PDA

View Full Version : Hey, Class of 07, how are you feelin' about now?



maxNcathy
01-27-2007, 18:59
Here I sit in Ontario, Canada thinking about my flight from Toronto on March 18th. Paid my $ 299. for a one-way ticket a couple days ago.
A cyber friend from Canton, Ga has offered me my first trail magic...going to pick me up at the airport, put me up and feed me at his house then drive me to Springer (Rd 42)the next day.
I finally have most of my gear. I hike every day about 3 miles.I really enjoy read trailjournals most days.

How about You?

Sandalwood

WandererKMK
01-27-2007, 20:58
I'm scared and nervous and completely freaked out.

And then I'm excited, happy, joyful and jumping out of my skin, ready to go.

Then I am blue, miss the home I haven't left yet and mourn what I will leave behind.

Then I am full of doubt, think this is crazy and start having long conversations with myself about all the other things I could be doing rather than this...

Then i am excited, full of the kind of confidence that only comes when you know you are walking towards something great, and happy, happy happy.

That all takes about 20 seconds and then the cycle starts again.:)

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Blissful
01-27-2007, 22:10
That's about right, WandererKMK. I go through periods to like that. To compound it, I'm having some kind of ear infection right now and not much zing to work out with my pack walking the roads. And I told my dad about my trip yesterday - he was NOT happy at all. But I'm still plugging away making food and preparing. Just a little over a month to go.

RiverWarriorPJ
01-27-2007, 22:45
I'm scared and nervous and completely freaked out.

And then I'm excited, happy, joyful and jumping out of my skin, ready to go.



Didn't I see that post someWhere else Kim..LoL..
z
z

WandererKMK
01-27-2007, 23:48
Blissful - My Beautiful tiny Round Irish Grandma used to say you know you are on the right path when the devil trys to lead you astray.... Every time I start to worry my gear isn't right, my training is too slow or the little daily worries try to pull me down - I think about her.

Riverwarrior - I bet you did see it somewhere else - I am not original - but honest hopefully!

Nameless
01-27-2007, 23:54
I already cannot stop talking about the hike...

The bug didnt set in this hard on my last thru attempt.

Pink

hammock engineer
01-28-2007, 00:00
I am right there with everyone.

To make things interesting my back decided to act up on me. Something that usually happens once a year or so for no real good reason. It should be fine for my thru. I just need to take it easy for a couple weeks. So much for saving up more money.

Socrates
01-28-2007, 00:08
OOOOH I get it! max AND cathy! i never really looked at it and just figured it was a guy named "maxmcnathy"?? HAHA

I can't say that I'm overexcited about starting at Springer. But then again, I'm reserved like that... Unless I'm drunk and headed to a strip club. (Which isn't often.).. HAHA I'm happy about the trip though. I've been hiking 12 miles every other day with my pack so I'm getting use to solitude and lots and lots of woods! On the down side, my mom has Alzheimer's disease and sometimes I worry just how much worse she'll be by the time I come back. She's only 62 and it's already hit her pretty hard. But I know that life must go on and that she'll be happy to hear how I'm doing along the way. Nothing better than making my parents proud. I'm leaving in late Feb so the less than a month countdown has begun!

eric_plano
01-28-2007, 00:11
I am sooo ready to get back out there. I bought my ticket a month ago and just waiting to give my two week notice and it's on.

I still haven't had a chance to test my HH hammock so not sure whether it will be the hammock or the tarp tent.

So I am impatient, nervous, excited...grrrr where are you April 10th? :)

Survivor Dave
01-28-2007, 00:31
Well,

The butterflies are not getting more numerous.... they are just getting bigger. I will be leaving in about 3 weeks and hopefully not turn around until I summit. G*d willing I make it there.

I feel after the gear purchases and returns, and returns, and purchases, I am ready to pass an outfitter like I am ready to pass a kidney stone!!!!


Have done lots of hiking lately to get in better physical conditoning. The mental, well.... I guess there is no way to prepare except to just hike it. I think that the mental will follow. All the years of dreaming(since I was 11) and the planning and prep over the last 1 1/2 years have all come to a head and it's time to go.

I was told by an author of one of our AT books that "The gear doesn't hike for you, It just makes you think you can". I believe this to be true. I have been told that even the finest of athletes who might scoff at hiking the AT will have difficulty with the mental stuff. Well, i'm not an athlete, not close or want to be.

