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Hi!
I am going to hike the AT but I'm pretty new to long hikes. What I'm planning on doing is starting at the bottom in march/april and hiking halfway, taking july/august off and returning from the top down to where I left off in the spring in Sept.
The only thing I'm not certain of is if it's smart to go this spring (2006) or should I wait another year?
I have to do it in these two stages as my health suffers a bit in heat and humidity!
thanks for any advice.:sun
2006 seems as good a year as any. :)
I would suggest get the lightest equipment you can afford: less weight means less strain on the body and a better chance of finishing.
I found it very helpful to read the online journals at http://trailjournals.com/ especially those by women. They let me know what to expect and gave a wealth of helpful experience.
Here are two books that helped me as well:
Hiking the Triple Crown: How to Hike America's Longest Trails
by Karen Berger
Women & Thru-Hiking on the Appalachian Trail
by Beverly "Maine Rose" Hugo
And as you consider different items of equipment and form your plan, ask lots of questions here.
HarleyHogPit
11-14-2005, 18:52
Hi Solana, I say if you have the time to go now I wouldn't wait another year. Go for it! I'm also new to the long distance hiking scene but I'm gonna give it a shot. I'll be starting around April 1st. GOOD LUCK!
thanks you guys! this is super advice and thanks for the reading material as well! it will be used!
Spirit Walker
11-14-2005, 22:09
I agree, if you have the time, the health and the money to go now, do it. You don't know what is around the bend. You may end up with circumstances two years from now that won't allow you the freedom to do a long hike.
One thing you might consider doing is to flip to Maine in June and hike south instead of going home for two months. It can be hard to take a lot of time off and then get back into the rhythm later. You are essentially starting from scratch, both physically and emotionally. You may also find that the heat isn't as much of an issue as you thought. Although it was certainly hot and humid in PA and NJ in mid-summer, there were usually breezes on the ridgeline and shade from the trees. We got wet when we could. Storms would blow through and clear the air and cool things off. There really weren't that many days that were miserably hot - on either of my AT thruhikes. I can only remember a couple on each hike. Your body becomes accustomed to the heat - and it really isn't that bad. When you are living in nature all the time, you learn to take what comes without fretting about it. It is what it is - and won't change to match your desires. So you accept it, whether it's too hot, too cold, too wet or too dry. The trail is almost always one or the other.
I agree, if you have the time, the health and the money to go now, do it. You don't know what is around the bend. You may end up with circumstances two years from now that won't allow you the freedom to do a long hike.
One thing you might consider doing is to flip to Maine in June and hike south instead of going home for two months. It can be hard to take a lot of time off and then get back into the rhythm later. You are essentially starting from scratch, both physically and emotionally. You may also find that the heat isn't as much of an issue as you thought. Although it was certainly hot and humid in PA and NJ in mid-summer, there were usually breezes on the ridgeline and shade from the trees. We got wet when we could. Storms would blow through and clear the air and cool things off. There really weren't that many days that were miserably hot - on either of my AT thruhikes. I can only remember a couple on each hike. Your body becomes accustomed to the heat - and it really isn't that bad. When you are living in nature all the time, you learn to take what comes without fretting about it. It is what it is - and won't change to match your desires. So you accept it, whether it's too hot, too cold, too wet or too dry. The trail is almost always one or the other.
Good advice. But I would try to make that flip in early July, rather than June. I like to let the black flies complete their annual cycle before I tackle Katahdin and the 100-mile wilderness so called.
Weary
The App. Tr. Conservancy (ATC) store has several books written by women describing their thru-hikes. http://www.atctrailstore.org/
I agree flip flop in July rather than June
amazing! i can't believe i've been thinking about and planning this so long and now within just a couple of days i have gotten more useful advise than all my research combined!
thanks again!
Oh, don't forget to read Mouse's book - she didn't tell you about it, but it is a very good presentation of the whole thru-hike experience. "Always another Mountain", I think.
(Thanks for writing it, Mouse!)
Hey. I'm doing a flip flop starting june first in SNP. Going north. It will be my wife and me. If you want go then. We are not going to start out with high miles so it may work. Hiking is all thats keeps me going right now! I have dreamed about this hike all my life. The timing is right sence I will be a RN when i start the hike. Can not wait to go.Send me a message if any body wants to hike with us. I want to make this a great trip. Hiking and party time for us what more do you want in life?