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AppalachianTrailClarity.com articles for new hikers and curious veterans

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    • Just keep doing what you are doing Clarity! Not everyone will agree with your advise, which you point out. There is very little that you advise to newbies that I would disagree with. You can't make an non hiker an experience by writing a blog. You have given them a lot of good advice. The rest they will learn & adapt on their own.

      As for bears: You have to support your employers view. I do see the prolems common with bears out west becoming more prevelant out east. Bears can learn. As their population expands theyare becoming more of a problem. A bad bear bag hang is like a pinata part for them. I know I don't want to carry a bear canister. I think most don't. Can you ask ATC to include proper bear bag hanging in LNT training?

    • Drybones wrote:

      JimBlue wrote:

      I was once told that water weighed a 'mere 8.337 pounds per galon', what was the problem ?

      So I handed the kid a two gallon water bucket, open top metal, and asked him to go over to the stream and fill it.

      Splashed most of it on himself and arrived back where we were standing with rather less than a gallon of water in the bucket.

      Then he realized just how heavy that 'mere' weight is.
      8.64 lb.gal
      Nope, this link says 8.34, 8.328, etc.

      mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/56355.html
      --
      "What do you mean its sunrise already ?!", me.

    • Mountain-Mike wrote:

      Just keep doing what you are doing Clarity! Not everyone will agree with your advise, which you point out. There is very little that you advise to newbies that I would disagree with. You can't make an non hiker an experience by writing a blog. You have given them a lot of good advice. The rest they will learn & adapt on their own.

      As for bears: You have to support your employers view. I do see the prolems common with bears out west becoming more prevelant out east. Bears can learn. As their population expands theyare becoming more of a problem. A bad bear bag hang is like a pinata part for them. I know I don't want to carry a bear canister. I think most don't. Can you ask ATC to include proper bear bag hanging in LNT training?
      THanks Mike. :) The ATC does include bear bag training in LNT courses, at least they did in ours. I don't want to carry a canister either, honestly. Most people don't. So to avoid ever having to, I'm hoping people will be a bit smarter than I was about trying to disassociate humans with food. It's a sticky debatable topic for sure.
      www.appalachiantrailclarity.com - Life on the A.T.

      Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself.

    • twistwrist wrote:

      Mountain-Mike wrote:

      Just keep doing what you are doing Clarity! Not everyone will agree with your advise, which you point out. There is very little that you advise to newbies that I would disagree with. You can't make an non hiker an experience by writing a blog. You have given them a lot of good advice. The rest they will learn & adapt on their own.

      As for bears: You have to support your employers view. I do see the prolems common with bears out west becoming more prevelant out east. Bears can learn. As their population expands theyare becoming more of a problem. A bad bear bag hang is like a pinata part for them. I know I don't want to carry a bear canister. I think most don't. Can you ask ATC to include proper bear bag hanging in LNT training?
      THanks Mike. :) The ATC does include bear bag training in LNT courses, at least they did in ours. I don't want to carry a canister either, honestly. Most people don't. So to avoid ever having to, I'm hoping people will be a bit smarter than I was about trying to disassociate humans with food. It's a sticky debatable topic for sure.
      To disassociate humans with food would require a genetic change to bears. We smell like food and bears have a sense of smell better then a bloodhound.
      Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.
      Dr. Seuss Cof123

    • JimBlue wrote:

      Drybones wrote:

      JimBlue wrote:

      I was once told that water weighed a 'mere 8.337 pounds per galon', what was the problem ?

      So I handed the kid a two gallon water bucket, open top metal, and asked him to go over to the stream and fill it.

      Splashed most of it on himself and arrived back where we were standing with rather less than a gallon of water in the bucket.

      Then he realized just how heavy that 'mere' weight is.
      8.64 lb.gal
      Nope, this link says 8.34, 8.328, etc.
      mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/56355.html
      The density, and thus weight, of a gallon of water depends on a bunch of variables like temperature of the water, the purity of the water, and even the altitude where you are weighing the water.

      Now here's an interesting fact that also affects us hikers. Your water is most dense at 34 degrees farenheight. So, if you are winter hiking store your water bottles upside down over night. That way as water approaches the freezing point (colder than 34) it will rise in the top of the container, which is really the bottom, and that's where the freezing will start. In the morning you may still have some liquid water at the bottom, really the top, of the bottle.

