Re: [at-l] Hitching and the AT

["Cora Drake" <cora_drake@hotmail.com>]

wow.  the definitive guide!  most of these ideas also let the hitcher know a 
bit about the driver before contact gets made.  i'll be thanking you from 
the bottoms of my aching feet in the months to come, i'm sure.  jpj


>From: "Mara Factor" <m_factor@hotmail.com>
>To: at-l@backcountry.net
>Subject: Re: [at-l] Hitching and the AT
>Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2000 09:03:04 PST
>
>Best way to hitch is not at all...
>
>When you meet people on the trail heading for their car at the trailhead,
>strike up a conversation.  Eventually, you'll be imply that you'll be
>hitching into town.  With any luck, they'll offer you a ride.  If not, you
>can just ask them.
>
>In town, if you're at a restaurant or store and looking for a ride to the
>trailhead, it's OK to wait outside and ask people as they are leaving if
>they are heading in the direction of the trailhead.  Often they'll offer 
>you
>a ride, sometimes even if it's out of the way.
>
>If you are staying in a motel, you can ask the proprietor if they know
>anyone going in your direction.  Sometimes they will offer a ride or know
>someone who can, or others in the lobby might overhear and offer you a 
>ride.
>
>By being in a position to ask politely and in person, they are much more
>likely to offer you a ride than if you were a stranger standing along the
>side of the road.  They may say "no" and that is OK and their perogative.
>Remember, they do not "owe" you anything.
>
>Anything you can do to make yourself look neater can only help.  Tuck a
>shirt in, pull hair back into a ponytail, tame wild hair with a hat, take
>off your dark sunglasses, take off bandanas that  make you look like a
>pirate, etc...  Also, try to keep your stuff self contained.  I would 
>always
>collapse my hiking poles and attach them to my pack.  It took less time to
>load and unload.  I always kept my backpack visible as I was hitching as
>people are more likely to pick up backpackers (esp. thruhikers in some
>areas) than grungy looking "vagrants."
>
>I met some wonderful people while hitching and had some great experiences.
>The only bad experiences I had was when I couldn't get rides.  Once at a
>trailhead with a couple of police looking for someone they feared might be
>commiting suicide (false alarm) and once on just a really bad road for
>stopping.  Both of these were walking distance from/to town.  I walked.
>
>Mara
>Stitches, GAME99
>
>>Anyone got any thoughts on how you can safely hitch
>>a lift into (or out of) towns?> >   ** Ken **
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