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Appalachian Trail

fishingdude720
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ATMouse

ATMouse

Posted
Posted

I just started "On the Beaten Path" today. So far I like the guy's writing style. It should be good seeing as he was a book editor at one time.

 

I just finished "A Walk for Sunshine" yesterday. It's a quick read and can recommend it. I give it 3½/5 stars.

I highly recommend "AWOL on the Appalachian Trail" It's the best I've read.

 

I collect AT books...I'll go looking for these, thanks. I love Ed Garvey's books, myself. I had the great pleasure of meeting him on his thru hike in 1990, just south of the Pierce Pond Shelter in Maine.

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piratejimmy

piratejimmy

Posted
Posted

I recently finsished "AWOL." I enjoy all AT type books, but I found this one passed up the many opportunities to add meat to the story. Having a family and being in that mid-life area I always wonder about picking up and leaving the family for 6 months or more. The author touched on them but I'd love to read more about the backstory there.

 

There was a lot of point-to-point commentary and less about what the author was thinking along the way.

 

Just my two cents. But a reasonable read anyway.

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Cherokee Bill

+Cherokee Bill

Posted
Posted

Lord, yes! At 61-yo I have been hiking the "AT" for 24-years and am a member of the Natural Bridge Appalachian Trail CLub here in Lynchburg, VA. Have even started taking my 11-yo g-son to the "AT". We are about 40-minutes from the Trail.

 

No place on earth like the "AT". In fact I am getting ready to start geocaching and want to plant a few caches just off areas of the "AT".

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Trevuuuur1993

+Trevuuuur1993

Posted
Posted

I went on my first small hike on the Appalachian trail mid June of the year to brake in the new gear and somewhat of a trail run. Mistakes were aplenty on this trip and we cut it off after 2 days. lol. I live in Delaware, where the elevation changes are few and only by a couple of feet. So even a mild elevation change is a big one. I went with my dad after a while of planning. The biggest thing we learned was, we are not in shape what so ever. It was a big wake up call as we used muscles that have barely been used during day hike in flat ol' Delaware. Much more training will be expected before our next hike. The second thing is PACK LESS CRAP! The saying every ounce count is not exaggeration. After my first backpacking trip I will see packing in a whole different perspective. My dad and I are hoping to do a much longer hike next year [2009].

 

-Zirn

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Trevuuuur1993

+Trevuuuur1993

Posted
Posted

I went on my first small hike on the Appalachian trail mid June of the year to brake in the new gear and somewhat of a trail run. Mistakes were aplenty on this trip and we cut it off after 2 days. lol. I live in Delaware, where the elevation changes are few and only by a couple of feet. So even a mild elevation change is a big one. I went with my dad after a while of planning. The biggest thing we learned was, we are not in shape what so ever. It was a big wake up call as we used muscles that have barely been used during day hike in flat ol' Delaware. Much more training will be expected before our next hike. The second thing is PACK LESS CRAP! The saying every ounce count is not exaggeration. After my first backpacking trip I will see packing in a whole different perspective. My dad and I are hoping to do a much longer hike next year [2009].

 

-Zirn

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hammockhanger

+hammockhanger

Posted
Posted

I went on my first small hike on the Appalachian trail mid June of the year to brake in the new gear and somewhat of a trail run. Mistakes were aplenty on this trip and we cut it off after 2 days. lol. I live in Delaware, where the elevation changes are few and only by a couple of feet. So even a mild elevation change is a big one. I went with my dad after a while of planning. The biggest thing we learned was, we are not in shape what so ever. It was a big wake up call as we used muscles that have barely been used during day hike in flat ol' Delaware. Much more training will be expected before our next hike. The second thing is PACK LESS CRAP! The saying every ounce count is not exaggeration. After my first backpacking trip I will see packing in a whole different perspective. My dad and I are hoping to do a much longer hike next year [2009].

 

-Zirn

 

It is amazing how simple it all seems while packing in the living room... Yes, on the trail every ounce counts. If the item can't be used for dual purposes or is not used on a daily basis, leave it at home. Even if it is a cool item, if it's only purpose if "just in case" for get it.

 

As for the trail... being from FL there is no real way for me to train. I just get on the trail, huff and puff for a few days and then gradually it gets easier.

 

Each trip will get better but first days are always first days. :laughing: KEEP on HIKING...

 

Hammock Hanger

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73athiker

73athiker

Posted
Posted

I went on my first small hike on the Appalachian trail mid June of the year to brake in the new gear and somewhat of a trail run. Mistakes were aplenty on this trip and we cut it off after 2 days. lol. I live in Delaware, where the elevation changes are few and only by a couple of feet. So even a mild elevation change is a big one. I went with my dad after a while of planning. The biggest thing we learned was, we are not in shape what so ever. It was a big wake up call as we used muscles that have barely been used during day hike in flat ol' Delaware. Much more training will be expected before our next hike. The second thing is PACK LESS CRAP! The saying every ounce count is not exaggeration. After my first backpacking trip I will see packing in a whole different perspective. My dad and I are hoping to do a much longer hike next year [2009].

 

-Zirn

 

It is amazing how simple it all seems while packing in the living room... Yes, on the trail every ounce counts. If the item can't be used for dual purposes or is not used on a daily basis, leave it at home. Even if it is a cool item, if it's only purpose if "just in case" for get it.

 

As for the trail... being from FL there is no real way for me to train. I just get on the trail, huff and puff for a few days and then gradually it gets easier.

 

Each trip will get better but first days are always first days. :wub: KEEP on HIKING...

