Appalachian Trail Hike Planning Workshop. Presenter: Andy Captain Blue Niekamp

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1 Appalachian Trail Hike Planning Workshop Presenter: Andy Captain Blue Niekamp

2 My Appalachian Trail Experience 9,500 Miles Four End-To-End Completions 30+ Section Hikes Length: miles

3 The Buckeye Trail 1,444 Miles - 88 Days The Ohio To Erie Trail 325 Miles - 21 Days

4 The Colorado Trail 485 Miles - 39 Days Vermont s The Long Trail 272 Miles - 27 Days

5 Minnesota's Superior Hiking Trail 270 Miles - 21 Days Kentucky s Sheltowee Trace 305 Miles - 28 Days

6 Arkansas' Ozark Highlands Trail 270 Miles - 21 Days Bartram Trail 110 miles Foothills Trail 76 miles Art Loeb Trail 30 miles

7 Appalachian Trail 2,190.9 Miles Long 14 States 5 Million Footsteps Longest hiking-only footpath in the world

9 What is Long Distance Hiking? 100 miles of hiking? 2+ weeks of hiking? A hike needing resupply? It s Your Definition!

10 Where To Start Planning? Appalachian Trail Conservancy Social Media Online Discussion Boards Friends, Acquaintances & Presentations

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

12 Explore / Multi Day Hiking

13 Shop

14 Explore / Trail Updates

15 Explore / Transportation Options

16 Gear

33 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

34 Clothing Footwear

35 Low Cut Mid Cut High Top

36 Trail Running Shoe

41 Trail Guides

42 The A. T. Guide

43 Thru Hiker Companion

44 Where To Buy Available in print or PDF PDF is cheaper and can be downloaded immediately Available in northbound and southbound editions

45 Data Book

46 Guide Books

47 Maps

48 Guthook Smartphone App

49 Guthook Smartphone App

50 Guthook App Available in sections or whole AT Operates in airplane mode Gives real time information

51 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

52 Route Selection & Mileage Planning

53 Route Selection Degree of difficulty Number of miles Scenery Solitude Availability of towns and resupply

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 New Jersey: 2-5 New York: 2-5 Connecticut: 4-5

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

55 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

56 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!

57 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

58 Planning Spreadsheet

59 Planning Sheet

60 Planning Tip Resist the urge to plan your campsite for every night of your journey. Things don t always go as planned. Stay flexibility.

61 Resupply

62 Resupply Methods Resupply As You Go Or Resupply Boxes?

63 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

65 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

66 Resupply Box Contents Food Water treatment chemicals Maps, guides Sunscreen, Bug Spray, TP, Fuel First Aid & Toiletries

67 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

69 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

71 General Delivery Mail Andy Niekamp General Delivery Monson, ME Please Hold For A.T. Hiker Estimated Arrival: 8/21/2017 Consider Flat Rate Boxes

73 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

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

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

76 Shuttles

77 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

78 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

79 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.

80 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.

82 Planning Tip Keep the phone number of your shuttle driver and other shuttle drivers with you during your hike.

83 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.

84 Parking Locations Hotels, motels, B&Bs Hostels, Outfitters City parking lots Parking garages Rate is $1-$5/day

86 Other Options

87 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.

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

89 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

90 Bears Den Hostel $30 Hiker Special Bunk space for night, shower, laundry, pizza, ice cream, soda, internet access, free long distance calls.

91 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

92 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

93 Group Hiking

94 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/

95 Group Dynamics

96 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.

97 It takes more head than heels to hike the Appalachian Trail

98 General Eisenhower

Appalachian Trail Trip Planning March 13, 2018 6:00 pm Cox Arboretum MetroPark Fee: $5 www.metroparks.

99 Appalachian Trail Trip Planning March 13, :00 pm Cox Arboretum MetroPark Fee: $5 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:

Beaver Hall - Beavercreek March 13, 2018 7:00 pm 9,500 Miles On A 2,200

100 Upcoming Programs March 9, :00 pm Thru-Hiking the Buckeye Trail: Things That Will Change the Way You See Ohio C.I. Beaver Hall - Beavercreek March 13, :00 pm 9,500 Miles On A 2,200 Mile Trail. Lessons Learned From An Appalachian Trail Long Distance Hiker Springboro Public Library

101 Captain Blue on the Blue Blazes $15.00

102 The End

Hiking 101. March 20, Andy Captain Blue Niekamp

Hiking 101. March 20, Andy Captain Blue Niekamp Hiking 101 March 20, 2018 Andy Captain Blue Niekamp Outdoor Adventure Connection Backpacking 101 Classes Overnight Backpacking Workshops Guided Backpacking Trips Programs & Presentations www.outdooradventureconnection.com