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

Southbound vs Northbound Part II - The Social Aspects

Day One on the Approach Trail to Springer Mtn, GA March 5, 2007

Yes, there is nothing like the solitude of a wilderness experience. The flora. The fauna. The views. The fresh air. The ability to leave homes and cities, and smog and Internet and live free with just a backpack and a few bare essentials.

But there are people.

Yes, the trail is still filled with people. People of all walks of life. People on the trail, at the shelters, in the hostels, in towns, on the roads. Thru hikers, sectioners, day hikers, weeekenders, townsfolk, trail angels, hostel providers, shuttlers. The variety is endless. And so are the contacts one makes.

Tents abound in thru hiking season come late March.

I believe the social aspects is what sets the Appalachian Trail apart from more remote regions where trails wander without a soul in sight for days on end. Not to say you won't ever be alone on the AT. You will be, whether going north or south. But there is definitely a difference in social living in a NOBO vs SOBO hiking experience. And things one might consider if you are pondering NOBO vs SOBO. If you lean toward being a social bird and like social things OR if you are one of solitude and want to experience trail life with just yourself as company. I have done both and came away with different experiences.

SOBO Hikers that Began July 1 or late June gather at Antlers Campground in the 100 Mile Wilderness, July, 2010

Going Southbound (SOBO)

Hikers heading southbound have a narrow window of opportunity if they plan to hike the whole trail. Depending on weather on Katahdin in Maine, the northern terminus, hikers can start anywhere from late May to mid July with most heading out between June 15th and July 1 for optimal season conditions and to avoid snow down south. Southbounders are also faced with difficult challenges right off the bat - the most difficult parts of the trail in the first six weeks of hiking and little in the way of resupply, refreshing or even changing out gear. Hikers come in as newbies without trail legs and must hike the toughest parts of the trail where most say 90% of the work remain. And this is bound to cut down on the social aspects of the trail as hikers start to fall behind, drop out, etc. We happened to leave on a popular start date - July 1 and were in with a bunch of SOBOers all throughout the 100 mile wilderness. Some of the NOBOS we ran into in southern Maine were blown away by our contingent. But the group quickly dissipated soon afterwards as the toughness of terrain seeped in. People's mileage varies as does their desire to stay in the few towns that exist in Maine. When I began in July, by the time I reached NH (and having to get off a week myself for family issues) I was alone going Southbound by August. There were a few ahead of me. Some behind. The ones that began in June were way ahead. But I was on my own. And I remained that way throughout my hike with only occasional sightings of fellow SOBOers in my travels. I did run into Northbounders up until Vermont. But they were all giddy with their miles behind them, and I was in the beginning of my task, so to speak. They were of a different mindset, and I could not relate to them per say.

Trail services were also different for the SOBOer. Everything is geared toward the Northbound hiker. The stores, the hostels. Many were closing up by the time I got there or were closed, including shuttle services. And very little in the way of Trail Magic (where thoughtful folks leave food and fluid at times for hikers at road crossings). People were wondering why I was out there when no one else was. It was a one on one experience for sure. Especially after September when most hikers were back at jobs and schools and sectioners began to drop off (there were a lot of sectioners in September and early October, but again, all were going north. It was my observation that no one hikes south.). I was alone many times at shelter areas or campsites. It was just part of the Southbound experience.

I would definitely say if solitude and independence without support is your key, then Southbound is the way to go.

Going Northbound (NOBO)

If social activities, friends, etc is the rule for you on a long distance hike, then you must go north. Everything is geared toward the NOBO thru hiker. All the stores, the hostels, the shuttles, the trail magic is out there to enjoy. You really have no excuse in the over and abundance of support to keep this hike going, because support is everywhere. And so too are crowded shelters and hostels, and sometimes even services. Though when I did the trail starting in early March, I came through many of the towns before the main onslaught of hikers (which is usually March 15 to April 1st).

If you want a friend to hike with, going North it's easy to find one. And many times the first day or two. See the initial picture at the beginning of this blog and the two hikers we met up with on day one of the Approach Trail on March 5th (without even setting foot on the AT itself). Though a few times my son and I did eventually find ourselves alone on the hike north (mainly in PA). We spent very few nights alone in a shelter (I think three maybe?). And even if there aren't thru hikers, sectioners are out in full force in summer. We had sectioners with us throughout NJ and NY into CT and beyond. And made some great friends. For some reason everyone hikes the trail north. And so there is little trouble with having an active social life, if you want one.

There you have it. The trail is a slice of the good life. As is the great people you meet along the way. And whether north or south, it's a great place to be.


Other Related Blog:

Part Three of the Series - Outfitters and Resupply
Observations of a Two Week Appalachian Trail Start