So it comes down to this.

HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT?

I have learned invaluable lessons from my fellow hiking partners from the Benton MacKaye Trail and most certainly the ones I will be hiking with. All of there input whether I agreed or not has come to be absolutely important.


So that's my view.

maxNcathy, I to live in Georgia and live a mere 1 hour and 10 minutes from Amicalola and an additional 45 minutes to Forrest Service Road 42.

I am grateful that I don't have that far to go. If you wish, please PM me here and maybe I might be able to help out with the shuttling, food, or pre-hike brew.

Big Maguro

hammock engineer
01-28-2007, 00:49
I am sooo ready to get back out there. I bought my ticket a month ago and just waiting to give my two week notice and it's on.

I still haven't had a chance to test my HH hammock so not sure whether it will be the hammock or the tarp tent.

So I am impatient, nervous, excited...grrrr where are you April 10th? :)

Come on take the hammock. You know you want to. The hammock is your friend.

As long as you test it and fell comfortable at cold temps.:D

Blissful
01-28-2007, 00:57
Blissful - My Beautiful tiny Round Irish Grandma used to say you know you are on the right path when the devil trys to lead you astray.... Every time I start to worry my gear isn't right, my training is too slow or the little daily worries try to pull me down - I think about her.



Wow - excellent. Thanks a bunch!!

Blissful
01-28-2007, 01:01
I am right there with everyone.

To make things interesting my back decided to act up on me. Something that usually happens once a year or so for no real good reason. It should be fine for my thru. I just need to take it easy for a couple weeks. So much for saving up more money.

Interesting, that's what is happening right now with my hubby. He can hardly walk without pain running down his right leg so consequently can't prepare either physically (and he's a big guy too). Not sure if we will seek out his pain med dr or not who has given him shots in the past for his slipped disc.

hammock engineer
01-28-2007, 01:05
Interesting, that's what is happening right now with my hubby. He can hardly walk without pain running down his right leg so consequently can't prepare either physically (and he's a big guy too). Not sure if we will seek out his pain med dr or not who has given him shots in the past for his slipped disc.

Sorry to hear that. The pain running down the leg is a bad bad sign. Try to find a really good orthopedic doc if you can. Luckly mine is more local to my lower back. I'm pretty sure it is my muscles getting in a fight with my nerves coming out of my back.

Mountain Maiden
01-28-2007, 01:40
SPRINGER FEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:banana:banana

If you think it is bad now, wait til it hits in the post-hike years!! It is killing me right now and I am not even going to Springer!!

I am excited for all of you! I hope your hike is all it is meant to be and the GREATEST ADVENTURE YOU'VE EVER HAD!!

See you in Hot Springs!!
Sunny aka Sunrise ga-me 02 :sun

Sly
01-28-2007, 01:57
Oh wow, Madelein Stowe played Cody Zamora in Bad Girls! I gotta rent that movie!

eLowHiker
01-28-2007, 02:50
Couldnt be happier to quit my retail job next month! My flights less than 2 months away on March 24th and counting down the hours until Im on the trail. Have all my gear.... im nervous, excited, ancy and amped to get on the trail! cant wait to see yall on Springer!

mike!
01-28-2007, 04:56
hah im freaking out, still gut to buy my backpack (damn you ULA AMP for making such a nice looking pack) still gotta make stuff sacks, a bivy sack, a new stove, and either make or buy a poncho tarp. i think about the AT all the time, going back and forth in my mind if ill make it. ill see a Chuck Norris movie and be extremely pumped and ready to take on anything, then at night when i look outside my window in my comfy bed with the TV on, i begin to wounder. and i think about that damn low 20% rate of success, i really dont think im stronger/luckier then 80% of the other hikers. i certainly dont have a super strong reason, more of a "i like to hike and love adventure" and "it will make for such good memories and a killer tattoo" but to be honest, i dont even know how i did the LT, i just picked up my things and did it on a whim.
mike!

Butch Cassidy
01-28-2007, 09:06
Excited and can't wait to get out there. Not in shape but know I will be by Hot Springs. On the other side, In the back of my mind is a little dread! Because I Thru hiked in 05 (Paladin GAME 05) I still remember the pain in a new or different place every day, packing up mornings with cold hands all the way to Waynesboro. Words I learned to hate, Gap,Notch, Profile maps. The good far outweighs the bad. Like the country song, I could've missed the pain but then I would've missed the Dance. Butch:cool:

Mountain Maiden
01-28-2007, 11:15
Oh wow, Madelein Stowe played Cody Zamora in Bad Girls! I gotta rent that movie!

