The Trails - Appalachian

To further explain what it means to "Triple Crown" in USA hiking, I thought I would discuss the trails involved.

Today, we'll just cover some jargon and the Appalachian Trail.  In a week, we'll discuss another one of the trails, the Pacific Crest. Finally, two weeks from today we'll wrap up with a discussion about the Intercontinental Trail.

There are three trails (hence the "Triple") that hikers must complete and a variety of ways to do so.  Some people argue that you have to do the entirety of one trail in one backpacking excursion (known as thru-hiking).  However, for those of us who have jobs, completing the entirety of a thousand-mile or greater trail in the matter of months simply isn't possible, no matter how much we may want to.  Fun Fact provided by the official website of the AT: Only 1 in 4 hikers who attempt to thru-hike actually complete it.  Ready for a cheesy pop-culture reference? "May the odds be ever in your favor".

Some people like to hike against the general population, so they complete one portion of the trail starting from a mid-point, then go back to the mid-point of the trail at another time and complete the other half (this is known as "flip-flopping).  Sometimes flip-flopping makes a lot of sense.  For example, on the Appalachian Trail, one hikes from the southern most states (Georgia) up through to the northern most state on the east coast (Maine).  To get an early start, a large quantity of people start hiking in April.  It's still rather brisk in Maine at April, so it makes more sense to start in Virginia and work your way up to Maine so that, come the heat of mid-summer, you're in Maine. Then, upon completing Mt. Katahdin, going back to the starting point in Virginia and working south so that you're in the southern states when fall sets in and the temperatures start to drop.

Finally, for those who cannot do either of those options, there is "section hiking", which is exactly what it sounds like. You select a section of the trail to do and do it.

Going back to the three trails, they are:
Appalachian Trail (fondly known at the AT): 2,184 miles long, the AT goes through (from South to North): Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

According to the AT's website, there are three main types of blazes.  For those unfamiliar with the vernacular, blazes are trail markers that allow hikers to know that they're on the right path.

One type of trail marker is a white blaze that can be found on trees, posts, rocks...you name it.

Another form of blaze is a double blaze, these are used to "signal an obscure turn, route change, or incoming side trail".

Finally, and perhaps my favourite form of blaze, is a cairn.  They're used above treelines or in any area where a blaze may be obscured.

Dogs and the AT
There are portions of the AT that are dog friendly and others that are not.  The areas of the AT that do not allow dogs are:

• Baxter State Park, Maine
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park
• Bear Mountains State Park (though this one has an alternate road route available....but how safe is it to walk your dog along the road?)

Then, of course, those that are dog friendly can vary from allowing complete off-leash hiking to those that require leashing your dog.

For the parts that do not allow dogs, occasionally there are kennels available to house your dogs while you're hiking. In most cases, you can find a kennel, though it is best to do your research.  I will continue to look this up and post links as I find them under an applicable tab.  However, remember, thousands of people hike the AT yearly, it is best to reserve a kennel as early as possible.

There are hostels and shelters along the way - but most of these expect you to keep your dog outside.  So, if you have a hard time leaving your dog alone in unknown territory, then plan on tenting it most of the way.


To read more about people who have hiked the AT and they're journey, check out any of these online journals.