Planning for a Thru Hike...?

imported
#1

My mom has been on my case about making sure I “plan well enough” for my SOBO Thru-Hike starting this July 10th. I’ve pretty much put together a rough itinerary for the sole purpose of getting mail drops. I don’t really think I want to follow such a “strict” guideline, but we’ll see. What I’m wondering however is wether or not it is nessicary to make reservations at all of my pre-picked places before I even leave. I feel that if I get to a place in which I need a reservation but don’t have one, I’ll just go up or down the trail a ways and set up camp. Im not worried…does anyone see problems with my idea???

Thanks for taking the time to respond,
~sETH

Seth

#2

Good for your mother about planning and doing a rough itinerary. It’s necessary to let family and others know where you are.

Reservations? absolutely not. Along the way there are too many variables to be that detailed. You may find yourself ahead or behind your rough schedule. Sometimes you want to just hike through an area. Other times you want to linger.

Most places along the trail are used to hikers just dropping in. And, like you stated, if for some reason it’s full, then just go back on the trail aways.

The only reservation that you might consider would be staying in Baxter State Park, since the Birches is reserved for NOBO’s. Otherwise, you are expected to be out of the park that night.

Peaks

#3

Just let it happen. No mail drops, no reservations. Like Peaks said you may (and probably will) get either ahead or behind any planned scheduled and scheduled mail drops. You may quit the AT in a week or less, i.e. it can get pretty brutal out there, that is hiking is tougher than many people think. So tell Mom, you may need her to mail you some things, once you get out on the AT and settle into a hiking mode/miles per day average----you can even prepare the boxes for her to ship, when you call her that is. Moms worry too much, but that is just the nature of moms, and be thankful that they do and she does. :slight_smile:

Maintain

#4

My plan included mail drops periodically. I wanted them to replenish maps and film, as well as food when there wasn’t a convienent store.

So, before leaving, I had a row of boxes lined up on a table in the basement. The boxes were all filled with food and other items, but not closed. I also had a shipping schedule of 2 weeks before my planned arrival at a certain post office. As I hiked along, I would phone home, and ask that certain things be added to the next box, or taken out, or the date moved up, or set back.

That being said, most thru-hikers say that if they were to do the trail again, they would use fewer mail drops.

Peaks

#5

When I went SOBO in '99, I didn’t have a complete Itenary. I did write one for the 100 mile wilderness and part of Maine but once hiking I threw the plan out the window. I would call home at town stops tell my mom where I was at and where I was going next. I would also have her send out any mail drops I needed. I prepared all my gear before hand in numbered ziplock bags with a list so I could tell my mom what I wanted and she could look on the list and find the item number. This really helped out since my mother didn’t know all the gear. When I requested a mail drop I would consult my data book and plan for post offices near the trail. My mother had a thru-hiker handbook with all the post office addresses. My family would send out treats and mail from home every at my schedule drops. Often times I would say I’ll be checking for mail in a town and say how many days. This system prevented mail being sent to towns I latter skipped because they weren’t convient or I hit town on saturday after the PO closed.
I then bought my food in stores along the trail. This system works fine if you have no food allergies or require a special diet.
This prevents you from having any problems with leaving the trail and having leftover supplies.

Reservations just put you on a time constraint to make a town on a certian day. You can always call a few days ahead and make a reservation if your worried. Going SOBO you won’t see much traffic late in the season.

Darth Packman MeGa '99 GAVA '01

Darth pacman

#6

Flame and I read journals of couples our age and developed a schedule based on the average speed in each section of the trail. Our scheduled maildrops were within a day or two of our estimate until PA. It was uncanny how it worked out. (Of course being a math major and knowing how to write an econometric model didn’t hurt.) Our schedule was changed when we got to PA because of our friends untimely fall and broken arm. We had to spend ten days off the trail with her after they put pins in her arm. (Sunrise finished the hike). Read as many journals of SOBOs your age and see how there schedules run and create an estimate. Our family and friends had maps and marked our progress. They really enjoyed knowing where we were. The next time out we will do the same.

Papa Smurf