Part 4 in A Day in the Life of an Appalachian Trail Hiker

 A Day in the Life of an Appalachian Trail Hiker (part  4 of Six)

Part Four

Lunch could also take place near a spring where you could reload the water bottles and drink to your capacity.  After all, water in the tummy was not the same as water in the pack.  Again, the trail guide was useful since it would alert the hiker of water sources on the trail.

A full-fledge lunch break would mean the pack was removed, propped up with the walking stick, the food bag and water bottle extricated and maybe even remove the boots and socks to air out your feet.  I suffered a few blisters on my feet but for the most part, after the early week or two, my boots were broken into, and my feet were fine.  

At lunch, it was at a point hopefully 50 percent done for the day or less.  We would gauge the distance to our planned camp and for the most part we were successful.  Other times, an unannounced RELO meant a change in plans shortening the hike and camping somewhere else.  Despite checking the RELOs in the Appalachian Trailway News for the previous two May editions, we had a sense of most of the changes, but not all.  Hints from south bounders would alert of us troubled spots and we would adjust out plans accordingly.  

Descending would hurt.  I mean, my knees would pound the dirt and stone on the way down.  Many hikers can’t handle the descents.  You had to be careful, and this is where the walking stick would change you from an insecure bi-ped to a secure tri-ped.  

Think Colin Fletcher.  

Walking poles were not a thing in those days except for cross country skiing and such.  So, add those stabbing pokes and Vibram soles to the erosive quality of hiking and you begin to see how erosion starts.  It might help the knees but impacts the soil environment tremendously.

But whatever the case, I would try to pause and enjoy what the earth presented. My knees hurt on descents, while the many climbs were just tiring.  Ben Gay ointment helped a bit on the knees.

There are some classic landscapes that define the AT experience.  Think, from south to north, Blood Mountain, Standing Indian and Albert Mountains, Roan Mountain before Virginia.  Then we have McAffee Knob, along South Mountain in Maryland, Hawk Mountain, Bear Mountain in the middle states. Moving toward the northeast we have Mount Greylock, Baker Mountain, my all-time favorite Mount Moosilauke in the southern Whites and finally The Bigelow Mountain Range, White Cap Mountain and of course Katahdin.

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Read more from this Fiftieth Anniversary book:

Source: Bristow, R. (2025).  The Real Appalachian Trail BC.  Appalachian Trail Museum.

All proceeds go to the Museum.

A Day in the Life of an Appalachian Trail Hiker (part 3)

 A Day in the Life of an Appalachian Trail Hiker (part 3)

Part Three of Six

I could sometimes get on the trail in less than an hour but would adjust time due to the needs of the trail family or on Saturdays when I needed to reach the Post Office before noon.

Depending on our moods, we would chat but most often just schlep along.  When tired or on a brutal climb, finding a downed tree or rock to sit on was a joy.  Shade was nice on the hot days.  If a view was encountered, we would pause and take a photo and enjoy the scenery. 

In many cases the views were numerous, so depending on the mood we might stop or simply move on.  Combining the view with a rest break was always a plus.

Views were often spectacular, especially on those blue sky, clear and low humidity days.  There is nothing better than a view that has a blue sky, a few clouds and miles and miles of green wooded mountain.  Next were the scenes of rivers, meandering through the mountains. 

These were multisensory opportunities feeding our sight, sound, smells and as we removed our packs some tactile relief was possible and then eating a handful or two of GORP to satisfy our taste and garner some energy food.  Removing the pack let our backs cool off and dry a bit.

Yet in many cases these views were seen from a power line cut, and you needed to “optically” remove the high voltage power lines from out memory to enjoy what was in the distance.  Other examples of civilization were tolerated based on the naturalness of the feature.  Farmland was ok, but smokestacks from factories was not.  Most of the time, our sounds continued to be natural, but in some cases the traffic noises, especially tractor trailers on highways and children’s motorcycles would be less serene. 

Notice, these views were on clear days, yet clouds, or rain would present a different experience.  If I was dry and not hot and not cold, a foggy scene was nice.  But if cold and wet, or tired or whatever, even the most beautiful views could not be appreciated.  Recall my use of “R” to describe the miles and miles of rhododendron, which could become old despite the beauty.  And the tourist crowds in fog on Clingman’s Dome (now Kuwohi in Cherokee) dampened the view.

Sometimes we would hike in a line and talk, other times we might spread out along the trail depending on different rates of speed and the difficulty of the trail.  

Going uphill was tough and depending on our strength and energy, at best, it was a slow a steady assault.  If tired, you would simply stop, lean forward to take the weight of the pack off your shoulders and catch your breath.  A longer climb might mean a stop to remove the pack, sit on a rock or downed tree that would serve as a chair.  Water and a snack might be part of the break depending on how long it was since breakfast. 

