Possible Maildrop List for the Appalachian Trail

Possible places where you might send a maildrop for a northbound Thru Hike of the Appalachian Trail where good resupply for adequate nutrition is challenging, very limited or can be pricey. Or if it's real easy to get a drop too (some POs are right on the trail). See below for some Southbound options.



Neels Gap, Ga - Outfitter at Mountain Crossings but there is some resupply here

Outfitter at Natahala Outdoor Center - NOC (there is a small store but resupply is meager)

Fontana Village before the Smokies (or if staying at the Hike Inn, there - have offered shuttles to town). Watch PO open times, they can vary and frustrates hikers.

Possibly Standing Bear Farm out of the Smokies but there is also resupply there

Kincora Hostel

Bland, VA (will need a hitch)

Glasgow, VA (store here, but unsure of what they have. rather long haul from Daleville to Waynesboro if you skip it)

ATC at Harper's Ferry - opened seven days a week, but until 5 PM

Delaware Water Gap, PA - PO right near the trail

Fort Montgomery NY

Salisbury, CT ( I sent here, there is a store but it was pretty pricey)

Dalton, MA - just a convenience store, and PO is convenient

Inn at Long Trail unless you take the bus into Rutland, VT

Hanover, NH  (may be sending cold weather gear here to for the Whites. There is the food co-op but it is pricey. PO is convenient)

Glencliff, NH (cold weather gear for sure and send some food too)

Crawford Notch  (I sent mine to Highland Lodge, need a hitch though)

AMC center at Pinkham Notch

Andover, ME has a small store but you might send.

Stratton, ME - motel there or the PO

Caratunk, ME  - friendly PO

Monson, ME - store closed, send a box

Southbounders can do it the opposite direction but the store at NOC will likely be closed or very limited stock, so need a drop there. Also there is usually no transportation to Fontana Village for the PO. Might consider instead resupplying in Gatlinburg in the middle of the Smokies to get you to NOC. Also, your colder weather gear will need to be picked up by early October - possibly somewhere in VA.

Check out these other Blogs on Mail Drops and Advice

Postal Advice for Mail Drops
What Goes Into Mail Drops
AT Grocery Listing of Good Stores 

Other Trail Angels - Hostel Owners

The Greene Mountain House Hostel in Vermont

I've had the privilege of staying at many of the hostels along the Appalachian Trail (AT) during the course of both my northbound and southbound hikes, as well as now on my section hikes. Hostels provide a unique opportunities for hikers to get off the trail and to a real bed while showering, resupplying, doing laundry, and catching up with loved ones and friends. They are like homes away from home, and for the hostel owners, they are a real labor of love in serving the hiker community.

For this blog, I interviewed two hostel owners who provide fantastic services for hikers along the AT.

The first is Jeff, Owner of the Green Mountain House Hostel in Manchester Center, Vermont. I had the opportunity to stay at his hostel during my southbound hike in 2010, and the accommodations and friendliness are beyond words. Jeff makes you feel right at home.

So tell us, Jeff, why you decided to become a hostel owner.

After an early retirement opportunity, I section hiked the AT over a six year

period. Trail hostels intrigued me because no two are alike. When you decide to stay at an AT hostel you never quite know what you are getting yourself into. After an outstanding hiking experience, my wife and I decided to look throughout New England for a trail town in need of reasonably priced accommodations. Manchester Vermont fit the bill and to top it off, has close access to skiing, something my daughters and their families love to do.

 

Owning a hostel is an opportunity to create the perfect hiker service. However, managing a hostel is a completely different experience from hiking the trail. For example, there are no zeros, no days off during the hiking season. You are on duty 24/7 for months at a time. That is usually not a problem because your guests are almost always folks you like to be around, have similar interests and tell great stories of their grand adventure.

 

What are some unique aspects of your particular hostel? 

Our hostel is unique because our town is along the section of the AT that is also a part of the Long Trail running the length of Vermont. Manchester is usually the first town stop for the northbound Long Trail hiker. They come in the door tired and beat up by the trail. Some talk about finding a ride home. It is so exciting to listen to our AT hiker guests offer ideas and encouragement to these first timers.  Usually the conversations work their magic and very few hikers end up quitting the trail. 

I hear it's made some changes in you too! 

