Elizabeth's+Scripts+Episode+One

 For the better part of the past decade, I have wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail. Hearing the stories from friends and acquaintances who have made the 2,150 mile journey from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mount Katahdin, Maine has instilled in me a desire to join the ranks of thru-hikers. In an attempt to begin to satisfy this desire, I will be hiking a relatively minute segment of the Appalachian Trail in the days following my graduation from SLU.

 The tasks of preparing for the hike have been divided between those who will be traveling together on this hike. I will be selecting the route for the hike. This may seem like a very simple task, as the trail is really only a line connecting Point A to Point B. However, there are several constraints in mapping the route for this hike. First, there are only four consecutive days in which everyone who wishes to participate in this hike will be able to do so. Therefore, the distance of the route must be able to be hiked in a time frame not exceeding four days. Other factors in addition to distance which may affect the hiking time are elevation change, terrain, and weather conditions. These factors must be considered when mapping the route. Secondly, these four days should be maximized on the trail with some of the trail’s natural, historical, physical, and cultural highlights. Selecting a segment which encompasses as many of those elements as possible is ideal. Thirdly, the accessibility of the route is an important factor. Hikers will be traveling from multiple locations across the United States. I will need to select a geographically optimal segment of the trail where hikers can meet. The beginning and ending points of the selected route must also be safe and convenient points for entering and exiting the trail. Finally, the hike must be planned realistically. Considering distances, elevation changes, hours of daylight, terrain, and travel times, overnight resting points should be selected based on distances which can be feasibly traveled in a day’s length. Using //Exploring the Appalachian Trail: Hikes in the Southern Appalachians// by Doris Gove as a reference, I have mapped out a four day hiking trip. The following pages on this wiki outline my selections for the hike route.



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