Hey guys! I will be doing trail magic June 22 in Berkshires in MA. Looking for trail magic ideas? I have a few but what would you guys love! Also brining my son and we are going to bring a book to have all the hikers sign in and make a little note. Would you guys do that? TIA!

I’m looking for places on the AT where I can hike for one day and end up at a hostel or inn of some sort. Ideally, there’d be a couple of these stops, like a day hike - hostel - day hike - hostel - day hike - city where I can catch a cab back to my car. So three days of hiking with two stops. Maybe 8-10 miles a day, maximum, and not like super duper difficult or through big streams or through national parks that need permits. Just ~30 miles of not-difficult path with two hostel stops along the way (or even hotels or whatever). Any suggestions? TIA!

My two person tent that I’ve used for the last couple years now is too big to section hike with and starting to fall apart. So now I need a new shelter set up. I think hammock is definitely the way to go for me. So I’m looking for one with a bug net and rain fly setup as well. I’m looking to keep it under $100 and wanted to see here if anyone had recommendations especially in the way of quality. I’ve dug around online and will probably just get a decent one on Amazon for like $70, but wanted to hear others’ experiences.

Hello, I'm planning a day hike on the AT SoBo from Bland VA starting around 10 am on a summer morning. (Haven't decided yet on the date, but most likely June 10th). I am planning on hiking for approximately 6 hours. I need to be back to the parking area by 4 pm or 4:30 at the latest as it is a long drive back home. Does anyone know this section of trail? (Difficulty, elevation gain, etc.). I want to plan an out and back section just to get a feel for the trail.

We are section hikers headed to Vermont in July for 9 hikes, any small towns a must see? We are likely in killington area a few nights and Woodstock a few nights. We don’t camp, we carry all our food and water for the day. And are looking to maximize Fourth of July festivities.

I’m not currently thru hiking, but I wanted to ask about how crowded whitetop will get on your average June night. Is it a very popular area for camping, or was it empty when you went through?

Also, I read that camping is “officially” prohibited on the peak. Has anyone had issues with that?

Just looking for a nice place for a relaxing overnight in the high elevations.

Thank you!

There were recently two hikers from Quebec who got rescued off Mt Washington. Does anyone have info on whether they were thru hikers? I met a couple of NOBOs in Virginia who were from Quebec and said they hoped to get to the Whites around May, I’m wondering if it might have been the same guys.

https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/public-safety/hiking-mount-washington-white-mountain-national-forest-rescue-quebec-hikers/97-1ed5b95a-0179-440d-9198-e0dffefe0ef0

Mostly posting out of curiosity as I'm currently making my own list for the REI sale, which starts May 17. You can preview the sale catalogue here.

The 25% off Outdoor Research, 25% off Jetboil and 30% off Big Agnes is probably what I'm most stoked about. Altra Lone Peak 7s will be 40% off too. Plus you can get 20% off any one item from REI Outlet which is a nice bonus.

You can also get a price adjustment on any item ordered within 2 weeks of an item going on sale. I was really kicking myself for ordering my tent without checking to see if a sale was coming up, but thankfully my purchase falls within that time period and can get a refund for 30% of what I paid full price. I've learned my lesson and will definitely be holding out for sales when I buy my sleep system/pack!

(No this is not an ad for REI I just love a good sale and don't want anyone to miss out on savings like I nearly did!)

This past week in the smokies was miserable. Heavy rain, winds and cold. But then you get moments like this on trail and it makes it all worth while.

Hi all! Planning a thru for 2025. Building my kit and would love your quilt recs! I’ve never used anything other than a bag so I’m really just doing some research before purchasing and planning a shakedown hike to see how I like it. There are some good sales going on right now with popular UL brands I’d like to take advantage of. So I’d love to know what quilt you use, why you love it (or hate it 😬), why you prefer quilts to bags, I want to know it all! Thanks in advance and happy hiking ✌🏻

https://www.unionleader.com/news/safety/missing-hikers-body-found-in-dry-river/article_437549da-1194-11ef-8d7c-f30c93c7432e.html

No info on exactly what forced him off the ridge on the east side of Crawford Notch and down into the Dry River Wilderness or his cause of death yet.

They just found him Monday morning from tips from hikers in the area over the weekend who found some of his gear.

Feel free to sign up now even if you’re not going to be on the trail for a while yet. We won’t start posting your updates until they become trail related. There are a handful of people that have signed up that either have their profiles private, or did not include their Reddit account, making it impossible to reach out to them. I can’t message a person that doesn’t have an account to send to.