The thing about climbs is that in the pre-internet days, we kinda’ knew where we were, but not GPS positioning.  Some AT maps were based on the USGS topo maps and were extremely accurate so you might be able to estimate where on the climb you might be.  But other maps were simple line drawings at a scale of 1 inch to a mile, and little to no details.  And the maps for New Jersey and New York were reproduced USGS maps too small to read.

So often times you might believe you were reaching the top, only to discover it was a “false summit” and the actual top was still further.

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Enjoy this? Try the whole book and all proceeds go to AT Museum!

Source: Bristow, R. (2025).  The Real Appalachian Trail BC.  Appalachian Trail Museum.

A Day in the Life of an Appalachian Trail Hiker (part 2)

A Day in the Life of an Appalachian Trail Hiker (part 2)

Part Two of six, (yesterday was part 1)

I gather my breakfast items and if cool, I heat water on my Svea 123 stove to make the cereal hot and enjoy a cup of freeze-dried coffee.  I would already have a quart of water left from the previous night, found near my head or inside the sleeping bag if it was a freezing night. Mixing my granola with just the right amount of powdered milk I add hot or cold water to the mix, stir and enjoy.  At this point I know the ratio of water to powered milk; too much water and the milk is weak, too little and it looks like paste.  My Sierra Club Cup serves as a cup and a bowl, so I typically eat and drink in cycles. 

While crunching on the cereal, I would read over the AT Guide and Maps and decide on the day’s destination.  A General Mills Breakfast Squares complimented the diet with protein. This decision was mainly a group consensus if you wanted to stay with the pack.  Otherwise, I plan for a solitary camp, further along in order to hit a town for a mail drop, or to get away from unwelcome hikers.  

When I get to the hot drink, I begin to gather my gear and start to pack.  Stuffing my sleeping bag, that goes into the pack first, way on the bottom of my Trailwise Model 72 backpack. If in a hurry or after (or during a rain), I would employ the Ferussi method of packing the tent and just stuff it in the bag.  Later in the day or in a dry LT, sleeping bags, clothes and tents could hang up out of the rain and hopefully dry a bit.  Oh yeah, my wool socks also needed airing out!

On later trips, with my newer external frame JanSport backpack, the sleeping bag was still on the bottom of the frame but outside the main pack.  My Ensolite sleeping pad was rolled up and stuffed in the backpack unless my weeklong food supply was large and forced the pad to be rolled and secured on the stop.  I typically carried food for 100 to 150 miles (or a week to ten days, depending on the terrain).

Now this routine was pretty regular, but depending on the sleeping shelter, things may be a bit different. I slept in a Lean-To maybe 60 percent of the time, a tent or tarp 30 percent, and huts, shacks, fire towers the rest.  I rarely slept under the stars since morning dew would dampen the bag. I did have to sleep al fresco one time on a weekend trip on the AT in Pennsylvania when my dog Brindle spooked a skunk and as you know it, she got sprayed.  Poor thing! 

Brindle was my AT hiking companion in the 1980s and just south of I70 Bridge in Maryland.

In the Lean-Tos, I had company maybe 70 % of the time and that means you had to go with the flow of the others using the facility including the toilet.  Solitary LT nights were mainly in the northern stretch of the trail or after Labor Day.  Shared camps demanded a higher level of privacy in bathroom tasks, which would take place a short time after my breakfast when I was ready for a number two.  If the privy was halfway decent, I would use it.  Otherwise, I would seek a fallen tree out of sight to sit on and dig a small cathole.  I preferred the sit action since I didn’t need to rush, and it might give me time to ponder over the trail map. My toilet paper was in a Ziplock bag, but if the latrine had some in an old coffee can with lid, I would likely use that.

If raining, cold or the sudden discovery of a hiker approaching, I would hurry the task and move on.

Back in camp, I would take down the tent if used and pack my kitchen and food next.  I would make sure I left camp with a quart of water, and more if the days’ hike was expected to be hot or dry. Once my hiking companions were ready and we had decided where the day would take us, we would stagger out of camp.  First person out would capture all the morning spider webs positioned perfectly at face level.

This would be about 9 am and roughly two hours after waking up.

Source: Bristow, R. (2025).  The Real Appalachian Trail BC.  Appalachian Trail Museum.

All proceeds go to the Museum.

A Day in the Life of an Appalachian Trail Hiker

 Here is my day in the life of an Appalachian Trail Hiker. (early 1970s, Part 1 of 6)

Apologies to Colin Fletcher’s typical day Backpacking.  

