Looking for a partner and/or info

imported
#1

I’m planning to hike a stretch of the AT for 4 to 6 weeks, starting ASAP. I have extensive cold weather hiking and mountaineering experience and not concerned about the actual hiking aspect (and it’s not that wintery yet); I am, however, concerned about safety – as a young woman by myself, being in relatively populated areas without the “trail community” of the spring/summer months. So I’m looking for someone interested in hiking during this period and/or for suggestions about one area being less/more safe than another. Or if I should be concerned as a solo woman hiker. I would be appreciative of any relevant information – thanks.

Kathleen

#2

Harpers Ferry south would be nice and you might still hook up with a few slow south bounders. It’s a little hard to find a person that matches you for speed and personal quirks. WInter is going to be a little slim. Not that we’d go RIGHT NOW if we had any cash and time off or anything.

I think we did the solo thing here before but I forget. Use a generic trail name. Don’t give trip detail to people you don’t know. Make contact with park Rangers when you can so they know where and when you’ll be passing thru. Camp well off the trail if near towns. If someone tail gates you or you just don’t get that good vibe take a left turn when they aren’t looking and back track a day, tell the cops etc.
Search online for the college hiking clubs and see what groups are going out. Ooh! Call the AT club in the area where you want to go and see when a Ridge Runner is set to do a section, they’re all cool. We met one guy from our home town in NJ I think it was. They have radios and stuff and are as safe as you could be. They usually do a hundred mile stretch or so. See if you can find Rock Dancer’s e-mail from last year’s journals, he has a ridge runner page and see if he has any clues about hooking up with, or maybe he’d go with you. He’s great and can dig one hell of a privy hole!

Bushwhack + Bramble AT '01

#3

Harpers Ferry south would be nice and you might still hook up with a few slow south bounders. It’s a little hard to find a person that matches you for speed and personal quirks. WInter is going to be a little slim. Not that we’d go RIGHT NOW if we had any cash and time off or anything.

I think we did the solo thing here before but I forget. Use a generic trail name. Don’t give trip detail to people you don’t know. Make contact with park Rangers when you can so they know where and when you’ll be passing thru. Camp well off the trail if near towns. If someone tail gates you or you just don’t get that good vibe take a left turn when they aren’t looking and back track a day, tell the cops etc.
Search online for the college hiking clubs and see what groups are going out. Ooh! Call the AT club in the area where you want to go and see when a Ridge Runner is set to do a section, they’re all cool. We met one guy from our home town in NJ I think it was. They have radios and stuff and are as safe as you could be. They usually do a hundred mile stretch or so. See if you can find Rock Dancer’s e-mail from last year’s journals, he has a ridge runner page and see if he has any clues about hooking up with, or maybe he’d go with you. He’s great and can dig one hell of a privy hole!

Bushwhack + Bramble AT '01

#4

Thanks for the information, all sounds good!

Kathleen

#5

Hi Kathleen,

I hiked this past year with another woman and there were times when it was just the two of us for a few days in between the masses of hikers. We hiked at different paces so we would hike alone through much of the day sometimes. I was suprised at how safe the trail was. We were never bothered by anyone and I was never afraid of being alone or of being a women out in the woods. The only part of the trail that was “angry” was a section in Tennesse near Roan, TN. It was hard to hitch and the trail was trashed and burned by locals who hate the trail and those who walk it. I wish I had the time and money to get out there again so soon. Goodluck to you!

Paintbrush

#6

I think we met at HighPoint, NJ on the 4th of July. Hot+!!
Nice birthday party for Spiz and ???.
Did you two finish? How about Spiz?
How did the GoLite tent hold up?
I’m looking at the SixMoons Designs tent.
Later.

Scamp

Scamp