For those of you who have thru hiked, what would you do differently if you were to do it a second time? And of course for those of you who have done it a second time what did you do differently?

Never sleep in shelters.

For those of you who have thru hiked, what would you do differently if you were to do it a second time? And of course for those of you who have done it a second time what did you do differently?


I would swim more in Maine. I would carry a flyrod in Maine. I would rarely stay in shelters. I would time my hike to arrive in New England during the fall foliage.

Little Bear
GA-ME 2000

I would take less zero days, and balance out the ones that I did take. I took 26 days off from Springer to Maryland, and 4 days off the rest of the way (not including a week at a wedding).

Bear Magnet
Jonathan Amato

I would swim more in Maine. I would carry a flyrod in Maine. I would rarely stay in shelters. I would time my hike to arrive in New England during the fall foliage.
I got Maine in the fall, but I didn't have my flyrod since I needed to make miles. Boy was I twitchy in Maine! Especially when I saw a flyer in the Pierce Pond shelter talking about all of the 5 pound brook trout caught there!

Bear Magnet
Jonathan Amato

I would never thru hike again. A thru forces you to become at some point a mile slave. You can get caught up hiking just to complete the entire trail in some weirdly defined period of time, 365 days. If you make 1900 miles and have absolute joy the entire way are the missing miles so important? Don't get me wrong, I have also thouroughly enjoyed being a mile slave from time to time, but it was my choice not something I felt forced to do just to meet some external justification.

Yeah, I would save a few zero days for the end of the trip. I pushed a little too hard in the beginning, only to over-compensate with too much time off in the middle. So at the end I was rushing to finish before Katahdin closed. I also regret that I never took a complete zero day in the woods (not in town).

I would also love to hike a second time with less of the purist attitude. As already stated, I very much enjoyed the challenge and reward of hiking past every white blaze, and I wouldn't change that. But I also admired the folks who did it their own way. I'd love to hike it all again at my own pace. Now that I know the trail, I would skip Pennsylvania and take the chairlift up Wildcat. :D

-Tank

I'd leave Springer earlier and hike more slowly. Maybe it's just me, but I always felt the pressure to hike on, even when what I really wanted to do was to pitch my tent in a nice place with a great view and spend a day or two.

I would also cut down a bit on the number of town days. For starters ...I would only budget 2 days in Damascus instead of the 4 that I spent in 2003. I had fun but but the third and forth days weren't really necessary.

Anyway ...that's my .02

'Slogger
AT 2003

Next Time.....

By Jack Tarlin 11 Aug 2004

I'm not planning to thru-hike again, at least not for awhile. But if I were to do so, there are any number of things I'd do differently. In no particular order.....

* As others have suggested, I'd try to go slower. I'd adjust my planning
so I'd leave earlier, hike later in the season, and I'd try and take fewer
town days. I'd encourage my "town" friends to spend time with me on
the Trail, rather than spend so much of my time in town, hostels,
motels, etc.

* I'd make more of an effort to start my days earlier, which gives you the
option of taking extra breaks, exploring side trails and points of interest,
and stopping for the day earlier so you can enjoy your campsite, instead
of pulling in at the end of the day exhausted, in which case all you do is
set up camp, eat, and fall asleep. If you make an effort to start early,
you effectively own the day and have all sorts of options as to how you
spend it.

* I'd buy a food dehydrator and spend lots of time learning how to get the
most out of it. With time and effort, a dehydrator will save you pack
weight and will greatly improve your diet.

* I'd try and avoid basing parts of my trip on other folks and their
schedules. It's inevitable that on a long hike, you're going to get ahead
of some folks you really like, and you'll fall behind others. Some times,
you'll meet up with them again , some times you won't. But you can't
base your trip around what other folks are doing.

* I'd keep off-trail committments to a barebones minimum. There are way
too many times I hiked further or faster than I wanted because I
absolutely HAD to be at a certain place at a certain time to meet
up with friends, attend an event, hit a hiker feed or party, etc.
One should only do big miles when one WANTS to, and not because
you HAVE to.

* I wish I'd been better about exchanging addresses (E-Mails and perm-
anent mail addresses) with Trail friends and hiking partners, especially
as the trips drew to a close. There are a great many folks I'd love to
hear from, swap photos with, etc., and I neither have their real names,
their contact info, or any other data.

* I wish I'd taken more photos of people, especially trail friends.

*I wish I'd kept better photo logs, so I would definitely know where and
when a particular picture was taken.

*I wish I'd been better about getting addresses of folks I met in towns,
especially folks who helped me out, gave me rides, asked about the
Trail, etc. I wish that every time I told someone that I'd let them know
how I was getting along that I actually would do so; likewise, I wish I'd
been better about sending completion photos and thank-yous to the
folks who'd been such a big part of my travels.

*I wish I'd kept a better journal, especially as regards the people I was
with on any given day, or where I was camping, or where the cool
campsites were. This information would be very useful in later years if
I wanted to return to favorite areas or hike certain sections. I also
wish I'd made more journal entries DURING the day, instead of at day's
end, when all I wanted to do was eat and go to sleep.

*I wish I'd paid more attention to deteriorations in my gear and in my
health. On the Trail, little things tend to turn into big ones if you
neglect them. I'd have fewer aches and pains now if I'd paid more
attention to myself earlier. And maybe I should have realized that a
healthy breakfast is not coffee, two Camels, four Ibuprofen, and a
shot of bourbon. Dinner maybe, but not breakfast.

*Along those lines, well, yeah, I wish I'd carried a smaller pack!

*I wish I'd taken more side trips and side trails, to views, waterfalls, etc.
One gets so caught up in one's "schedule" or one is so afraid of falling
behind schedule or behind one's friends, that all too often, people refuse
to go even .3 or .4 off the Trail to check something out, and often, this
"side trail" or blue blaze stuff is just as, or even more pretty that what's
on the actual Trail.

*I wish my entries in Trail registers were fewer, shorter, better, and,
at times, kinder.

*I wish I'd been less judgmental of other folks, and didn't hold them
to standards that were either unrealistic or more likely, unimportant.
I wish I hadn't let inconsequential, petty things get me down. I wish I'd
remembered that out there, you can't sweat the small stuff, and in any
case, it's ALL small stuff.

*I wish I'd done more Trail maintenance or other volunteer work while
en route.

*I wish I'd brought along some nature guides, especially as regards plants,
trees, and wildflowers. There are still things I've seen twenty times but
don't know for sure what they are. Likewise, I wish I'd brought along an
astronomy guide so I could identify more stuff on clear starry nights.

*I REALLY wish I'd taken more zero days in the middle of nowhere, even if
it meant taking longer to do a particular stretch or carrying extra food.
There are so many places I either breezed right thru or spent only a
short time at, instead of stopping for long enough to enjoy them.