Multiple similarities exist while differences are also numerous.  Here is a summary of a “typical” day on the AT.  No day is really typical, although once you get into the groove of long-distance backpacking there are things that take place frequently.  Of course, the weather has a great impact on the day since waking up to rain means something different and that late afternoon thunderstorm means something else.  Freezing temperatures change conditions too.  So, let’s get on with the day.

Something stirs as you begin to wake.  Most often, for me, it is the sound.  Birds, peepers, rustling of the leaves are some of the first things for me to sense. As my brain tries to focus on the sound, I become more conscious.

After hearing, the sense of touch awakens, and I feel the temperature in the sleeping bag that is just perfect.  I then pull out my arm from the sleeping bag to scratch my head, shoulder or whatever.  I shift a bit in the sleeping bag and realize I am on the ground or maybe the wood floor of the lean-to.  

Then often It is the light.  Or perhaps the lack of it, depending on the time of sunrise.  If you are facing east, the rising glow of the sun begins to lighten the surrounding campsite and if you open your eyes, the gradual awareness of the features around you will bring you to full consciousness.

I become aware of my mouth and after a night of open mouth sleeping and probably much to the displeasure of my campmates, snoring, I reach for my water bottle to get a swig of water to wash the morning mouth away.

Smell is basically ignored, since all hikers at this point smell the same, as the campfire smell on your clothes add to the BO.  Ole Time Woodsman insect repellent was favored by my southern AT hiking companion Pete, and I would frequently comment on the strength of the dosage!

But it is also the time when your body is the most comfortable.  Overnight, you have finally settled on the perfect position; your side, back or like me on my stomach with my right arm up and my cloth pillowcase stuffed with my extra clothes comforting my head. And I am the perfect temperature.  My Slimline down sleeping bag is perfect for 20 to 50 degrees.  Anything warmer I just sleep in my American Youth Hostel nylon bed liner; colder makes me sleep in more clothes and maybe a hat.

So, it was the perfect combination of temperature and position that keeps you in bed.  Finally, my bladder says it is time to get up.  If I am not truly ready to get up, I scamper away from the sleeping bag to pee, and hurry back to the protection of my mummy bag.  But more likely, I get up and stay up since the shock of air on my bare skin wakes me up.

Source: Bristow, R. (2025).  The Real Appalachian Trail BC.  Appalachian Trail Museum.

My 16 mm film collection

 You can't beat a summer of films taken from this list.

Oh yeah, add Seven Days in May and Mexican Spitfire Sees a Ghost

Will Inbound Tourism to the States fall?

 Stats from last year (2024)

International Inbound Air Travelers To the United States in 2024

Top-line characteristics of the 35.2 million overseas visitor arrivals to the United States:

The average overseas visitor had a combined annual household income of $88,319, stayed 17.5 nights and spent $1,802 while in the United States.

The United Kingdom (4.037 million visitor arrivals) was the top source market, followed by India (2.190 million), Germany (1.995 million), Brazil (1.910 million), and Japan (1.844 million).

New York (9.832 million) was the top state visited, followed by Florida (8.916 million), California (6.730 million), Nevada (2.525 million), and Texas (2.144 million).

The average overseas visitor made the decision to visit the United States 103.6 days prior to the trip and made an airline reservation 77.7 days prior to the trip.

71.2 percent rated the overall entry experience to the United States as either good or excellent; 96.9 percent reported that their trip either met or exceeded their expectations; and 96.6 percent expect to visit the United States again.

59.9 percent traveled alone, 20.8 percent traveled with a spouse/partner, and 17.7 percent traveled with family/relatives.

Vacation/Holiday was the top main purpose of the trip (56.5 percent), followed by Visit Friends/Relatives (22.9 percent), and Business (16 percent).

Shopping (83.1 percent) was the top leisure activity engaged, followed by Sightseeing (77.4 percent), National Parks/Monuments (35.6 percent), Art Galleries/Museums (29.8 percent), and Small Towns/Countryside (29.1 percent).

Hotel or Motel, etc. (71.6 percent) was the top type of accommodation used, while Auto (Private or Company) (36.9 percent) was the top type of transportation used in the United States.

Source:

https://www.trade.gov/survey-international-air-travelers-siat?anchor=content-node-t14-field-lp-region-2-3

But now, the visitation to the US is declining due to the failure of our President following his oath to the Constitution.

Tourism to US continues to drop

A drop except for medical and education visits. 