    • Rasty wrote:

      twistwrist wrote:

      Mountain-Mike wrote:

      Just keep doing what you are doing Clarity! Not everyone will agree with your advise, which you point out. There is very little that you advise to newbies that I would disagree with. You can't make an non hiker an experience by writing a blog. You have given them a lot of good advice. The rest they will learn & adapt on their own.

      As for bears: You have to support your employers view. I do see the prolems common with bears out west becoming more prevelant out east. Bears can learn. As their population expands theyare becoming more of a problem. A bad bear bag hang is like a pinata part for them. I know I don't want to carry a bear canister. I think most don't. Can you ask ATC to include proper bear bag hanging in LNT training?
      THanks Mike. :) The ATC does include bear bag training in LNT courses, at least they did in ours. I don't want to carry a canister either, honestly. Most people don't. So to avoid ever having to, I'm hoping people will be a bit smarter than I was about trying to disassociate humans with food. It's a sticky debatable topic for sure.
      To disassociate humans with food would require a genetic change to bears. We smell like food and bears have a sense of smell better then a bloodhound.
      Imagine if the prisons starting using them to track escapees. :D
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • twistwrist wrote:

      So, today I received an email from Beeradvocate magazine offering me pay to write an 800 word article about beer on the A.T. Condensing such awesome info into so few words is going to be a new challenge! I'm pretty damn psyched!
      Having read the reports about your hike, and enjoying your style of writing, I can't wait to read about your take on beer along the AT.
      Make sure and let us know when you've got that done.

    • twistwrist wrote:

      So, today I received an email from Beeradvocate magazine offering me pay to write an 800 word article about beer on the A.T. Condensing such awesome info into so few words is going to be a new challenge! I'm pretty damn psyched!
      I think you need Jimmyjam and myself as consultants.
      A few cases of their sponsors products should produce a fine article.
      Resident Australian, proving being a grumpy old man is not just an American trait.

    • OzJacko wrote:

      twistwrist wrote:

      So, today I received an email from Beeradvocate magazine offering me pay to write an 800 word article about beer on the A.T. Condensing such awesome info into so few words is going to be a new challenge! I'm pretty damn psyched!
      I think you need Jimmyjam and myself as consultants.A few cases of their sponsors products should produce a fine article.
      Hey Oz count me in. Meet me at the shelter at beerthirty. :thumbsup:
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference

    • max.patch wrote:

      twistwrist wrote:

      So, today I received an email from Beeradvocate magazine offering me pay to write an 800 word article about beer on the A.T. Condensing such awesome info into so few words is going to be a new challenge! I'm pretty damn psyched!
      i couldn't do it. i'd need more than 800 words for the doyle alone.
      Hey Max. So I'm honestly debating on whether to include the Doyle. I guess i should for its history alone, right? With only 600-800 words, there are MUCH better beer spots on the trail that offer hiker services. So far I'm planning to included:
      Rock House Lodge (at Outdoor 76) in Franklin
      Lazy Hiker Brewery in Franklin
      Smoky Mountain Brewery - Gatlinburg, TN
      Devils Backbone Brewery in Virginia
      Hop'n Moose in Rutland, VT
      Kennebec Brewing (in Northern Outdoors) in Caratunk, ME

      If I have room, I may include Woodstock Inn Brewery in NH and Sarge's Pub in Monson.

      Do you guys think the Doyle is a must to include based on its history? Its beer selection honestly sucks.
      www.appalachiantrailclarity.com - Life on the A.T.

      Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself.

    • i see (i think) your dilemma.

      if you were writing an article about beer on the trail for the atc magazine "journeys" the doyle would be the highlight of the article and easily the most space would be allocated to it.

      i'm not familar with "beer advocate" but i'm guessing the readership would not be too interested in a place that you go to to get cheap budweiser that you can buy at any corner gas station. and the flop house environment would not be relevent to serious beer drinkers who probably drink with their pinky finger stuck out. :) perhaps just a couple sentences at the end of the article " no discussion of beer on the AT would be complete with mentioning the doyle" yada yada yada.

      600-800 words is gonna be tough.

      did you purposely exclude the inn on the long trail on your list?
      2,000 miler

    • yes because I wasn't too impressed with it. I didn't have the greatest experience there, but I considered including it initially. Hop'n Moose was my favorite Vermont Brewery only two doors down from the Yellow Deli. Delicious brewed beer, wide selection, local, grass-fed cows in their burgers, brick oven pizzas, Hiker paradise. I didn't actually visit the Long Trail Brewery, but I did go to the Inn.
      www.appalachiantrailclarity.com - Life on the A.T.

      Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself.

    • OzJacko wrote:

      To be honest I wouldn't for your article as it appears from recent stuff I've seen on Facebook it will close soon. I suspect 2016 will be the last hiker season to experience.
      Have the owners mentioned closing shop or are you saying that based on their financial problems?
      Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.

    • OzJacko wrote:

      To be honest I wouldn't for your article as it appears from recent stuff I've seen on Facebook it will close soon. I suspect 2016 will be the last hiker season to experience.
      Guess it is a good thing I caught it last summer, because if I do get to do a thru in 2020 it might not be there.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • SarcasmTheElf wrote:

      OzJacko wrote:

      To be honest I wouldn't for your article as it appears from recent stuff I've seen on Facebook it will close soon. I suspect 2016 will be the last hiker season to experience.
      Have the owners mentioned closing shop or are you saying that based on their financial problems?
      It's based on the fund raising to "save the Doyle" that hasn't got 10% of the target.
      Resident Australian, proving being a grumpy old man is not just an American trait.

    • Da Wolf wrote:

      they got 100%
      Just looked at it.
      Yes it appears they got their target of $10k which is mostly for $9k back taxes.
      I'm sure I saw a target of $80k for rewiring and other issues and they only had $3-$4k raised. Maybe it got modified.
      Good luck to them.
      I liked the place but it wouldn't stand up to a building inspection here. Next time I will drink there but probably not stay.
      Resident Australian, proving being a grumpy old man is not just an American trait.

    • Da Wolf wrote:

      this same gofundme crap will come around again next year. they need to sell it. it really needs torn down.
      The place needs at least a few million spent on it. The place is likely full of lead paint and asbestos and it's a fire trap. Glad I stayed there just to see it, but I'd camp by the river next time or just hike on thru that town.
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference

      The post was edited 1 time, last by jimmyjam ().

    • LIhikers wrote:

      JimBlue wrote:

      Drybones wrote:

      JimBlue wrote:

      I was once told that water weighed a 'mere 8.337 pounds per galon', what was the problem ?

      So I handed the kid a two gallon water bucket, open top metal, and asked him to go over to the stream and fill it.

      Splashed most of it on himself and arrived back where we were standing with rather less than a gallon of water in the bucket.

      Then he realized just how heavy that 'mere' weight is.
      8.64 lb.gal
      Nope, this link says 8.34, 8.328, etc.mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/56355.html
      The density, and thus weight, of a gallon of water depends on a bunch of variables like temperature of the water, the purity of the water, and even the altitude where you are weighing the water.
      Now here's an interesting fact that also affects us hikers. Your water is most dense at 34 degrees farenheight. So, if you are winter hiking store your water bottles upside down over night. That way as water approaches the freezing point (colder than 34) it will rise in the top of the container, which is really the bottom, and that's where the freezing will start. In the morning you may still have some liquid water at the bottom, really the top, of the bottle.
      Yep,. Taught by survival school instructors.

      Lest we forget.....


      SSgt Ray Rangel - USAF
      SrA Elizabeth Loncki - USAF
      PFC Adam Harris - USA
      MSgt Eden Pearl - USMC

    • lotta internet chatter about paying the back taxes and then selling. to who? the doyle is a money pit and no one with a profit motive would ever buy it.

      my crystal ball says that when it is eventually renovated as a "historical structure" or condemned and demolished the taxpayer is gonna be footing the bill.
      2,000 miler

    • New post available. This one lists all the good resupply points along the A.T. including mile markers, links, phone numbers, etc. If you find it helpful, would appreciate shares!

      appalachiantrailclarity.com/20…ru-hiker-resupply-points/
      www.appalachiantrailclarity.com - Life on the A.T.

      Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself.

    • OzJacko wrote:

      I drank too much beer to have "clarity" on where the best steaks were.
      There is no such thing as a bad steak.
      Yes there is! Having traveled over much of US 48 I have gotten to try regional specialties. I always looked forward to working Cheyenne Trail days/Rodeo. It would always include a trip to Little Bears for a dinner. It's a little hole in the wall place in the middle of nowhere. Few steaks can compare to their dry aged ones. No knife needed, melt in your mouth flavor! ;)