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Marv's Appalachian Trail Experience
Virginia Reed, the Donner Party, 1846 - 47
Marv On The Appalachian Trail
Marv is a sort of over-weight, sort of out-of-shape, 54 year old (10/43), experienced backpacker who has long dreamed of walking the Appalachian Trail from end to end. Marv cannot take the time out to walk the entire trail, so his plan is to complete it in sections over several years.
Marv began walking north from Springer Mountain on May 2, 1997 and completed 10 days on the trail, covering a little over 100 miles. He did another 100 miles in September, 1997, and now has reached Newfound Gap in the Smokies.
What you will find here is information that may be useful if you are planning your own AT adventure. This is a rather long page. You can scroll through it, or you can jump around by clicking on one of these topics:
Angels On AT
Clothing
Communication
Equipment
Favorite Places
Food and Re-Supply
Hygeine
Links
People
Physically Challenging
References
Safety
Shelters
Shuttle Services
Training
AT Is Physically Challenging
Be aware that hiking on the Appalachian Trail is difficult, it is a physical challenge. Marv found the AT to be particularly difficult in Georgia, with the level of difficulty lessening somewhat in North Carolina. The AT is in mountainous country, with many difficult climbs. Down hill stretches may also be physically challenging.
Expect steep up hill climbs lasting an hour or more. Expect to walk for a minimum of 5 hours every day. Be prepared to do this while wearing a pack weighing 40+ pounds. This is not a stroll through the woods.
Because you will get very tired from the effort of hiking the trail, you may want to plan a day of rest every week.
If you are past your youth or have any physical limitations, Marv suggests that you visit your doctor for a physical exam before undertaking any lengthy hiking on the AT.
Training
Marv believes that the only truly useful physical training in preparation for the AT is to climb hills. If your terrain is not hilly, climb stairs or use one of the stair climber machines. Walking, without serious hills, is not adequate training. As one person put it, "Climb stairs until you puke."
References
Marv liked the following books.
- There Are Mountains To Climb by Jean Deeds, Silverwood Press, 1996. A good description of one person's through hike.
- The Appalachian Trail: A Journal of Discovery by Jan D. Curran, Rainbow Books, 1991. A description of a middle aged man's hike.
- The Appalachian Trail Backpacker's Planning Guide by Victoria and Frank Logue, Menasha Ridge Press, 1991. A good description of equipment needed.
And, of course, you need to acquire maps and guidebooks from the Appalachian Trail Conference.
Equipment
You need a complete set of backpacking equipment. Marv's list of equipment and tips, as well as the Logue's book mentioned above will give you a good idea of what you need. Field test your equipment before you go, all of it.
Here are a few other equipment ideas.
- Water bottles. Marv carried a 1-quart water bottle. This was adequate in the spring; but there were times when water was hard to find, and an additional quart bottle would have added comfort. In the fall, during a water shortage in the Smokies, one quart was inadequate, and Marv used a plastic soft drink bottle for extra water.
- Water bag. You need a fold-up water bag with at least a 1-gallon capacity. Water is often not convenient to the shelters; and sometimes (e.g., Blood Mountain) there is no water available.
- Food bag. You will be hanging your food nightly to protect it from mice and larger animals. A plastic bag will wear out, and when it blows in the wind the noise is annoying. Take a cloth bag with a draw string to hold your food.
- Pots N' Pans. Marv cooked all of his meals in a 3-cup pan from his 1950s Boy Scout cook kit. You do not need a lot of cooking gear. You will save space if you can carry something else inside your cooking gear, such as your stove.
- Fuel. Marv's stove has a 22 ounce fuel bottle holding 16 ounces of fuel. This was adequate for the longest period spent between supply points--about a dozen cooked meals, mostly just boiling water. At supply points along the AT you can usually purchase additional fuel by the pint or ounce.
- Cell phone. Cell phones seemed to work most places on the trail from Georgia through the Smokies. Battery life is a problem. An irritant was that one local cellular company did not recognize Marv's service, and wanted a major credit card number; but Visa was not recognized as a major credit card.
- Boots. Heavy duty boots were almost universal footwear. You need more ankle support and protection from rocks than will be provided by gym shoes. Some people brought sandals to wear in camp. Marv suggests that, if you are willing to carry extra footwear, gym shoes would be better than sandals because you could wear them on the trail if your boots failed.
- Walking stick. The AT is hilly and rocky, and you need the support provided by a strong walking stick.
- Pack cover. If you are forced to hike in the rain several days, you will need this to keep your gear dry.
- Maps. Purchase the maps and guide books from the Appalachian Trail Council. You can't go without them. It is helpful to mark trail information on them, such as the location of water.
