Due to COVID, 2021 is not the year to hike the entire Appalachian Trail, group warns
Appalachian Trail thru-hikers – the intrepid outdoor adventurers who attempt a one-shot, end-to-end hike of the 2,190-mile trail from Georgia to Maine each year – should postpone their journeys until next year.
So says the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the nonprofit that manages and maintains the mighty trail, which runs through 14 states, including nearly 96 miles in North Carolina, because the deadly COVID-19 pandemic continues to make long-distance hikes unsafe.
Morgan Sommerville, ATC regional director, said most of the 4,000 or so hikers who begin a thru-hike each year travel northbound, and many begin the six-month journey starting in February and March at Springer Mountain, Georgia.
“Our advice, as long as the pandemic is raging and vaccines aren't widely available, and the CDC hasn't given us the all-clear signal, we're recommending that long distance hikes not be taken on the AT,” Sommerville said.
“We're concerned about the safety of AT volunteers, AT hikers, of the members of AT communities and of course ATC staff and staff of our federal partners.”
FYI during COVID-19: What is the trail etiquette for staying safe on WNC hiking trails?
Sommerville, who is based in Asheville, said some 2,000 thru-hikers have already registered. Those hikers come through the 71 miles of trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and reach Western North Carolina Appalachian Trail towns like Franklin and Hot Springs, in March and April, when they gather in large numbers to rest, mend gear and resupply.
They also stay at shelters in close quarters along the trail. The shelters don’t allow for the CDC’s COVID-safety guidelines, which include maintaining social distance of at least 6 feet from those who don’t live in the same household and washing hands often with soap and water.
More than 400,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 since it first arrived in the country a year ago.
All shelters on national forest lands remain closed, and some states, like Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York, have quarantines or COVID testing requirements.
The Great Smokies are still issuing Appalachian Trail thru-hiker permits for those traveling through the park exclusively on the Appalachian Trail and beginning and ending their hike at least 50 miles on the trail outside the park, said spokeswoman Dana Soehn.
"All permit holders, regardless of the length of their trip or route, are currently permitted to sleep in tents outside the shelters to encourage physical distancing," Soehn said.
Last March, ATC President and CEO Sandra Marra issued a letter to all registered thru-hikers asking them to postpone their section- or thru-hike to minimize spread of the virus, and to especially stay away from the starting trailheads in Georgia, where thousands start in a “bubble.”
More: ATC urges hikers to stay off the Appalachian Trail in 2020 amid coronavirus spread
No thru-hiker recognitions were awarded last year, Sommerville said, and none will be awarded in 2021.
“The rising number of COVID-19 cases continues to make long-distance hiking a potential contributor to the spread of coronavirus along the Trail and in Trailside communities. The best way to ensure you and others remain safe is to postpone your hikes,” an announcement on the ATC website says.
“However, if you are planning a hike of any length in 2021, please reduce the spread of COVID-19 by preparing appropriately for your hikes.”
The site lists safety guidelines for those who intend a thru-hike despite the warnings.
At REI Asheville, an outdoor outfitter in Biltmore Park where AT thru-hikers often descend from November-February to buy hiking and camping gear and seek advice from store employees, it has been much quieter this year, said store manager Bree Miller.
The store has had to limit its customer capacity to abide by state COVID rules and has not held any of its usual classes on camping, orienteering or thru-hike preparation.
“We have had people come into the store who are getting ready for a thru-hike, but not in the numbers we usually see,” Miller said.
“We’ve discouraged any kinds of long-distance hikes this year. We’re encouraging people to do smaller, day hikes.”
Related: Max Patch being overrun, trashed by campers
Sommerville said only 25% of those who attempt an arduous thru-hike each year actually complete one.
However, the trail spreads across many public lands like Pisgah National Forest, including popular spots such as Roan Mountain in Mitchell County and Max Patch in Madison County, drawing as estimated 3 million to 4 million day hikers a year.
Related: Max Patch overcrowding isn't easy problem to solve
“We’re trying to plan for the worst and hoping for the best regarding the pandemic and hope everyone will take every precaution they can, because we don't want anybody catching COVID on the AT, or anywhere,” he said.
Karen Chávez is an award-winning outdoors and environment reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times and USA TODAY Network. She is the author of "Best Hikes with Dogs: North Carolina," and is a former National Park Service ranger.
Reach me: KChavez@CitizenTimes.com or on Twitter @KarenChavezACT
Read more outdoors news: www.citizentimes.com/outdoors
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Appalachian Trail Conservancy discourages thru-hikers in 2021
