Rambling.....

[Foresight]

First off, great site y'all have here as I've been reading a while and finally signed up. Not really sure what to title this thread or even if this is the forum it belongs in, but somewhere between this sentence and the last maybe I'll come up with a title for it.....

A little history; my brother (7 years older) planted the AT bug in my head way back in the mid 70's. His hike never came to fruition (in fact, he's never taken a step on the trail), but mine has always occupied a recess in my brain and poked it's head out ever so often, but something always seemed to get in the way. Realistically, I know I'm many years away from being able to attempt a thru hike, if ever, so I have a new plan....

Section hiking. Now, I know that's not a novel concept, but I'm someone that tried to section hike while I was stationed in CT and I made it to the trail, but couldn't bring myself to set foot on it because of my overwhelming desire to thru hike. I've since (just this fall) outgrown that and decided that starting a many year section hike is what I can pull off and as of now I plan to do it in order and as time allows.

So what is my question? I don't know, maybe it will come to me right after the title of this post does. I guess I simply wanted to throw this out there and let the discussion go where it may.

<insert long reflective pause>

Screw it, here's the plan as it sits now; Section hike in order and try to tie the weeks together as best as possible along the way and thru the years. This plan would allow the trail to be seen in it's entirety and the seasonal changes roughly the same as if it were a thru hike. The only problem I foresee with that is if somewhere along the line I find an extra week in a year when I've already done a section. I don't think I could turn that down.

Truth be told, I think the only thing I'll stick with here is the hiking the sections in order part, lol, but I would like to hear what y'all think of this idea and any pitfalls you may foresee. Oh, and thanks for bearing with this rambling. Rambling, now there's a title

[attroll]

If you can't do a thru hike but can do sections hike and this is what you can do, then you have to do what you can.
The only downside to this that I see is once you start getting further away from home then your travel time to get to the trail is also factor.

[Leanthree]

Good luck!

As long as I am hiking life is good. Life off the trail is just a bit too good to be on it all the time for me so I am in year 4 of the 18 year plan.

[4shot]

If you can't do a thru hike but can do sections hike and this is what you can do, then you have to do what you can.
The only downside to this that I see is once you start getting further away from home then your travel time to get to the trail is also factor.

I have done a thru and now do section hikes (closer to home). as attroll says, the logistics are the only downside to the section hikes. otoh, it's a lot of fun to be out for just a week or two at a time. 100 - 200 mile chunks give me sufficient time to enjoy the hike and get some semblance of trail legs but not long enough to "hit the wall". to me, I relax more on the section hikes because I go for a fixed amount of time rather than a fixed number of miles.

[HikerMom58]

Hey welcome foresight. I like your plan to section hike.

My daughter also thought she would like to thru hike the trail. Her brother put the AT bug in her head when she was in HS. They were going to hike together. Life got in the way of those plans. :>)

My daughter had a chance to hike it in 2008. She lives near us ,in Daleville VA ,so she planned a flip flop hike starting in Daleville heading north. Then, starting at Springer and walking "home".

She hiked for 500 + miles & realized she wasn't having fun anymore. Thru hiking is not for everyone. She wants to hike the entire trail... I know she'll do it.

She had another opportunity to hike again in 2010. She started at Springer this time. She hiked another 500 miles and was done.

Currently, she has hiked from Springer to mid PA with no gaps. She has knocked out CT and MA. further north. She loves hiking the trail this way.

As 4shot mentioned the logistics will become a problem the further north she goes. As attroll mentioned travel time will play into her plans as well.

I'm hiking with her in knocking out those remaining sections. The only down side, that I've found, is about the time your feet and trail legs are "good to go", it's time to stop hiking. That's a bummer. Other than that, it's a good time.

She has a wall map of the AT that stays up on her wall. She loves filling in the sections she's done with that green marker!

[4eyedbuzzard]

...it's a lot of fun to be out for just a week or two at a time. 100 - 200 mile chunks give me sufficient time to enjoy the hike and get some semblance of trail legs but not long enough to "hit the wall". to me, I relax more on the section hikes because I go for a fixed amount of time rather than a fixed number of miles.

