Date: 2013-08-07
From: Camp Cushwa, Ma

To: FAQ's
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Frequently Asked QuestionsAs any hiker can tell you, there are many frequently asked questions on or about the trail. You pass day hikers, talk to people in towns, meet folks alongside the roads or trail crossimgs. Inevitably they will ask you a series of questions and quite likely they will be the same as the last person you talked to, be prepared to repeat yourself daily and take the time to talk with people. What we are doing is a difficult thing for people to wrap their heads around. So I have put together a list of frequently asked questions on the trail and my response, now for fun I would love to give fantastical responses and as a means to pass time while hikimg we joke about what we should say, but I never respond that way and you'll have to use your imagination. 1. Do you carry a gun? No, the trail is largely on National Park Land, it is illegal to carry a firearm. Not to mention most hand guns are four to five pounds, heavy and I'm not sure if a gun would survive the daily rigors of weather exposure. So what do you do about Bears? Well I am pretty sure if i had a gun I wouldn't go around shooting bears anyway and honesty they are more afraid of us then we are of them, the only reason they will come around is food, so be smart with your food. Hang it up in bear country at night, don't eat where you sleep, clean up after yourself. Black bears are largely vegeterians, not hostile or aggressive, if you see a bear, remain calm, don't run, make yourself large and make noise. They will most likely just look at you and saunter off, they only react when they are trapped, cornered or protecting there food or young ones. Basically the same reasons you would fight. Quite frankly I worry more about the humans then the wildlife. 2. How do you get food? The trail comes within walking distance or a short car ride from a town usually with in three or four days. At times you may cross within a small town everyday, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut were everyday. It even walks right through the main street of some towns. So many hikers plan a few days ahead, buy enough food to get from one town to the next. Others have a friend or family member ship them dropboxes to the local post office via general delivery and plan out drops along the way. I've done both and each one has pros and cons, that could be a whole other post...                                                                                                Where do you sleep? The trail has been well developed, there are Shelters situated every ten miles or so along the trail, sometimes down side trails or right on the trail, they are also called lean-tos and huts depending on the state. Each shelter is usually wooden, three sided, with a slanted roof, some have bunks, and multiple levels. There is no electricity, usually a source of a water, be it a spring, stream, creek, brook, or crick and there is a privy, a basic outhouse once again another post. There are campsites all along the trail, hostels, hotels, pavillons, town parks, and really unique places like a converted jail house beneath a city hall.4. Do you hike alone? In the beginning there are thousands of people that set out to achieve a thru hike. So rarely do you camp alone, but during the day you may hike alone for hours. You cross many of the same people and a small community develops. As we push further north, those that are left are spreading out, and you may go a day or so without seeing another thru hiker. While other days you may see the same people several times a day. You can find solitutude if you want it, a hiking group if you want, and at times your stuck with people for days in the woods. You must be comfortable with solitutude because you'll get plenty and you must also be comfortable with sharing space with others, as the shelters are common destinations.These are the big four. You will answer these questions literally hundreds of times. Others are how do you do laundry? Where do you bathe? How often do you do both? Do you meet a lot of interesting people? What's the craziest thing you've seen? Do you see a lot of wildlife? Where did you start? How long does it take? How'd you get your trail name? When will you finish? Be prepared to take the time to answer these questions, repeat yourself often, and hear your hiking buddies answers over and over. Its all part of the GA-ME. Georgia to Maine.