View source for Appalachian Trail in a Day

The '''Appalachian Trail in a Day''' hike took place on October 10th, 2009. Organized by the [[Dartmouth Outing Club]], it attempted to be the first-ever single-day hike of the [[Appalachian Trail]] by a college. 

== Letter from Matthew Dahlhausen '11 & Athena Aicher '11 ==

<div class="letter">
Greetings AT-in-a-day hikers,

Thank you for hiking with us this past weekend!  On Saturday we hiked well over 2000 miles of the 2,176-mile Appalachian Trail.  This is an extraordinary accomplishment, and we should all share in this achievement.  It was a powerful feeling on Saturday to know that as we were hiking, we were sharing the experience with nearly a thousand other hikers.  The enthusiasm and companionship we felt on Saturday is evidenced in the hundreds of photos and trip reports that have been sent in so far â€“ proof of many hikes completed safely and happily.  What a wonderful way to celebrate the last 100 years of the Dartmouth Outing Club.  

The DOC owes a special thank you to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and to all the other local maintainer clubs who work tirelessly to preserve the Appalachian Trail.  We hope that your participation on Saturday may have inspired some of you enjoy the trail more, and to participate in on-going trail maintenance.  Please contact your local maintainer club if you would like to become a trail volunteer. 

We all owe another big thank you to the section chiefs who have worked with us tirelessly for the past several months to make sure that the hike went smoothly and safely, as well as those who served in a supporting role for the hike.

If you have not done so already, please send in a picture from your hike, as well as where you hiked, how it went, your reflections on the Dartmouth Outing Club, and anything else you would like to share. If you are not a Dartmouth student or alum, and would like a one-year DOC membership, please mention that in your report and include your mailing address.  If you prefer, you can send a hardcopy of your picture and trip report to:
   
ATinaday<br/>
PO Box 9<br/>
Hanover, NH 03755 

We will collect all the pictures and trip reports and compile them into a document on the hike that will be made available online, presented at the DOC Centennial Banquet in December, displayed in Robinson Hall and then submitted to the Rauner Special Collections Library here on campus.

As directors, we are humbled by this incredible opportunity to serve the Dartmouth Outing Club.  It was the experience of a lifetime.

Sincerely,<br />
Matthew Dahlhausen '11 & Athena Aicher '11<br/>
AT in a Day Directors
</div>

== Trip Reports & Pictures ==
We will be working hard in the coming weeks to post all the pictures and trip reports that were sent in.  They will be organized by section.  

===The Sections===


[[Section 1|1. Maine - Mt. Katahdin & 100 mile wilderness - Mt. Katahdin to Maine 15 near Monson]] 
	
[[Section 2|2. Maine - Maine 15 near Monson to Maine 4 in Rangeley, Maine]]

[[Section 3|3. Maine - Maine 4 in Rangeley, Maine to US 2 in Gorham, NH]]
	
[[Section 4|4. Northern New Hampshire - US 2 in Gorham, NH to N.H.112 in Kinsman Notch]]
		
[[Section 5|5. Dartmouth Outing Club section of Trail - N.H.112 in Kinsman Notch to Rt.12 in Woodstock, VT]]
	
[[Section 6|6. Vermont - Vt.12 in Woodstock, VT to Vt.9 in Bennington, VT]]
	
[[Section 7|7. Vermont - Vt.9 in Bennington, VT to Mass.41 in South Egremont, MA]]
	
[[Section 8|8. Massachusetts, Connecticut & New York - Mass.41 in South Egremont, MA to Bear Mountain Bridge (east end) in in Fort Montgomery, NY]]
	
[[Section 9|9. New York & Pennsylvania - Bear Mountain Bridge (east end) in in Fort Montgomery, NY to Delaware River Bridge (west end) in Delaware Water Gap, PA]]
	
[[Section 10|10. Pennsylvania - Delaware River Bridge (west end) in Delaware Water Gap, PA to Pa.501 in Pine Grove, PA]]
	
[[Section 11|11. Pennsylvania - Pa.501 in Pine Grove, PA to US 30 in Fayetteville, PA]]
	
[[Section 12|12. Pennsylvania & Northern Virginia - US 30 in Fayetteville, PA to Va.55 in Linden, VA]]
	
[[Section 13|13. Virginia - Va.55 in Linden, VA to US 250/I-64 in Waynesboro, VA]]
	
[[Section 14|14. Virginia - US 250/I-64 in Waynesboro, VA to Rt.43/Pkwy Dr. in Buchanan, VA]]
	
[[Section 15|15. Virginia - Rt.43/Pkwy Dr. in Buchanan, VA to Shumate Bridge in Pearisburg, VA]]
	
[[Section 16|16. Virginia - Shumate Bridge in Pearisburg, VA to Va.16/Sugar Grove Hwy in Sugar Grove, VA]]
	
[[Section 17|17. Virginia & Tennessee - Va.16/Sugar Grove Hwy in Sugar Grove, VA to US321/Rt.67 in Hampton, Tenn]]
	
[[Section 18|18. Tennessee - US 321/Rt.67 in Hampton, Tenn to US Rt.19W near Emestville]]
	
[[Section 19|19. Tennessee - Spivey Gap/U.S.19W near Emestville to Davenport Gap/Tenn.32]]
	
[[Section 20|20.  Tennessee & North Carolina - Davenport Gap/Tenn.32 to Winding Stair Gap / US Rt.64 in Franklin, NC]]
	
[[Section 21|21.  North Carolina & Georgia - Winding Stair Gap / US Rt.64 in Franklin, NC to Springer Mtn. Summit]]

== AT in a Day Poem ==

A wonderful little poem written by Peter Kingsley ' 74 on the day before the hike. 

===Young Energetic Students Welcome Everyone to Cover the AT Now===
  In honor of the DOCâ€™s first hundred years
  Of hiking and climbing and overcoming fears,
  Some students decided to go for the gold,
  To do something novel, amazing and bold.
  
  The DOC realized that never before,
  Despite the thru-hikers and guidebooks and more,
  Had the AT been hiked in a single day 
  From Georgia to Maine, all the way.
  
  For months and months they schemed and dreamed 
  To accomplish a goal that sometimes seemed 
  To them a nearly impossible task:
  The AT in a day.  â€œBut how?â€ you might ask.
  
  For Athena and Matt and all the rest,
  This impossible mission was the ultimate test.
  They enlisted the aid of their closest friends,
  And of friends of friends of friends of friends.
  
  A few miles of AT each person would hike,
  On mountains, in valleys â€“ wherever they like.
  A logo for pictures to DOCument 
  And show the world where each person went.
  
  To get enough hikers, they sent out the call 
  To students and families, alumni and all.
  To those who signed up they sent a great thanks,
  But as the big day came closer, the map still had blanks.
  
  Now the time has come to act.
  I know we can do it, and thatâ€™s a fact!
  Weâ€™re scrambling to cover the last few sections,
  Weâ€™re setting up shuttles and giving directions.
  
  A final plea by word of mouth 
  For the last few hikers to help us down south.
  And all of those students going down in a van 
  Must believe in their hearts, â€œYes we can!  Yes we can!â€

== More information ==
* http://doc.dartmouth.edu/atinaday/

[[Category:AT in a Day| ]]