The Appalachian Trail

Local Club Shares Experiences, Examines Trail's History and Culture

Wilson Riley, director of administration for the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, was online Monday, Nov. 21, at 2 p.m. ET to discuss the history and culture of the Appalachian Trail and the experiences offered locally through the club.

The transcript follows.

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Wilson Riley: Hi everyone,

Thanks for your interest in the AT and hiking in general. Just a word or two about our organization. We're the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, 78 years old, based now in Vienna VA. Our volunteers maintain about 1,000 miles of hiking trails in the mid-Atlantic area, including 240 miles of the AT in Northern Va, MD, and southern PA. We also publish maps and guidebooks for hikers and maintain and operate 32 rental properties in four states, including six backcountry cabins in Shenandoah national park. I see many questions already and I'll tackle them shortly.

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College Park, Md.: I do a lot of hiking in the Central District of Shenandoah National Park. The trails there seem particularly well-maintained. Is there a PATC trail crew that maintains those trails, and if so, which one?

Wilson Riley: Thanks for the praise. I'll pass it along to Kerry Snow the district manager of our volunteers who work in that area. He leads the Blue and White Trail Crew and has a nifty Web site at, I believe, blue&white.org. if the address is wrong google!

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Nelson County, Va.: The AT is about a 15 minute walk from our front door, an older section of it is about 100 yards. We've hiked much of it over the years, and have found through hikers and regulars to be polite, interesting and as a group, a likeable bunch. Hope most people feel this way.

Wilson Riley: I certainly agree with you. It's been my experience that hikers are by and large good folks. There have been exceptions and you should always trust your intuition when in doubt.

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Alexandria, Va.: I am hoping to take my first hiking trek with my son this summer. We really enjoy camping but have not done anything that requires packing it all in. What are some good stretches of the AT that we could have a good 4 or 5 day outing that won't be too hard on either one of us? I've thought of Shenandoah National Park but what about some other stretches nearby? How young is too young for such a trip?

Wilson Riley: Hard to say how young is too young, but my kids went out with me at five or six years old for weekends. Four or five days might be a stretch. If you have pre teens or older, it might be ok to start that ambitiously. SNP is a good choice. You might also consider No VA outside the park. Say near the Blackburn Trail Center (see map 7).

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Maryland: I've always wanted to hike part of the AP, but have always settled for shorter hikes closer to home. Not in 2006! Some friends and I (all women in fair-to-good shape) decided to hike part of it in springtime - at least an overnight trip. Do you have any advice for newbies? Is there a particular section that is easier or so spectacular that it is a must-see? Any odd essentials that we wouldn't think to take?

Thanks so much for all your work maintaining this spectacular trail.

Wilson Riley: Well the trail in MD is easily accessible. The South Mountain Recreation Area is headquartered at Greenbrier State Park. They like you to camp in designated areas, e.g., around the shelters. You could get a good idea what's out there by looking at map 5-6 for MD. PATC also offers backpacking 101 for novices. There'll be a course in the spring that would set you off on the right foot.

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Pittsfield, Mass.: Is there a Trail organization like yours in my area of western Mass?

Wilson Riley: The Appalachian Trail Conservancy is our mother group. There are 31 maintaining clubs whose volunteers maintain the entire trail. In New England, you've got the Appalachian Mountain club's various chapters. They're probably the closed for you. Also the Green Mountain Club in VT. The ATC's Web site is appalachiantrail.org. It should get you what you want.

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Silver Spring, Md.: Dear Mr. Riley,

I am considering taking several months off of work and making an effort to walk the entire trail between May-Oct06. If you had to recommend only one book to help prepare me for this venture what would it be?

Thanks

Wilson Riley: We have a whole library filled with books on AT thru-hikes. I'd probably look for Ed Garvey's book. Either is first one, or the reprise of his second hike when he was 80. Ed's a legend in our organization, former president and all that. You could probably find his books in the nearest public library. Good luck.

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Chicago, Ill.: First, as a 2005 northbound AT thru-hiker -- thanks! PATC trails and facilities were lovely and well-kept -- and the trip would not be possible or as spectacular without you and your volunteers.

As prelude to my question, my experiences with all Trail maintenance clubs were similar and very positive, with the exception of the AMC. Despite the overwhelming beauty of the terrain, the AMC areas felt like a for-profit amusement park -- and the pressure to coax another dollar (camping, huts) out of my pocket seriously detracted from the Trail experience.

Finally, the question -- does the PATC feel similar pressure to charge for services? Can an all-volunteer organization continue to maintain the Trail and facilities for the foreseeable future?

Thanks in advance!

Wilson Riley: We're a nonprofit with a small professional staff that supports the volunteer managers and workers. Can we continue? I believe so. It's not broke and there's no plans I'm aware of to try and fix it. As for funding, we may try to reach out for more grants. We are getting reimbursements for our ridgerunner seasonal program now. We do rent properties and gain income from sales of maps and guidebooks as well as dues and donations. The latter of course are always gratefully received.

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Annapolis, Md.: Thanks for your work. I've spent many weekends benefiting from your groups efforts. I'm wondering how you finance the land purchases that you make. Does PATC receive any assistance from the gov't. Also, I remember that the stretch of AT above Front Royal was mainly on roads. Has this situation changed?

