man,.... its so close

[SETX_Mason]

With NoBo season only 4 months away(give or take a month for some hikers)

thinking about it a month ago realizing i intend to hike the amount of time im still waiting to hike.... was kinda daunting but here i am now realizing how close i am from deciding to do it 5 months ago....

4 months ... and then.... the trail.... ive done all the research and looking into i can, ive read trail journals and followed a few hikers blogs from this last hiking season.....

but when it comes down to it no little 65 mile hike at philmont or the week long hikes the years before it can prepare me for it

People ask me all the time when they hear what im doing "do you realize what it will take to do that?" and of coarse i say SURE I DO!!!

But really... i dont.... but ill tell you what... im dying to find out(if i die feel free to laugh at this post next year)...

Who else is getting twitchy with Green Fever ?

[johnnybgood]

Just break it down into 50 mile section hikes , one section at a time . Don't look beyond a week at a time and you're be just fine.

[Feral Nature]

Twitching here too!

[CaptainNemo]

Very twitchy! 12 months of planning (which mainly feels like waiting) done and 5 more to go for me (leaving in April I think). Feeling confident in my abilities and determination. Not as confident in financing the trip . Dad said he might help me out but 9 dollars an hour to Momma K is hard work. Payoff will be unimaginable.

[Wobegon]

The best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time... On my thru this summer, I always looked two or three days in advance to the next milestone... That could be an overlook, a town, a state line, SOMETHING to get me through and (especially early on) not dwell on how far away Maine was.

[Six-Six]

Very Twitchy. Can't wait to start. Checking things off the list of 'must do's' before leaving. Then checking them again and again. Re-examining my gear list, learning new one-pot recipes, drying some food to add variety to the meals, breaking in trail runners, weighing everything, exercising and day-hiking, re-reading every book I have on the trail, fixing everything physical I can (gall bladder surgery Dec 1st), reminding myself that it's not a thru-hike, it's a thru-hike attempt until it's done and that after a few weeks, it will be mostly mental. This part is sweet agony, but the real adventure begins in April. Yeah, I'm twitchy.

[B-Rabbit]

Twitching with you!! It amazes me how many negative responses I get when I tell people my plan: "Are you gonna still work?", "Do you know the success rate?", "That's crazy talk",.... and so on. I guess if everyone thought like this we would not be here on whiteblaze "twitching" to go through the most painful, miserable, wet, cold, hot,... most amazing and soul awaking journey of our lives. Good luck to you and hope to see you out there!!

[Hoofit]

Got the twitch and a gut to match - hope to unload 'em both in the Spring- just gotta figure out how to pay for it...
Missing the woods real bad...

[Old Hiker]

104 days and a wake up.

[Mike2012]

Made some advances in financial planning over the past week - just gonna have to bite the bullet on that one.
Reading (finally) A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson,
Walking the Appalachian Trail by Larry Luxemborg,
The Appalachian Trail Reader by David Emblidge.

In the past three weeks have also read:
White Blaze Fever: Georgia to Maine on the Appalachian Trail by William Schuette,
and another one whose name I forget that I already returned to the library.


The tent I bought 2 years ago, a Sierra Designs Meteor Light 2 person/ 3 season, weighs 5+ pounds so probably need another one.
My 12 year old MSR whisper light is still working but I think there are lighter options now.
My Gregory Fury pack is shot and was probably too small to begin with.

Biggest hurdles are moving out and storing stuff so I don't have to pay rent but I guess it will be beneficial to give away a bunch of stuff I don't want or need anymore. Oh, and getting in shape. Can't forget that one.

I have the white blaze fever I think.

[Bat321]

I have it too!
Best AT book I read was 300 Zeros.

[Entropy2012]

Man, it's just about starting to kick in. Still waaaay behind prep wise. Haven't got flights, insurance or most of my gear...

It's all planned out though; just waiting on the paycheck

I've been having more and more dreams about it every night and they seem to be getting weirder and weirder... :P

[SETX_Mason]

yep im already too(mostly)... i think i should post a gear list soon so smarter people than i can dissect it and give me advice...
money the only thing i haven't finished.... i have 1000 in the bank so far and expecting over a 1000 back from income tax.... got a good job making 405 after taxes a week (poeple think im crazy quiting the job as it is just to go hike).... just need to clamp down and save it all up befor i mess my self up by not saving enough........ my dad will give me a ride to Springer and ill worry about how to get home when im done(i can walk back after it if i had too lol)

i swear ive watched every vid on youtube under the search term Appalachian Trail lol (my favs are the bear vids)

i mess with my family saying "yep just me, my knife, and bears for 6 months!" all the time

[Storm]

I'm not twitching yet. Pretty old, maybe my twitcher doesn't work anymore. Got the gear, got the desire, got the money, getting in pretty good shape for the shape I'm in. Only thing left to do is wait for spring.

[Blacktop]

I got my gear ready to go just have to work on clothing! Cold weather clothes still looking at post on WB probably the one thing I really need help with. But ready for march 20 th.

[Harpua]

yeah im getting a lil antsy here too. i am leaving for springer in the spring. other then that ive made zero plans..... however i am saving as much cash as i can make. i think a large amount of money to spend while im out there will make up for all my lack of planning......

[Feral Nature]

I'm not twitching yet. Pretty old, maybe my twitcher doesn't work anymore. Got the gear, got the desire, got the money, getting in pretty good shape for the shape I'm in. Only thing left to do is wait for spring.

They got an ap for that.

[Tinker]

The best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time... On my thru this summer, I always looked two or three days in advance to the next milestone... That could be an overlook, a town, a state line, SOMETHING to get me through and (especially early on) not dwell on how far away Maine was.

I just knew I shouldn't have checked out this thread. Now I'm HUNGRY!

[ekeverette]

has'nt hit me yet... to be honest, i'm bit scared. but will be retiring feb 30th after 30 years, damnit, i deserve a break. it'll start hitting me about 3 weeks before i go.... main worry.... is the cold and rain... but i can do it. hope to see you guys out there.. good luck!

[Mike2012]

has'nt hit me yet... to be honest, i'm bit scared. but will be retiring feb 30th after 30 years, damnit, i deserve a break. it'll start hitting me about 3 weeks before i go.... main worry.... is the cold and rain... but i can do it. hope to see you guys out there.. good luck!

There's no such thing as bad weather - just the wrong clothes. The hot days will always be hot but the wet days can always be more comfortable.