 

My wife loves to tell her friends about my hostel housekeeping duties like cleaning toilets, washing sheets and scrubbing floors. For the first 30 years of our marriage, I rarely took on those responsibilities. Now, I spend free time asking friends about housecleaning tips, cleansers and the best fabric softener. 

What do you offer hikers?  

 

Since we have a strict no alcohol policy, we don't attract the party crowd. Most hikers are looking for clean, comfortable accommodations, a chance to shower, rest and recharge. Our place does not provide meals to guests. What we do offer is the use of a large, well equipped kitchen. Hikers love this feature and take full advantage. Most evenings I see group dinners prepared for all the guests. I am usually invited to eat, but discovered long ago that if I do not hike like a thruhiker, I cannot eat like a thruhiker.

 

On most sunny days I wish I could hike out of town with my guests. Of course, on those rainy days I am happy to wish them well and look forward to their summit photo on Katahdin, Springer or the Canadian border.

 
Next I want to introduce Laurel, the owner of the Teahorse Hostel in the famous town of Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. Laurel loves hikers and provides some great services for both thru and section hikers, as well

Laurel makes waffles each morning for hikers

as an active shuttle service.

Why did you decide to become a hostel owner? 
I have traveled a fair amount and stayed in a lot of hostels. When I decided to open a business, I wanted to open a hostel because I have enjoyed them so much.

What are some of the pluses and minuses to it?

Plus: I meet people from all walks of life - and from different countries of the world.
Minus: My pet peeve is people doing stuff they wouldn't do in their own home: like a super-glue project with no protection for the table or floor. This is why you can see super glue on the table and on the floor.

What does your hostel provide?

The Teahorse provides for each person a bunk, shower and waffle breakfast for $33 plus tax. We have a common area and full kitchen and a guitar!

Any interesting guest stories to tell? 

Recently a young man with a 90-pound pack arrived at the hostel, having spent the previous week hiking the Maryland AT. On hand were five veteran hikers from Vermont, two southbound thruhikers, and 2 bicyclists, one of whom had thruhiked the AT 2 years before. They did an "intervention" on him: one person advised him that anything he hadn't used in the previous week of hiking he should get rid of. They managed to convince him to take out 15 pounds of gear, including an 18" machete. He continued south a little lighter.


Green Mountain House Hiker Hostel - Manchester Center, Vermont
Teahorse Hostel - Harpers Ferry, WV - owner:  Laurel Drake


For other great hostels - see your guidebook! And check out the new AT Passport System that allows you to get your passport stamped each time you stay at a hostel. Makes a great memory of your trail adventure.  

Related Blogs:
Town Etiquette for Hikers
Northbound vs Southbound: Outfitters and Resupply

Thru Hiking the Appalachian Trail on a Budget

Blissful Hiking welcomes a guest blog post by "Biscuits" who just completed his thru hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2012. He offers advice on how to have a cheap but memorable thru hike.

I completed the trail this year 2012 northbound from 3/22-7/23 (4 months 1 day with 10 zeros). Yes, I went kind of fast. Not because I had to, but because that was my pace. I spent under $2600. This $2600 includes everything from getting off the plane in Atlanta to stepping off the plane in Dallas. This was done with zero maildrops. I purchased all my food on the trail. I recommend starting the trail with $4000+ but that does not mean you have to spend it all.
Hiker hostel in Georgia ($80), includes dinner, breakfast, pickup from airport, drop of at Amicalola State Park

First, What the $2600 does not include: starting gear, plane ticket to Atlanta, first 4 days of food.

What $2600 bought me:
$150 spent on 2 pairs of new shoes, $50 on 3 new pairs of socks, $40 for superfeet, $35 raft at NOC, other on trail gear purchases (aqua mira, etc.), and around $300 for bus/plane ticket home from Boston.
~$575 on gear/trip home

I stayed in hostels all the time and a few hotels which I always shared (all prices subject to change for 2013): Bold - likely to be around in 2013 Non-bold - unlikely to be available in 2013 ? - unsure of price

