hike listed in all 14 A.T. states. Many of these hikes were adapted from The Best of the Appalachian Trail: Day Hikes by Frank and Victoria Logue and Leonard Atkins. All day hikes are listed with their round-trip distance and a difficulty rating. Distance is an important determinant in deciding if a hike is right for you, but elevation can be even more of a factor. Hikes are rated from easy to strenuous. For instance, one of the day hikes listed indicates the closest town is my town, Front Royal, Virginia. Compton Gap to Compton Peak: is moderate, 2.4 miles with good views and basalt formations. There are directions to parking and then concise directions to get onto the Trail and along the A.T. This is a perfect hike to introduce our grandchildren to the Trail and then follow it with popcorn and soda watching A Walk in the Woods . The movie is adapted from a hilarious book of the same name by Bill Bryson about his time on the Trail. Although a thru-hike generally takes 6 months, meet Tara Dower, the fastest person in history to complete the A.T. in 40 days, 18 hours, and five minutes, a distance usually covered in five to seven months. To set the record, Dower ran and hiked an average of 54 miles each day on the often rocky and steep trail, which includes a total vertical gain of 465,000 feet as it runs through 14 states. She started her daily runs at 3:30 a.m. and continued for approximately 17 hours with several short breaks for meals and 90-second “dirt naps.” Dower used her record-setting run to raise money for Girls on the Run, saying that she hopes her feat will inspire girls and women. “I hope more women get out there,” she said. “It’s not about beating men, it’s about finding our true potential. And, you know, if you beat the men, that’s an extra bonus.” When she reached the trail’s end on Saturday night, the exhausted but jubilant Dower fell to her knees and put her hands on the bronze plaque that reads, “A footpath for those who seek fellowship with the wilderness.” Whether you plan a thru-hike, a section hike, or flip flop, it all begins with that first step. The wilderness awaits.
Photo credit Neal Lewis
The A.T. has hundreds of access points and is within a few hour’s drive of millions of Americans, making it a popular destination for day-hikers. Thru-hikers walk the entire Trail in a continuous journey. Section-hikers piece the entire Trail together over years. Flip-floppers thru-hike the entire trail in discontinuous sections to avoid crowds or extremes in weather, or to start on easier terrain.
1 in 4 who attempt a thru-hike successfully completes the journey.
Most thru-hikers walk north, starting in Georgia in spring and finishing in Maine in fall, taking an average of 6 months. Foods high in calories and low in water weight, such as Snickers bars and Ramen Noodles, are popular with backpackers, who can burn up to 6,000 calories a day. Not interested in thru-hiking? Not many are, but you can enjoy a beautiful day hike on this amazing Trail. Visit Appalachian Trail Day Hikes (appalachiantrail. org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/appalachian-trail- day-hikes-1.pdf) and you’ll discover at least one day
APPALACHIAN NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL
COAST TO COAST MAGAZINE SPRING 2025 | 11
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