snowhoe
12-18-2006, 12:36
1. The number one thing to remember to do on you hike is to make sure you have fun. I know it will not all ways be fun but try to have a good attitude towards people and the small problems you face. Besides thats what you came all the way out there for.
2. A few things that might bring you down.
You will go up hill alot.
You might get blisters.
You might be uneasy the first night in your tent by yourself.
You will see people doing what they think is the only way to do stuff..
i.e cook, set up there tent, filter or not to filter water.
You might lose your appetite to eat. I did for the first three days.
Your body will kinda go into shock . Its maybe used to sitting around watching t.v. And then all of a sudden start walking 10 miles a day.
3. A few things that make it all worth it.
your first big miles. It maybe over 10 or even futher.
When you have been walking in a tunnel of trees and all of a sudden there is a look out, and you can see the mountains you just walked from or see the mountains you are heading for next.
Seeing the brown trees and grass turning into spring colors.
When you look out your tent in the morning and see a fresh new snowfall on every thing.
I really enjoyed meeting new people and hearing there story as why they are out here.
Things to try to help the small problems.
If you are starting in early spring you will have some very cold nights and your water bottle may freeze. That makes it pretty hard to boil water in the morning. So the night before pour some water into your pot that way you just have to light your stove and not have to worry about getting ice chuncks out of your bottle.
I filter my water and the one thing that I used alot (and did everyone elese that happend to be filtering water the same time that I was) was a empty 1/2 gallon milk jug. Alot of places that you filter water it is not very deep so I just gently scooped up water trying not to disturb the bottom and filterd out of the milk jug. The empty jug weighs nothing.
Carry two sources of fire matches and a lighter and put them in differnt parts of your pack. That way if you happen to lose one of your small stuff sacks you will have another fire starter to use.
I think the most important thing is to hike your own hike and let other people hike there own hike. Dont tell people that they are doing something wrong just because you dont do it that way. But be open for suggestions, it seemed like I would learn somthing new all the time and the people that where aruond me learned stuff from me.
If I got to a shelter and had a little time before I did my nightly chores I would gather some wood and build a fire. That is a great way to meet people and hear some great stories and may even get to hear some music. Besides what is better than sitting around a fire in the middle of the woods drinking hot cider mixed with a shot of whiskey. listing to the sounds of the wood. Please dont build a fire the space shuttle can see just a small one and try to build it in a fire ring.
The very very very best thing about th A.T. is the freedom there is no one to tell you to do anything. No one to tell you to get to work or not do that. If you want to have lunch beside a nice little stream for a couple of hours do it. If you want to take a zero day on top of some mountain and read a book do it.
I hope I might have helped someone with this thread.
2. A few things that might bring you down.
You will go up hill alot.
You might get blisters.
You might be uneasy the first night in your tent by yourself.
You will see people doing what they think is the only way to do stuff..
i.e cook, set up there tent, filter or not to filter water.
You might lose your appetite to eat. I did for the first three days.
Your body will kinda go into shock . Its maybe used to sitting around watching t.v. And then all of a sudden start walking 10 miles a day.
3. A few things that make it all worth it.
your first big miles. It maybe over 10 or even futher.
When you have been walking in a tunnel of trees and all of a sudden there is a look out, and you can see the mountains you just walked from or see the mountains you are heading for next.
Seeing the brown trees and grass turning into spring colors.
When you look out your tent in the morning and see a fresh new snowfall on every thing.
I really enjoyed meeting new people and hearing there story as why they are out here.
Things to try to help the small problems.
If you are starting in early spring you will have some very cold nights and your water bottle may freeze. That makes it pretty hard to boil water in the morning. So the night before pour some water into your pot that way you just have to light your stove and not have to worry about getting ice chuncks out of your bottle.
I filter my water and the one thing that I used alot (and did everyone elese that happend to be filtering water the same time that I was) was a empty 1/2 gallon milk jug. Alot of places that you filter water it is not very deep so I just gently scooped up water trying not to disturb the bottom and filterd out of the milk jug. The empty jug weighs nothing.
Carry two sources of fire matches and a lighter and put them in differnt parts of your pack. That way if you happen to lose one of your small stuff sacks you will have another fire starter to use.
I think the most important thing is to hike your own hike and let other people hike there own hike. Dont tell people that they are doing something wrong just because you dont do it that way. But be open for suggestions, it seemed like I would learn somthing new all the time and the people that where aruond me learned stuff from me.
If I got to a shelter and had a little time before I did my nightly chores I would gather some wood and build a fire. That is a great way to meet people and hear some great stories and may even get to hear some music. Besides what is better than sitting around a fire in the middle of the woods drinking hot cider mixed with a shot of whiskey. listing to the sounds of the wood. Please dont build a fire the space shuttle can see just a small one and try to build it in a fire ring.
The very very very best thing about th A.T. is the freedom there is no one to tell you to do anything. No one to tell you to get to work or not do that. If you want to have lunch beside a nice little stream for a couple of hours do it. If you want to take a zero day on top of some mountain and read a book do it.
I hope I might have helped someone with this thread.