Green Mountain Hostel in Vermont

1. Ron Haven's Budget Inn Hiawassee (split 4 ways, my share $16), a cheap rundown hotel
2. Elmers in Hot Springs ($36), beautiful 1800's Victorian Mansion, $20 bed 2x per room, $10 dinner, $6 breakfast
3. Uncle Johnnys Erwin ($8), $8 to tent, Not worth it in my opinion. Included shower and towel. Should have swam in the river 10 feet outside of the hostel and tented out of town
4. Kincora x3 ($15 total), Donation based, lots of AT heritage, bed, shower, laundry
5. The Place Damascus, VA x2 ($12 total), Donation based, bed/shower
6. Vicar's House (free)
7. Holy Family Church Hostel Pearisburg, VA ($5?), Donation based, bed (note - this will be closing in September)
8. 4 Pines Hostel ($5), Donation based
9. Trail Angel's house in Daleville, VA (free)
10. friends house Waynesboro VA (free)
11. Trail Days tent city Damascus x2 ($5 total)
12. Front Royal Terrapin Station Hostel ($20?) bed, shower, laundry
13. Trail Angels House D.C. from Harpers Ferry x2 (free)
14. Ironmasters Mansion Hostel Pine Grove Furnace State Park, PA ($20?) bed, shower, dinner
15. Allenberry Resort Inn and Playhouse Boiling Springs, PA (split 2 ways, my share $20) $40 room is thru hiker rate includes bed and shower. Is a ritzy upscale penthouse for the retired rich. Food is extra but sooooo worth it. AYCE seafood was amazing for $13. Breakfast was also AYCE.
16. Jail House Hostel Palmerton, PA (free) Bed
17. Red Carpet Inn Wind Gap, PA (split 3 ways, my share $20) bed/shower
18. Church of the Mountain Delware Water Gap x2 ($10 total) Bed/shower, donation based
19. High Point Country Inn (split 2 ways, my share $20) Nice hotel. bed/shower. $7 laundry.
20. Clarence Fahnestock State Park, NY (tented free with showers etc.)
21. Bearded Woods hostel Falls Village, CT ($50) $50 includes bed, shower, dinner with first beer on house, Breakfast. Nicest place I stayed on the trail. New for 2012.
22. Upper Goose Pond Cabin, MA (free for thrus) bed
23. Toms house in Dalton, MA (free)
24. Green Mountain Hostel Manchester Center, VT ($20) bed, shower, laundry, free Ben & Jerrys
25. AMC Huts in the White Mountains, NH x3 (work for stay) bed, leftovers
26. White Mountain Lodge and Hostel Gorham, NH ($20?) bed, shower, laundry, breakfast
27. Trail Angel House Rangely, ME (free)
28. Northern Outdoors Caratunk, ME (split 4 ways, my share $20) bed, shower, hot tub, game room, coin laundry
29. Tented at Hiker Haven (free)
30. Abol Bridge Campground, ME ($10)
31. Appalachian Trail Lodge and Cafe Millinocket, ME ($25) bed, shower, laundry

~$437 for hostels and hotels, I stayed at a few more campgrounds that I can not remember that were around $5 each (showers/elec). A total of 32 stays some double and triple nights with 124 days on the trail, so roughly a bed/shower/laundry every 4 days. The biggest reason however for staying at a hostel was they typically included rides into town for groceries when stores were outside of reasonable walking distance.

$2600-$575-$437= $1588
~$1588 is how much I spent on food/fuel/consumables.
On the trail I typically carried around 4 days of food. Through the Smokies I carried 5 days of food. From NJ to Mass I carried around 2 days of food. The deli's from NJ to Mass are amazing other than paying $1 for fruit!
This averages to ~$13 a day, or better ~$40 for 4 days of food from the grocery + ~$10 at a restaurant. This is actually really close to receipt purchases. In the south before the appetite hit I was spending around $30 at the grocery stores. In the northern sections I was eating more and the price of food went up, so I was spending around $50.

Trail Food: Breakfast consisted mostly of pop tarts. In the earlier colder sections I had oatmeal and cream cheese + bagels too. Cream cheese did not survive in the summer. Cereal bars were amazing but more expensive compared to pop tarts.
Lunch consisted of salami/cheese, or peanut butter/chocolate, or tuna on sandwich thins/tortillas.
Dinner consisted of tuna, chicken pouches, lipton sides, mac n cheese, peanut butter sandwich thins, cheese, salami, couscous, instant mashed potatos, stuffing etc. I ate ramen a max of 5 times.
Snacks: bars, M&Ms, raisins, mixed nuts, peanuts, almonds, fruit, chocolate, cookies, little debbies (not often), mixed fruit, gummies

Some further break downs. Out of that ~$1588 food budget I ate ~$500 (120 days x 4 per day x ~$1 each) in bars (power bars, cliff bars, luna bars, kind bars, etc.). I ate somewhere around $150 in pop tarts.