*Along those lines, I wish I had the discipline to COMPLETELY throw out
my daily schedules more often; I wish that at more of the places where
I said "It's only 11, it's too early to stop" that I'd either stopped for
awhile, or even stopped for the day. Remember, most folks only do the
Trail ONCE....most of the places you see, you'll never see again. Stop
and enjoy them. When the trip is over, there are a great many folks
who regret that they travelled too quickly, and wish they'd spent more
time on breaks, enjoying a view or a beautiful campsite or whatever.
I've met very few who've felt that they should have gone faster, or
wish that they'd finished sooner.

*I'd have talked less, and listened more, and I wish I'd given less un-
asked for advice or commentary. People have to find stuff out for
themselves, and I wish I'd have let them done so. The good Lord gave
us two ears but only one mouth.....there's a definite object lesson there.

*Oh, and I wish I'd gone swimming more often.

Take this with a grain of salt as I really like to hike...

Carry a lighter pack.

Never carry more than 3-4 days of food.

Train more so I could start out faster (20's). (Started with 12-15s in 2003)

Hiker longer days (30+) on the less difficult part of the trail (southern 3/4).

Take fewer zero days. (Took 2 in 2003)

Stay in shelters less or not at all. (They were way too crowded in early April)

Start in the middle to the end of April so I'd miss the black flies and mosquitoes in ME and most of the snow in GA, NC, TN. (Started March 31 in 2003)

Actually, now that I think of it, I'd probably hike the PCT and/or CDT before hiking the AT again.

...
* I wish I'd been better about exchanging addresses (E-Mails and perm-
anent mail addresses) with Trail friends and hiking partners, especially
as the trips drew to a close. There are a great many folks I'd love to
hear from, swap photos with, etc., and I neither have their real names,
their contact info, or any other data.

* I wish I'd taken more photos of people, especially trail friends.

*I wish I'd kept better photo logs, so I would definitely know where and
when a particular picture was taken.

*I wish I'd been better about getting addresses of folks I met in towns,
especially folks who helped me out, gave me rides, asked about the
Trail, etc. I wish that every time I told someone that I'd let them know
how I was getting along that I actually would do so; likewise, I wish I'd
been better about sending completion photos and thank-yous to the
folks who'd been such a big part of my travels.

*I wish I'd kept a better journal, especially as regards the people I was
with on any given day, or where I was camping, or where the cool
campsites were. This information would be very useful in later years if
I wanted to return to favorite areas or hike certain sections. I also
wish I'd made more journal entries DURING the day, instead of at day's
end, when all I wanted to do was eat and go to sleep.

*I wish I'd brought along some nature guides, especially as regards plants,
trees, and wildflowers. There are still things I've seen twenty times but
don't know for sure what they are. Likewise, I wish I'd brought along an
astronomy guide so I could identify more stuff on clear starry nights.
...


Pardon me for interupting, but I thought a suggestion here would be helpful. I have had similar ideas as Jack mentioned above for improving my hiking experience. The recent addition of a very small digital camera has made almost all of the above easily attainable. Besides photos, my camera records sound (as do many) so storing information is as easy as pressing a button. Sound takes little space in memory. Shoot the picture, add a sound bite to detail location, etc. Plus, it will act as tape recorder, up to 13 hours. Don't recognize a flower, tree, etc.? Take the photo, bring it home and identify it later. Pentax Optio S, 4 oz., fits in an Altoids tin.

You may now return to your regularly scheduled thread.

I was actually writing about this last night, so it is funny to see this topic come up today. Here are a few things that came to mind in no particular order.

1) Guide books
Last time I took the Data Book and Thru Hiker's Companion, but did not take maps. This time I think I might take maps, but not the Data Book or Companion. One reason is to just change things up. The other reason, is that looking at the Data Book makes you think about miles too much. I rather not know exactly how many miles I have gone. There is a certain feeling of freedom when you just don't know. For towns, I think I can remember most of what I need to know, and when memory is lacking, I think I can be resourceful and make due with what I find. Earl did ok in 1948 using road maps. It will be an adventure.

2) More than an adventure
I approached my first hike as an adventure and it definitely was that, but what makes it so memorable is really something more than that. It was the inner journey. The result of challenging myself physically. The result of immersing myself in the outdoors. The result of stepping away from some of the rush of modern society. For my next hike, I'll will be making the inner journey part of my hike a more deliberate goal. I'll make the most out the limited time I get to spend in the woods.

3) Homemade gear
Having homemade gear adds something special to the hike. A feeling of satisfaction. A feeling like you can take care of things if something breaks. A feeling nothing is going to break, because you made it yourself and you did things right. I had some homemade gear on my first thru hike, but I'll have even more on my second hike.

4) Take the time to stop, and enjoy a moment or a day at some beautiful spot in the woods:

Whose woods these are I think I know
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
And miles to go before I sleep.

-Robert Frost

You could avoid a lot of the hurrying if you went SOBO, right? From what I hear the Smokies are passable year round, though it may take a few days longer in January or February if the snow is heavy but you can make it through. That way, finish whenever the hell you want. No clocks, no phones, no schedules ... retarded.

- Carry a lighter load with more appropriate gear. (That's a given, I've changed my ways)

- Start out in shape. Hitting Justus Creek exhausted at the end of the third day is evidence of lousy preparation.

- Get my sleeping in sync with trail sleep schedule. No more lying for hours in the dark and then sleeping away half the morning.

- Disregard the advice to use a ziploc as a wallet. Carry a real wallet.

- Speaking of wallets, I'd avoid CHAD WAYNE TERRY of Abingdon, VA. That dude'll F up your hike.

- More pictures of people, on and off the trail.

- Fewer zero days. Live on the trail, not around it.

- I'd avoid looking at maps. I love looking at maps, normally, but it's better not to obsess about the elevation profile. I'd keep the data book though. I don't mind obsessing about the next water source.

- Eliminate off-trail personal entanglements before the start. Obviously things happen. People die, parents get sick, etc. It's the routine stuff I'm talking about. Romance, and garbage like that. As L. Wolf once said around a campfir...never mind, this is a family forum.

- Go into town more often to buy a watermelon, and then carry it to the shelter. Maybe even the occasional canned ham.

- Would I take an I-Pod? I appreciate the silence of trail life, and the relative absence of technology. On the other hand, so much of the music I've acquired since then I like because it reminds me of the trail, and it would be nice to have it out there. Probably not.

- On the other hand, as Jack said, most people do this once. In case I'm an exception, better to spend my time dwelling on all the good I did, all the good I saw, and all the good it did me. Would I change things? Yes. But I'm still profoundly grateful to have done it at all.



- A small flas

I would have:

Tented way more, in both shelter areas and stealth spots.

Stayed at the Cabin in Andover ME

Been 21 when I reached the Doyle

Not trimmed my beard for my brothers wedding

Walked until I felt like stopping, rather than settling for the shelter at 4-5-6 pm.

Cared and worried less about what others were doing, planning etc. and stuck with my gut and what I wanted most.

Not spent money on a pack cover. THey don't work.

Not wasted time on maildrops. A couple spots they are handy for, but wasting food isn't cool.

spent town nights in the woods, just outside of town instead of settling for a motel/hostel.

Wasting a night at Fontana Inn instead of either the Hoch's or the Hilton.

