If you’re considering an Ice Age Trail thru-hike as your next big adventure, or if you’re section-hiking the Trail in weekend jaunts, then this seminar is for you. An all-day, five-session workshop series gets you started on your thousand-mile journey with plenty of advice from the experts.
Session 1: Trip planning, Logistics, and Navigation
Session 2: Meal Planning
Session 3: Gear and Networking
Session 4: Breaking Trail: Movie screening and Q&A
Session 5: Hikers’ Forum – Wisdom from the Trail
Special guests:
• Jennifer Pharr Davis will lead meal planning workshop and assist with pack shakedown.
• Emily Ford will assist with pack shakedown and participate in the Q&A following the special screening of Breaking Trail.
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REGISTER HERE (as a stand-alone, one-day event)
OR visit the 2022 ANNUAL CONFERENCE and MEMBERSHIP MEETING webpage and add the Long-Distance Hiking Seminar to one of our conference packages.
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SCHEDULE of EVENTS:
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Trip Planning, Logistics, and Navigation.
Do you wonder how, exactly, to begin planning your thousand-mile journey? If you feel confused, you’re not alone. The good news: There’s a wealth of resources available, and Alliance staff is eager to demystify them. You’ll learn the ins and outs of the online, interactive Hiker Resource map as well as the helpful details embedded in the FarOut map app for mobile devices. You’ll also get the inside scoop: how to connect with chapter leaders; how to use the Thousand-Miler spreadsheet; the nitty-gritty of resupply, shuttles, and trail angels; and how to use social media to network with other hikers.
10:15 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Meal Planning
Jennifer Pharr Davis brings her vast hiking experience – 14,000 miles hiked while exploring trails on six continents and all fifty states – to this session. If anyone knows the importance of fueling a hike with easy-to-prepare, calorie-dense food, it’s Jennifer. She’ll expand your repertoire beyond Trail Mix and freeze-dried meals as she shares her favorite recipes and meal ideas.
11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Pack Shakedown/Inside Scoop
Pack Shakedown: For thru-hikers or those venturing out on multiple-day backpacking trips, this session will help you cut pack weight, carry the essentials, and tailor your gear to best suit your needs. Bring your gear-filled pack and receive the small-group attention you need to perfect your packing system; led by seasoned hikers.
Inside Scoop: For section and segment hikers, this small-group session brings day-hikers together for networking. Learn how others have tackled remote segments, winter hiking, horse flies and ticks, bike shuttles, and more. Meet and make new friends who share your newfound passion.
1:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. Breaking Trail: Movie Screening and Q&A
Emily Ford sets out with a borrowed sled dog to become the first woman and person of color to thru-hike the 1,200-mile Ice Age Trail in winter. As the journey tests their endurance, the duo embraces the unexpected kindness of strangers. Written and directed by Jesse Roesler, Principal and Creative Director at the creative content studio Credo Nonfiction, this film premiered at the 2021 the BANFF Film Festival.
Q& A session following movie screening will be led by Jesse Roesler, Principal and Creative Director at the creative content studio Credo Nonfiction and thousand-miler, Emily Ford.
3:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. Hikers’ Forum – Wisdom from the Trail
Wonder what your chances are of meeting a bear, what cowboy camping entails, or how people survive heat and ticks on their way to the coveted Thousand-Miler status? This session is your chance to hear crazy, make-you-want-to-hike-the-trail stories of those who’ve made the journey. Be inspired, informed, and entertained by the stories and fresh perspectives of those who recently completed their thousand-mile adventure.