According to the data:

Composition of Monthly Spending (Travel Exports)

• Travel Spending 
• Purchases of travel and tourism-related goods and services by international visitors traveling in the United States totaled $10.5 billion during March 2025 (compared to $11.7 billion in March 2024), a decrease of 10 percent when compared to the previous year. These goods and services include food, lodging, recreation, gifts, entertainment, local transportation in the United States, and other items incidental to foreign travel.
• Travel receipts accounted for 52 percent of total U.S. travel and tourism exports in March 2025.
• Passenger Fare Receipts
• Fares received by U.S. carriers from international visitors totaled $3.1 billion in March 2025 (compared to $3.4 billion in the previous year), down 8 percent when compared to March 2024. These receipts represent expenditures by foreign residents on international flights provided by U.S. air carriers.
• Passenger fare receipts accounted for 15 percent of total U.S. travel and tourism exports during March.
• Medical/Education/Short-Term Worker Spending
• Expenditures for educational and health-related tourism, along with all expenditures by border, seasonal, and other short-term workers in the United States totaled $6.5 billion in March 2025 (compared to $5.9 billion in March 2024), an increase of 9 percent when compared to the previous year.
• Medical tourism, education, and short-term worker expenditures accounted for 32 percent of total U.S. travel and tourism exports in March 2025.

Read my paper on Medical Tourism here.

A plug about my books

 Need help sleeping?  Try one of these.

Bristow, R. (2025).  The Real Appalachian Trail BC.  Appalachian Trail Museum.

Jenkins, I & Bristow, R. (2024). Sensory Tourism: Senses and SenseScapes Encompassing Tourism Destinations. CABI. 

Bristow, R. S. & Jenkins, I. (eds.) (2022). Spatial and Temporal Tourism Considerations in Liminal Landscapes. Routledge.

and if something shorter, try these recent papers:

Gross, A., & Bristow , R. (2022). Rail trails and housing values: A longitudinal study. Turyzm/Tourism, 32(2), 107–126. https://doi.org/10.18778/0867-5856.32.2.06

Bristow, R. S., & Taylor, J. (2022).  Recreating the history of cultural heritage sites with 3Dimensional Modeling. Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites. 22(3-6):199-214. doi:10.1080/13505033.2021.1980265

Bristow, R. S., Therien, A., & LeDoux, T. (2021). Applying LiDAR for Parks and Protected Area Management.  Journal of Parks and Recreation Administration. 39(2):98-107. doi: 10.18666/JPRA-2020-10481

Bristow, R. S. & Jenkins, I. (2020). Spatial and Temporal Tourism Considerations in Liminal Landscapes. Tourism Geographies. 22(2): 219-228. doi: 10.1080/14616688.2020.1725618

Bristow, R. S. (2020). Communitas in Fright Tourism. Tourism Geographies. 22(2): 319-337. doi: 10.1080/14616688.2019.1708445.

Bristow, R. S., & Therien, A. (2019). Discovering archaeological landscapes in parks and protected areas. North American Archaeologist.  Volume 40 Issue 2, pp. 99–115   doi: 10.1177/0197693119868912

Bristow, R. & Jenkins, I. (2020). Geography of Fear:  Fright Tourism Contributing to Urban Revitalization. Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events. 12(2): 262-275. doi: 10.1080/19407963.2019.1631319 

Use the World Catalog to find a copy in a library near you.

Loss of international tourism to the States

 In February 2025, international visitor arrivals to the United States totaled 4,636,160, a decrease of 1.9% from February 2024.

Some details:

International Arrivals to the United States

• Total non-U.S. resident international visitor volume to the United States of 4,636,160, decreased 1.9% compared to February 2024 and represented 91% of the pre-COVID total visitor volume reported for February 2019.

• Overseas visitor volume to the United States of 2,198,100 decreased 2.4% from February 2024.
• The largest number of international visitor arrivals was from Canada (1,246,740), Mexico (1,191,320), the United Kingdom (280,586), Japan (152,344), and Brazil (145,325). Combined, these top 5 source markets accounted for 65.1% of total international arrivals.

• Of the top 20 tourist generating countries to the United States, Canada (-11.7%), France (-5.6%), South Korea (-16.2%), India (-1.8%), Germany (-8.5%), China (-11.1%), Spain (-1.9%), Colombia (-12.7%), Chile (-6.8%), Ireland (-3.2%), and the Netherlands (-7.9%), reported a decrease in visitor volume in February 2025 compared to February 2024.

• The top 5 overseas tourism arrivals for February were the United Kingdom (229,922), Brazil (133,366), Japan (126,284), France (110,314), and South Korea (100,711).
• The top 5 overseas business arrivals for February were the United Kingdom (49,827), India (36,446), Germany (24,964), Japan (24,958), and China (19,927).
• The top 5 overseas student arrivals for February were India (10,900), China (9,207), South Korea (1,928), Taiwan (1,586) and Brazil (1,286).

source:  I-94 Arrivals Program