Slackpacking Harpers Ferry

Great Guides, enjoyable companions, good weather, good scenery, and a good challenge.

The guides were excellent in every way possible. The fellow hikers exemplified "good company" and the trail was some of the best AT miles I've done so far. Another great AGC trip!

The guides made my first AGC trip spectacular! They worked well together as a team, were knowledgeable guides, amazing chefs, and created an atmosphere of acceptance and support.

The guides and participants

The caring and hard-working leaders, the other hikers and hiking trough the autumn forest each day made this trip special for me.

The group of ladies that were on this trip were very friendly, nice, interesting to chat with, and very encouraging! There was a great energy in this group. The guides were AWESOME…..also very encouraging, patient, and helpful in every way.

Exactly what I expect from AGC: fun companions, beautiful hiking, top-notch organization, great foods, and guides that go above and beyond to make the trip a success.

The support, camaraderie and humor of my fellow hiking sisters, along with the outstanding and seemingly limitless supply of encouragement, patience and hard work from the 3 guides, Emily T., Anne F., and Karen K. Thank you so much!

The AT in Virginia is challenging, even as a slackpack. But it is gorgeous, especially this time of year (fall). The trip was made extra special by the friendly, supportive, and interesting group of participants. I really enjoyed meeting and getting to know all of them. Our accommodations, although rustic, where quite adequate. The Bears Den Lodge is perfectly situated for this hike. I was a little apprehensive about sleeping dormitory style, but this allowed us to get to know each other better and made for a more cohesive group. And of course the guides, Karen, Anne, and Emily were the best! They did everything they could to make the trip memorable for all of us. Their support and guidance was exactly what I needed to reach my goals on this trip. I hope to see all of these women on the trail again.

The comradeship of the all the women in the group including the guides.

Nice terrain and good amount of miles. Awesome group of women including guides. Yummy healthy food choices! Everything was great.

Great guides, participants and hostel location

The hiking was great- if we just could have made a solid 60 miles it would have been great

The beauty of the area and the experience of being on the AT.

The agency and the guides were well prepared for every eventuality and all conditions. I did not have to worry about a single thing! When participants raised concerns, even small ones, they were addressed immediately and professionally.

The guides and Claire’s cooking.

Great hiking, great week meeting new women, and another great week with Claire as my guide!

Leaders were excellent. Good camaraderie among attendees.

The guides! Along with the quality of planning, knowledge and kindness. The women who were also on the trip. The meals (where else can you hike 60 miles and not loose an ounce😂) Lodging was what I expected with a traditional hiker hostel. I know it’s harder to cook in a shared kitchen and for some didn’t seem fancy enough. I however, enjoyed seeing how thru hikers and local trail users survive on trail. I enjoyed the Bears Den

Great group of women, wonderful guides, and challenging trails. Good food and fun hostel life!

Covid continues to be so confining that we were all excited to escape into the wilderness of the Appalachian Trail. The private Bear's Den was a wonderful oasis for our group. I was so impressed with the fitness of the other 9 hiker-ladies. We all hiked together and no-one ever lagged behind. The Guides generosity and attention to our comfort and care exceeded my expectations. They were terrific.

Sure helped that we had fantastic weather!! I was travelling with a friend that I met way back on the GC-Havesu trip. Another bonus is that two of my 2021 trips will re-connect me w/ladies I met on this trip. It was good to see the 'back office" on a trip - what better way to see what really happens after the planning is done.

I was a little disappointed there was only a couple of good overlooks along this particular section of the trail and, due to the rockiness, I spent a majority of timing looking at where I was placing my feet vs. being able to enjoy the landscape.

Fabulous guides, always encouraging and helpful. They work really hard to 'take care' of us and keep us safe. The weather was hard one day and I became hypothermic, by my own stupidity. I learned a valuable lesson, which they carefully and thoughtfully guided me thru.

The previous slackpacking trip I had done (Virginia) and the following one (Maryland) were all based out of a single place of lodging. This trip had 3 different places to stay. I really prefer the one "home base."

I have never had a bad AGC trip as it relates to the guides and the activities and the planning that goes into a trip. THis trip because of the women who were on the trip was especially wonderful but AGC has no control over how a group of 10-12 strangers will bond or not bond. THis group was especially cohesive and friendly.

The highlights of my trip were finishing an entire section of the AT, all of the really delicious food and the interaction between the members of our group. I loved staying at Mountain Home. I liked that AGC supported the HI Hostel by staying there (its one of my favorite organizations) and Bear's Den too. Also the day we finished the rollercoaster was my favorite day start to finish: made to order french toast at Mountain Home, excellent and challenging hiking, Claire meeting us at the end with coffees and chocolates then having Thai curry for dinner. I could not have wished for a more perfect day.

I just enjoyed the ease of everyday. All details were expertly handled and we were able enjoy the hike, each other and wonderful meals and showers.

Guides were so enthusiastic, upbeat, and helpful, it would have been impossible not to enjoy it!

Completing the rollercoaster portion of the hike--we knew it would be challenging and 8 of 12 of us did it and stuck together.

I was not sure what to expect and was very happy with the guides (great job!), the food, and the accommodations. I really appreciated the fact that we stayed on schedule, yet felt relaxed and well prepared for the day ahead.

The beautiful scenery and challenging hiking on the AT, meeting and interacting with other women interested in hiking, enjoying the experience without having to worry about logistics and meal prep.

I had a good time. The trip pushed me physically particularly on the long days.

Great group of ladies. Good food. Beautiful hike.

Meeting group members. Roller coaster (believe it or not). Silence in the forests and mountains. Achieving my personal goals.

Trip was awesome... guides, other participants, hikes, food, scenery, you name it. Exceeded my expectations in many ways. Everyone was made to feel comfortable and could hike their hike at their own pace. This was amazing. I wasn't sure if I could hike the whole mileage, having not been on a hike like this before. I was glad I did. Guides were so supportive, of everyone.

Challenging nature of hikes, organization and guides. The hostel was less comfortable and appealing than expected.

The highlights would be the physical challenge and camaraderie among the women

trip was everything I wanted! great people, challenging and beautiful hikes, incredibly organized with excellent leadership.

The gorgeous hiking (weather was perfect!!), amazing company of new friends, the food, the awesome guides. Everything was just fabulous. It could not have been a better week.

Being able to slackpacking the AT for five days to see if I would be able to hike for five days in a row and eventually try to section hike and camp out on the AT.

Well organized itinerary throughout day for optimal hiking experience. Meals were thought out, well prepared and appetizing. Would have liked to start hikes earlier in the day however weather permitted later starts so it worked.

Highlights were the great group of women on this trip, the challenge of trails we hiked, and being able to have Marian as one of the guides.

Flexibility for length of hikes.

Finishing each day. Having lunch overlooking a valley

The guides were awesome. I felt honored and privileged to hike Harper's Ferry with Marian. She made a point to talk and get to know with each of us on an individual basis. I enjoyed the challenge and left feeling more confident by my abilities.