In my opinion I splurged often and enjoyed myself. Plenty of comfortable nights and good food. Sometimes even at nicer sit down restaurants and an occasional AYCE (all you can eat). I enjoyed my hike and I have no regrets not spending more money. I got to see Washington D.C. (on Memorial Day btw), and everything else the trail had to offer. Admittedly I would have liked to see NYC, but the opportunity was not logistically simple enough. AT train only runs on weekends 

So what does this all mean or "some tips for spending less"?

• If I did the average 6 month completion date I would have spent around $3400 if everything went perfect (no broken gear). I saved myself $800 spending 2 less months on the trail. Walk faster or walk longer (get up early or walk later into the day, spend less time eating lunch, maybe even eat lunch on the go)
• If I varied my diet less and consumed cheaper food (peanuts instead of bars, off brand pop tarts, more ramen) I could have easily saved a lot of food money. ~$100 saved eating only ramen, ~$300 saved eating peanuts instead of bars, etc.
• If I only went to donation based hostels and did not donate I could have saved $437.
• Don't pay to set up your tent. You can save that money by walking out of town and setting up your tent.
• Do not splurge on activities if money is tight. Rafting was incredibly fun, but I would not have gone if it would break the bank.
• If money is an issue avoid tourist traps (Gatlinburg, D.C., NYC etc.)
• Don't buy new gear until you have properly worn out your current gear. I bought 2 pairs of shoes at the same time to save on shipping when my first pair died. I never needed the third pair because the second made it barely to Katahdin.
• Maildrops have their pros and cons. They may save you money.
• Some towns cater to hikers. I got free food, free lunch, free drinks etc. The guide book has most of these, but sometimes trail rumors and registries can hold some gems.
• People are nice. They may offer you some serious trail magic if they notice you are thru hiking and live close by. Be courteous and people will open their doors for you.
• Hiker boxes can contain just what you were looking for. Hit them before going shopping.
• If you hike with others and they receive maildrops hit them up before they drop any extras in the hiker box.
• Double nero instead of taking a zero. Short walk into town, sleep in town, leave town late next day and don't walk far out of town. Spend money for 1 night in hostel/hotel instead of 2 nights for a zero.
• Take your zeros at cheap hostels instead of expensive ones.
• Share hotels with other hikers
• Don't pay for slackpacking.

I personally don't think you can hike the trail under $1500 anymore. It might be possible with some serious frugal tendencies (dumpster diving), starting overweight to consume less while still hiking fast, and luck. Even if you did I think at some point you need to consider if doing so will be detrimental to the experience. If not, all the power to you. In the end, you need to hike your own hike. Use every tip I have and hike as cheap as possible, hike similar to me and splurge now and than, or don't and hike like a king. Just enjoy yourself and hike safe.

Related Blogs:
Northbound vs Southbound - the Beginning
Northbound vs Southbound - the Social Aspects
Northbound vs Southbound - Resupply
Observations of a Two Week AT Start

Southbound vs Northbound Part III - Outfitters and Resupply (Food, Fuel, and Gear)

My son, Paul Bunyan, hangs out at one of our resupply points NOBO in '07 - the Post Office at Unionville, NY

Resupply options vary greatly northbound vs southbound. Which is why its better if you have a good plan and a good trail guide to help you out. I used the ALDHA (Appalachian Trail Long Distance Hikers) companion to assist with my resupply points both north and south. AWOL makes a popular guide AT Hiker Guide for both northbund and southbound editions. It contains the data needed for resupply along with small maps of towns to help plan. Most of all it lets you know where to get off to buy food, fuel, gear etc. Its crucial to have a guide like this and to spend some time looking it over, especially in the beginning of a hike, to help you in that first week you are out and getting used to the rigors of daily trail life. Once you become trail-hardened in all aspects AT-wise, resupply will come natural.

I did a combination of buying food and resupplying via maildrops. You can read my blog on what I put into maildrops and places where you might need them (see the related blog listing below). I used about the same amount of hiker mail drops also for my southbound hike, with the exception of a few places. I found it easier to have someone back home do my thinking for me with regards to food, so when I arrived in town I could relax and enjoy my time off rather than spend bunches of time hitching for a ride or at the store trying to figure out food options for five days of trail. But I also liked to have cheese, fresh bread, and other food stuffs fresh from the store. Check out this blog about the hiker food choices I did bring.

