View Full Version : Starting NoBo 2010, late february- anyone want to hike the first week together?
ShelterLeopard
07-03-2009, 00:57
I'm planning to start on February 23 (basically), so I can do the first week or two slow and easy. Does anyone want to hike together for the first couple days, just to get started and into the swing of things? Especially any females, around my age? (Though I have absolutely nothing against guys- it's just that it might be nice to start out with another girl) I'm planning on spending the night at the Hiker Hostel after coming down to Gainesville on an Amtrak sleeper train, then heading out the next morning for the trail. I really like solo hiking, but I figured it might be nice to try hiking with someone else, at least to start.
droptopbenz
07-03-2009, 04:27
im leaving springer march 1, 2010! good luck! see you on the trail! :)
ShelterLeopard
07-04-2009, 00:31
See ya maddog!
I plan on starting on February 16, 2010 from the Hiker Hostel. I want to start slow and I have to finish by early August in order to get back to school. The university were I teach would only go for one semester off.
The early start does mean some wet, cold weather but it also means we will have close to perfect e weather in the summer.
It is interesting how obsessive I am becoming about this trip. I have not done anything like this since 1964! How about you.
I have a granddaughter your age and she thinks I am a bit crazy.
I would not mind have someone at the start. Let me know if you have an interest in going a few days earlier.
Al
Too cold for me but have fun
ShelterLeopard
08-02-2009, 17:57
I plan on starting on February 16, 2010 from the Hiker Hostel. I want to start slow and I have to finish by early August in order to get back to school. The university were I teach would only go for one semester off.
The early start does mean some wet, cold weather but it also means we will have close to perfect e weather in the summer.
It is interesting how obsessive I am becoming about this trip. I have not done anything like this since 1964! How about you.
I have a granddaughter your age and she thinks I am a bit crazy.
I would not mind have someone at the start. Let me know if you have an interest in going a few days earlier.
Al
Awesome plan- I'm starting early because I want to be able to take my time (and a little voice in the back of my mind is telling me that I'll be taking a fair amount of zero days), but I have no time constraint except October 15! I'm startin either February 16, 18 or 23 (they seemed like good days). I have a reservation for the Hiker Hostel on February 22, but I may go a couple days earlier. And part of the reason I'm starting early is because I really want to get caught in some snow!!!
And I have grandparents (who are about seven years older than you) who think I'M a bit crazy, so we're both crazy!
I've wanted to hike the whole trail ever since I went on my first hike when I was 16 (I've done a fair amount of hiking since then), I always really wanted to do it, but this past summer clinched it, I went on a two week shakedown in PA (to make sure I really wanted to do it) and it was amazing. I also met a lot of really cool thru hikers, they were all really nice and seemed like the kind of people I could hike with.
I hope I get to see you on the trail! (Is AggieAl your trailname?)
ShelterLeopard
08-02-2009, 17:59
PS- I'm getting a bit obsessive about hiking the trail too- you can tell whenever I mention hiking in any context around my family, they're ready to roll their eyes. Luckily I have an uncle who thru hiked in the late 80's, so he can understant (and make my grandmother understand that the likelyhood of me being mugged on the trail is very small)
Sorry to ramble on so much, I just get really into talking about my thru!
Lillianp
08-03-2009, 19:03
ShelterLeopard, I would love to start the trail with you. I'd like to go in later February-the 23rd sounds good. How are you doing the Amtrak to Gainesville? I'm going to look that up...I figured atlanta would be the best place to get in in order to hike the trail?
ShelterLeopard
08-03-2009, 20:07
Really? That's awesome!!! I'm taking Amtrak from New York (Penn Station) to Gainesville, because I'm staying the night at the Hiker Hostel, and Gainsville is closer to them than Atlanta. (It's seventy dollars for a night, breakfast, and pick up from Atlanta or Gainesville, and drop off at the trailhead. At first I thought it was a bit expensive, but I found out that a ride from Atlanta costs around sixty dollars on its own). I'm taking the Crescent overnight train and getting a bed, leaving New York at 2pm, getting to Gainesville at 7am.
Are you taking the train? And are you staying at the Hiker Hostel?
ShelterLeopard
08-03-2009, 20:12
PS- I figured that even though I'll be getting in early in the morning, I'd like to stay the night in the Hostel, and get a good night's sleep. So I was thinking of actually hitting the trail on the 23rd, getting in to Georgia on the 22nd. Sound good?