Link to Sign Up

Introduction Post

Here are the folks that are sprogressing down the trail!

Heather + Chuck on Instagram and Youtube - Ponies! And a quarter way into the trail, but ponies!

Ricky Bobby on Youtube and Instagram- First grouse thru-hiker confirmed.

Ben on Youtube and Instagram- I really do love the giant AT arrow on that barn. In Damascus but not for trail days, just stopping by to eat and watch the cows wade around.

Matt on their [Personal Blog] (https://mattwalksthatway.ghost.io/) - 20 miles by 4pm, or as my fellow hikers like to call it, a Tuesday.

Spark on their Instagram- Water source tried to kill them, but then they aquablazed to get revenge.

Bartbug on their Personal Blog and Youtube - Better to stand on the bunion than have the bunion stand on your

Eric on their Instagram - It’s the Damascus marathon because it’s 26.2 miles of hiking and you end at the Marathon Gas Station. Just like the ancient Greeks did.

Riley on their Instagram - Climbing out of the NOC is probably the greatest experience on the trail. Fill up on good food on an oft used nero/zero day and then haul that newfound food baby up a steep mountain just for giggles.

Longwood on his Instagram - That is a comically fat bear in a tree. Baby’s are super cute though.

Derek on Instagram - It’s actually illegal to get a haircut while on trail. Little known fact.

Xander on Instagram - Foggy or Smoky, you be the judge.

Don’t have one yet on Youtube - Another flip flopper here, starting out at Harper’s Ferry and heading northbound.

These folks are either off trail or haven’t updated in awhile. Give them a look-see

Hobear on Youtube and their Personal Blog

Explorgaytion on [Instagram] (https://www.instagram.com/explorgaytion/)

Chris Kelley on their Personal Blog

Happy Mother’s Day y’all. It’s been real nice the last couple weeks so I hope everyone’s been getting outside.

I know a staple amongst thru hikers and backpackers is tortillas. I wish I liked them and I've tried eating them time and time again but they just taste so bad and I have such a hard time finishing one and I will force myself to eat them if I have to but is there something I can eat instead of them?

How are the bugs this time of year? I’m planning a 3 day section hike and didn’t want to bring bug spray if I don’t need to.

Cheddar cheese and thai chili tuna on a tortilla. Yum 😅😅😅

If you had 3.5 days on the trail, where would u go on the AT? What about 4.5 days? Trying hard to get 4.5 days.

I am thinking about soloing the VA Triple crown in 2 weeks and am reading plenty about suggested routes, the lack of water, etc. But I would like more insight on how physically difficult the trail actually is. 37 miles and 8k elevation sounds tough, but I am seeing people manage to complete the whole loop in 2 days which makes it sound not too bad. I would likely be attempting this over 3 days personally. I am of moderate athleticism, am a pretty fast hiker and have thru-hiked other sections of the AT plenty of times. Just trying to get a gauge for how well I'd fare out there!

Just fyi so as not to alarm folks…

Per text alert: “Shenandoah Visitor: Helicopters staging now for spongy moth treatment, but will not spray until tomorrow, weather dependent. Will update tomorrow morning. “

From Facebook: “Several weeks ago, we announced the Park would be conducting an aerial treatment for spongy moth in mid-May. Due to warmer weather, spongy moth caterpillars (pictured) are feeding early and the aerial treatment is scheduled to begin Monday, May 13, 2024. An additional treatment day will be selected based on weather conditions through Friday, May 17, 2024. Monitor our social media pages and alerts on our website, or sign up to receive alerts by texting SHENALERTS to 888777.

Treatments will be targeted for the mornings, but depending on the weather conditions, the operation may occur throughout the day. There will be noise and possible wind from the low-flying helicopter in the treatment areas. Please see the map for locations of treatment areas.

The spray will contain BtK (Bacillus thuringiensis Kurstaki), which has been thoroughly studied and is not harmful to humans, wildlife, plants, buildings, and vehicles. It can be removed with soap and water.

The goal of the treatment is to suppress spongy moth populations to prevent tree mortality. Dead trees in high visitor use areas create safety hazards and can threaten historic buildings.

For more information about the Spongy Moth Suppression Program, visit our website: https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/spongy-moth-in-shenandoah.htm

Hello! I’m thru hiking right now and will need to get off trail in July for a wedding. Based on my current mileage and a conservative speed estimate I should be somewhere around mile 1900 when I have to get off, which looks like the Portland airport would be the closest and cheapest to fly back at.

