Currently planning for 2016, starting around March 15....

[Lauriep]

Lots of great advice and mutual support here! WhiteBlaze.net provides such a wonderful service by enabling people to share ideas, plans, concerns, advice, and more.

I would encourage everyone to register their thru-hike.

Also, ideally avoid a March 15 Georgia start date if you can because it's such a popular date (some years it's the single most popular date). There could be close to 100 thru-hikers starting out from Springer that day, with almost as many students again out on "spring break"

(I put "spring break" in quotes, because mid-March is usually not spring-like in the north Georgia mountains. It can be, but more often it's still wintery, occasionally with snow, ice, or slush. At the same time, on bright sunny days, you can get sunburned because there's no leaf cover on the trees, so bring sunscreen, especially for your nose and ears, and a wide-brimmed hat!)

To understand why 100 or more hikers starting the same day is a concern--if you haven't been on the A.T. before--the footpath is narrow, wide enough for only one person at a time in most areas. You usually have to step aside to allow a hiker going the other way (or around you) to pass. (Choose a rock to step on, if you can, to "leave no trace" when you step off-trail). Campsites typically have a shelter designed to hold 6-12 or so people. The popular shelters can be surrounded by a sea of tents in these crowded periods. Every year, as the number of hikers in the popular times increases, the amount of denuded area around a shelter grows. So, if the numbers don't seem like a lot, this may help you understand why we're trying to encourage people to spread out.

You can view charts, updated once or twice a week, to see which dates thru-hikers have already signed up for at http://www.appalachiantrail.org/home...tration-charts. Keep in mind that the numbers now only reflect a small percentage of the hikers that will actually show up.

Registering has some benefits for you:

• a free Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) membership (that means a subscription to a great magazine, A.T. Journeys, and discounts on ATC merchandise and at some businesses along the Trail)
• a keepsake 2016 A.T. hangtag for your pack
• the option to receive alerts

Registering also benefits other hikers (thru-hikers and section-hikers alike), who can have a better idea of how many people have signed up each day, and help trail managers understand patterns and prepare for them.

For anyone on this thread who's already registered, we just got the hangtags in a few days ago and will start sending them out as soon. Membership packets will be sent out soon, too.

When you're ready, you can register at www.appalachiantrail.org/thruhikeregistration.

Whether you register or not, try to learn as much as you can about best Leave No Trace practices that you can. Some things are intuitive, like not leaving your trash behind, but many are not. Things like how and where to dig a cathole and considerations when building a fire (or not) are skills that have to be learned. Check out the videos and info at www.appalachiantrail.org/lnt!

Looking forward to seeing you all in Harpers Ferry!

Laurie P.
Appalachian Trail Conservancy

[mirandaminer]

Hey! I'll be 24 by the time I leave on March 16th (hold off a day and we could meet up!), and I'm a pretty inexperienced hiker. I'm not so much looking for someone to hike side by side with every day as I would just like to camp near someone and share the day with... Also, a support system would be nice when things get rough! I have made plans to stay in Gaineville the night before and get picked up by an AT shuttle at the hotel, if you would like to share a shuttle ride/cost.

[lexasaur]

I'll be hitting the trail 3/14! I'm also a fairly inexperienced hiker, but have been doing a buttload of prep so, hopefully it pays off! Will see you guys out there

[namaste7]

I'm also from NW Florida and will be starting early March. I competed a little over 900 miles last fall and am trying to finish up my thru hike before July. Maybe I'll see you all out there. I would agree with the training on stair master, carrying weight also helps. Taking your hike slow to begin with also will allow your legs to adjust to the hills and weight. It takes time for your body to adjust no matter how you train. Just keep with it and you'll be fine

[MinaSauk]

Looking to start March 18 from the approach trail. Have hiked locally but nothing like the AT. Have been hitting some local county parks that have lots of hills and natural paths (rocky, rooty).

[pATchouli]

Great advice, shelb. I'm also a lowly section hiker. The more active I am ahead of time, the less pain I am in by about Day 3.
Try to keep your pack weight as low as possible. Have a FANTASTIC hike!

[Smoky Spoon]

We are close in age and leaving at a similar time. Would love to meet you on the trail sometime if you are interested?

I'm from FL & VA and hoping to thru hike NOBO beginning late Mar, early April. I'm 58 with new knees. I'm doing a weekend backpacking trip this weekend beginning at Clingmans Dome. I have most of my equipment and hope to accomplish several trips before next spring. Would love to get together with others to compare notes, tips, concerns,etc.