- First aid. If you are going to be on the trail more more than a weekend, you need to provide adequate first aid supplies. Marv got very sun burned on his first adventure, and did not have sun screen. Everyone seemed to have blisters, and needed to know how to care for them. Most people forgot poison ivy medicine, although that pesky plant was ubiquitous. Take lots of ibuprofin for aches and pains. Take lots of moleskin for blisters.
- Redundancy. You cannot duplicate all your equipment, but you can provide some backup. An extra spoon. Water purification pills in case your filter breaks. An extra lighter. Batteries and a flashlight bulb. Your old eye glasses. You need to provide backup for any personal medical needs that you are not likely to find in a convenience store.
You will be irritated daily if you are carrying anything in your pack that you don't really need, so think through your equipment well. If you don't need it, leave it at home and you won't have to ship it home.
Food and Re-Supply
Plan on carrying several days of food. Anticipate carrying 5 days of food at some time or another. This is one of the trips where you can significantly reduce the weight of your pack by eating. Because of the weight of the food, you need to plan carefully and place a lot of emphasis on dry foods. Marv has recipes that may be helpful to you.
You also need to think about food calories. Estimates are that a woman hiker requires over 3000 calories/day, a man over 4000. You can go nuts trying to calculate this, but it's not a time to emphasize low cal foods.
There are two ways to re-supply. One is to buy food along the way. The other is to have food shipped to you. The guidebooks will tell you where you can do either. Food purchased along the way seemed expensive in comparison to a regular supermarket. On the other hand, your shipping cost might offset any price savings. Caution: If you ship yourself food, be very certain you have the address correct. Dave had the wrong address, and his shipment went astray.
When you are planning your food needs, give a lot of thought to trail snacks. You must eat all day long to keep up your energy. Marv did not plan well for one stretch of the trail and ended up mooching snacks (Thanks, Mickey).
A final thought about nourishment. You need to drink large quantities of water to avoid dehydration. Marv took a pack-off rest every hour and drank a minimum of a half-pint of water. This was not enough. If your urine is not clear, you are not drinking enough.
Clothing
Cotton kills. That means that wet cotton does not insulate, so leave your jeans and sweatshirts at home.
Marv had clothing about half-right for his first 100 miles on the AT. Gortex jacket and pants for rain. Nylon wind pants for wear on chilly days. Miracle fabric sweatpants for chilly nights. Where Marv erred was in wearing cotton T-shirts and taking a cotton sweatshirt. If this cotton sweatshirt had gotten wet, Marv would have had no warm upper body clothing. Marv replaced the cotton with Polartec and CoolMax.
It was cold some nites on the trail in May. At least two nites Marv put on all the clothes he had before getting into his summer sleeping bag.
It was warm on the trail most days, and shorts and a T-shirt were just right for hiking. This was true in both May and September, 1997.
Shelters
Think of a shelter as a substantial, three-sided, wooden shed with a wooden floor and you will have the right idea. There are numerous shelters on the AT, most less than a day's hike apart. Although numerous, they are not always in a location where a hiker would want to camp, so it is still necessary to carry a tent. Shelters fill up, too; another reason to carry a tent.
Shelters vary in size. Marv stayed in ones that were full with 5 people. Marv stayed in a large one with 11 other people. Shelters were all dry. They vary in cleanliness, and it is a good idea to put your ground cloth under your pad and sleeping bag just to keep them clean.
Shelter etiquette was an item of interest. It is inappropriate to claim too much space when it is crowded. It was generally agreed that it was okay to start moving around when it was light outside, and late sleepers should not complain. As far as undress when there were both men and women in the shelter, this did not seem to be a problem, and Marv encountered no embarassing situations.
In the Smokies shelters are bear proof--stone walls, metal roofs, chain link fencing across the open side. You are required to use them. You must register. The guidebooks explain this registration process.
Hygeine
How grubby and smelly are you willing to get? It's really up to you.
Marv found that it is possible to "shower" most days. Fill up your water bag, and go off into the woods to wash. There is no one around, so get naked. There is no need to be like some hikers and hide away in your tent and try to sponge yourself off with a handkerchief. Your guide book will also identify places where you can take a real shower.
You can do some laundry, too. Marv washed shirts, socks, and underwear on days when it wasn't raining. This will sometimes leave you with damp clothing in the morning. You can dry it on your pack, or tuck it into a plastic bag for hanging later.
Marv took along a bottle of biodegradable soap for washing body, clothing, dishes; and used about 2 ounces in 10 days.
There will be days when you can't "shower", days when you wear the same sweaty shirt again, days when socks are put on damp, but you can be pretty tidy with minimal effort.
Don't forget your tooth brush, deodorant, maybe even a razor.
People On The Trail
There are a lot of people on the trail. Some are thru hikers, most are there for a month or less. The number of hikers and the number of people in the shelters increases on weekends.
