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Facts | Hiking the Trail |
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About DownundaWho Hikes the Appalachian Trail? Most of the people thru-hiking the AT travel from south to north following the spring weather as it progresses through the northern states. Hikers typically start out from the Springer Mountain, Georgia terminus in March/April and this gives them 6-7 months to complete their hike at Mount Katahdin in northern Maine before winter closes in. Most thru-hikers hike alone, however occasionally groups of two and sometimes three are encountered. The hiking experience resembles a migration as many hikers are moving northward along the trail somewhat in unison. This means that over a period of a few weeks you get to see many of the same faces at shelters or along the trail, eventually getting to know many of them. Often, solo hikers "hook-up" with another hiker who they have met along the way with whom they and their hiking styles are compatible. These unions can last just a few days, a few weeks or endure for the entire hike. Who Hikes the AT? Males seem to make up about 70% of thru-hikers. Most of the females on the trail seem to travel with partners or in small mixed groups, however a quite a few of them hike the trail alone. Except for the hitching into town component (where it is recommended that they pair up with another hiker) it is considered quite safe for females to hike the AT alone as there is great camaraderie amongst thru-hikers as they tend to support and look out for each other. I still keep in touch with a small community of hikers that I meet on the AT in 2000. Preparing for the Hike Clearly, those who are in good physical condition before starting out will find the going easier, so increasing one's level of fitness before starting out is highly recommended. However, it is recognised that even those who start out in an unfit state and pace themselves sensibly achieve the optimum level of hiking fitness after about four weeks of continuous hiking. It is worth noting that the first three weeks hiking the AT from Springer Mountain is extremely difficult due to the continuous steep ascents and descents. Downunda observed that those who really suffered in this section were those who were excessively overweight, and as he saw none of these people further along the trail he came to the conclusion that this group has little chance of lasting very long. This is because the stresses of hauling a heavy pack up and down steep mountains day-in, day-out is challenge enough for the fittest without having to contend with the additional burden of being significantly overweight. Sleeping Arrangements Shelters are usually located close to a spring or stream. The water available from the many springs and streams along the trail must be filtered or chemically treated. Quite a few of the shelters have a primitive Privy close by, otherwise hikers have to dig a "cathole". Eating For Downunda a typical day's food on the trail consists of:-
Hiking all day is very demanding on the body... optimum strength and fitness is reached after about four weeks hiking. While hiking excess fat is converted to muscle, with the remainder being shed rapidly... an excellent way to lose weight! AT hikers burn about 5000 calories per day and cannot carry enough food to replace them whilst on the trail, so when town is reached huge quantities of food are consumed. Downunda's cravings were satisfied by huge servings of pizza, chocolate milk, bananas, tubs of ice cream and beer. Note: that although Downunda is a practising vegetarian he found that after 4 days hiking he was protein deficient. He determined that Tuna was the most practical and acceptable option for him to manage this problem. Town Stops As many of the towns along the trail rely on hikers, mountain bike riders and white water adventurers for their income, many of them offer hiker friendly conveniences such as all-you-can-eat restaurants, low cost hostel style accommodation, Hiking Outfitters and free Internet services (which are used by hikers to keep in touch with family and friends). |
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Three-sided lean-tos called shelters and mostly constructed of logs, are dotted along the trail about every 5 - 8 miles. These are available to hikers on a first-come, first-served basis. Shelters have a sleeping platform that is raised about 45cm (18") above the ground and typically sleeps around eight. Many of the shelters have a picnic style table situated under a wide eave. However, as shelters are often full and a space there can't be guaranteed most of the thru-hikers carry tents. Tents offer convenience to set up anywhere on the trail, better protection, privacy and warmth but can be a pain to pack up and carry when wet. On the other hand shelters are draughty, the sleeping surface is harder than the ground and sleeping can be difficult due to loud snorers and the many mice that scamper around the sleeping hikers looking for the food they know is close by.