Can't put anything by you, can we?? :D And, I even showed restraint in typing...Yeah--rent the movie. It wasn't exactly a box office smash but it did have a good theme and I really related to CZ--hence the Trailname! Bad Girls reign!

Back to our regularly scheduled thread....


Sunny aka Sunrise aka Cody Zamora :sun

hammock engineer
01-28-2007, 12:36
hah im freaking out, still gut to buy my backpack (damn you ULA AMP for making such a nice looking pack) still gotta make stuff sacks, a bivy sack, a new stove, and either make or buy a poncho tarp. i think about the AT all the time, going back and forth in my mind if ill make it. ill see a Chuck Norris movie and be extremely pumped and ready to take on anything, then at night when i look outside my window in my comfy bed with the TV on, i begin to wounder. and i think about that damn low 20% rate of success, i really dont think im stronger/luckier then 80% of the other hikers. i certainly dont have a super strong reason, more of a "i like to hike and love adventure" and "it will make for such good memories and a killer tattoo" but to be honest, i dont even know how i did the LT, i just picked up my things and did it on a whim.
mike!


I was thinking about why so many people fail. I think the other thread going on right now started by the guy that did not finish give me a good idea why. I think a lot of them don't fully plan out the trip, test their gear, or know what to expect. I know no one truely know what it is like until you do it, but I think I have a really good idea from reading WB and TJ. I also feel really comfident in all my gear and I know how to use that. I think knowing all this puts us in a good starting place. Now all I have to worry about is the mental side of things.

My answer to that is one day at a time. I am not going to try to think about hiking the whole trail each day. I am just going to think about that days hike. Just what works for me.

maxNcathy
01-29-2007, 09:40
+8F

Slept out in my drafty spruce teepee last night in a 0F down sleeping bag.Feet and head and torso stayed warm but my butt was cold some of the time.

Forty eight (48) more days before my flight to Atlanta.

maxNcathy
01-29-2007, 14:42
Any of You hiker trash have time for some chit chat right now?

rafe
01-29-2007, 14:43
Any of You hiker trash have time for some chit chat right now?

What's on your mind? ???

maxNcathy
01-29-2007, 14:56
What's on your mind? ???


Nothing1 ..now that could be the problem. haha

I just finished painting my wife's hobby room pink as she requested.
She is at work while I am at home mostly loafing and reading trail journals and checking out a new tent and sleeping bag for a young couple we know who are going to Europe camping thois summer.

How about You, T.Too?

Blissful
02-01-2007, 11:22
Wow, can't believe it - I start the Approach Trail FOUR weeks from today!!!! No wonder I was up this AM thinking about what I had to do. Dry more veggies and stuff today. And I heard yesterday my editor wants me to edit a book before I leave (ugh). And EVERYONE is coming to visit in two weeks to see what we are up to. :) This is gonna be one hectic month.

But after that - freedom....

Michele
02-01-2007, 11:46
I feel the normal...overwhelmed. 39 days till I put my feet on Springer. Seems surreal actually. Thinking it had better be warmer in Georgia in March than it is right now in Michigan (8 degrees is our high on Sunday). Just moved so everything is everywhere. Sometimes feel like a little kid on Christmas morning and sometimes feel like I'm gonna puke. You know...the normal.

Marta
02-01-2007, 11:53
[quote=hammock engineer;311447]I think I have a really good idea from reading WB and TJ. [quote]

I think that sometimes your expectations can work against you. The happiest guy I met going SOBO this year was the one who had spent the least time doing online or other "research"--but had spent several hundred nights camping out, starting when he was quite young. (He was only 25 when he thru-hiked.) He didn't have the snazziest gear (and it was damned heavy), he has never run a marathon, and doesn't work out in a gym. But he ran into very little that bothered him, and nothing that scared him.

By contrast I had done a reasonable amount of hiking and camping (including 500 AT miles as section hikes) but had read way too much, and overanalyzed things. Not to mention obsessing over gear, food, and other logistical issues. My expectations were much too heavily influenced by stuff I had read, or been told. In reality, stuff I feared because I'd been told how horrible or hard it was turned out to be manageable, while other things totally took me by surprise.