Does anybody know the best place to get off trail so that shuttling to and from the airport would be the easiest/most affordable?

Thank you in advance!

I wonder how many half gallons of ice cream the Pine Grove Furnace General Store sales in a year.

Hi!

I’m planning a 10-15 day hike of NJ AT trail and looking too reduce my costs as much as possible let me know if I’m missing anything. I’m buying a lot of my things thru Facebook martlet place to save costs. My base weight is not that high is that a good or bad thing? I know I haven’t included food but let me know!!!

Food plan is a WIP Shoes and pack might not be final I’m planning on going to an REI to test out some stuff.

lighterpack

Edit: thanks! I’ve added a weight limit to food I’ll bring just to give myself an idea. Removed some things and simplified others. I’ve also added prices bc I didn’t know you could do that. now my main problem is weight (almost 30 pounds) I’ll have to take some time to find a new tent and cut some weight here and there would love some suggestions :)

NEW TENT Paria Arches 2p

Looking for a ride to Asheville from the NOC sometime in the next 4 days. Have to hop off trail for the weekend for a wedding back home. Happy to split a shuttle with someone as well. Figured I'd post here first to try to avoid paying big $$ for a solo shuttle.

Ran into an apparent vagrant type at the Thistle Hill shelter just a few hours ago. Red flags were the most in the person's behavior. Vibes of him not being stable. Add to that he probably has a machete. There was a machete sheath by the shelter side trail sign. One thru hiker I have met today posted this info on Far Out. Point of posting here is that when the red flags are up, others should be given a heads up. I felt really uncomfortable around this guy. I am a male and was considering my options if this person has any belligerence tendencies. The small conversation I had with him led me to view him as anti-social. He is in his late 20's / early 30's and has a hunter orange hoodie and beaten camo hunting boots as footwear. He could very well be harmless but I direct other hikers to avoid Thistle Hill shelter and be on the outlook for this guy.

EDIT : The thru hiker who posted about this on Far Out also felt this guy was not all quite there. He encountered him at the shelter and despite doing a 22 mile day and tired AF, he noped out of there. If someone can reference this to FaceBook and get word out that would help. Like I said, this is a caution situation. Nothing physical or belligerent was initiated by this individual but most of us would probably note he was not like we expect most peer hikers to be.

EDIT#2: Called state police. Spoke to Sergeant Collins. He said there is no crime so they will not follow up with even a patrol. Let that settle in on fellow hikers when you encounter someone not all there when you are hiking.

EDIT#3 : No reports of the Thistle Hill shelter person being a problem otherwise have cropped up. I decided not to stay at the shelter, I contacted authorities and they schooled me in the law. The comments here have balanced and as expected as far as individual rights and responsibilities. I will tell you as sure as I am here miles away, I did not feel safe around this person at all. I would not say they were up to no good but I regretted leaving my pack at the shelter to fetching water. He had gotten out of his sleeping bag at that point and had a few sentences of conversation and that is where everything I needed to know about him made me decide to leave. Maybe I will read the room better in the future when dealing with these things. The matter of fact was that a female thru hiker was trailing behind us and part of me had deep concern as she was possibly planning to stay at Thistle Hill that night.

Thank you all for armchair decisions by the way. That is a fuck you to a few that think shit does not happen.

My husband and I have begun planning his 2025 NOBO hike. He will slackpack while I provide logistical support and provide some trail magic on the way.

While he plans his hike, I'm planning my road trip along the trail. I'm no stranger to van life yet I've never spent 6 months in one continuously. I've been reading the posts and FAQs and linked blogs about the hiking experience yet I am curious to hear about the support experience. What is it like to support a thru-hiker on the trail?

I'm introducing myself first before I begin to pose questions; I don't want to be seen as spamming and to make sure I'm in an appropriate place to post those questions. This is something he's talked about for a long time and I'm excited at the chance to help him do this.

TIA for any advice on where I might find additional information.

Hello,

I was originally going to thru-hike the AT next summer before college. After reading all of your comments, I have decided to do a week long segment next summer and a couple weekends here and there. I will do the thru-hike when I get out of college.

I am thinking of GSMNP for my week long segment. I've heard that it takes 6-7 days to complete. Is that a pretty good estimate? I have an AT segment within 4 hours of me so I will go there for weekend trips to get to know the terrain beforehand.

I have also heard that I should buy a tent and test it out overnight in my backyard to see if camping is even a good fit for me. Does that sound like a good idea?