Eating better.

Taking better care of my teeth.

caring less about miles, destinations, shelters, times, shcedules. Just walk. Just walk.

I'd start later in mid-april or early may. Not because March 1 was bad, just that if i were to hike the AT again, I'd want a different experience.

I'd probably hike the trail in almost the exact same number of days again, I bet. I'd just know where to spend more time and where to move a bit quicker. For instance, I probably didn't need to take 3 days to hike from Atkins to Bland, but it was stupid to only spend 2.5 days from Gorham to Andover.

Not be afraid to have experiences off trail. This wasn't a negative thing, since I felt I was really focused on the Trail itself and not just the lifestlye, but I always felt the tug of having to get back to the Trail instead of take a day off to do this, or hang out with others.

I don't regret a thing about my hike, it all contributed to the experience. But were I to give it another go, I'd probably follow these parameters.

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Thank you Bob, that was great :clap

Hey 'Troll,
I would like to put forth a motion for Jack's entry on this thread to go into the "articles" section.

Any seconds?

I haven't posted much on this site because I know so very little about hiking and the outdoors, but I would like to say that I've read most of the threads in Whiteblaze in their entirety and have learned a great deal. This thread, however, and from a rookie's perspective, has been especially helpful. Many thanks.

Any seconds?

Dang tootin'!!!! Brought tears to my eyes.

:sun

Rain Man

.

There were few things that I would change, in a real sense. I had great hikes. My style and attitude suited me fine. I relaxed and enjoyed my hikes, enjoying side trips and alternate routes, without concern for a schedule, but I also challenged myself from time to time with long miles and learned that I could do them if I wanted to. I wouldn't change any of that.

The main changes between my first hike and my second were less weight in my pack (but still not light enough) and much fewer shelter stays. I also decided to white blaze most of the places I had blue blazed before and blue blaze some of the alternates that I had white blazed before. (For the most part, I liked the blue blaze alternates better.)

If we ever do the AT again, we will probably go south, mostly to see what it is like to experience the trail at completely different seasons.

For those of you who have thru hiked, what would you do differently if you were to do it a second time? And of course for those of you who have done it a second time what did you do differently?

Let me say that this is an absolutely fabulous query. I agree almost entirely with Baltimore Jack's comments.

I may have more to say later. I post this mostly to remind myself that this is an important thread that requires more than casual comments.

Weary

Jack's query and comments are all well and good but after doing 7 thru-hikes the same way year after year doesn't make him an expert or Sage. There are some wonderful, beautiful blue-blazes he has never or will see cuz of his compulsiveness with the WHITE blaze. I bet he writes a book. I'm hikin next year. Bet Jack ain't. :)

I don't post a lot here due to various reasons, but this one I felt led to reply.
My second "thru hike" was the best. I put that in quotes b/c I was not a "purist" so even though I've walked over 4,100 miles on the A.T. you still won't see my name in any roll book as being a thru hiker. Some may have heard this story but I actually left springer in 1998 and really only planned on being out up to Blood Mountain...a 3 day hike. Well, I kind of just kept on going that year and didn't stop until Maine (no kidding). I had no schedule or pace I had to keep...no where I needed to be and thus was always happy where i was. I hiked light and with no real info beyond the data book. No watch, no radio or CD player, cheap tennis shoes and a day pack when the weather turned warm, lots of smiling, lots of beauty, and lots of internal and external freedom.