What I'm clumsily trying to say is that your own direct experience is all that matters. It's the only thing that can really help you prepare, and it's what you will take away from the experience.

As you said..."Take it one day at a time."

How stubborn are you, and how bad do you want it?

dadecker
02-01-2007, 12:14
Marta - Reading too much about the AT is something I've found myself doing in the last few months. I've been interested in an AT thru hike for three years, since my first conversations about it i've saught more and more information about it. I've done a number of multiple night hiking trips, with the longest being 13 days - also lived in a tent for four months during my last semester in college to save money for the A.T. The start for me is a little more than a month away and after i get my sleeping bag in the mail i'm looking forward to not organizing gear and thoughts regarding the trail. See you out there - Darrel

Marta
02-01-2007, 12:37
Have a great hike, Darrel! It sounds as if you won't have to ask for help when you go to set up your tent or light your stove... ;-)))

Cheers!
Marta/Five-Leaf

maxNcathy
02-01-2007, 15:10
Hi Marta and Darrel and Blissful and Michelle....

Wow, we are having another blizzard today. In the last day 12 inches of snow has fallen. My little BA Seedhouse Sl1 tent is still set up in the yard but handling the winds and heavy snows really well. No snow got inside. That is what I wanted to test. Tonight i will sleep out in the tent to see how it does with condensation in cold weather.

Take good care, Sandalwood
March 19th starter

dadecker
02-01-2007, 15:29
Sandalwood - I slept outside last night for the first time since last semester. Currently i'm staying at my sister's house in orlando, so i had to imagine the snow and wind. - Darrel

VictoriaM
02-01-2007, 15:44
Maybe I'm the odd one out, but I don't feel excited, scared, overwhelmed, or anything like that. It still just feels unreal to me. I think my life is so busy that it hasn't had time to sink in. I'm flying out of here on March 3rd, so it's not far away for me.

maxNcathy
02-01-2007, 15:56
Sandalwood - I slept outside last night for the first time since last semester. Currently i'm staying at my sister's house in orlando, so i had to imagine the snow and wind. - Darrel

Darrel, What day do you begin hiking? Are you happy with your tent and sleeping bag etc.?
I am considering not bring my Pocket Rocket stove to save about a pound with fuel.And i am wondering if I should carry my 20F or 10F sleeping bag. The 10F weighs 9 ozs more.

Sandalwood

maxNcathy
02-01-2007, 16:04
Maybe I'm the odd one out, but I don't feel excited, scared, overwhelmed, or anything like that. It still just feels unreal to me. I think my life is so busy that it hasn't had time to sink in. I'm flying out of here on March 3rd, so it's not far away for me.

Hi Victoria,

Being very busy will do that. But since you love the out-of-doors you will no doubt be very happy when you spot all those white blazes ahead of you on the AT.
I would feel different and more concerned if I planned to hike the whole way this year. My plan is to go 6 weeks or about 1/4 the distance. The farthest I have ever hiked before is 42 miles ( on the AT north of Damascus last April)

Sandalwood/Max

mindi
02-01-2007, 16:23
I'm starting to panic. I feel like I have no idea what the heck I'm doing. I got my companion today and I started marking little things in it, then I realized I was being silly..how the heck do I know what shelter I'm going to end up at?
I'm worrying over piddling things and once again trying to overanalyze. I thought I was over that but it keeps sneaking up on me and before I know it I'm trying to plan every last detail again. Aaack!

WandererKMK
02-01-2007, 16:27
Don't panic - that is just the third wave - there will be another coming along any time now!

maxNcathy
02-01-2007, 16:33
I'm starting to panic. I feel like I have no idea what the heck I'm doing. I got my companion today and I started marking little things in it, then I realized I was being silly..how the heck do I know what shelter I'm going to end up at?
I'm worrying over piddling things and once again trying to overanalyze. I thought I was over that but it keeps sneaking up on me and before I know it I'm trying to plan every last detail again. Aaack!

Hi Mindi, One thing I am am glad of is the that at the 30 mile point there is a great Outfitter with expert hikers there to help me figure out all the goofs I may have made with gear.
By then we all should have figured out alot and get any help needed and lots of free advice too. And pizza!! haha

So don't panic, Mindi.

