 Shenandoah National Park / Skyline Drive
Shenandoah National Park / Skyline Drive
Just an hour west of Washington, DC, lies a beautiful, long, and narrow ridge of mountains known as Shenandoah National Park, one of the most accessible and easily reached National Parks in the USA. We will hike over 90 miles on the Appalachian Trail which spans the entire length of the park.
Our trek parallels the famed Skyline Drive, traversing miles of fine hardwood canopy, all on a ridge high above the surrounding valleys.
Shenandoah National Park View
Itinerary
The Shenandoah Fitpacking Trip will be from May 10-23, 2008. We sleep in tents most nights, but 3 nights will be spent in cabins with the occasional possibility of a shower. Here is the proposed itinerary.
Menus
We don't believe in austere eating regimens. Backpacking is a rigorous, rewarding activity. You must feed your body in order for it perform. Your body will dictate that you eat often. It's important to have fuel to feed it. Check out the sample menus . Note that this is not necessarily a comprehensive list. If you want to bring a big old chocolate cake, go for it. You'll not only hate carrying it over 90 miles through the Virginia mountains, your body will most likely not desire the empty calories anyway.
Cost
$1450 per person double occupancy. Here, double occupancy means that you will share a room with someone else during hotel nights.
You will also be responsible for transportation to and from Dulles as well as any restaurant meals eaten off the trail. The reason for this is to avoid the open bar drunkfest that can occur when food and alcohol are included.
Covered expenses include hotel stays, trail food, ground transportation, permits, guides, and emergency satellite phone service. Personal calls on the sat phone as well as restaurant meals are your responsibility.
Important Note
Fitpacking is on an ongoing quest to expand its selection of trip destinations, As such, this is the very first time we are offering a trip to Shenandoah National Park. The guides for this trip have NOT backpacked this particular 100-mile section of the Appalachian Trail before.
While intrepid participants may consider pioneering new trails to be exciting, other people find this somewhat disquieting and may not feel comfortable on this trip. However, while experience hiking a certain section of trail can obviously make things run smoother, do not underestimate the decades of backpacking experience that our guides possess that permeate every other aspect of the trip that ensure a safe and enjoyable journey.
Shenandoah Waterfall
Equipment List
Here is a list of equipment we suggest you bring.
Difficulty
This trip is one of Fitpacking's more ambitious offerings, so it's not as appropriate for borderline sedentary individuals or those uncertain of their ability. The trails through Shenandoah National Park are actually well groomed with good footing and moderate elevation gain and loss. However the difficulty arises because there are several days of 10 mile hikes planned. While this may not seem like much while sitting at your computer or even after say, 7 miles of hiking, cumulative fatigue sets in and every subsequent mile becomes more challenging. The upside is that in May, there will be as much as 14 hours of daylight, which gives plenty of time to complete our daily mileage.
Route
Our journey will begin at the South end of Shenandoah NP at the Furnace Mountain Trailhead. The first day will involve a fairly steep climb to ascend the ridge that joins the Appalachain Trail. From there, we'll hike Northbound every day for almost two weeks, staying near AT shelters, car campgrounds, and cabins.
|