Just take your time, breathe deeply, smile often, enjoy the sun and rain, and appreciate those around you.

~~~~~

"If I walk every white blaze and climb all mountains but have not love,
I gain nothing, I am nothing.
If I can outwalk everyone, carrying no more than a daypack and sneakers,
but have not love,
I am a fool and greatly deceived.
If I walk all trails, climb all mountains, and can identify all plants,
but have not love,
the Truth evades me and my words are as the clanging cymbal."
-Vermont 1998

Israel gets it.

I just knew somebody would end up bashing people who choose to hike past every white blaze. Is it so wrong to want to do that ? Bitterness and jealousy will eat a person up. Those who aren't don't care if somebody hikes their own hike. There seems to always be one person that pisses on a good thread, but I suppose they simply need/want attention. Saying that...

--- I would carry around 40-45 lbs (with food) instead of the 50-57 I carried last time.
--- I wouldn't let so many ultra-light and cheap/lazy hikers use my maps/info because they didn't want the extra weight.
--- I would have kept a closer eye on Elwood when i knew he was bad and others around me couldn't see it.
--- I would have hiked a 30 mile day just once to see what it was like.
--- I would have spoken up more often when I saw a hiker making us as a whole look bad at a hostel or in town.
--- I would have stayed at EVERY hut in the whites that were along the trail.
--- I would try out a few more hostels even if that meant hiking a 5 mile day and calling it quits
--- I would have "tried" to hike more with the older hikers such as Happy Feet, Foot Slogger, Vermont Pete, Bee Keeper, Haterus (spelling), and Rest Step, because I always seemed to learn something from them in the short amount of time I spent hiking with them.
ps... Baltimore Jack I can think of several things that i KNOW you would not change even though you listed them brother. hahahaaaa see you soon

I just knew somebody would end up bashing people who choose to hike past every white blaze. Is it so wrong to want to do that ? Bitterness and jealousy will eat a person up. Those who aren't don't care if somebody hikes their own hike. There seems to always be one person that pisses on a good thread, but I suppose they simply need/want attention. Saying that...




Mountain Dew,
I think you have reminded me why I rarely post here. It seems, if you are refering to my previous post, I must have conveyed myself in a way that resulted in a severe misinterpretation of what I meant. For the record, I have a lot of respect for people that hike every white blaze. I myself have not done that and as I stated you will not find my name in any ATC records as such, despite having actually walked over 4,100 miles of trail (not including my section hikes just for the fun of it). I am saddened to see that you think the intent of my post was to bash those who are purists as it was not. The point of my post is that whether one is a purist or not, in one sense does not matter. Whether I have a big job or not does not matter. Whether I have a big home or not does not matter. Whether I can hike ultra-light or not does not matter. Whether I know everything about nature or not does not matter. What matters is how we personally live and treat others around us. If we are walking in love, so to speak, then we are really walking in vain and not accomplishing anything. Our larger calling is bigger than white blazes. What matters is love and living through that love. If you reread my previous post I think you will see that that was my intent.

Anyway, I shall go back to my relative silence unless you should want to discuss this further.

P.S. Some may recognize my little poem as the applied paraphrase that it really is. :) Also, I think L. Wolf understood what I was really trying to say. :) :) :)

I actually think Dew is referring to LW's comments, not Isreal's.

Yes I believe you're right. :) Bitter and jealous of what? I've done ALL the WHITE blazes. I live 50 yards from the AT. I can hike whenever I want. I don't have to plan, take time off work or save money for a hike. Life is good. God bless America :D

at least 10 characters

And I though DEW was referring to my comment. Jeez! now ya pissed everyone off. :D
Well ...not EVERYONE

'Slogger
AT 2003

Yes I believe you're right. :) Bitter and jealous of what? I've done ALL the WHITE blazes. I live 50 yards from the AT. I can hike whenever I want. I don't have to plan, take time off work or save money for a hike. Life is good. God bless America :D

What do you do for a ling man? :confused:

I need that job :D

Very quick reply as this really isn't worth arguing about:

Of my miles on the Trail, I can't recall hiking with Lone Wolf much, tho on those few occasions, he was fine company. But in that I enjoyed that company so seldom while actually hiking on the Trail, I find it amusing to think that he feels qualified to say that my trips were all exactly the same. In reality, he doesn't know a whole lot about my trips. Actually, I made it a point to do things differently each year....I'd intentionally stay at places I'd never camped at, I'd visit towns and points of interest I'd never seen. I frequently took side trails in addition to the white-blazed ones, and I've always made a habit of checking out scenic views, points of interest, waterfalls, etc. I've actually hiked close to half the Trail in a Southbound direction, so to say I've always hiked the same way each and every year is simply not true.

Likewise, if Wolf was a more attentive reader, he'd have noted that I freely acknowledged and admitted that some of the best stuff out there is on blue-blazed or side Trails, and that I wish I'd explored more of them. I have no trouble whatsoever saying this, so I can't understand why Wolf is always bringing up the blue-blaze thing, it's a non-issue. I'm fairly well known for making it a point to stick to the actual trail, as well as taking in some side trails. Wolf is equally well-known, and quite outspoken, about specializing in blue-blazes. That's fine, to each their own. Everyone has to decide how they're going to hike and it's up to them---not Wolf, not me, not anyone, to make those decisions for them. In my above post, I clearly encouraged folks to check out some trails and blue-blazes. I think it'd enrich their trip if they did so. And if they want to do this in addition to hiking the whiteblazes, or instead of, well that's up to them.

When Wolf says that there are plenty of things and places I've never seen, well of course he's right. That's true of all of us, which is one of the reasons I'm seriously looking at the PCT next year, so if Wolf wants to bet on whether or not I'll be doing any hiking next year, he might want to hedge the bet a little. And as for his announcement that he's getting off the sofa and hiking himself next year....well, oddly enough, the first thing that came to my mind is that this is what Dan Bruce says each year as well.

I hope they both make it out next year and have wonderful trips; hell, maybe they'll end up hiking together, too!

Israel, maybe I should have pointed out who I was referring to, but I thought it rather easy to assume. My comments were not directed towards you at all. I rather enjoyed reading your post. As you stated..... I wouldn't disrespect anybody for the manner in which they choose to hike their own hike.....unlike some on WB who have a strong dislike for people who pass every white blaze.

LW, "I live 50 yards from the AT. I can hike whenever I want. I don't have to plan, take time off work or save money for a hike. Life is good. God bless America" --- you mean that you don't havea job at age 45 ? Well well.....You'd never know it by the looks of you. hahaaaa Living off of the American tax payer must be nice. I knew you lived 50 yards from the first 20 times you have mentioned it on WB. Do you still joke about being able to shoot hikers from your porch ? I.E. terroristic threat....

Mountain Dew,
My apoligies. I didn't see the post L. Wolf made just prior to my post as they were posted at the same time and only saw the one below mine. I shall refrain from getting into the other debate in this thread. :)

Anyway, sorry for the confusion. :)

Israel... no need to apoligize. To make a mistake is only human.

Israel, I enjoyed meeting you at Lakes in 1998 and I like your posts. Please don't stop posting.

I don't care who you are, this is some funny s**t right here! :D And by the way Dewey, I pay more taxes yearly than you earn bigmouth. Ever hear of capital gains? I don't take a dime from the government.

To follow up on a couple of earlier posts, I'll just quote someone who put it alot better than I could --


After Apple-Picking (1914)
By Robert Frost

My long two-pointed ladder's sticking through a tree
Toward heaven still,
And there's a barrel that I didn't fill
Beside it, and there may be two or three
Apples I didn't pick upon some bough.
But I am done with apple-picking now.
Essence of winter sleep is on the night,
The scent of apples: I am drowsing off.
I cannot rub the strangeness from my sight
