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  1. #1
    Registered User
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    Default First AT hike complete!

    Thanks for all the advice on my dumb questions. Last week I did it!
    Started at the approach and ended at Neels.
    What an amazing time, I spent alot of time thinking how the hell am I going to explain this to my friends and family,, no words can describe the experience.
    I am from Florida and I have NEVER set foot on a mountain, and yes the approach kicked my butt. but I took it slow and recovered well and had a great time.
    My pack is resupplied and I am thinking about my next section. Can't wait, Unicoi gap looks like a challange on the map, at least now when I look at the map I know what I am looking at.

    Question When in the fall would the weather be equal to what I just had?

  2. #2
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    Congrats. I am not quite sure exactly what the weather was like last week, but mid-September through mid October would be nice times to go back. Usually much less chance of rain then than in the spring and pleasant days/cooler nights with a reduction in humidity. Will not be peak 'leaf season" then but you will be out before deer season opens.

  3. #3

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    Yeaaa, you!!! Doesn't it feel good when you get home and have time to absorb the whole thing and you realize "Wow! I did this!" And it usually continues for a while, too; makes you feel good about the other "hard parts" of your life. (ie: I hiked the AT - I can certainly do this ___________ difficult whatever thing it is.)

    Yes, September and early October is a great time to hike again in this section. You're on your way to being a NOBO section hiker!!!

  4. #4
    Registered User ny breakfast's Avatar
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    welcome to the fever, white blaze fever. I knew nothing about hiking 3 years ago, only wanted to hike my home state of NJ on my days off. 725 miles of trail later I'm in the middle of planing a two month section hike and can't wait. i was supposed to leave on the FFKO. but to put it off to help out a neighbor who has been diagnosed with brain cancer, hopefully will gain good karma on the trail. any day now I'll be able to book my train or bus ticket once the special order material comes in to fix up there house before i leave. it's nice to hike in great weather but there is so much information to prepare for bad weather days and many fond memories and stories to tell. get out as much as you can and enjoy it

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Trailweaver View Post
    Yeaaa, you!!! Doesn't it feel good when you get home and have time to absorb the whole thing and you realize "Wow! I did this!" And it usually continues for a while, too; makes you feel good about the other "hard parts" of your life. (ie: I hiked the AT - I can certainly do this ___________ difficult whatever thing it is.)
    I think many of us can relate to this.
    Congratulations on your trip, and welcome to the close-knit AT world.

  6. #6

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    Default

    30 down, 2155 left to go.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by MuddyWaters View Post
    30 down, 2155 left to go.


    The good news is...he got the hardest and most important miles out of the way. That is the "starting" ones (no matter where you start). Everything else now is just icing on the cake. Congrats again, sittinguy.

  8. #8
    Registered User LittleRock's Avatar
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    Looks like someone caught the section hiker bug! Late September/early October is a perfect time to finish out GA. Unicoi Gap isn't really THAT bad, just take it slow and you'll be fine.

    One thing I do to prep myself for a section hike is fill my pack up with 50 lbs of heavy crap (trail weight is usually ~30 lbs) and try to push through a 10k in 2 hours. I usually do this twice the week before going out. Even on flat ground it's quite a workout, and it certainly helps increase mileage, reduce soreness once you actually get on the trail.

  9. #9

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    Congratulations sittinguy. And condolences. As others have pointed out, hiking the AT can be extraordinarily addictive. I did my first section hike back in 1969 as a fifth grader with my dad in Vermont. We hiked sb from Sherburne Pass to Bromley and I carried an army surplus rucksack full of canned food and a wool blanket. After that, I couldn't stop thinking about my next section. I still cant. Hope to see you on the trail someday - when you get to the Nantahalas give me a holler.
    Quod gratis asseritur, gratis negatur.

  10. #10
    Registered User Attila's Avatar
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    Congratulations. Welcome to the section hiker club. I did exactly the same start back in July of 2009. Yesterday I got back from my 22nd section hike finishing at Kincora Hostel in Tennessee. That's over 418 trail miles and I actually drove over 12,000 miles to and from the AT... Crazy, right? Talking about section hiker bug!
    And I almost turned around half way up the steps at Amicalola Falls. Keep hiking! People and places will give you a great adventure.

  11. #11
    Registered User Lyle's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 4shot View Post
    The good news is...he got the hardest and most important miles out of the way. That is the "starting" ones (no matter where you start). Everything else now is just icing on the cake. Congrats again, sittinguy.
    Yep, you now know for a fact that you can hike some miles and enjoy it. All future hikes are just variations of that first one. Even a thru hike is nothing more than a bunch of short sections strung together. Possibly a bit more emotional toughness needed to complete it, but not necessarily - for all hikes, attitude is everything.

    To the OP in answer to your question. While I'm not certain the weather conditions will match entirely, I find Sept/Oct to be the absolute ideal hiking months 95% of the time and for most places. Days still warm, nights cool, bugs gone. Can't ask for better.
    Last edited by Lyle; 05-05-2015 at 10:17.

  12. #12

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    Good for you!!! I did my first AT hike ever from Springer to Neels Gap in '03 (July-Aug). Loved it so much I went right back at Thanksgiving. Had great weather both times and frankly, almost always since. Or maybe the weather just seems better in the woods?

    I think I'd vote for October as most likely the best Fall weather for backpacking north Georgia.

    Enjoy!
    [I]ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: ... Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit....[/I]. Numbers 35

    [url]www.MeetUp.com/NashvilleBackpacker[/url]

    .

  13. #13

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    Congratulations! Isn't it a wonderful feeling of accomplishment and eagerness for more?!
    "Maybe life isn't about avoiding the bruises. Maybe it's about collecting the scars to prove we showed up for it."

  14. #14

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    good for you, you have accomplished more than some will.

  15. #15
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    Congratulations
    On my first section hike on the AT, I was driving over to Hiawassee to park and get a shuttle over to the approach trail. I was coming from Clemson, NC on some back roads. When I came around a corner and actually saw those mountains, and thought are you crazy! I even pulled over at a scenic view lot, to contemplate the whole thing. I had sat there for about 5 minutes, when a car pulled in and 2 guys that looked to be in their late 60’s got out to stretch. I was sitting on a bench and we stared talking. It seems these “old guys” had just done Winding Stair to Springer, and loved every minute of it. After a few minutes of seeing the pure joy in their faces as they recounted a little of that trip, I back was in my truck on my way to Hiawassee. I haven’t looked back since.

  16. #16
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    Awesome!! I caught this same fever @ 5 years ago & now I've cover everything from Springer to Harpers Ferry + I gave it to my brother GA is a fun section & it's all mountain climbing so it's all relative, some climbs just take longer than others. I agree sometime 3rd week in Sept to end of Oct could be comparable weather. Enjoy!!

    ~Boots~
    Take Time to Watch the Trees Dance with The Wind........Then Join In........

  17. #17
    Thru-hiker 2013 NoBo CarlZ993's Avatar
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    Congrats on your first section hike of the AT. There goes your future vacation time!!
    2013 AT Thru-hike: 3/21 to 8/19
    Schedule: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...t1M/edit#gid=0

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