Date: 2019-02-13
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

My goal is to finish the trail in no more than 117 days. To accomplish this goal I need to be lucky enough to avoid all of the pitfalls that can disrupt a thru hike. I also need to be efficient with my resupply strategy. Whiteblaze and The Trek websites have great information to aid in planning your resupply strategy.   Whiteblaze has a spreadsheet that lists resupply options within one mile of the trail I will buy food in towns that are either on the trail or close to the trail. I will send boxes to areas where the towns may not have a good selection or require a hitch or a shuttle.  I will have my wife mail me 10 resupply boxes to hostels or businesses along the trail. This way I don¢t have to worry about timing my hike to match post office hours.  Each of my boxes will have 6 days of food. I know you don¢t have to carry this much food on the AT but I don¢t want to waste time and money getting into towns.  I live in South Carolina and can use regional flat rate boxes to ship my supplies at a significant discount. I just mailed my first resupply box to the Top Of Georgia Hostel for $10.80 as compared to around $18.00 for the normal flat rate box. You can order regional boxes free of charge from the USPS website. The advantage of a mailed box is I don¢t have to waste time shopping and repackaging supplies. Every hour you waste is 2 to 3 miles you could have hiked. One hour wasted a day over a 100 day hike adds up to 250 to 300 miles.  I can still take an occasional zero and nero in towns and hostels close to the trail.The table has a list of each of the locations I have chosen to use for resupply. Each location is either on the trail or close to a mail from the trail.  I don¢t guarantee that my math is correct. I copied and pasted it from a word document. Location Action Miles to Next Mail Drop or Resupply Miles from Springer Amicalola Falls State Park (Springer Mountain), GA Bring 5 days food to get to Dicks Creek Gap. Or 3 days food and buy food at neels gap. 79 0 Dicks Creek Gap, GA  mile 70 1st Mail to Top of Georgia Hostel & Hiking Cente or go to Hiawassee Budget inn * 6 days  96 miles to Fontana 96 70 Nantahala Outdoor Center, NC option to buy to NOC Outfitters  137 Fontana Village, NC mile 165  NERO 2nd Mail to Fontana Lodge* 6 days 108 miles to hot springs 108 166 Standing Bear Farm, TN mile 241  Buy at Standing Bear Farm Limited selection  240 Hot Springs, NC  mile 274 NERO Buy at Hillbilly Market or Bluff Mountain Outfitters 4 days. 70 miles to Uncle Johnnys 70 274 Erwin, TN mile 342 3rd Mail to  Uncle Johnny¢s Nolichucky Hostel 6 days or buy in Erin to Damascus 128 342 US 19E Bucks creeek mile 393  Option to buy Mile 393 - Mountain Harbour Hostel, Only a 0.3 mile walk off trail, a small resupply is offered here.  393 Damascus, VA mile 467  Nero Buy at Food City   73 miles to Rural RETREAT 73 470 Rural Retreat, VA (Atkins) mile 542 4th Mail to Relax Inn 6 days.  Last mail until 1023 92 miles to Pearisburg 92 543 Pearisburg, VA mile 634 N Mile 634 - Pearisburg, VA, Page 65 - Less than a mile to walk from trail to town, lots of grocers  93 miles to Daleville 93 634  Location Action Miles to Next Mail Drop or Resupply Miles from Springer Daleville, VA mile 727 Nero Buy at Kroger Grocery Wired stayed at Comfort Inn On the AT 291 miles to Harpers Ferry 291 727 Loft Mountain Campground, VA Buy at Campstore on the AT. Opens May 2nd  889 Skyline drive/ Shanandoa National park with many waysides Buy at numerous waysides within the park   Big Meadows, VA Buy at Big Meadows Wayside on the AT  923 Harpers Ferry, WV Mile 1018 Nero??? 5th Mail to Harpers Ferry ATC. Econo lodge 127 miles to Ducannon 127 1023 Pine Grove General Store Mile 1101 - Pine Grove General Store, famous for its half-gallon challenge where hikers attempt to eat that much ice cream in half an hour.  1101 Boiling Springs, PA Buy at Getty Food Mart on the AT  1121 Duncannon, PA 6th Mail to Doyle on the AT.  146 miles to Delaware Gap/Mohican Outdoor Center 146 1147 Palmerton PA 1257 Buy at Country Harvest. 1.5 mile W   Wind Gap PA 1277.5 Buy at Kmart of Giant Foods. 1 mile E   Delaware Water Gap, PA 7th Mail to Mohican Outoor Center. 155 miles to Appalacian Trail Railroad mail drop 155 1293 Union Ville NY 1345.6 Buy at Horler's Store  0.5 mile W   Appalachian Trail Railroad Station, NY 8th Mail to Native Landscapes & Garden Center on the AT. 299 miles to Hanover. 144 to Williamstown Ma 299 (Hanover) 144 (Williamstown) 1448 Salisbury, CT 1499 Buy at La Bonne Epicure Market 0.8 E.  248 miles to Hanover  1499 Chesire 1577 Dollar general close to trail. 170 miles to Hanover  1577  Location Action Miles to Next Mail Drop or Resupply Miles from Springer Wiliiamstown Ma 1592 Stop and Shop or Health food store. 150 miles to Hanover  1592 Hanover, NH 1747 Buy at Hanover Food Co-op on the AT. 123 miles to Gorham 123 1747 Gorham, NH 9th Mail to Rattle River Lodge and Hostel. 201 miles to Monson 201 1870 Monson, ME 10th Mail to Shaws Hiker Hostel. 103 mi to Abol Bridge 103 2071 Abol Bridge, ME Buy at campstore  2174