 

Hammock Hanger

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73athiker

73athiker

Posted
Posted

I hiked 1225 miles of the AT in 1973 from Shenandoah National Park in VA to Mt. Katahdin in ME. I joined my uncle in Shenandoah after I graduated from high school. He started April 1, on Springer Mtn, and we finished October 3rd. He is recorded as the 169th person to complete the trail. We are in the process of compiling newspaper stories he wrote while on the AT and putting them into book form.

My plan is to do the 900 miles from Springer to Shenandoah in 2013 under the trail name of "40 years ago".

I live in Colorado and have section hiked 175 miles of the 500 mile Colorado Trail.

A great video of the AT is "TREK". I have read many books on the AT including Ed Garvey's origional book "Appalachian Trail, Adventure of a Lifetime", published in 1971 (which I have a copy of).

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TeamParke

TeamParke

Posted
Posted

Oh I have stories about the AT. My friend and I were asked to go on an overnight hike with a real mountain man friend of ours. We were to head up at the Lehigh Gap in Slatington, PA. It was November. We were meeting to head up at 8PM. It was nice and dark. Once we got there I realized my friend had an old 12 person tent. That was all we could find.

I get a call right before we start our trek. Its my mother telling me about the high winds advisory she saw on TV.

We ignored it and started our pitch black journey.

 

The weather got to be freezing about a half hour into the hike and we knew there was a lean-to along the trail for hikers. We could see it in the distance ahead. And then as we approached it, we almost all died of slight heart attacks as what appeared to be a wolf comes walking out of it. It turned out to be a siberian husky belonging to the hikers who beat us there.

 

So we kept on. On arriving to the top we were met by 55MPH winds. And below freezing temps because of the wind chill. Our Survivor man friend quickly "popped" his 1 person tent and tied it down to a tree. He then zipped himself in tightly and we didn't see him again.

 

So my friend and I are stuck with a 35 ft parachute like tent that almost blows us off the side of the mountain. So we give up on that and "try" to start a fire. Try is all we did. As soon as the match would light, the wind had it out. Same with the lighter.

 

So we end up just wrapping ourselves up in the tent and laying on the ground. We didn't sleep all night because of the freezing cold and howling winds. About 4:30 am our other friend got off work and came up and found us and joined us in our 12 person grounded sleeping bag. I guess we nodded off about 7:30 am, and then woke up at 8 to the smell of bacon. As we emerged we found our other die hard backpacker friend who came up that morning with a blow torch and got a fire started.

 

As we look back on it, we laugh. It was a good learning experience and we still had a good time.

 

DON"T GO IN NOVEMBER IN A WIND STORM!

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cliff_hanger

cliff_hanger

Posted
Posted

WooHoo! I just received it in the mail yesterday! Can't wait to dig in & dream on!

 

I will post in this thread when I am done to see if Cliffy wants it next or PirateJimmy okedokie?

 

Happy Hiking!

:laughing:

 

Just bumping this thread. 1NatureMom, did you finish that book or pass it on?

 

I think she still has it. I saw her on Saturday at my Hanging Around Whitestone rappelling event (GC177JW) and should have asked her about it then. In any case, she hasn't passed it on to me.

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end13

end13

Posted
Posted

We just went on our first hike on the AT, sort of a test run for our new gear. I went with my dad and we hiked a few miles, but as it was going to be cold, we found a place where there was some wind cover and set up our tents. For some reason dad picked a "strenuous" :rolleyes: hike for our first go on the AT, but it was still very fun and we are planning to go again next spring. :santa:

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Dj Storm

Dj Storm

Posted
Posted

Hey, does anyone have any suggestions for caches along the AT in NJ? I am going up this spring but I don't have time to do alot, just the good ones.

 

Caches along the AT have been archived at the request of the NPS. Read here:

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=204080

 

The topic of caches accessible from the AT has been brought up after that, in this short thread:

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=208469

 

Your best option would be to contact polskikrol and the other guys planning to walk this spring the NJ segment; discussion in this thread:

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=208162

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briansnat

+briansnat

Posted
Posted (edited)

Hey, does anyone have any suggestions for caches along the AT in NJ? I am going up this spring but I don't have time to do alot, just the good ones.

 

Groundspeak was given a list of caches along the AT to archive. It was a flawed list in many respects. Check your e-mail.

Edited by briansnat
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NewMexicoOutdoor

NewMexicoOutdoor

Posted
Posted

-Near Cumberland, and on the AT..I was hit by lightning.

 

After swimming in a small quarry, and climbing out..a sudden T0Storm rolled in. I grasped at a cable to help myself scramble up ..and just then..lightning hit above..charging tha cable. It knocked me 15 ft! I had ringing in my ears for a week or so..and had a low grade headache for a month or two.

 

-We ran into a momma and 2 black bear cubs 50 ft away!

 

A group of us backpacking..headed right at the bears on the Skyline Dr part of the AT ..BUT she made them hustle off in another direction.

 

Dan

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Lou_U

+Lou_U

Posted
Posted

Backpacking is a passion of mine and the AT tops the list of my favorite places to hike so I had to post something in this thread.

 

For me the availability to get information for planning a trip is a big plus. When you take the time and plan your trip there are no surprises on this trail.

 

For me a typical hike is a three day weekend. After the hike when you are exhausted. Looking at the ridge line that you just hiked during your drive back to the start location to pick up your vehicle has a way of re-energizing you.

 

I can't wait for my next trip!

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briansnat

+briansnat

Posted
Posted

Is it considered a "complete hike" if you hike the entire trail at different times? Just curious, because I'd love to do it, but there's no way I'd be able to do it all at once until after I retire!

 

It would be a complete hike, but it's called "section hiking" rather than "thru hiking". I know a few people who have hiked the entire trail in sections over a period of years.

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