In May, 1997, Marv met many great people. Frank, Mickey, and Walter were from Virginia. Marv camped with them every night. Dave, from Florida, gave Marv a pound of beef jerky (to lighten Dave's pack). Will, from Florida, was there for only a few days. Joe sent e-mail to Marv's wife to tell her that Marv was okay. A scoutmaster from Georgia mailed a letter for Marv.
In September, 1997, the thru-hikers were gone. Most days Marv hiked alone. Most nights Marv camped alone. There were still a few people out on the trail, and Marv saw someone at least once every day. Jim, a volunteer, had been working on AT maintenance for five weeks. Jen, a southbound thru hiker, was sad that her trek was nearly finished.
There are people there if you want the companionship. You can camp or hike alone if you want solitude. Everyone hikes their own hike.
Safety
You, your spouse, your family, your friends may wonder about safety on the AT. Someone will "know" you are going to have a heart attack; and, when you fall, you will break an arm and poke a stick in your eye.
While hiking from Springer Mountain to Newfound Gap, Marv did not encounter any individual that he considered in any way threatening. Quite the contrary, people were very friendly and helpful. Women backpackers that Marv talked to did not find the trail threatening, and he encountered several women day hikers who were on the trail alone.
It is reality that you could become injured or ill on the trail. It is reality that you could be injured or ill in a very remote location. It is unlikely that you would not be found. Marv did not go a day without encountering someone else on the trail. There were more people on weekends, less people mid-week, but there were always people out there.
Marv is afraid of heights, and has not found himself in a position where he was afraid of falling. Cliffs were not a concern.
It is a good idea to record your passing in shelter logbooks, and to let people back home know where you are along the trail. If someone had to try to find you due to an emergency at home, knowing your progress would help.
Communication
It is probably easier for an individual on the trail to communicate with folks back home than the reverse.
Marv found that day hikers, Boy Scout leaders, and just about anyone leaving the trail would mail a letter for him. Take along paper, envelopes, stamps. It took 4 - 5 days for a letter to reach the recipient.
Cell phones work in most locations as long as the battery remains charged. Marv was irritated to be carrying it almost every day. He was glad to have it days he was lonely. The trail passes near stores where telephones are available.
The AT guidebooks provide addresses for mail drops where folks back home can write to hikers.
Shuttle Services
If you need a ride to or from the AT, there are shuttle services available. The AT Council information that Marv received included a list of shuttle services, and he used one from that list. Additionally, Marv found that there are un-published shuttle services available at stores along the way.
In May Marv drove to North Carolina and parked his vehicle at the spot where he intended to stop hiking the AT. The shuttle driver took him to Springer Mountain. In September Marv parked at a campground near to where he started hiking, and the shuttle driver took him back to his vehicle.
Expect the cost to be about $1/mile for car and driver. Sounds high. On the other hand, it is cheaper than having someone drive you to the AT and pick you up later unless you live very near to the trail. Remember that you ride one way, but the driver has to go both ways.
You might want to explore several shuttle options. Some shuttle drivers are unlicensed, and increase their prices in case they get caught and have to pay a fine. Be aware that these drivers have other interests in life besides operating a shuttle service, so plan ahead with them.
Shuttle services that Marv has used on the southern end of the AT are the Crossman's, Rainbow Springs Campground near Wallace Gap, (704) 524-6376; and Gene Hamilton, Hiawassee, GA, (706) 896-2077.
Favorite Places
In the first 200 miles hiking north, Marv had the following favorite places:
- Springer Mountain. Inspiration.
- Waterfall near Three Forks. The beauty of sunlight on rushing water.
- Blood Mountain. Wonderful sunset.
- Neels Gap. Civilization again. A shower.
- Albert Mountain. View from the fire tower.
- Fontana Dam. Free shower and a super shelter.
- New Found Gap. Tourists getting excited about a stack of rocks.
Angels on AT
Marv was hiking along late one morning and came upon three volunteers who maintain one of the forest service trails that intersect the AT. They were eating lunch. They shared their lunch, including an ice cold Coke.
A father and daughter from Germany arrived at Amicalola Falls and went on the AT with almost no food and no fuel for their stove, just a few sandwiches. People along the way gave them food until they could reach the store at Neels Gap. The generosity of fellow hikers made the trip a success for these folks.
Mickey's boots started to fail. She met a person who gave her a roll of duct tape, and she was able to keep the sole on her boots for several days until her family could send replacement boots.
AT Links
Appalachian Trail Conference Page
Appalachian Trail Home Page
AT Mailing List
Welcome to the @Logue HomePage
Potomac AT Club
Waldo Takes A Walk: Appalachian Trail 1996
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