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Re: [at-l] thanks and more ??'s
deshi@nr.infi.net wrote:
> Couple more questions if y'all don't mind:
>
> 1) How crowded is the trail, on average (eg. how many other people a
> day
> would one see)?
>
This varies greatly with the day, date & location. Long distance hikers
constitute only a small portion of the total trail travel.
Short-distance backpackers and dayhikers have a lot more impact,
especially in popular locations such as the Smokies, Shenandoah NP, the
Whites, and the dozens of smaller popular areas. I've hiked for two
days in VA in November without seeing anyone else. I also just saw
about 100 hikers/day going up to Blood Mt. from Neels Gap in GA on a
summer weekend. About 3/4 were dayhikers, most of the rest short-term
backpackers, and less than 2% were out for longer than a week.
> 2) What is "slackpacking"? :)
>
Using vehicle support to carry your gear so you don't have to.
> 3) Does anyone know the percentage of would-be thru-hikers who
> actually
> make it? Do most quit before completion?
>
According to the folks at Walasi-Yi, at Neels Gap (about 30 miles north
of Springer), there were 1200 aspiring thruhikers who signed in
northbound during 1996. The ATC received about 250 completed trip
reports for northbounders that year. It thus appears that the
completion rate was about 1 in 5, or about twice as many as the
often-quoted (and perhaps once-accurate) 1 in 10 figure. The whys of
this might make an interesting discussion.
- Priest
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