The Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is a marked trail created exclusively for hikers. It stretches from Springer Mountain in North Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine, some 2,179 miles. Ninety-nine percent of the trail is wilderness and was envisioned as a sky-line foot path, traveling from high-point to high-point, along the highest route available. The trail varies in difficulty from moderate to very strenuous. Only experienced hikers should attempt to hike the entire trail in one season. But, anyone can tackle parts of the AT and enjoy the experience.
At the turn of the century, when Teddy Roosevelt was “bullish” on the conservation movement, a young forester named Benton MacKaye had a dream. He wanted to connect a series of farms and wilderness work/study camps for city-dwellers in the east. Along the way, the trail would pass through Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. In 1923, MacKaye’s dream was realized when the first section of the trail was completed and opened to the public in upstate New York. It didn’t take long for the idea to catch on with a lot of people. But, due to finances, politics, World Wars and the weather, progress was slow. Every few years there was renewed interest in the project. In 1948, Earl Shaffer of York, PA, brought a great deal of attention to the Appalachian Trail by being the first documented thru-hiker travelling south to north. Later, Shaffer also completed the first and more difficult north to south thru-hike. In 1998, Mr. Shaffer, nearly 80 years old, again hiked the entire trail making him the oldest person on record!
Although minor changes continue to be made even today, trail volunteers worked with the National Park Service to map a permanent route back in 1971, and the trail is now well marked. By the close of the 20th century, the Park Service had completed the purchase of all but a few miles of the trail’s span. It is maintained by 30 trail clubs and managed by the National Park Service and the nonprofit Appalachian Trail Conservancy. White 2” X 6” rectangular blazes mark the entire trail. Turns are marked with double blazes and side trails to shelters, viewpoints, parking areas and approaches use blue.
Because the AT spans such a great variety of terrain, a scale was created as a general guide to hikers for different sections.
1= Flat
5= Strenuous ups & downs, only occasional flats
10= Use of hands required, footing precarious—not recommended for those with a fear of heights or those who are not in excellent physical condition
The AT is typically hiked south to north, beginning in March or April and finishing in late summer to late fall, depending upon the weather. The trail has more than 250 shelters and campsites available to hikers. They are usually spaced a day’s hike or less apart. Most are located near water sources and have a privy. They vary from open, three-walled structures with a wooden floor to enclosed cabins. The huts in New Hampshire’s White Mountains are large and offer full-service lodging and meals during the summer months. The Fontana Dam Shelter in North Carolina is more commonly referred to as the Fontana Hilton because it has an all-you-can-eat buffet, a Post Office and flushing toilets! These simple comforts can be very important to a hiker who has been on the trail for weeks. Shelters are usually maintained by volunteers. In addition to official shelters, many people who live in towns along the AT offer their homes and businesses to accommodate hikers.
Although the Appalachian Trail is relatively safe, there are many hazards along the way. Most are related to weather conditions, human error, plants, animals, diseases or other humans. You must be on the lookout for black bear, wild boar, rattlesnakes and copperheads, while avoiding bites from mice, raccoons, fleas and ticks. Plant life can create its own brand of problems. Poison oak and ivy are common along the entire length of the trail. You will surely experience extreme heat, extreme cold, pouring rain, sleet and snow, wailing winds and maybe a hurricane. You must be prepared for it all—and you must be able to carry everything you might need in your knapsack! Then there’s the loneliness, or the possible irritation of crowded trails and inconsiderate hikers. If you’re on the trail in late October, beware of hunting season and wear red. If you’re starting to wonder why anybody would be crazy enough to endure all of these possibilities, just know that three to four million hikers take to the Appalachian Trail each year.
Trail hikers who attempt to complete the entire 2100+ mile trail in one session are called “thru-hikers.” A thru-hike usually requires five to seven months, although it has been done in as little as three months. It takes a monumental effort to commit to the time and training needed to make a thru-hike. Of those who make the attempt, only about 18% complete the entire trail. If you’re interested, there are a lot of resources to help you prepare. The www.appalachiantrail.org website is a good place to start. Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods is an excellent book which relates his own comedic trek on the trail. It’s very educational as well as humorous.
In a 2007 study on AT hikers, when asked why they hiked it was found that most people hike for fun and enjoyment of life; for warm relationships with others; for environmental awareness; the physical challenge; exercise; and solitude. Most AT hikers are males between the ages of 18 and 29.
Thru-hikers are classified into many informal groups. “Purists” stick to the official AT trail except for side trips to shelters and campsites. “Blue Blazers” cut miles from the full route by taking side trips into towns, etc, and these trips are marked by blue blazes. “Yellow-Blazers,” a reference to yellow road stripes, are those who stoop to hitch-hiking to move down the trail. “Sectioners” hike the entire trail in sections as opposed to hiking it in one course. By far, most thru-hikers walk northward from Georgia to Maine. These “north-bounders” are called NOBO’s (NOrthBOund) or GAME (Georgia, GA to Maine, ME.) On the flip side, “south-bounders” are called SOBO’s or MEGA’s.
Part of the hiker subculture includes making “colorful” entries in the logbooks or (frowned upon) cabin walls at trail shelters. They sign with pseudonyms called their trail names. So, before you start, you’ll need to come up with an appropriately cute and original trail name. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy awards anyone who completes the entire trail with the name “2,000 Miler.” It’s done by the honor code. As of 2010, more than 11,000 people had reported completing the trail and received this honor.
The Appalachian Trail is much more than just a path through the woods. It is a national scenic trail, part of the same national park system that includes Yosemite, Yellowstone and the Great Smoky Mountains. It is the longest, skinniest part of America’s park system. Along with the AT, the Continental Divide Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail form the Triple Crown of long-distance hiking in the United States. These trails are possible because of volunteers. Each year, thousands of people maintain, patrol and monitor these footpaths and their surrounding lands—outdoor lovers like you, volunteering hundreds of thousands of hours of their time, taking care of our public treasures.