So what are the options for resupply both in food, fuel, and gear? 

Southbound

Southbounders need to be more self sufficient as the options for resupply and outfitters are fewer and far between. They are faced with the 100 mile wilderness, but there are options for food and for gear resupply if you need it.

 White House Landing is the choice for many hikers after they leave Abol Bridge (which itself has a small grocery store). WHL caters to hikers with a resupply store, lodging and food. You can also mail home excess gear here. But it is not cheap. After all, its out in the middle of nowhere, across a lake,and requires a water taxi (which they provide). So expect to pay $$ while you are here. Another option if you have gear issues is to hitch a ride out a Gulf Hagas (there is a parking lot there and day hikers are usually in abundance esp on weekends) to the town of Greenville, Maine that has two outfitters (one is pretty good) a motel, and a great restaurant with the best broasted chicken. Hitching back to the trail can be a bit of an issue though, and it also requires a small fee to access the logging roads, payable at the entrance station. But if you are having gear issues, (we had some last year with broken water pumps and in need of Aqua Mira) this is an option unless you can wait until Monson. Shaws in Monson does have a small hiker store also, but call ahead to see what they have in stock (they usually carry fuel canisters, socks, some hydration, etc). They are also equipped to shuttle you to the larger outfitter in Greenville if you need it or you can hitch.

Other good towns to resupply farther along in Maine are Stratton and Rangeley. Caratunk has a post office where you can send yourself a mail drop (as long as it remains open, check your AT guides for updates). Some elect to go to Northern Outdoors for food, etc, but this requires a hitch. There is a small grocery store down the road from the resort, but I found it had little when I was there. So a mail drop is a good option, and the postmistress there was hiker-friendly.

Once you hit Gorham, NH resupply gets easier, and you can pretty much rely on the guidebook for town resupply options. However with rumors of post offices possibly closing like in Glencliff, NH, a mail drop to the Hiker Welcome Hostel  will work to get you to Hanover. There are outfitters at Gorham (limited gear), Pinkham Notch (limited), Lincoln, Hanover, Killington, Rutland, Manchester Center (a good one and a great hostel, Green Mountain House run by Jeff. Be sure to stop here). A small outfitter exists in Kent but with mixed reviews. Your next best place for an outfitter after that is Delaware Water Gap. Then Cabelas at Port Clinton (NOTE - at Port Clinton, PA there is a big Wal mart and a buffet place. Good spot now to resupply). Then Harper's Ferry. And so on. My favorite outfitter is Rockfish Gap Outfitters at Waynesboro, VA. They are well known too for warranty issues. So be sure to stop here and tell them Blissful sent you! From there on outfitters and town stops abound. Check your guides for where they are at. However, as late fall approaches, some services that cater to NOBO hikers are closing up for the season. Like shuttle providers and even small grocery stores (like the one at NOC which closes by early November). So plan accordingly.

Northbound

Mountain Crossings at Neel Gap, GA. The trail goes right through it.

Northbound has it much easier in the resupply route early on. Services such as stores, hostels, shuttle providers, etc cater to the northbound hiker with start dates at Springer Mtn from late Feb through April. Resupply is not an issue if you have a guidebook to know where they are. Just three days after Springer is a full service outfitter Mountain Crossings to help with your gear needs. They also accept mail drops and do have food for sale. After that, there are eager providers to help the needy hiker. Outfitters are modestly spaced out, usually good enough to obtain a fuel canister if you use it among other things. There is an outfitter in Gatlinburg, a great one in Hot Springs, and in Johnson City from Erwin if you get a hitch. Damascus has 2. Daleville has an outfitter right beside a huge Kroger grocery store (best of both worlds). Then Waynesboro's great outfitter and so on northward (see Southbound above). Towns are readily available about every four days.  And lodging options abound. And don't forget either, whether you go north or south, the great delis and hot dog stands of New York, a highlight of my hike as far as culinary lunches.

North or South, you can find what you need with a little planning.

Related Blogs:

What Goes in Maildrops
Maildrop List for the Appalchian Trail
Thru Hiking the Appalachian Trail on a Budget