### Additional “Basic” Information – RETAIN THIS PAGE – Do NOT Turn it in with the Signature Page!

This year’s Hike is Saturday, March 17th (rain date Saturday, March 24th). The Hike was postponed in 2010 due to very heavy rains on the scheduled weekend; however, that was the only postponement since the Hike started in 1996.

District Staff members whose Units are not participating may sign up with a “Provo Unit” to hike and/or staff. In addition to the permission slip/release form, these adults must attach a photocopy of a recent medical form to their permission slip/release form. The Acting Leader of this Unit is Jack Person . This Provo Unit is NOT open to Scouts or adults in non-participating Units (only to District Staff).

HIKERS: There will be 3 different routes, varying by distance (10, 20, and 25-50 miles). The routes include local roads and the Mt. Vernon, Custis Lee, C&O Canal Towpath, Bluemont, 4-Mile Run, W&OD and Bluemont Connector Bike Trails. Hikers are specifically cautioned to be rational in selecting their intended hiking distance - even 10 and 20 mile hikes are challenging for those who do not walk frequently. Hikers who have not completed at least one 25 mile practice hike in the prior month should NOT attempt to do 50 miles (you have been warned!)

IMPORTANT! - There will be a 3-stage start, based on distance. Assembly is at St. Agnes gym in Arlington (1914 N. Randolph Street, 22207, home of Troop 111), as follows: 25-50 mile hikers: 5:00 am; 20 mile hikers: 6:30 am; and 10 mile hikers: 8:00 am. Hikers who arrive late will NOT be allowed to attempt to “catch up with” the previously departed group(s), because they will have missed all the pre-hike instructions and also will have to run to catch up (which is dangerous). However, if a 25-50 Mile Hiker is late, they may still attempt the 20 mile Hike at 6:30 am, if they wish; and a 20 Mile Hiker who is late may attempt a 10 mile Hike at 8:00 am, if they wish.

The 10 and 20 mile routes will each both begin and end at the St. Agnes gym. The 25 and greater distance hikes will also begin at St. Agnes but will end at a Support Stop along the route (return trips to St. Agnes will be available from established Support Stops at Fletchers, Gravelly Point, and Bluemont Park, as needed). 25-50 Milers Note: St. Agnes is not directly accessed from either Lee Highway or Washington Blvd - if you have never been there before, it would be prudent to “scope out” the route before Hike Saturday, since you will be arriving in pre-dawn darkness.

All hikes will be supported at various Support Stops along the way, providing food, snacks, drinks, First Aid, access to support daypacks or duffels, return transportation to St. Agnes, and so on. In addition, there will be adults positioned at various critical “Waypoints,” others acting as “Tail End Charlies” for the various hikes, and still more providing roving bicycle support over most of the route. Hikers are required to wear a ribbon of surveyor tape and a numbered bib (both will be provided) in order to be recognizable to Hike Staff and speed the electronic check-in and check-out processes. This may seem trivial – it is not, especially if the weather is pleasant on Hike Saturday (because if it is, hundreds of other citizens will be on the trails).

Hikers may carry a light daypack, and 25-50 Milers may have a “support” duffel forwarded along the route, to the next Support Stop ahead of them (duffels are not needed for 10 or 20 milers). Hikers should label all items, especially bags, with their name, Troop number, and phone number! (as backup, hikers should also include a 3x5 card with the same information inside their daypacks and/or duffel bags). Fair Warning - Based on past experience, anonymous items have almost no chance of being reunited with their owners. Smart-phones should be fully charged, and used sparingly. All Hikers are specifically cautioned to avoid smart-phone distracted hiking (you have been warned!)

There will be time cutoffs by which hikers must leave a Support Stop - up til Gravelly Point (~30 miles), this will be 2.5 mph; in addition, from Gravelly Point forward, hikers who are not leaving on a 3.0 mph pace will be strongly advised to drop out (past experience has shown that hikers who have not maintained a 3 mph pace to this point have virtually no chance to finish the Hike within 20 hours). Hikers who have not made the time cutoffs absolutely may not continue hiking on their “own recognizance” (no appeals); this is because their selfishness forces the downstream Support Stops to remain open far past their scheduled operational time frames, to accommodate them. Hikers who continue on regardless will forfeit their Troop’s privilege to participate in future Alonzo Stagg Hikes. Based on past hikes, 10 milers will finish in 3-5 hours, and 20-25 milers in 6-10 hours. 50 milers tend to hike above 3 mph for the first 30 miles or so, then slow over the last 20 miles or so. Depending on their speed, 50 Mile Hikers may expect to finish between 8 pm at the earliest and 1:00 am at the latest.

### Extensive additional advice and information is posted at: http://troop111.org/activities/alonzo-stagg-5020-hike/