View Full Version : 2007 nobos from ATL want advice
calamity_jane
05-03-2006, 12:01
my husband and i are planning a 2007 nobo, but our experience level is on the novice side. we're putting out a call to any experienced thru-hikers in the ATL area (we live in suwanee, ga) who'd be willing to share stories/learnings/pictures/best-practices. we'd gladly buy you dinner and a couple of beers and would hang on your every word!
calamity jane
mountain squid
05-03-2006, 12:56
Cruise up for Trail Days. There will be plenty of hikers with stories/learnings, etc. If you haven't finalized your gear, there will be numerous vendors plying their wares. There will also be many presentations by previous thru-hikers, including several films/documentaries. Lots of info to be gathered during Trail Days...
If you are unfamiliar with TD, there is a link on WB homepage.
Otherwise, Welcome and good luck on your hike!!!
See you on the trail,
mt squid
Alligator
05-03-2006, 13:22
There's an event called SoRuck [Southern Ruck], usually held in January, which you may be interested in. Search here at WB for info. Might be helpful to join the GATC also.
Yeah you don't want to miss the Southern Ruck. It's held over MLK Weekend at the NOC in Wesser, NC. Although there's lots of activity geared to hiking, it's main purpose is to help future thru-hikers and there'll be lots of experienced hikers there to lend a hand.
Here's last years website to give you an idea....
http://www.whiteblaze.net/soruck/
If you have any other questions feel free to ask.
The Prophet
05-03-2006, 19:21
...contact the good folks at GATC; they've got plenty of advice...very good...for those who are novices in the experience...
...listen to your body; take it easy at first to get used to the trail, no miles as an agenda yet...then in a couple of weeks, you'll be cruising...
Shutterbug
05-03-2006, 23:14
my husband and i are planning a 2007 nobo, but our experience level is on the novice side. we're putting out a call to any experienced thru-hikers in the ATL area (we live in suwanee, ga) who'd be willing to share stories/learnings/pictures/best-practices. we'd gladly buy you dinner and a couple of beers and would hang on your every word!
calamity jane
Read Trail Journals http://www.trailjournals.com
Traction
05-03-2006, 23:22
...contact the good folks at GATC; they've got plenty of advice...very good...for those who are novices in the experience...
...listen to your body; take it easy at first to get used to the trail, no miles as an agenda yet...then in a couple of weeks, you'll be cruising...
dude.. nice advice.. but come onnnn.. you live in georgia.. you could have gotten a meal and some brews.. and then told them that. :cool:
Retsuzen
05-18-2006, 20:26
lolWell I am from GA but live in AZ now during my off time from the Trail, (which there should never be) and I have written a book out of the live journal that I kept while on MY first ever hike on the AT. Me and my wife hiked from the visitor center to the NC border and stopped there, we took our extended time and used 30 complete days to do that 78 mile mile. WE have one very good time and are planning on doing 2 sections a year now starting next month in June and are looking for hiker partners to travel with us. So I have advice for you Jane that may actually be the best advice anywhere since I have just done the section you and your partner are planning on starting. Anyway heres the link to the book I wrote from my live journal while on the trail last year in GA. its entitled "The Sacred Journal 2005" http://www.geocities.com/retsuzen/E-book_Page.html
Just Jeff
05-19-2006, 00:02
Do we have to pay for the password?
my husband and i are planning a 2007 nobo, but our experience level is on the novice side. we're putting out a call to any experienced thru-hikers in the ATL area (we live in suwanee, ga) who'd be willing to share stories/learnings/pictures/best-practices. we'd gladly buy you dinner and a couple of beers and would hang on your every word!
calamity jane
Calamity Jane:
If you cant makie it to TRAIL DAYS...you can always hang out on WHITE BLAZE...the TALL TALES & hiker wisdom flows endlessly!
i think i've gotten most stories & "adventures" from www.trailjournals.com
good luck with your hike:D
:sun I am also planning a nobo for 2007. I plan on attending "The Gathering" put on by the ALDHA this year. It will be in southern WV at Concord College in Athins, WV. The dates are Oct 13,14,15. www.aldha.org (http://www.aldha.org)
You might also consider a training session with Warren Doyle. He has a class scheduled for Dec 15-18 in Banner, NC. Check out his website at www.warrendoyle.com (http://www.warrendoyle.com) for more information. Some people slam him on WB but he has hiked the AT 14 times. He obviously knows something about a thruhike.
If I see you at either one of these, I'll collect on the beer. Just kidding.
Happy planning and training and good luck.
Big Dawg
05-21-2006, 11:35
:welcome To Whiteblaze!!
Dances with Mice
05-21-2006, 12:42
my husband and i are planning a 2007 nobo, but our experience level is on the novice side. we're putting out a call to any experienced thru-hikers in the ATL area (we live in suwanee, ga) who'd be willing to share stories/learnings/pictures/best-practices. we'd gladly buy you dinner and a couple of beers and would hang on your every word!
calamity janeThere's a club in your area (http://www.georgia-atclub.org/) that frequently goes on dayhikes and backpacking trips (http://www.georgia-atclub.org/activities.html). They happen to also have some knowledge of the AT. And they're easy to join (http://www.georgia-atclub.org/membership.html).
