Observation of hiker numbers on my recent hikes on the AT in the Southern Appalachians indicate more hikers than ever have started the North bound trek. I also notice that we already have over 400 Trail Journals started. We had slightly over 500 by the end of last year. If the current trend holds 2014 may be one for the record books.
_Francis_2014 Record year in the making
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#1
system
#2
This has also been a bad year for weather on the AT, and so many people headed out early and walked right into the winter weather. From what I hear there has already been quite a dropout rate.
_BD_
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#4
We have a very poor system of estimating trail usage. I don't see how the ATC can plan for the future without a firm grasp on the numbers of hikers. We have a passive system that takes data from several places where hikers have a choice to stop in and sign the book like Harpers Ferry(if they want and if it's open). The only active count we have is at the Ranger Station at the trails end in Baxter State Park. It's too bad that we can't have a active count in the South either at Springer or GSMNP. That would take a manned control point. GSMNP really needs one anyway. If they had a Ranger Station with a requirement to sign in it would help with several problems. At the North end of GSMNP it would be easier to re route the trail so that it goes through the nearby Ranger Station.
_Francis_
system
#5
Francis,
There are several devices available which count hikers. The USFS uses them to help understand where to use resources. I would be glad to discuss it offline. Cheers, Apple
_angel appel_
system
#6
In the military we use equipment that does pretty much the same thing. I just get the feeling that there is currently little effort to use such technology. If you look at the hiker numbers reported on the ATC web it seems to be lacking. I would like to see a story about how they come up with the numbers in the Appalachian Trail Magazine
_Francis_