Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association

The Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association or ALDHA-East is a non-profit organization founded in 1983 to support and promote the interests of Appalachian Trail long-distance hikers. It "was the first organization of long-distance hikers in the United States".[1]

Activities

The ALDHA authors the annual Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers' Companion, a guide to hiking the Appalachian Trail (A.T.). It also publishes a quarterly newsletter, The Long-Distance Hiker.

An annual event is the ALDHA Gathering with hiking- and trail-oriented workshops.[1] It is usually held over Columbus Day weekend and has hundreds of experienced hikers in attendance.[2]

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.[3]

Since 1995, the "Endangered Services Campaign" has provided backpacker etiquette education[3] and encouraged hikers to "act responsibly when they are in trail towns as well as on the trail."[4] One slogan in the campaign was "Just because you live in the woods doesn't mean you can act like an animal."[5]

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:[6]

*"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."
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See also

Further reading
  • 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
  1. Logue, Victoria; Logue, Frank (November 10, 2004). The Appalachian Trail Hiker: Trail-Proven Advice for Hikes of Any Length. Menasha Ridge Press. ISBN 9780897325837 – via Google Books.
  2. Berger, Karen (April 30, 1998). Advanced Backpacking: A Trailside Guide. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 9780393317695 – via Google Books.
  3. "Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association - Hike In Harmony". aldha.org. Archived from the original on August 5, 2011.
  4. Motz, Randy A.; Harris, Georgia L. (December 9, 2008). Solemates: Lessons on Life, Love and Marriage from the Appalachian Trail. Qualtech Resource Group. ISBN 9781440453656 – via Google Books.
  5. Ray, Michelle (December 17, 2008). How to Hike the A.T.: The Nitty-Gritty Details of a Long-Distance Trek. Stackpole Books. ISBN 9780811740920 – via Google Books.
  6. "Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association—Hike in Harmony". Retrieved 2019-07-27.
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