Several thru-hikers are members. Trust me, you won't have to buy dinner or beer to get them to tell stories.
Sir-P-Alot
05-21-2006, 14:35
I live in Norcross and would be happy to share my experiences from my hike in 99 with you. PM me If your interested and I will give you my Number. My wife and I would love to hang out with someone in the area with hiking interests.
Retsuzen
05-21-2006, 20:04
Do we have to pay for the password?
Well books usually arent free, I am a published writer and have written many books on different subjects, but the books I am writing on the AT are a new deal and "The Sacred Journal-2005" is the first book I have written on my experiences on the AT. It is also the first book in a new series that I will be writing on my section hiking through different states, I record a live journal while on the trail in a particular state, recently GA, then when I complete the trail in that state I have 30 or more days of information and take that and write it into an e-book and from that book stems a complete novel. My most recent novel is entitled, "Hiking the Appalachian Trail-Georgia". The Sacred Journal 2005 is a highlight of the book, so the next e-book will be, "The Sacred Journal-2006" and from that I will write the second book in the AT series entitled, "Hiking the Appalachian Trail-North Carolina". So hope that helps and hope everyone enjoys the books! Anyone can email me for any questions.
Dances with Mice
05-21-2006, 20:50
Do we have to pay for the password?It's almost worth it to find out how they took 30 days to cover 78 miles.
But not quite.
It is also the first book in a new series that I will be writing on my section hiking through different states, I record a live journal while on the trail in a particular state, recently GA, then when I complete the trail in that state I have 30 or more days of information and take that and write it into an e-book and from that book stems a complete novel. Well, I always think of a novel as a work of fiction, but I gather this is a book-length journal? If you can fill and entire book with a GA AT journal, you should be able to complete quite a set for VA and ME!
Sounds intriguing, though. I gather they are electronic files and not books with paper pages, covers, etc? I guess that must be the wave of the future.
Good luck with selling copies.
....Sounds intriguing, though. I gather they are electronic files and not books with paper pages, covers, etc? I guess that must be the wave of the future. Good luck with selling copies.
Whatever. Send them along. Some of us readers will read whatever is offered if the price is right.
Just Jeff
05-22-2006, 01:01
...So I have advice for you Jane that may actually be the best advice anywhere...
Except that you have to pay for it, and this site is chocked full of free information from people who have hiked that section many times, maintain that section, live near that section, etc.
So if you get any business from that post, are you going to donate any of the proceeds to WB?
Retsuzen
05-22-2006, 05:39
lol the site to get my writings is http://www.geocities.com/retsuzen/E-book_Page.html and yes the books on the site are downloadable and are in ebook format, but thats the new books I am writing on the trail experiences. The others are being published into hardback format available in stores, the ones not dealing with the AT, but yes the future holds all my books in hardback format in stores. We take 30 days and do a section at a time, our sections are one whole state no matter what the length. I do a section a year and usually try for 2 but so far it hasnt happened, but I am not here to sell my books, lol I was just trying to helo out Jane with a good tip since I just did that part of the trail like 11 months ago. But I welcome everyone. Its what I do writer, I dont work, so thats it and I hike. Pretty simple life. I hope Jane you get what you need and everyone has a safe trip on the trail on their next trip.
I'm not from the Atlanta area, but here's my advice anyway: Don't overplan. Don't bother deluding yourself that you're going to follow a schedule. Accept that you need to be flexible. Do get in the best possible shape before the hike starts. Ruthlessly minimize your pack weight, but don't obsess about gear. Don't rush into towns and overeat (and get sick, like so many have before). Take your time. Enjoy the trail. Take pictures, especially people pictures. Do stay at least one night in the better trail towns and have fun. Give your family/friends tentative dates when you'll stop at Post Offices and shamelessly ask them to write you while you're on the trail. Did I mention have fun?
Allow me to wish you the time of your life and a Class I day to climb Katahdin!
MedicineMan
05-22-2006, 07:07
very very interesting.
Retsuzen
05-24-2006, 17:35
Difinetely take it slow, I mean I never said that the whole reason it took me and Jenchol 30 days to hike the 78 miles of GA. Because when I venture to the trail anytime, its to enjoy the area, the trail the people, etc. Its not to see how fast we can get from point A to point B. We actually only planned to hike about 5 miles a day, and to take many zero days, that is where you just set up camp and chill for the day and sometimes we stopped for 2 or 3 days. My advice is to take it very slow, as new hikers of the trail dont expect to do 10 miles a day because its not going to happen, I was in shape when I did it and still it kicked my butt, lol. We actually couldnt average more than a 1 mile hour. No matter how hard we tried the terrain said it takes 1 hour to hike 1 mile. So after about 4-5 hours we were finished for the day and wanted to take in the area. So we did, the reason I am saying all this is because its very important that you take your time and go slow so that you wont miss out on the real reason for the trail, and thats to enjoy it not go from work in society to work in the wilderness. And above all else, ENJOY EVERY MINUTE OF IT....I guarantee you will never be the same after your experiences on the AT, I wasnt.