Sandalwood

Marta
02-01-2007, 17:11
I'm starting to panic... I got my companion today ...

One thing I thought about doing last year, but didn't, was to fix the cover of my guidebook like the cover of the Hitchiker's Guide to the Universe--with large friendly letter that say "Don't Panic"

I should have.:D

Marta/Five-Leaf

mambo_tango
02-01-2007, 19:38
The only thing I am panicking about is telling my boss I am quitting and why. Ugh.

Blissful
02-01-2007, 19:43
I'm starting to panic. I feel like I have no idea what the heck I'm doing. I got my companion today and I started marking little things in it, then I realized I was being silly..how the heck do I know what shelter I'm going to end up at?
I'm worrying over piddling things and once again trying to overanalyze. I thought I was over that but it keeps sneaking up on me and before I know it I'm trying to plan every last detail again. Aaack!

I just know we'll all feel better once we're out there. :)

Four weeks from tonight I will be at Stover Creek - the new shelter, after shedding some tears on Springer Mtn. :)

Grandma Dixie
02-02-2007, 01:14
Just put in my 2 (and a half) weeks notic tonight! My boss was talking about giving me a raise, and I couldnt lead him on any more. Oh well.

mindi
02-02-2007, 01:24
Whew, I'm glad I don't have to worry about the work thing, anyway. I put my notice in a month ago, and now I have a new boss who already knows I'm leaving.

I'm glad to know I'm not alone in freaking out, though. I seem to be vacillating between overwhelming excitement and being super-ready to get on the trail, and practically ready to throw up with nervousness and feeling like I need more time.

I've just decided to set my goals low starting out. If I can walk more than 2 miles in a day and manage to pitch my tent every night, I'll consider my first week a success. Can't wait to meet you all out there!

:) Mindi

Socrates
02-02-2007, 02:21
My enthusiam is greatly building to get out there. I moved back in with my parents after my exfiance and I broke up... My mom, (as she always has) is beginning to get on my last nerve, Complaining about things like how I don't make my bed... Jesus, if she only knew how I'll be living on the trail.

rafe
02-02-2007, 02:37
You're 29, Socrates? Complaining about mom? Jeebus, by the time I was 18 my parents had pissed me off once too often. Got a cheap apartment (well, a room, really.) End of story.

Socrates
02-02-2007, 02:43
You're 29, Socrates? Complaining about mom? Jeebus, by the time I was 18 my parents had pissed me off once too often. Got a cheap apartment (well, a room, really.) End of story.

When we broke up, I left her with the apartment and had to start over financialy and didn't want to live in Virginia anymore. I've only been here 2 months and it's not like I've been living here since I was 18. My mom has alzheimers and is not herself so you'd be having issues too.

mambo_tango
02-02-2007, 12:58
I moved out when I was 17 then moved back at 19 - then moved out again and then moved in again. Now I am going to leave for 5 or 6 months and hopefully move out permanently when I get back.

1Pint
02-02-2007, 13:23
How about You?

Sandalwood

I feel absolutely positively completely without a single doubt that the trail is exactly where I want to be and I can bearly stand waiting these next 8 weeks.

I can't wait to be at the base of the approach trail crying my eyes out (yeah, lame, but I can't help getting emotional at the start of a big challenge) and with the most ridiculous smile on my face. In fact, that's probably how the first week will go. After that, I'll probably settle down.

Hope to see & meet you all along the trail!
Laura:sun

maxNcathy
02-02-2007, 17:18
I feel absolutely positively completely without a single doubt that the trail is exactly where I want to be and I can bearly stand waiting these next 8 weeks.

I can't wait to be at the base of the approach trail crying my eyes out (yeah, lame, but I can't help getting emotional at the start of a big challenge) and with the most ridiculous smile on my face. In fact, that's probably how the first week will go. After that, I'll probably settle down.

Hope to see & meet you all along the trail!
Laura:sun

You, girls!

are weird.

jk

PS

If i were a girl maybe I would cry when happy,giggle when afraid, and laugh when ....??

Go, Laura, Go!!!

maxNcathy
02-02-2007, 17:23
I moved out when I was 17 then moved back at 19 - then moved out again and then moved in again. Now I am going to leave for 5 or 6 months and hopefully move out permanently when I get back.

