[at-l] New to hiking , Please help.

[stephensadams@hotmail.com (Steve Adams)]

Bill,

Reference your post, dated 12-8-02, advising, "... 15 year old daughter ...
dream come true ... 8-9 day hike ... best place to hike during late April
... driving from southern Illinois (St. Louis Mo. area) ... We have never
backpacked ... keep us out of trouble."

Let's keep the dream alive.  We want her to enjoy herself and keep hiking.
Don't plan high daily mileage.

Find a section which has relatively gentle terrain.  Shenandoah National
Park is probably a good choice.  You can drive into the park, fill out your
general itinerary, and park your car without charge.  You may hike south for
half your allotted time, turn around and hike north returning to your car.
If hike through the park, and have time remaining, you can:  (1)  Continue
south on the AT (resupplying in Waynesboro, VA, at the park exit) or;  (2)
Hike along the 400 miles of side trails in the park.

Directions:

Interstate #70 - East (St. Louis) to Interstate #81 - South:  754.5 Miles.

Interstate #81 to Interstate #66 East:  54.4 Miles.

Interstate #66 to Route #522 (Front Royal, VA):  6.5 Miles.

The northern entrance to Shenandoah National Park is in Front Royal.  There
are signs to guide you, and an AM radio station which provides updates about
the park.

For reasons I cannot appreciate, IF there is an especially heavy snowfall,
it is usually in March.  By late April, snow will have melted.  It may be
rainy, and water will be readily available, but it will not be VERY cold;
not as cold as in the St. Louis area.

There are two types of clothing: Clothing for hiking and clothing for
camping.   Hiking clothes should be lightweight designed to wick
perspiration.  Camp clothes should provide dryness and warmth.  Your
sleeping bag can augment camp clothing if it becomes too cold.

You won't need heavy boots, but at least use decent hiking shoes.

Minimize the weight you carry and wear.  Gather all your stuff.  Separate
into three bundles:  Essential; Non-essential, and; Luxury.  Eliminate the
"Luxury" bundle.  Infuriate your wife:  leave the remaining two bundles in
an obvious area and remove what you can whenever it makes sense.  Your wife
may join in enthusiastically.

I think beginning hikers should avoid cotton clothing.

If you can put up with it, and you will have the time," stop and cook
dinner, hike another mile or more, then set up camp for the night.  Hang
your food.  This park has the highest density of black bear in the U.S.
They're clever and adept, and have eaten more hiker food than most of the
people you'll meet in the park.  They have nothing against you, personally,
they just want to eat food.  I suspect there are two kinds of black bear:
the one's who are looking for food, and;  the one's who have found food.  If
a bear is looking for food, you can probably shoo it away.  If one
physically possesses your food, ownership has changed.  Let the bear eat.

Steve

P.s.  Ask if you have more questions.







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