Hiking the Appalachian Trail

1023 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Navigating hiking the Appalachian Trail

One wonderful ability that people have always been able to do is walk thousands of miles through tough terrain to get where they want/need to go. The exercise known as hiking was practiced all over the world, including the famous Appalachian Trail, approximately 2,184 miles long. The A.T. was “Conceived in 1921, built by private citizens, and completed in 1937, today the trail is managed by the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, numerous state agencies and thousands of volunteers”, as stated on the National Park Services website. The trails path runs along the Appalachian Mountains and through 14 different states stretching from Maine to Georgia. The formation of the trail went through several stages beginning with Benton MacKaye’s idea and planning of a super trail in late 1921. A committee was formed, followed by a conference which years later became the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. The A.T. is a great trail to hike for the courageous individuals that are looking for a great time and adventure.
With the A.T. running through fourteen mountains, the landscape alters and so does the experience. The degree of difficulty ranges from flat and smooth to rough and rocky, requiring a lot of hand use for hanging, feet for stability, and jolting movements for the more physically fit hikers. The A.T. can be broken into five sections: Northern New England, Southern New England, Mid-Atlantic, Southern Appalachians, and The Virginias. To find out more about each section, a hiker would want to refer to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy website under the “About the Trail” module. According to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, “Each year, thousands of hikers attempt a thru-hike; only about one in four...

... middle of paper ...

...red. Through out the A.T. backpackers experience wildlife and challenges that help them in various ways. Self-confidence is a great skill accomplished as well and self discovery and commitment. The time it takes gives travelers a time to discover themselves while walking the beautiful trail. The hikers who hike for a hobby and/or exercise also take away experiences from a trail traveled by many. Whether traveled non stop or by sections, the Appalachian trail is a great adventure for almost any hiker to concur.

Works Cited
"Appalachian National Scenic Trail." National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, 26
Feb. 2014. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.
"Appalachian Trail Conservancy." About the Trail. ATC, n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2014.
Woolf, Marcus. “Increased Bear Activity Leads to Food Canister Rule.” WhiteBlaze Appalachian
Trail RSS. WhiteBlaze, 2002. Web. 21 Mar. 2014

Show More
Related

  • Essay On Appalachia Music

    964 Words  | 2 Pages

    In order to define the music of Appalachia, one must first define the area in which the Appalachians encompass. This mountainous area extends 1500 miles and covers an area that extends from Maine to Georgia. There are eighteen states which make up the Appalachians. According to most Europeans, they consider the Appalachians to be only the southeastern region of the United Stated. However, the Appalachians are actually a combined combination of states that include all eighteen states. During the 1920’s these areas were considered 1“Back Country” areas.

    Read More

  • Orting, Washington

    709 Words  | 2 Pages

    National Park Services, U.S. Department of Interior. Nps.gov, 27 Dec. 2004. Web. The Web. The Web.

    Read More

  • The Barkley Marathons

    3035 Words  | 7 Pages

    To add to the difficulty of the trails is the extreme elevation changes. The re are ironically enough thirteen climbs which result in more than 10,000 feet of climb per loop. This is obviously accompanied by an equal amount of descent. One runner described it as climbing 100 floors of stairs in your first mile, going back down on second mile and continuing this for twenty miles. The course amasses an average grade of over 20% and between 50 and near 100 percent grade on the abandoned trails and bushwhacking sections. The grade is the reason that the trails have been abandoned or not built in the first pace. Each climb bears a unique name which in many cases gives a good idea of their nature.

    Read More

  • Bill Bryson: Should He Be Considered an Appalachian Trail Hiker?

    612 Words  | 2 Pages

    Should Bill Bryson be considered an Appalachian Trail hiker? Most thru hikers believe that the only type of AT hiker is a thru hiker. Critics even talk about how Bryson just hiked a portion of the trail. “[…]-- although he doesn't meet that many, because in the end he hikes less than half the route. The book is subtitled "Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail," but Bryson doesn't seem to have discovered very much at all.” (Friedman, Vanessa V. Book review of A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. June 19, 1998 ) The thru hikers are one sided and narrow minded. Even though critics and thru hikers say Bryson is not a real Appalachian Trail Hiker, he should be considered an AT hiker because he wrote A Walk in the Woods to inform everyone of his devotion to hiking most of the trail.

    Read More

  • Daniel Boone Book Report

    435 Words  | 1 Pages

    In 1775 Boone and 30 other woodsmen were hired to improve the trails between the Carolinas and the west. The resulting route reached into the heart of Kentucky and became known as the "Wilderness Road." That same year Boone built a fort and village called Booneborough in Kentucky, and moved his family over the Wilderness Trail to their new home.

