Aqua-blaze
To skip a section of the Appalachian Trail by watercraft (e.g. canoe, kayak, raft). Walking on a flooded trail is sometimes humorously described as aqua-blazing.
Example: “They aqua-blazed through the Shennies and met us on the other end.”
Places to blue-blaze on the AT:
- The Shenandoah River, through Shenandoah National Park. This is arguably the most popular aqua-blazing spot for long-distance hikers on the AT.
- The Delaware River from High Point State Park, NJ to Delaware Water Gap at the PA-NJ border
- The Housatonic River (from Dalton, MA to Falls Village, CT).
Keep Reading:
- Aqua-blazing can be dangerous if water levels are too low, as two thru-hikers discovered the hard way in Shenandoah.
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Comments 4
where can i get more information on aqau- blazing the shenandoah,such as water sources,resupply and camping spots. are there any guide books or pamplets out there with the info. just hike the AT from Springer ti Erwin ,tenn. had to stop due to a bad knee and back (needed to rest awhile ) , but w2 people still on the trail I was hiking with are interested,along with myself about 5 weeks from now when they get to that point. Would like to re-hook up together and aqua blaze the length of the park . where is best to get on and off. all help and info will be greatly appreciated .THANKS Stephen ‘PATRIOT’ Coughlin
I would contact any of the Outfitters like: Front Royal Outdoors, Downriver Canoe, Skyline Canoe and Shenandoah Outfitters. I HIGHLY suggest you DO NOT contact Shenandoah River Adventures for Aquablazing as they have put many AT Hikers on the river without a map or information… The other outfitters I have mention have trip plans, information, etc. A lot of their package trips includes shuttles, paddles, PFD’s, etc.
I aquablaze the Shenandoah river from Waynesboro VA to Harpers Ferry WV and it was glorious. I documented highly at my blog below. It was 18 days, each day had a post. The first one:
https://idiocracyorenlightenment.com/2018/07/25/fast-forward/#more-1900