I got from looking through a pane of glass
I skimmed this morning from the drinking trough
And held against the world of hoary grass.
It melted, and I let it fall and break.
But I was well
Upon my way to sleep before it fell,
And I could tell
What form my dreaming was about to take.
Magnified apples appear and disappear,
Stem end and blossom end,
And every fleck of russet showing dear.
My instep arch not only keeps the ache,
It keeps the pressure of a ladder-round.
I feel the ladder sway as the boughs bend.
And I keep hearing from the cellar bin
The rumbling sound
Of load on load of apples coming in.
For I have had too much
Of apple-picking: I am overtired
Of the great harvest I myself desired.
There were ten thousand thousand fruit to touch,
Cherish in hand, lift down, and not let fall.
For all
That struck the earth,
No matter if not bruised or spiked with stubble,
Went surely to the cider-apple heap
As of no worth.
One can see what will trouble
This sleep of mine, whatever sleep it is.
Were he not gone,
The woodchuck could say whether it's like his
Long sleep, as I describe its coming on,
Or just some human sleep.

Wow. Deep.

I've met Baltimore Jack on several occasions, good interactions each time. I dont have a problem saying he has my respect with me thinking him truly a man with a good soul, with that said within his post on this thread I have found a quote to keep at the ready, a quote that somehow has Baltimore Jack written/stomped all over it:

"I wish I'd paid more attention to deteriorations in my gear and in my
health. On the Trail, little things tend to turn into big ones if you
neglect them. I'd have fewer aches and pains now if I'd paid more
attention to myself earlier. And maybe I should have realized that a
healthy breakfast is not coffee, two Camels, four Ibuprofen, and a
shot of bourbon. Dinner maybe, but not breakfast"

I wish I'd paid more attention to deteriorations in my gear and in my health. On the Trail, little things tend to turn into big ones if you
neglect them. I'd have fewer aches and pains now if I'd paid more
attention to myself earlier.
BJ do you mean you suffered progressive injuries on the trail that continue to this day, that could have been avoided? Or are you talking about a lifetime of bourbon and cigarette breakfasts? :rolleyes:

When Wolf says that there are plenty of things and places I've never seen, well of course he's right. That's true of all of us, which is one of the reasons I'm seriously looking at the PCT next year, so if Wolf wants to bet on whether or not I'll be doing any hiking next year, he might want to hedge the bet a little.

Go for it!

Then maybe we'll see you on the CDT in 2006. :)

something to think about?

Change a few gear items, I did my hike 2000 and gear has already changed a lot.
I used a marmot pinnacle bag 775 down, Marmot now has 900 down witht he same rating that is a lot lighter. I would use the new bag.
I would start early like last time Febraury 12th, less hikers out then and I think I would do a YOYO, this time.
No 30 Mile days, I did a couple, they wear you out to much.
No zero days or days off, I would hike every day even if it were just mile into or out of a town.
No motels, I did a couple, and did like them as much as I did the hostels, could not sleep inside.
Higher calorie and higher carb food.
Carry a little bit warmer clothes in winter time, makes it more bare able.

lone wolf... What ? Your response didn't have any teeth to it so you felt the need to go back and edit the entire entry in order to better bait me ? Classic LW move. You make an entry and just when you think they read it you go back and call them names, make false comments etc. in an effort to look better. Chicken *****. Anybody out there in an argument with him go back and check his entry's. He's done this on more than one occassion and to more than just me. Nice added lie here.. lone wolf, "And by the way Dewey, I pay more taxes yearly than you earn bigmouth. Ever hear of capital gains? I don't take a dime from the government." What a ridiculous statement considering you have no clue what I make. And oh, by the way....how much in taxes do you pay a year ? And when you lie I want proof. Let me guess.... You are drunk as usual on some cheap wine ? Afterall, you are the one that said that you go to the store and buy wine before making entry's on WB. Funny and pitiful at the same time. Now get back on that bike and go back down to Dotts and get drunk as seems to be your ritual everyday. What job can you have that pays THAT much to allow you to hike anytime you want and go drink beer at Dott's EVERYDAY ? Tell us huh ? You wont because you are a jobless drunk that runs at the mouth with giardia. :D

ps... remember the time you called out everybody that has a website: attroll, sgt. rock, miss janet, myself, wookie, etc for having out of control ego's ? I bet you were tanked that night as well.

You're not a very nice human being. A clueless one also. You need help. I'll pray for you. To be filled with so much nastiness and anger must be a heavy burden.

Ouch Mountain Dew. I don't know LWolf personally, but from the hard words, sounds like it would do better as a PM:)

Back on topic / It's very cool to read some of these ideas here from thruhikers, this will help me plan, along with the sections I've been doing - the last 1 days out helped me change lots when it came to weight, and 'uneccesaries.'
Thanks! Keep em coming!

This is a very good thread. I have learned a lot from reading it. I will try and keep these in mind when I do my thru-hike. They are very good ideas. I hope that I do not get stuck in the rut likes so many others have and just hike to get to the end.

Troll, we better stagger our thru-hikes so someone is still here working the site or we may have to add another "things to do differently" when we finish LOL!

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

:clap Great thread, let's hear more...........

I would like to try using a hammock (especially on the northern half), so I wouldn't end up in a shelter even when I didn't really want to be there. I also wouldn't have to keep looking for a good place to camp.

My feet got cold at times when I was sleeping down south in March. I want a pair of booties without the soles. I've never found these for sale, so I may have to ask my wife to make me a pair. She made me a great pair of bug booties.

http://www.moontrail.com/exped_downbooties.php

basically good for sleeping only but for that they rule

Wow, thanks! However, I forgot to mention that I have size 14 feet, so I don't think they would work for me. :-?

Eyahiker.... hahaaa nah I'll post what I have to say here. I have nothing to hide when it comes to verbally laying down the truth.

Sgt. Rock.... that was hilarious man.

I sewed a pair of 3-layer-thick fleece booties for my thruhike, and I was darn glad I had them in the Smokies. I hike warm and sleep cold. I can't sleep when my feet are cold, either.

...............

Hey 'Troll,
I would like to put forth a motion for Jack's entry on this thread to go into the "articles" section.

Any seconds?



i second that motion! :D



& while i'm here...i havent thru-hiked, with my life...i can only section (but, hope to one day thru hike after retirement)....but, have you noticed...that a load of the folks in the last few years not only take ZERO days...but many, MANY ZERO days in a row! is this just my imagination? :-?

Well, I did the trail in 2 big sections, so I had the opportunity to learn from my first trip. One change that I made was to make sure that I eat better. After finishing northern half, I was famished. The next year, I ate better and probably ate more in route, so when I finished the southern half, I felt much better and was no where near as famished.

Other than that, I continue to upgrade my gear.

i second that motion! :D Yup:)



...but, have you noticed...that a load of the folks in the last few years not only take ZERO days...but many, MANY ZERO days in a row! is this just my imagination? :-?Hee hee, this is my sixteenth zero day since my last day out. Bed feels good, my pad is looking out of my closet at me with VERY sad eyes.;)

Here's a question, maybe another thread entire but here goes.......I hang my bag over a hanger, and leave my thermarest inflated and stored upright when I'm not hiking, any comments on this?:-?

...Here's a question, maybe another thread entire but here goes.......I hang my bag over a hanger, and leave my thermarest inflated and stored upright when I'm not hiking, any comments on this?:-?

That's fine as far as I know. You basically don't want to store your bag with the down compressed and you want it to be able to air out and lose any built up moisture (some people use the cotton storage bag and others use a hanger like you do). You probably do this when you store your thermarest also, but I think you are suppose to leave the valve open on the inflated thermarest so that any moisture from manual inflation can eventual evaporate.

Youngblood

I think you are suppose to leave the valve open on the inflated thermarest so that any moisture from manual inflation can eventual evaporate.

