Hike Planning Workshop Presenter: Andy Captain Blue Niekamp My - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Hike Planning Workshop Presenter: Andy Captain Blue Niekamp My - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Appalachian Trail Hike Planning Workshop Presenter: Andy Captain Blue Niekamp My Appalachian Trail Experience 9,500 Miles Four End-To-End Completions 30+ Section Hikes Length: 35 850 miles The Buckeye Trail 1,444 Miles - 88 Days

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Appalachian Trail Hike Planning Workshop

Presenter: Andy “Captain Blue” Niekamp

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My Appalachian Trail Experience

9,500 Miles Four End-To-End Completions 30+ Section Hikes Length: 35 – 850 miles

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The Buckeye Trail

1,444 Miles - 88 Days

The Ohio To Erie Trail

325 Miles - 21 Days

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The Colorado Trail

485 Miles - 39 Days

Vermont’s The Long Trail

272 Miles - 27 Days

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270 Miles - 21 Days

Kentucky’s Sheltowee Trace

305 Miles - 28 Days

Minnesota's Superior Hiking Trail

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270 Miles - 21 Days

Bartram Trail – 110 miles Foothills Trail – 76 miles Art Loeb Trail – 30 miles Arkansas' Ozark Highlands Trail

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2,190.9 Miles Long 14 States 5 Million Footsteps Longest “hiking-only” footpath in the world

Appalachian Trail

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What is Long Distance Hiking?

100 miles of hiking? 2+ weeks of hiking? A hike needing resupply? It’s Your Definition!

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Where To Start Planning?

Appalachian Trail Conservancy www.appalachiantrail.org Social Media www.facebook.com Online Discussion Boards www.whiteblaze.net Friends, Acquaintances & Presentations

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What To Look For

Trail Guides & Maps When To Hike - Weather Permits, Closures & Restrictions Recommended Equipment Shuttle Driver / Parking Lists Trail Towns & Resupply Points

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www.appalachiantrail.org Explore / Multi Day Hiking

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www.appalachiantrail.org Shop

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www.appalachiantrail.org Explore / Trail Updates

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www.appalachiantrail.org Explore / Transportation Options

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Gear

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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

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Clothing Footwear

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Low Cut Mid Cut High Top

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Trail Running Shoe

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Trail Guides

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The A. T. Guide

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Thru Hiker Companion

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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

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Data Book

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Guide Books

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Maps

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Guthook Smartphone App

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Guthook Smartphone App

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Guthook App

  • Available in sections or whole AT
  • Operates in airplane mode
  • Gives real time information

www.atlasguides.com

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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
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Route Selection & Mileage Planning

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Route Selection

  • Degree of difficulty
  • Number of miles
  • Scenery
  • Solitude
  • Availability of towns and resupply
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State Difficulty Rating

Georgia: 6 North Carolina: 3-6 Tennessee: 5-6 Virginia: 2-6 West Virginia: 2-3 Maryland: 2-3 Pennsylvania: 2-4

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

New Jersey: 2-5 New York: 2-5 Connecticut: 4-5 Massachusetts: 3-6 Vermont: 5-6 New Hampshire: 6-10 Maine: 3-10

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Scenery

Georgia North Carolina Tennessee Virginia Roan Highlands Grayson Highlands/ Mount Rogers Vermont New Hampshire Maine First 100 miles of VT White Mountains Anywhere in Maine

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Mileage Planning

  • 1. Pick my starting location & date
  • 2. Determine my average number
  • f 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!
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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

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Planning Spreadsheet

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Planning Sheet

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Resist the urge to plan your campsite for every night

  • f your journey. Things don’t always go as planned.

Stay flexibility.

Planning Tip

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Resupply

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Resupply Methods Resupply As You Go Or Resupply Boxes?

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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

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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

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Resupply Box Contents

 Food  Water treatment chemicals  Maps, guides  Sunscreen, Bug Spray, TP, Fuel  First Aid & Toiletries

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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
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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

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General Delivery Mail

Andy Niekamp General Delivery Monson, ME 04464

Consider Flat Rate Boxes

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

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Resupply Box Tips

 Ship to post offices, motels, hostels,

  • utfitters, 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

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

Planning Tip

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Exhaustion suppresses appetite for the first few days. You’ll eventually develop an insatiable hiker appetite.

Planning Tip

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Shuttles

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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

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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

  • ff location
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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.

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Shuttles

 Make sure your shuttle driver is familiar with your pick up and drop

  • ff 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.

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Planning Tip

Keep the phone number of your shuttle driver and

  • ther shuttle drivers with you during your hike.
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Long Term Parking

 Get parking recommendations from the trail association, hostels,

  • utfitters 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.

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Parking Locations

  • Hotels, motels, B&Bs
  • Hostels, Outfitters
  • City parking lots
  • Parking garages

 Rate is $1-$5/day

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Other Options

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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.

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Hitchhiking

Almost all long distance hikers hitchhike. It’s a common and acceptable practice. Trail To Town. Town To Trail.

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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

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Bears Den Hostel

$30 Hiker Special

Bunk space for night, shower, laundry, pizza, ice cream, soda, internet access, free long distance calls.

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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

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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

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Group Hiking

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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/

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Group Dynamics

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Voluntary AT Hiker Registration

We now encourage all

  • vernight 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

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It takes more head than heels to hike the Appalachian Trail

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General Eisenhower

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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.

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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

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Captain Blue on the Blue Blazes

$15.00

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The End

www.OutdoorAdventureConnection.com