Again, thanks for your work.

Wilson Riley: Most of our land purchases are financed internally from dues, donations and other income. We have benefited from generous members' estates, and other sources and have a small endowment. All the AT is now is a corridor bought and paid for by the NPS. It's the longest park in the system. The northern VA portion is off the roads and in the woods.

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Akron, Ohio: I hiked the AT southbound last year and found the trails in Northern Virginia to be among the best maintained sections anywhere. What specifically do you think distinguishes the PATC from other clubs that makes this so? Thanks for all you do for the millions who visit the Shenandoah each year.

Wilson Riley: I can't speak for the other clubs, but we have 6,500 members and probably about 1,000 volunteer is some respect every year. Our members have very generously given of their time and talent, and believe me in our area we have a lot of talent. Most of our dirt movers work day jobs inside and love to get outside with tools. That's about it.

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Anonymous: What kinds of people do you meet on the trail - are they from all over?

Wilson Riley: You might meet anyone from recent college grads taking a break before the first job to a recent retiree who's hung it up for good and doing something he/she have planned for years. The hikers will be from all states and parts of the world really. It surprising how many Aussies and Europeans hit the trail.

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Arlington, Va.: Have you ever experienced anything negative while on the trail? Overall, do you think it's a safe experience to spend a good length of time hiking out there?

Wilson Riley: I've not had any "negative" experiences. The article in the Washington Post's magazine this weekend described a disturbed individual who took advantage of the hiking community and the trail's neighbors. He's definitely the exception. Considering the trail's location near major metropolitan areas and the state of our society--showing my age--it's relatively safe to be on the trail.

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washingtonpost.com: The Con Man Wore Hiking Boots (Post Magazine, Nov. 20)

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Vienna, Va.: When I was in school, we used to hike Dragonstooth trail frequently. I'd like very much to explore the trail more fully, however, I am a little concerned about bears. Is this something I should be concerned about? Is there such a thing as a bear repellent?

Wilson Riley: Funny you should ask about bears. Our ridgerunner in Shenandoah National Park this summer has reported many unpleasant encounters between hikers/campers and bears this year. All were primarily caused by the improper storage of food at campsites in the park. For sure there are bears out there and they do like human food (not humans-you know what I mean), so you need to be sensible. Bear repellent? I don't think you can use pepper spray in the park. If you don't travel alone, make some noise so you don't surprise the animals, be very careful if you see cubs and moms, you'll minimize bad encounters.

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Arlington, Va.: How did you develop an interest in the trail?

Wilson Riley: I was a seven year old being driven to visit relatives in New Hampshire and saw a sign along the road about the AT. It always fascinated me that you could walk in the woods all the way to Georgia! That was fifty plus years ago and me and my kids, my brother, etc. have poked around the AT at various times and places ever since.

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Alexandria, Va.: The Web site referred to in the first question is: www.blueandwhitecrew.org

The trail crew whose work sets the standard by which others are measured.

Wilson Riley: Yes, of course that's what I meant. Who's lurking out there?

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Virginia: Say you're going hiking for a couple of weeks, what kinds of food and drinks, etc., would you want to bring and how much? What's the best way to prepare, and what's the best way to find out how to prepare? Thank you.

Wilson Riley: These are heavy questions and you'll get different answers from well qualified people. There's a sizeable literature on the AT, long distance hiking, backpacking, etc. I think I'd start with a visit to the library. If I'd never done backpacking before, I'd consider enrolling in the PATC Trail Patrol's course Backpacking 101. It's a great intro and would permit you to ask some seasoned campers for guidance.

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Washington, D.C.: What kind of training do you have to do if you want to hike the whole thing? Generally speaking, how many people hike the trail from this area? Across its length? Thanks.

Wilson Riley: I'm not sure if you can "train" for a thru hike. Sure, you have to have a reasonable level of fitness and health, but success is probably due as much to what you do on the trail as to what you've done before. you have to avoid injuring yourself. There are many fit, young hikers who push too hard and don't listen to the warnings their body is sending. I'm not talking about the supported hikers who try to set speed records. Their extreme training regimens are probably tailored individually and wouldn't fit anyone else.

I don't think there are accurate figures on finishers. I think it's generally said that 2-3,000 start northbound in the Spring and probably 15-20% reach Maine. I could be off.

Some hikers do it in sections. They'll hike the whole thing, but over a period of years not months.

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Wilson Riley: OK, I hope that no one's been led astray. For further info on PATC check out our Web site (patc.net), or call the 24-hour activity line at 703-242-0965.

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Linden, Va.: Can you give us an idea on how most hikers do the trail as far as getting food, washing clothes, bathing, etc? Also, do you need to replace your boots halfway through?

Wilson Riley: There several strategies for feeding yourself. The wealthy might stop frequently in towns and feed at restaurants. Most, however, carry a week or ten days worth of food, and resupply at towns along the way,or from parcels mailed ahead to general delivery. Washing would depend on hitting a town with a laundrymat. Boots do wear out. Pennsylvania is notorious for its sharp rocks. That's about half way, so I guess so.

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washingtonpost.com: This concludes today's discussion with Wilson Riley. Thank you for your questions.

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Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.