Youngblood
GOOD suggestion, will do that. It's a new one and it stands up sort of 'on its' own' in the back of the closet.

Hey 'Troll,
I would like to put forth a motion for Jack's entry on this thread to go into the "articles" section.

Any seconds?
I had already thought about making this thread listed in the Information section. But because of some of the off topic post that users have thrown in the thread I did not. But I did include Jack's in the Information listing.

I would have had a plan in place to enjoy low-key, low-milage weekend hikes with fellow outdoors people who might not think of 15+ mile days as fun, when I got back home.

Even understanding that making such a transition might not be so easy.

I also would not have eaten sardines for 143 days straight.

Rick B
SOBO 1983

I had already thought about making this thread listed in the Information section. But because of some of the off topic post that users have thrown in the thread I did not. But I did include Jack's in the Information listing.


No doubt Jacks post was good, and its too bad threads always become poisoned, but why not put others advice in the information section also?

This is a great thread. I want to thank you all for your input, especially Jack. I will print out these suggestions and refer to them from time to time, before I start out.

Do differently:

Some of this has already been mentioned and there are some great posts to this thread.

1. Go slower, take more time. Start earlier in the year.
2. Take more pictures
3. Eat better, eat more
4. Keep a journal and write in it every day
5. Avoid spending the night in shelters and not plan my mileage around them
6. Allot myself more money
7. "Hike my Hike" and not get caught up with a group.
8. Use very few maildrops, although I'd use a bigger bounce box
9. Have no "plan" take it as it comes
10. Get hiking earlier in the morning.
11. Less zero days in towns.
12. Take my time through Maine

--- I wouldn't let so many ultra-light and cheap/lazy hikers use my maps/info because they didn't want the extra weight.

--- I would have hiked a 30 mile day just once to see what it was like.
What's up Dew?

I'm enjoying the interaction here. Gives me appreciation for of ALL the communities we belong to. Even the distinctions within... Ultra-light hikers as distinguished from more typically outfitted backpackers for instance.

Perhaps I can provide you with a fresh perspective. I base at around 25 #.

I can afford gear. I can, at this very instant, completely outfit 2 for snow or cover 6 in 4 individual camps for summer. Stoves, filters, bed pads, shelters and all. I don't think I have a problem with "cheap."

I did have the pleasure of hiking a 30 mile day. Out of the Smokies even. Icewater Spring Shelter to the Pigeon River. Saw my first fireflies of the season dropping into the valley. Nice.... What was it like? 10 miles the next day is an equal challenge.

Peace Bro.

Oh, thanks for the kind gesture but I have my own maps.

[I did have the pleasure of hiking a 30 mile day. Out of the Smokies even. Icewater Spring Shelter to the Pigeon River.]
Thats only 29.9 miles. Ya came close, though.

Thats only 29.9 miles. Ya came close, though.



Yea, that is what my material stated as well.

While still in the moonlight I crossed the bridge and road and gained just a bit of elevation on the far side. I got a halfway decent view and a soild 30 miles out of it. I then backtracked over the river and spent the night on a rock in the little creek that drains into the Pigeon right there. There must have been some coons around to set my tent up. Between my exhausted self and the sweet sound of flowing water I was out the second I took my pack off.


:clap

I'd scour all available resources to find out specifically where good campsites are from Ga to ME and mark them in my Data Book.

I would of had more booze sent to me in my maildrops. There are way too many towns along the way where alcohol isn't available, especially in the south. And no trail guides that I have seen list liquor stores. Next time I thru hike I'm going to buy LOTS more bourbon and split it up into small 20oz plastic juice bottles, so all my maildrops could be full of magic.
Oh, and I should of brought my hammock instead of my tent so I could have more campsite opportunities.

Rift Zone... congrats I suppose. You are the exception and not the rule of the ultralight/light class of hikers. .... I did however come close to a 30 mile day. It was 27 miles into a night filled with rain, hail, and boulders into Port Clinton. I lost count of my 20 mile days when I got over 20 of then though. All that with all that with a 55+ pound pack. How is that for a new perspective ? Goodtimes !!!

I think Jack was 100% dead on. Thanks Jack.

1. Take a lighter tent so I wouldn't ditch it by Damascus
2. Stay in less shelters (as result of having a decent tent and not a crappy tarp)
3. Would balance my zeroes better
4. Maybe would try hanging out with a group more just to do the opposite of what I did the first time
5. Keep a running total of the number of snickers, ramen noodle packs, and other frequently consumed items I ate
6. Take more pictures of hikers in action
7. Do more side trails

:D :D hey dew,
if you pulled your head out your arse i doubt there would be any controversy on this website,then what ,i guess everyone would be getting along!then again it is nice to have an arseclown around,kinda like the court jester but dumber!keep up the good work there buddy!
your friendly neighborhood greenman:D :D :D Rift Zone... congrats I suppose. You are the exception and not the rule of the ultralight/light class of hikers. .... I did however come close to a 30 mile day. It was 27 miles into a night filled with rain, hail, and boulders into Port Clinton. I lost count of my 20 mile days when I got over 20 of then though. All that with all that with a 55+ pound pack. How is that for a new perspective ? Goodtimes !!!

1. Jacks post is a good one to follow by...
2. I would've carried a small rod/reel into the 100 mile W.
3.Take more pics of people.
4. Keep a much more detailed journal
5.I would NOT do another 30 mile day again.
6. Take the time to do a little more paddling. One of my best zero days was spent in Monson paddling the entire lake.

For those of you who have thru hiked, what would you do differently if you were to do it a second time? And of course for those of you who have done it a second time what did you do differently?

Perhaps I would never quite walking. Just do another one...then another...then another...

I agree with jack's post, and would add;

Take more pictures on the rainy days. (My photo album looks like the sun shined all the way to Maine........NOT!!!)

Stay up later......get up earlier.........take more naps.

At the end of the trail, do one of these; turn around and hike South.
Or, keep going North into Canada.

My esteemed colleagues:

I have been thinking about what I would do differently during a thru hike, probably like yourselves(?), since the first day of my thru hike. Now five years after my thru hike I have a pretty good idea of how I would like my second thru hike to play out. It is funny how we can forget the pain so quickly isn't it? Jack evidently forgets fairy quickly... hmmmm... maybe a bourbon breakfast is the secret? Anyway, I really want to hike the AT again and at the moment, it looks like I will be ready to go anywhere after 2007. Which brings me to 'part' of what I would do differently.

From the top:
Planning!
I would connect with as many hikers as I could leading up to the hike and meet them in GA. Why? Glad you asked! To me the hiker community is a fantastic part of the journey, take away the community and I would not hike the trail for... all of the Yuengling in PA....? (well you get the point) then again the solo hike flavor would be wicked cool too... Anyway I just loved meeting people on the trail and looking back (and forward) the community was the best part of the whole deal. To me starting in GA with a good size group means that if I am so lucky as to go the distance, I might climb Katahdin with long time friends as well as new ones. But wanting to thru hike in a big "loose knit" group goes deeper than friendships.

There are a few ways that groups have an advantage on the trail and to me these advantages are very important. The group advantages can make a thru hike great IMO and may actually get you to Katahdin ( I say this especially to hikers with low cash reserves). Yes we can hike solo and still connect with different people daily to share room expenses, but I like being around longtime friends and it is nice to know in advance that when we get to Anytown USA we will be able to get a room, and a hot shower. When we pool our funds we all save money, preserve our nest egg, and raise our comfort level.