...My daughter had a chance to hike it in 2008. She lives near us ,in Daleville VA ,so she planned a flip flop hike starting in Daleville heading north. Then, starting at Springer and walking "home".

...She hiked for 500 + miles & realized she wasn't having fun anymore. Thru hiking is not for everyone. She wants to hike the entire trail... I know she'll do it.

...She had another opportunity to hike again in 2010. She started at Springer this time. She hiked another 500 miles and was done.

...She has a wall map of the AT that stays up on her wall. She loves filling in the sections she's done with that green marker!

Wow does all that sound familiar.

Foresight,
I wouldn't restrict myself to hiking it in order, just due to the logistics and different hiking season. When you have the time to do a longer section, say a week or two, follow the seasons AND the weather forecast and pick a section of trail. Say you have two weeks off in summer or EARLY autumn - go hike in VT, or NH, or ME. In spring, hike in GA, NC. TN, VA (these are closer to you in SC). Late spring and fall is nice in NJ, NY, CT, and MA (a bit buggy in spring). Fill in by doing shorter sections and weekends nearer you home in the south as you have a longer hiking season. Yeah, you'll wind up with some filling in to do, but you'll make the most of the time you have available over the years and experience the trail in the best weather and seasons possible. Don't underestimate the benefit of having good weather, trail conditions (no snow, mud, etc), water availability, hiking when the bugs at at a minimum, etc.

[Alligator]

Following up some on what has been said, if you decide to go in order you will be waiting to hike most likely in order to travel the farthest trail sections. You could be knocking off sections in the mean time. The beauty of section hiking is that you do not have to emulate a thru hike. Optimizing location to season is definitely sweet but I will offer a caveat. Hike when you are able to. If you have the time and the means just go. You will experience the trail in a multitude of ways that goes beyond thruhiking. All the elements, all the seasons, all the plant and animal populations, peopIe no peopIe, etc. Once I have a trip planned, I just go barring a hurricane or deep freeze beyond my gear. I feel like I get a truer experience that way and a better appreciation of the natural world.

I waited a number of years too and avoided hiking on the AT because I wanted to thru hike. I finally decided I would section hike instead. I have been comfortable with that choice.

[Foresight]

Thanks for the feedback. I would be lying if I didn't say I've seriously considered using weather and season to my advantage.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Optimizing location to season is definitely sweet but I will offer a caveat. Hike when you are able to. If you have the time and the means just go. You will experience the trail in a multitude of ways that goes beyond thruhiking. All the elements, all the seasons, all the plant and animal populations, peopIe no peopIe, etc. Once I have a trip planned, I just go barring a hurricane or deep freeze beyond my gear. I feel like I get a truer experience that way and a better appreciation of the natural world.

Kind of what I was getting at. You probably wouldn't plan a trip to hike in NH/ME during the Nov to May timeframe - unless you really liked the possibility of severe winter hiking, or love mud and black flies. But you could definitely do a lot more hiking in the south and mid-atlantic during those months (with some exceptions).

[Alligator]

Thanks for the feedback. I would be lying if I didn't say I've seriously considered using weather and season to my advantage.

It'll be your hike and your time. You get to choose what is best for you.

Kind of what I was getting at. You probably wouldn't plan a trip to hike in NH/ME during the Nov to May timeframe - unless you really liked the possibility of severe winter hiking, or love mud and black flies. But you could definitely do a lot more hiking in the south and mid-atlantic during those months (with some exceptions).

ME & NH are awesome places to go winter hiking. Be prepared, be safe is all. I won't go out of my way for hiking with black flies but I've hiked during that time before.

I do recognize that people have different preferences for hiking conditions and reasons for doing so as well. I just try sometimes to present the idea that there's a lot to appreciate year round.

[Foresight]

Weather I can tolerate. Elevation changes I can tolerate. Isolation and/or crowds I can tolerate. The one thing that gets me bitching, cussing and miserable is mosquitoes and black flies