survey: while on the AT, would you have taken advantage of the services of a licensed massage therapist had she happened to be in your shelter at the end of a long day of hiking? how much would you have paid for said services?
hephzibah
Trail massage - Appalachian Trail
system
#5
Soliciting business on the AT itself is a bad idea, and, I believe, illegal. You will certainly find plenty of takers (and competition) for this x-cell-ent service in town, but don’t bug people while they are hiking or resting at a shelter by trying to make a few extra bucks.
Be cool and trade favors for favors - people will surpirse you with the neat things they can do and the stuff they are wiling to share. Better yet, give your gift away and earn more trail angel points than the Cookie Lady. But actively working to earn money off of other hikers on the trail is bad juju, and I am pretty sure that, in the end, you will turn off more folks than you turn on.
Papillon
system
#6
I’ll let you use my poop free lawn to squat on in exchange for a foot massage.
Somewhere, maybe it was Hotsprings or near Damascus there is a place that does hiker massages. I think it was somethng like $20 for an hour but you had to be clean.
Bushwhack
system
#7
I’m anti-feet in every aspect. Backrubs I do, but anything footwise, find someone else 
But I will take the poop free lawn.
Oh, and it’s pouring now! Good thing I didn’t sleep out last night, even if it was for sanity’s sake.
hippie hiker chic
system
#9
it’s not so much “working to earn money off of other hikers” as it is providing a service for them.
hephzibah
system
#10
You asked, Hep, how much people’d be willing to pay for a massage while on the trail.
I’ll bet you could find lots of hikers who’d be willing to trade you dinner (or a pair of hiking socks, or let you use the couch the next time they rented a hotel room, or whatever) like Papillon implied. But actually selling services, for cash, while hiking the trail? That is kind of contrary to what I think most of us envision when we look forward to a through-hike. For me, getting away from it all includes not having retail/commerce in the shelters.
I certainly don’t mean any offense–I’m a big fan of “creative” financing for through-hikes–but I hope you’ll put some thought into this before you head out, counting on the mid-hike income.
–TR
Teddy Roosevelt
system
#11
Massaging your way north? Work for stay? Rub for grub? I think if someone waltzed into a shelter and wanted to trade a good calf rub for a Snickers I just might giggle like a skool girl. Oh, STOOOP!
Bushwhack
system
#12
I made sure that Brushy Sage got a shelter space and he gave me one for free. Brushy Sage was an incredible guy. How many 81 yr old retired baptist minster who happened to be a professonal massues will you find out there? Don’t expect people to pay for trail magic… Its just not the same.
TB
TurkeyBacon
system
#13
more great insights. you gave me what i needed - insight into the mindset of the trail! i’ll learn. =) thanks!
hephzibah
system
#14
Hi Hephzibah,
Are you going to hike the trail, or are you just planning to be at shelters? I agree with the others, that maybe this would be bringing a little too much commercialism into the shelters. Good thought though!
I have wondered how hard and/or expensive it would be to find a massage along the way at trail towns, etc. I’d rather have a massage than stay in a hotel! I am a massage therapist and I believe that 90%+ of aches and pains can be relieved through muscular work. (ie, people who get off the trail with knees/feet/ankles too sore to go on wouldn’t necessarily have to if they had a good therapist to work through some of their pain). So my plan is to take two other therapists WITH me on the trail. = ) heh heh. I’m also going to figure out the most common injury sites on my body and layout the best trigger points to treat those areas. AND…if sumbodys feets iz clean enuff and I wuz hungry enuff, I’d rub em for a snickers!!! = )
angie
system
#15
not only do YOU want to get away from it all, so do i; feeling like i had to depend on working on the trail would also largely take away from my experience. again, thanks for insights.
hephzibah
system
#16
EVE’S OUTCALL MASSAGE
Lay back and relax, Hiker Boy
On trail or off …
Discreet …
Prices negotiable
Eve
system
#17
MISSYJO’S APPALACHIAN MASSAGE
Take yer load off, Hiker Boy
Have some vittles
Take a shower
And let me rub those sore, manly muscles
Discreet cabin in a holler
MissyJo
system
#18
Hmmmm.
Don’t think I’m going to say anything about this other than “Hmmmmmmm.”
And once again, I repeat: “Hmmmmmmm.”
Hippie Hiker Chic
system
#19
does that come with a seaweed facemask and cucumber eye patches?
-Stu, Just another Mad Aussie in London
Mad Aussie in London
system
#20
You guys stop picking on H.
I had to walk the same gauntlet H! Feel the Love. Welcome to the community!
I would do a gear for therapy trade.
Peace!
Bono