Movies or documentary about the AT

[jalbright79]

I just recently watched the National geographic : Appalachian Trail on netflix. It got me really excited about my hike on the AT next September. I was wondering if there are any other movies or documentries about the AT out there.

[Wise Old Owl]

flagler-dvd.jpghttp://www.flaglerfilms.com/

[rocketsocks]

'South bounders",also on netflix.

[Serial 07]

appalachian impressions is a great movie about the AT...

[Astro]

In addition to the other already mentioned Trek and 2,000 Miles to Maine.

[Datto]

Five Million Steps, although created back in the 1990's, certainly portrays the Virginia Blues and other mental challenges daily life of an AT thru-hike pretty well.

As a side story -- There's a guy in the Five Million Steps video that appears in many scenes of the movie. I'd watched the Five Million Steps movie several times before my AT thru-hike. About a month before I started my AT thru-hike my buddy Tony and I were hiking on the Arizona Trail to get out of the blizzards of northern Indiana. Our ride after our Arizona Trail hike was to pick us up way out in the boondocks at a some reservoir near Tonto National Monument.

Tony and I hiked up to the reservoir where there was a pay phone to call our ride and surprisingly, there was an ice cream shop there too. I went inside to make the call to our friend who was going to pick us up there. Tony stayed outside and met some guy and his daughter at the outdoor picnic tables who were just passing through on their way to a jewelry show in Tuscon. They were taking the back roads to Tuscon and had stumbled upon the ice cream shop too. Tony got to talking to the guy and mentioned that I was going to be starting my AT thru-hike in the next month or so. Amazingly (we are, after all, out in the middle of boonies in the desert) the guy said he'd hikedthe AT also. I came outside to the picnic tables and Tony said to me, "Hey, this guy hiked the AT".

I walked over to meet the guy. I reached out to shake the guy's hand and introduce myself. I'd thought I known the guy from someplace and just couldn't place where I'd met the guy before. The guy introduces his daughter and we're all eating hamburgers and ice cream together at the picnic tables.

it takes me about 10 minutes of cycling through the mental file cards in my head to realize this guy is one of the people in the Five Million Steps video that I'd just watched the week before.

Now how do you think that guy, who was from New Hampshire as I remember, could have his path intersect mine and Tony's path out in the middle of the boonies of the Arizona desert, just before I started my AT thru-hike?

I don't have an explanation.


Datto

[jalbright79]

wow that is a crazy story! Did you tell him about watching Five million Steps? what did he say

[elytis]

Btw "Southbounders" is no longer offered on Netflix. I was a little upset about this as it was one of my favorite movies.

[Datto]

wow that is a crazy story! Did you tell him about watching Five million Steps? what did he say

No I didn't say anything to him -- I didn't want to bring back the emotion for him while his daughter was there so I let it pass and just talked with Tony about it when they'd left to continue on to Tuscon. When we got back to Indiana I watched the Five Million Steps video and confirmed it was him -- just a little older.

Still don't have an explanation for paths crossing like that but then again, lots of things like that happen that I can't explain either. So I just smile about it and carry on. Some day scientists are going to have to take a look at it.


Datto

[rocketsocks]

Btw "Southbounders" is no longer offered on Netflix. I was a little upset about this as it was one of my favorite movies.

Bummer,it's a good flick.What did "Slack Pack" say?"Well hell fire and Tom collins"?He is a riot."And it's one more mile to go,before I lighten my load",good tune.

[swammie]

Btw "Southbounders" is no longer offered on Netflix. I was a little upset about this as it was one of my favorite movies.

Sure is....click HERE

[Sarcasm the elf]

Flip Flop Flipping just came a little whie ago. It's Squatch's take on an A.T. Documentary and quite good.

http://www.squatchfilms.com/

Also, though obviously not about the A.T., Wizards of the PCT is still my favorite hiking documentary.

http://www.wizardsofthepct.com/

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRvAcwjfUx4

[Heald]

Want a bunch of FREE short films of the AT? Click HERE

[jalbright79]

yeah I checked for Southbounders on netflix and it was no more....I was bummed

[rocketsocks]

yeah I checked for Southbounders on netflix and it was no more....I was bummed

I got it to come up,in the add to watch list,but not in the watch now list.Still available,but just not instantly.

[rocketsocks]

Want a bunch of FREE short films of the AT? Click HERE

Chris,thank you for the link.I look forward to viewing those.

[Datto]

It's been a while since I watched Five Million Steps but some of the scenes that stuck with me that made the video so good were:

1) As I remember, the opening scenes of the video were of the camera following low to the rocks as a hiker is climbing Katahdin. That is interspersed with other scenes along the trail, with a cut back to guy doing his climb up Katahdin.

2) The interview with the thru-hiker who stopped just short of Katahdin -- didn't want to have the experience end -- may have been the guy doing the climb up Katahdin -- boots looked the same (I can certainly identify with him because at the end of my thru-hike I had considered turning around and heading south -- south of all directions -- who'd ever heard of going south??).

3) The Banker in Georgia -- Ha, man did that guy epitomize the normal thru-hiker -- carrying a heavy backpack up 50 feet and then stopping until you catch your breath, then going up another 50 fee and doing that again and again all day long.

4) The guy I'd met in Arizona -- he portrayed the emotion and reverence thru-hikers give the Trail.

5) The three girls in New Jersey -- boy they looked so tired when they'd decided to give up the Trail. Just plain worn out.

6) The scenes in the restaurants where thru-hikers don't have their little pinkies up while eating. Ha.


Datto

[ATMountainTime]

the Appalachian Trail movie on netflix is an every sunday rent for my family, its just building the anticipation.

[G-WALK]

My Section hike video !!

[Theosus]

I just recently watched the National geographic : Appalachian Trail on netflix. It got me really excited about my hike on the AT next September. I was wondering if there are any other movies or documentries about the AT out there.

Ive watched it several times. Sometimes I put that one on while Im walking the treadmill. That film re-awakened my wish to start backpacking.
Never watched southbounders. I wonder if you can get the DVD from them, even if its not on instant? I started watching it one day, but stopped after the opening narration.

5 million steps sounds good!