    Read More

  • The Trail Sparknotes

    551 Words  | 2 Pages

    The book, The Trail, takes place on a portion of what is called the Appalachian Trail. From start to finish, the Appalachian Trail is roughly 2,200 miles in length, and starts in Springer Mountain, Georgia, and ends in Mount Katahdin, Maine. For Toby’s specific portion of the hike, he was hiking 400 miles from his grandma’s home in Norwich Vermont, to Mount Katahdin, which is one of the 4 trailheads. Throughout the Appalachian Trail, there are things called shelters, in which people that are hiking the trail can stay at. These shelters provide warmth, food, and company, which are all things that a majority of the hikers are craving. Not

    Read More

  • Bill Bryson's Experience On The Appalachian Trail

    753 Words  | 2 Pages

    Bill Bryson uses his experience on the Appalachian Trail to show how different your expectations can be compared to the reality of the situation. Bryson believed that he was fully prepared for the hike and that it would be exciting but, in all actuality it was very difficult. He also believed that the hike would be stimulating for the mind but, at times it didn’t require a lot of thinking or attention. His experience and the background research he provided created an image for his audience so they could understand the point he was trying to make. These elements served as evidence in the book and was very effective because it was abundant and meaningful.

    Read More

  • Bryson: The Appalachian Trail Hiker

    643 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...n Appalachian Trail, they are forced to accept the fact that he has hiked more than half of it and in fact, Bryson states, “Every twenty minutes on the Appalachian Trail, Katz and I walked farther than the average American walks in a week. For 93 percent of all trips outside the home, for whatever distance or whatever purpose, Americans now get in a car.” (Bryson 182) Bryson could be considered an AT hiker but at the same time, he could not be considered one because of the fact that he did not finish the whole trail. His desire to hike most of the trail inspires readers to go hike and get fit, bringing in more hikers to the great AT which makes him not only an AT hiker but a motivational AT hiker.

    Read More

  • When The Texas Cattle Boom

    667 Words  | 2 Pages

    trail was necessary west of the farms. In 1867, he chose a route that would

    Read More

  • Stereotypes In The Appalachian Mountains

    550 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many parts of the Appalachian Mountains are pleasing to the eye. The Great Smoky Mountains are one of a kind mountains. I was on the top of one of the mountains and the view was breathtaking

    Read More

  • Oregon Trail

    368 Words  | 1 Pages

    Originally, like many other main routes in the United States, sections of the Oregon Trail had been used by the Native Americans and trappers. As early as 1742, part of the trail in Wyoming had been blazed by the Canadian explorer Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye; the Lewis and Clark Expedition, between 1804 and 1806, made more of it known. The German-American fur trader and financier John Jacob Astor, in establishing his trading posts, dispatched a party overland in 1811 to follow the trail of these explorers. Later, mountain men such as James Bridger, who founded Fort Bridger in 1843, contributed their knowledge of the trail and often acted as guides. The first emigrant wagon train, headed by the American pioneer physician Elijah White, reached Oregon in 1842.

    Read More

  • The Oregon Trail: An Extensive Impact On Early America

    2017 Words  | 5 Pages

    Even though the Oregon Trail was the main movement west there were a few people that

    Read More

  • Process of Hiking The Appalachian Trail

    1051 Words  | 3 Pages

    or stones through the soles. If you can press in the bottom of the sole

    Read More

  • Personal Narrative- Mountain Hike

    503 Words  | 2 Pages

    In hiking, as in life, there are choices between success and pain, pride and safety; this is the story of one such choice. Last summer I participated in the Rayado program at Philmont Scout Ranch. The eighth day of the trek was my crew’s greatest challenge: Super Black Death, a hike of seven peaks in one day.

    Read More

  • Personal Narrative Essay: My Family Trip To The Colorado Mountains

    706 Words  | 2 Pages

    One of the most enjoyable things in life are road trips, particularly to the Colorado mountains. Getting to spend time with your family and friends, while being in a beautiful place, is irreplaceable. The fifteen-hour road trip may feel never-ending, but gazing at the mountains from afar makes life’s problems seem a little smaller and causes worries to become a thing of the past. Coming in contact with nature, untouched, is a surreal experience. My family trip to the Colorado mountains last summer was inspiring.

    Read More

More about Hiking the Appalachian Trail

Open Document