A Trail

jdm61

jdm61

itinerant metal pounder
Joined
Aug 12, 2005
Messages
47,357
Anyone ever hiked the trail? I did it for 10 days many years ago humping a cheap pack with somewhere north of 60 pounds of stuff in it the last part of the trip (buddies pack frame broke) and carrying a mishmash of miltary style gear. Fun and yet miserable.....lol. I'm thinking about doing a short trip in the future once I lose so more weight. 3-5 days and on an easier stretch than North Georgia this time....hey...I'm not 19 like I was last time...:eek::D
 
Yea, while I was in the scouts we hiked it. From West Virginia to Virginia, 50 miles. I remember the whole thing. I was 14 years old, my pack was about 50 pounds. In the end, I got bit by bees, ticks, and a diamond back rattlesnake (4wd ambulance picked me up for a 3,000 ride to the hospital). For some reason, I too have always wanted to go back... someday I hope to hike the whole thing.

Edit: sorry, that was a $3,000.00 ride to the emergency room (not 3000 miles)
 
I have told my wife and she knows that the first thing I am doing when I retire is the AT. I have done some pieces but I intend to do the entire AT after retirement.

KR
 
The AT basically runs through my yard, just about, I live 14 miles south of Delaware Watergap North East PA.

If your standin' where the trail crosses Rt. 611 the sign say's Georgia with an arrow pointin' left and Maine with an arrow pointin' to the right.

We grew up stomppin' the weeds on the AT, it was our backyard along with the Delaware River, we never "did the trail" just lotsa little pieces of it.

BTW NEPA has some of the worst sections of the AT, pick up a book by a guy named Bill Bryson "A Walk in the Woods" it'll give you a new found appreciation of the AT.
 
I have no desire to "through hike" the whole thing...lol. The section in Georgia/North Carolina/Tennessee is a bit of a biotch. That section on the Tenn/NC border has to be some of the prettiest terrsin you will see on the trail though. I have read that the section in southern Pennsylvania may be the easiest. The absolute worst part is supposed to be the White Mountains. But then again, you can get blown off the side of Mt. Washington if you aren't careful....lol.
 
jdm61 said:
I have no desire to "through hike" the whole thing...lol. The section in Georgia/North Carolina/Tennessee is a bit of a biotch. That section on the Tenn/NC border has to be some of the prettiest terrsin you will see on the trail though. I have read that the section in southern Pennsylvania may be the easiest. The absolute worst part is supposed to be the White Mountains. But then again, you can get blown off the side of Mt. Washington if you aren't careful....lol.
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I have not thru-hiked it only done about 700 miles back in 97 when I was 13 with my parents. Both of them thru-hiked in 77' after getting married. I think its funny you mentioned that Georgia/NC/Tenn are horrible since thats pretty much the part I did in the south (did Springer to Hot Springs then jumped to Hanover NH and hiked through to Katahdin)

I however disagree with the whole Whites in Maine thing while they are hard due to the rocks it is absolutly beautiful. I think that Maine was my favorite section of the entire thing. Being above timberline for so long is nice especially since the east coast Mts are so short, Clingmans Dome (6,643 ft) being the tallest point on the AT

I highly recommend longer sections on the AT to anyone. If you really want a great hike the Smokey's are fun also.
 
Myself and a friend are doing the GA -... section at the end of March/beginning of April. I've done that section twice before. He hasn't. We're planning on four days, but if we don't feel like coming back yet, we don't have to. We both have very cool bosses.
 
I did the whole stretch of the Big Rock Candy Mountains once....its kinda nice, Leamonade springs and Whiskey lake are to die for. I highly recommend going there;):thumbup:
 
Have not done the whole thing but I do hav about 108 mi., from Fontana Dam to Dicks Creek.Hope to do the rest one day. It is a great experience
 
I've only done parts of it in New Hamshire and Maine, but I loved it.
When I visited friends in Maine in October I just hiked Arcadia for a couple of days, but next time (hopefully soon) I'll try to get back o the AT.
 
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