A key advantage to group hiking I think is the ability to change the menu. Someone before me in this thread mentioned a change in diet and how it affected his hike. After all, eating for a thru hiker (consumption machine) is a big activity. We hikers could go broke quickly eating at restaurants and anyway it sucks walking into a restaurant, laying down X or xx dollars and walking out hungry. But what is a solo hiker to do? I will tell you what we (the group I hiked with) did! We went to the grocery store and bought food for a group meal (with all of the fixings) for a price that was right, and it did not leave us digging in our food bags afterwards. Good food and spirit can do wonders for a thru hikers mind and it does not have to cost a fortune.

Summing up:
I would love to hike north with a loosely knit group (that is also tight) and have a **** load of fun. I also want to be able to take a 'hot' shower at many locations without worrying about expenses, and this means sharing lodging expenses. And I want to hike with a group that is ready to eat well while saving money, basically only eating as much dehydrated food as I/we have to. To me cooking is fun and there is much we can do. I am not a big drinker... but I am willing to learn! No seriously I absolutely craved cold beer on the trail. Beer quenches the thirst, it provides calories!, it numbs the pain, and it is cheaper by the thirty-pack! Most everything we buy is cheaper in bulk, and we save when hiking in a group, no doubt.

If my kind of hike sounds like your kind of hike Whiteblazers, please feel free to contact me anytime. Like I said, I am good to go as of 2007 and beyond. I like the 7-month (or more) time frame but I would tighten that to hike with a happy bunch. Maybe we can get a group hike going? A "HYOH group thru hike".

That my friends is 'part' of what I would do differently and why. And my plea (sorry)for like minded hikers to contact me, please do!
Thanks
Drum Stick

I would not sleep in shelters. I would take the side trails and camp there. I would go to all the places I skipped because of the "forced march mentality". Thru hiking is like skimming a book, you miss a lot but you know where the good parts are... Above all ;) I will take my wife with me next time!

It would be tough to beat what's already happened.
I like it pretty much the way it was.
Maybe wished i'd picked a less rainy time?
No Complaints!

I'd save mroe money!

I'd save mroe money!
=============================
I second that. Nice to have a little cushion ...

'Slogger

Well thinking about this a lot. First off, I don't think I could do another thru. Not that I wouldn't want to, but I just don't have the determination I had when I did my hike in 2001.
As far as doing stuff differently; I definately would not flip-flop. I finished my hike at the Doyle Hotel and there wasn't a sole to share my joy with. My thoughts have long been, of climbing Katahdin and celebrating with folks who had just spent six months doing the same thing.
I would also keep a better journal. More info. on the folks I met along the way. Reading a journal, after your hike, brings back a lot of memorys.:)

If I had it to do all over again (and I think I will) I'd take my wife (BadAss Turtle) ...or as she might say ...SHE'D take me !!

I'd also take more pictures and keep a better record of them.

I'd take more time. In 2003 it took me 6 months/10 days, primarily because I hiked the entire trail with pretty bad kidney stone disease. With that all behind me now I would deliberatly set out earlier (February) and allow 7 months to reach Katahdin. I'd take my time and overnight or zero at some of those one-of-a-kind little campsites I hiked past in 2003 trying to get to the next shelter for the night.

Lastly, we considering a southbound thru. Having both done it northbound we are curious about the SOBO experience.

'Slogger

I wouldn't be in such a rush. I wouldn't leave Mother Goose behind me. I wish I'd kept on hiking with the "Go Light, Go Easy" bunch instead of rushing to do longer days. I'd find others who like to tent, so I didn't shelter so often. I'd finish my hike the way I planned, instead of heading home. I would love to have my husband go too, but that's not going to happen. I also might consider a southbound, if I could find a few friends to join me.

I'd go SOBO, and I'd start in mid September.

What would I do differently..?

*I'd be a better companion to those around me. I realize I am not the happiest guy around at any given time, but I should lighten up more often.
*I'd relax a little. The mile munching mentality gets the best of me more often than not.
*More 12 mile days between Damascus and Hanover. Moreover, accept the fact that it's okay to take these 12 mile days. By the same token, instead of forbidding the 20+ mile day, recognize that there are places (or times) where this is a good thing.
*Experiment with food, be it dehydrating or experimenting with new things. I've eaten too many bagels with aerosol cheese and not enough tortillas and hummus.
*Not be afraid to take a side trip to a new town. I hitched into Glasgow last year for the first time and was tickled to find how "prehistoric" it was.
*Stay the heck away from certain towns. Hiawassee and Waynesboro have nothing more to offer me.
*Stay at fewer shelters. I'm a sucker for privies.
*Stay at fewer motels. And for fewer nights too. And split the room when I do.
*Accept that hiking out of town at 5 pm and doing three miles is better than spending the night and making it a total zero.
*Do the purist thing but....
*Take a few blueblazes to side points of interest. I'm looking at you Silers Bald.
*Stay at the Blueberry Patch and The Cabin.

Hm. I had more to say than I thought.

What would I do differently..?
*I'd be a better companion to those around me. I realize I am not the happiest guy around at any given time, but I should lighten up more often.


I think you're wrong about this one. In the first place, I had heard you were fun to hike with, from more than one person, a year before I even met you. In the second place, the few days we hiked together were a blast. You can lighten up if you want, but don't do it for our sake.

Having only done section hikes, I suppose I'm not really qualified to post here, but then again I have made improvements as I went along (each section was better). I have to say I agree with Jack's posts (I don't smoke, so cigarettes aint on the "breakfast menu" :) )

I have found myself hiking beyond my ability to "keep up with" friends I made. Miserable time, and after I realized this, usually met them again anyway, without pushing.

I have taken: No zero days, and suffered. Too many zero days and suffered. Nero days or zero days in the woods seem to work better for me.

No shelters anymore. I love them as social places, but from now on will stop, fix dinner, say "Hi" to all there, and move on a mile or so.

Less weight, more food. And on the same line, less JUNK.

More pictures, better picture log! I find that by the time I get home, the names of people I hiked with are lost forever.

Better log of: names, addresses, phone numbers, E-mail, etc. As I have said before: "Those "FOREVER MEMORIES" will turn out to be solidly etched in vapor once you get home."

And my number one goal next time is as others have posted several times here: "Hike slower".

Doctari.

I think you're wrong about this one. In the first place, I had heard you were fun to hike with, from more than one person, a year before I even met you. In the second place, the few days we hiked together were a blast. You can lighten up if you want, but don't do it for our sake.

Well, you caught me at a good moment in my '04 hike. That day on McAfee Knob is my fondest memory from that year, and I'll happily carry it for the rest of my life. And the section from Pearisburg to Waynesboro as a whole was a hell of a lot of fun that year.

But I stand by my comment. I would be a better companion to others, for their benefit and my own. I'm simplifying my rationale of course, and I accept my faults. I can be aloof, somewhat cold, or downright rude more often than not to a new face. I can play the part of a loner well. Sometimes after a week of July hiking, I don't shower when I first get into town.

But anyway, you're right. I am a blast to hike with. All the girls want me, and the guys want to be me.

How many days worth of food should I carry? Are resupply points readily available? I am planning my Thru-Hike and I am working out the logistics piece and want to plan properly.

How many days worth of food should I carry? Are resupply points readily available? I am planning my Thru-Hike and I am working out the logistics piece and want to plan properly.

Start HERE. (http://whiteblaze.net/index.php?page=resupplypart1)

If I were to hike the AT again I would not do any food mail drops except to Port Clinton and the Delaware Water Gap. Everywhere else there was always a good grocery store.

I would not have a bounce box.

I would have spent some money on a light compressible sleeping bag instead of using one that I already had.

I really liked have a few photo cards that were constantly being exchanged in the mail with someone at homebase downloading the photos. Having a transcriber really helped too as internet access is spotty and minimal along the trail.

Lastly, if I were to hike the AT again I would do a Yo-yo since the AT hiking season is so long!

