minnesota's Superior Hiking Trail 270 Miles - 21 Days

Kentucky’s Sheltowee Trace

305 Miles - 28 Days Arkansas' Ozark Highlands Trail 270 Miles - 21 Days

Bartram Trail – 110 miles Foothills Trail – 76 miles – 30 miles Appalachian Trail

2,190.9 Miles Long

14 States

5 Million Footsteps

Longest “hiking-only” footpath in the world

What is Long Distance Hiking?

100 miles of hiking?

2+ weeks of hiking?

A hike needing resupply?

It’s Your Definition! Where To Start Planning? Appalachian Trail Conservancy www.appalachiantrail.org

Social Media www.facebook.com

Online Discussion Boards www.whiteblaze.net

Friends, Acquaintances & Presentations What To Look For Trail Guides & Maps

When To Hike - Weather

Permits, Closures & Restrictions

Recommended Equipment

Shuttle Driver / Parking Lists

Trail Towns & Resupply Points www.appalachiantrail.org Explore / Multi Day Hiking www.appalachiantrail.org Shop www.appalachiantrail.org Explore / Trail Updates www.appalachiantrail.org Explore / Transportation Options Gear

Gear Considerations  Think light, small & compressible

 Buy quality gear

 Think about what you don't need just as much about what you need

 Are you changing seasons?

 Less on is good … More on is moron Clothing Footwear Low Cut Mid Cut High Top Trail Running Shoe

Trail Guides The A. T. Guide Thru Hiker Companion Where To Buy  Available in print or PDF

 PDF is cheaper and can be downloaded immediately

 Available in northbound and southbound editions

www.theatguide.com

www.aldha.org Data Book Guide Books Maps Guthook Smartphone App Guthook Smartphone App Guthook App  Available in sections or whole AT

 Operates in airplane mode

 Gives real time information

www.atlasguides.com Trail Guides  Have two sources of guides

 Copy the pages that you need. Carry only what you need.

 Mail home when finished

 Have a mileage chart for the whole hike with you

 Consider Smartphone app Route Selection & Mileage Planning Route Selection  Degree of difficulty

 Number of miles

 Scenery

 Solitude

 Availability of towns and resupply State Difficulty Rating

Georgia: 6 New Jersey: 2-5 : 3-6 New York: 2-5 Tennessee: 5-6 Connecticut: 4-5 Virginia: 2-6 Massachusetts: 3-6 West Virginia: 2-3 Vermont: 5-6 Maryland: 2-3 New Hampshire: 6-10 Pennsylvania: 2-4 Maine: 3-10

Difficulty Ratings: On a scale of 1-10, 1 being the easiest/flattest hike, and 10 having the most difficult/roughest terrain. Scenery

Georgia Vermont North Carolina New Hampshire Tennessee Maine Virginia

Roan Highlands First 100 miles of VT Grayson Highlands/ White Mountains Mount Rogers Anywhere in Maine Mileage Planning 1. Pick my starting location & date

2. Determine my average number of miles to hike each day

3. Calculate the number of hiking days needed for a given distance

4. Factor in zero miles days

 Now I can plan the details! Mileage Considerations  Choose lower miles/day over higher

 Your starting average mileage will be lower than your ending

 Steeper terrain = less miles/day

 Northern 500 miles = 12.5 miles/day

 Southern 500 miles = 14.0 miles/day Planning Spreadsheet Planning Sheet Planning Tip

Resist the urge to plan your campsite for every night of your journey. Things don’t always go as planned. Stay flexibility. Resupply Resupply Methods

Resupply As You Go Or Resupply Boxes? Resupply As You Go  Less upfront planning

 Offers flexibility

 Great choice for non-picky eaters

 Limited to grocery offerings in town

 Might have to purchase more food than needed. Example: Box of 10

Resupply Boxes  Requires lots of upfront planning

 Fixed resupply schedule

 Great choice for picky eaters

 Everything you need is in that box

 Shipping can be expensive Resupply Box Contents

 Food

 Water treatment chemicals

 Maps, guides

 Sunscreen, Bug Spray, TP, Fuel

 First Aid & Toiletries Sample Trail Daily Food

• Kaishi Cereal with NIDO and Protein Powder • Instant Coffee – Starbucks VIA • Protein Bar • Trail Mix Bar • Dried Fruit – figs – 2 oz • Trail Mix – 2 oz • Nuts – variety – 2 oz • Turkey Jerky – 1 oz • Triscuits, Pita Chips, Pretzels, Crackers • Mountain House Entrée – Two Person

Resupply Box Tips  Vary your food selections

 Pick the right sized box. Fill with newspaper to reduce shifting

 Tape securely

 Drive them near their destination

General Delivery Mail Andy Niekamp General Delivery Monson, ME 04464

Please Hold For A.T. Hiker Estimated Arrival: 8/21/2017

Consider Flat Rate Boxes

Resupply Box Tips  Ship to post offices, motels, hostels, outfitters, visitor centers

 Check preferred shipping method

 Post offices have limited hours

 Put your name on all four sides of box

 Anything shipped to a post office must go USPS Planning Tip

Carry a list of resupply points, estimated arrival and box contents in your pack. Planning Tip

Exhaustion suppresses appetite for the first few days.

