Planning a Hike

It is not possible to make a detailed plan for a end to end hike of the Appalachian Trail It is just too long and there are too many variables to do precise planning and predictions.

Improvement in the personal fitness curve cannot be predicted in advance. Obviously, the more personal fitness improves the faster and longer a person can hike in a day. If fitness improves faster than anticipated then the hiker may end up ahead of any pre-made schedule. Stores are constantly opening and closing. If a new resupply option opens closer to a trailhead the timetable may speed up. The reverse is true if a nearby store closes and the hiker has to go further than expected for supplies.

Storms, injury, and illness, can all work to put a hiker behind schedule. A hiker may fall behind schedule for positive reasons. He or she may find a particular section particularly beautiful and may want to linger for an additional day or 2. The best that can be done in most instances is to come up with a general idea of about where you hope to be and about when you hope to be there. You can then plan your first week or 2 in more detail.

These are the most difficult weeks to plan because we are too far away to have first hand knowledge of the area. Guidebooks are available and the internet is useful. However, the information contained is constrained by the date of publication. Once the hiker is in the area he gets much of his information from locals and from hikers coming from the opposite direction.

Generally a hike is planned in detail one week at a time. At the end of the first week some time is spent reviewing notes and digesting information and planning for the next week taking anticipated weather, trail reroutings, and current physical condition into account.