--I would do a NOBO hike rather than a flip-flop, so I could enjoy the social experience of a thru-hike
--I would do a better job of pre-studying the ecology, so I could name wildflowers and other vegitation on the trail
--I would not have many mail drops - there are enough markets to resupply
--I would carry less weight. Minus five pounds of my father's ashes would help, but I know some gear I could cut out or go lighter with.
--I would keep even more detailed journals.
--I would set up an agreement with a newspaper to post regular articles while I was hiking.
--I would pay better attention to my ankles early in the trip, or before the trip
--Ideally I would bring a friend or two.
__I would carry a fly rod at least in Maine. Maybe VA and all of NE.
--I would wear "Sex Panther" cologne and thus be a pink-blazing god.

I would never thru hike again. A thru forces you to become at some point a mile slave. You can get caught up hiking just to complete the entire trail in some weirdly defined period of time, 365 days. If you make 1900 miles and have absolute joy the entire way are the missing miles so important? Don't get me wrong, I have also thouroughly enjoyed being a mile slave from time to time, but it was my choice not something I felt forced to do just to meet some external justification.
sounds like a personal problem. its not about the miles. its about the smiles.

Why would anyone need that much velcro? These guys sell it by the roll http://www.liangdianup.com/miscellaneous_1.htm and is
hook and look and velcro the same thing?

I would have:
Been 21 when I reached the Doyle


21 isn't that the number of beers they serve someone underage before they hand them the best stealth camp spots guide to PA railroads?

Why would anyone need that much velcro? These guys sell it by the roll http://www.liangdianup.com/miscellaneous_1.htm and is
hook and look and velcro the same thing?

Hook and Loop - generic term
Velcro - Brand Name

WOW! Just the thread I was looking for! I had planned to avoid shelters. Not because I am anti social but because I snore bad. My real interest is the fellow hikers and why are you here? I started going to the woods when I was young to get away from my fighting parents. I hunted then but now I do not want to harm anything or anyone. Now I go to speak with my true Father. I have been surfin' this site and I can't thank you guys/gals enough.

...makes you think about miles too much. I rather not know exactly how many miles I have gone. There is a certain feeling of freedom when you just don't know.

I really like this was of thinking- you're right, it would feel so much more free not to think about miles. I think I'll try to do this at times on my upcoming thru. (I'll always write down where I stayed each night though- I love knowing that. Also, if I desperately wanted to know how many miles I did that week or day, I could always go back and figure it out.)

This thread/article is great- especially from the point of a thru hiker to-be who hasn't thru hiked before. Some very good bits of advice in here.

I like this thread and I'm glad someone revived it.

I just re-read my comments from five years ago (Post #8, above) and I'm not sure I would change a word of what I wrote as I think it all holds up.

A few additions:

I wish that in the future, while I greatly appreciate the benefits of towns, hostels, etc., I wish I'd made more of an effort to take down time when I really needed it, and not just when it was there. It's really amazing how much time most A.T. hikers spend these days NOT in the woods and mountains, and in retrospect, while I treasure my town time, my town friends, and so on, if I ever do this again, I'm going to make a concerted effort to go into town less, to spend less time there than in the past, and to get OUT as soon as I can. I have the rest of my life to spend living in a town. Next time I go on a long-distance hike, we're gonna spend most of it in the woods.

I would be nicer to everyone. I was nice to 99% of the people but a few rubbed me the wrong way and I was not as nice as I could have been. Thru hiking is a once in a lifetime event for most and I would not want to have even the slightest negative impact on anyone.

My other advise would be to take your time and enjoy everything the trail has to offer.

What would I do differently..?

*I'd be a better companion to those around me. I realize I am not the happiest guy around at any given time, but I should lighten up more often.
*I'd relax a little. The mile munching mentality gets the best of me more often than not.
*More 12 mile days between Damascus and Hanover. Moreover, accept the fact that it's okay to take these 12 mile days. By the same token, instead of forbidding the 20+ mile day, recognize that there are places (or times) where this is a good thing.
*Experiment with food, be it dehydrating or experimenting with new things. I've eaten too many bagels with aerosol cheese and not enough tortillas and hummus.
*Not be afraid to take a side trip to a new town. I hitched into Glasgow last year for the first time and was tickled to find how "prehistoric" it was.
*Stay the heck away from certain towns. Hiawassee and Waynesboro have nothing more to offer me.
*Stay at fewer shelters. I'm a sucker for privies.
*Stay at fewer motels. And for fewer nights too. And split the room when I do.
*Accept that hiking out of town at 5 pm and doing three miles is better than spending the night and making it a total zero.
*Do the purist thing but....
*Take a few blueblazes to side points of interest. I'm looking at you Silers Bald.
*Stay at the Blueberry Patch and The Cabin.

Hm. I had more to say than I thought.

Your are one of the thru hikers I met in 04 while section hiking that inspired me to thru hike. You are a lot of fun to be around. Maybe a little sarcastic but so am I. If you do not have a sense of humor you would not want to be around me.

a few more things from me.

Spend much less time in town.
Spend less money - I may have had the most expensive thru hike ever
Stay in shelter areas but Tent more.

I would stop and observe more.

I would heck out every shelter(there are so many new ones since I did the trail in 1992).

I would carry less food and take more advantage of the food along the trail.

I would carry more fresh food when I could.

I would take alot more pictures and get to know every hiker I met.

I'd stay in touch better with those I had met, after the hike.

I would eat at as many AYCE as I could stomach.

I would not hike further in a day just because every else was.

I should revisit now that I have another thru-hike under my belt.
What would I do differently..?

*I'd be a better companion to those around me. I realize I am not the happiest guy around at any given time, but I should lighten up more often.
I may have been a harsh on myself, but with that said, attitude definitely makes the difference. It wasn't there in '04 and sporadic in '01, but present for '99 and '06. I think the difference is...whether I took the hike seriously or not. I had better hikes when going from end to end was not the goal.
*I'd relax a little. The mile munching mentality gets the best of me more often than not.
Again, see the above response.
*More 12 mile days between Damascus and Hanover. Moreover, accept the fact that it's okay to take these 12 mile days. By the same token, instead of forbidding the 20+ mile day, recognize that there are places (or times) where this is a good thing.
The mileage is what it is. There are days when a 12 (or 20) mile day is too short (or too long) for the body but right for the mind. It's become easier to know when to stop or go on.
*Experiment with food, be it dehydrating or experimenting with new things. I've eaten too many bagels with aerosol cheese and not enough tortillas and hummus.
I may be too much of a creature of habit these days to change this much. On the up side, I don't experience much food boredom.
*Not be afraid to take a side trip to a new town. I hitched into Glasgow last year for the first time and was tickled to find how "prehistoric" it was.
I went into Great Barrington and Pawling in '06. I don't think there are many more trail towns I haven't visited aside from Luray.
*Stay the heck away from certain towns. Hiawassee and Waynesboro have nothing more to offer me.
Meh. They both have their place.
*Stay at fewer shelters. I'm a sucker for privies.
Again, meh.
*Stay at fewer motels. And for fewer nights too. And split the room when I do.
Fewer motels, probably not. Fewer nights, yes. Although sometimes the TBS Rocky marathon gets the better of all of us.
*Accept that hiking out of town at 5 pm and doing three miles is better than spending the night and making it a total zero.
This really is good advice, and worked to good effect with regards to Damascus (although I did miss a cookout at LW's).
*Do the purist thing but....Take a few blueblazes to side points of interest. I'm looking at you Silers Bald.
Went to Silers Bald, and Shuckstack too. But I still haven't checked out Devil's Marbleyard.
*Stay at the Blueberry Patch and The Cabin.
Stayed at The Cabin.

Pootz, didn't we meet in '06?