You’ll eventually develop an insatiable hiker appetite. Shuttles Arranging A Shuttle  Park your car at your destination. Get a ride to the start of your hike

 Get shuttle recommendations from the trail association

 Uber is getting more popular Arranging A Shuttle

 Call 2+ weeks in advance and ask for a fixed rate for the shuttle

 Call to confirm several days before and on your way to the trail

 Make sure your shuttle driver is familiar with your pick up and drop off location Shuttle Costs  The best shuttles are retired people. Many work for donation-only.

 Expect to pay $1-$2 per mile shuttled. Or more.

 Expect to pay higher amounts for a shuttle from a business. Examples: hostel, outfitter, taxi, etc. Shuttles  Make sure your shuttle driver is familiar with your pick up and drop off location.

 Ask to make a stop along the way to get fuel, coffee, restroom break, drop off a resupply box.

 When dropped off get pointed in the correct direction.

Planning Tip

Keep the phone number of your shuttle driver and other shuttle drivers with you during your hike. Long Term Parking  Get parking recommendations from the trail association, hostels, outfitters and city officials.

 Avoid parking at remote trailhead dues to risk of vehicle theft or vandalism.

 Expect to pay a daily parking fee.

 Expect to park several miles away from where you end your hike. Parking Locations • Hotels, motels, B&Bs

• Hostels, Outfitters

• City parking lots

• Parking garages

 Rate is $1-$5/day

Other Options Planning Tip - Flying

Pack your gear in a sturdy cardboard and check it. No carry-on with trekking poles, knives and stoves. You can’t fly with fuel. Hitchhiking

Almost all long distance hikers hitchhike. It’s a common and acceptable practice. Trail To Town. Town To Trail. Hiker Hostels  Located all along the trail

 Range in price from donation only to $40/night

 Bunk rooms, private rooms

 Laundry, loaner clothes, TV, shuttles, meals, slackpacking

 Chance to interact with hikers Bears Den Hostel

$30 Hiker Special Bunk space for night, shower, laundry, pizza, ice cream, soda, internet access, free long distance calls. ATC Hiker Safety  Leave your hiking plans with someone at home and check in frequently  Sharpen your situational awareness  Use extra caution if hiking alone  Be wary of strangers  Use the Trail registers  Eliminate opportunities for theft  Avoid hitchhiking or accepting rides More Hiker Safety  Keep your phone charged

 Don’t camp at or near road crossings

 Use your intuition. If you someone gives you bad vibes, move on

 If a solo hiker, lie and say you are with a group Group Hiking Group Hiking  Define the goals of your hike in advance with group members.

 Miles? Scenery? Solitude? Experience Nature? Exercise?

 Group Gear: Share tent, stove, water filter? Prepare meals as group or individual?

 People have different hiking styles/ Group Dynamics Voluntary AT Hiker Registration

We now encourage all overnight trail users to participate in the volunteer registration systems, and have different categories for individuals/small groups, large groups (6-10 people), and thru-hikers.

www.atcamp.org It takes more head than heels to hike the Appalachian Trail General Eisenhower Appalachian Trail Trip Planning

March 13, 2018 – 6:00 pm

Cox Arboretum MetroPark

Fee: $5

www.metroparks.org

Have you ever thought about a section or thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail but aren’t sure where to start? Come to our planning session where we'll walk through planning your long distance A.T. hike. You'll receive a planning booklet (optional) and have an opportunity to talk with past thru-hikers and local experts. Upcoming Programs March 9, 2018 – 7:00 pm Thru-Hiking the Buckeye Trail: Things That Will Change the Way You See Ohio C.I. Beaver Hall - Beavercreek

March 13, 2018 – 7:00 pm 9,500 Miles On A 2,200 Mile Trail. Lessons Learned From An Appalachian Trail Long Distance Hiker Springboro Public Library Captain Blue on the Blue Blazes

$15.00 The End

www.OutdoorAdventureConnection.com