The GATHERING October 8, 2009

ON A LONG holiday weekend in the prime of autumn, folks who enjoy hiking trips of any length gather to reminisce about great times on the Appalacian Trail and share information to make future trips even more enjoyable. Starting on Friday night and going strong through Sunday evening, the Gathering packs a lot into a little time. Around 500 hikers are usually on hand in October for the annual Gathering of ALDHA. Folks whom you literally lived with while thru-hiking or section-hiking the Appalachian Trail may be there, giving you a chance to catch up on lost time, relive old memories or just marvel at filled-out waistlines and clean-shaven chins.

For those who have just become 2,000-milers, this is your Homecoming. Lots of fellow hikers who were on the trail this year will be there. In some cases, this may be your first chance to match a face with a name in the register. You’ll be able to meet the folks who were way ahead of you during your journey north or south. In other cases, perfect strangers may come up to you and introduce themselves as though they were your long-lost friends. Well, if they followed you all year on the trail reading your entries, they may help you remember details about your hike that you’ve forgotten!

While the Gathering is like a family reunion of experienced long-distance hikers, people with little or no experience are also encouraged to attend. It’s a great opportunity for novice hikers and dreamers to soak up all the advice they can get from folks who’ve already done it. A bevy of workshops, seminars and trail slide shows, not to mention groupwide discussions, is packed into the program for just that purpose.

Official Website: http://aldha.org/gathring.htm