Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association

The 'Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association is a non-profit organization founded in 1983 to support and promote the interests of long-distance hikers in the Appalachian mountain area and east of the Mississippi. It "was the first organization of long-distance hikers in the United States".

Activities

The ALDHA authors the annual Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers' Companion, a guide to hiking the Appalachian Trail (A.T.). It also publishes a monthly email newsletter, The Blaze.

The ALDHA Gathering is an annual event with hiking- and trail-oriented workshops about trails worldwide. It is held over Columbus Day weekend and has hundreds of experienced hikers in attendance.

Backpacker ethics education

In 1990 the ALDHA published of a list of behavioral expectations for hikers staying in hostels to prevent problems and improve public perception of A.T. backpackers.

Since 1995, the "Endangered Services Campaign" has provided backpacker etiquette education and encouraged hikers to "act responsibly when they are in trail towns as well as on the trail." One slogan in the campaign was "Just because you live in the woods doesn't mean you can act like an animal."

The "Hike In Harmony" campaign uses the yin and yang symbol with boot footprints and distills and adapts Leave No Trace principles into three basic ethics rules for A.T. backpackers:

*"Leave no trace in trail towns, not just in camp."

• "Follow the rules as you would the white blazes."
• "Help keep the Appalachian Trail a good neighbor."

See also

• Appalachian Trail Conservancy
• Appalachian Trail Museum
• Leave No Trace

Further reading

• Berger, Karen (2000) Hiking the Triple Crown" Seattle Washington: The Mountaineers Books, 2001
• Bruce, Dan (2000) The Thru-Hiker's Handbook Hot Springs, North Carolina: Center for Appalachian Trail Studies.
• Shaffer, Earl V. (1983) Walking With Spring Harper's Ferry, West Virginia: the Appalachian Trail Conference.

References

External links

• Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association

1. Triple Crown of Hiking
2. List of long-distance trails in the United States
3. Appalachian Trail
4. Thru-hiking
5. Warren Doyle
6. Appalachian Trail Conservancy
7. Long-distance trail
8. Hiking
9. Long Trail
10. Appalachian Trail Museum
11. Continental Divide Trail
12. Colin Fletcher
13. Pacific Crest Trail
14. 1996 Yosemite Valley landslide
15. List of hiking trails in the United States
16. William O. Douglas
17. List of long-distance footpaths in the United Kingdom
18. Great Smoky Mountains National Park
19. Superior Hiking Trail
20. Pinhoti National Recreation Trail