You sure are a movin' kind of woman. No grass will grow under your feet.
So, MTango, when are you starting? How determined are you to do the whole Trail?

Boat Drinks
02-02-2007, 17:45
Yeah, all those emotions. I have found that as the time draws nearer, things around me get laid back, easier, nicer, more energetic, more loving. I think my letting go of this "life" and moving on with my trail life has affected me already. I can't wait to see what's out "there...."

mambo_tango
02-02-2007, 19:38
You sure are a movin' kind of woman. No grass will grow under your feet.
So, MTango, when are you starting? How determined are you to do the whole Trail?

Pretty determined. I start April 1st. I am throwing myself a huge going away party for myself about a week before that. I have such a big mouth about hiking it that not finishing isn't much of an option for me. :D

maxNcathy
02-02-2007, 21:06
Pretty determined. I start April 1st. I am throwing myself a huge going away party for myself about a week before that. I have such a big mouth about hiking it that not finishing isn't much of an option for me. :D

Ha haha You may have a big mouth but I bet you will finish on top of Katahdin.Do you have the gear that you want? I hope you have enough money to have a good trip.

Blissful
02-02-2007, 21:24
II can't wait to be at the base of the approach trail crying my eyes out (yeah, lame, but I can't help getting emotional at the start of a big challenge) and with the most ridiculous smile on my face. In fact, that's probably how the first week will go. After that, I'll probably settle down.

Hope to see & meet you all along the trail!
Laura:sun


Yes, yes yes!!! I totally agree. In fact I was tearing up earlier this week at the thought of seeing the arch and then the plaque on Springer.

Hey maxNcathy - REAL men cry! My hubby has become progressively more weepy as time goes by. very touching. But I like the shortest verse in the Bible. "Jesus wept". Good enough for Him. he he he :D

mambo_tango
02-02-2007, 21:25
I pretty much have what I need for gear.. I still have to get some clothes and a few odds and ends. I don't think money will be too much of an issue although I would like to spend as little as possible.

Blissful
02-02-2007, 21:33
I pretty much have what I need for gear.. I still have to get some clothes and a few odds and ends. I don't think money will be too much of an issue although I would like to spend as little as possible.

Hey, my hubby got a complete Hubba hubba two man tent today for $40 at our local outdoor shop. :banana

As we say here, never pay retail. :) None of our stuff we have paid retail, except maybe for my Yak Trax. But we also started gear hunting a year ago.

mindi
02-02-2007, 21:51
mambo, I am going to have the same incentive to stay on the trail when the going gets tough...I've run my mouth to the whole world about my hike!

Bravo
02-02-2007, 21:56
Feeling pretty good. A little stress. Found out a few weeks ago that the little lady can't have any gluten. 4 months back I was planning everything. After a week or two I said, "F*** it". We'll hit towns along the way and fly by the seat of our pants.

Nice idea until you can't eat anything with gluten in it. Which is most hiker food you'd buy in the store. So I've been dehydrating like a mad man. 10 trays going 24/7. Luckly she's only hiking to Harpers Ferry from the south. If she was going all the way we'd be f'ed.

Moral is high though. I talked to my boss(that sucked). We're working out everyday and things are looking good. We'll be on the trail no later that April 10. I'm sure a lot of you will be ahead but we hope we run into some of you. Good luck all and just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

RAT
02-02-2007, 22:16
REAL men cry!

Real men do not cry,,, they s**t their pants !!!!! LOL


RAT

zerohiker
02-02-2007, 22:44
I feel great after a meal & some beer. Just spent 3 nights in the Standing Indian Wilderness with 6 inches of snow...83 miles down & 2098 to go...

maxNcathy
02-03-2007, 15:48
Yes, yes yes!!! I totally agree. In fact I was tearing up earlier this week at the thought of seeing the arch and then the plaque on Springer.

Hey maxNcathy - REAL men cry! My hubby has become progressively more weepy as time goes by. very touching. But I like the shortest verse in the Bible. "Jesus wept". Good enough for Him. he he he :D

Hi Blissful

Jesus wept! You wouls too if you HAD TO hike every blessed place you went in HOT sandals in a dry and dusty desert in the scorching sun. Enough to make a guy walk on some cool water for a change of pace. Hahaha

Blissful
02-07-2007, 12:18
Well, went for my check-up today and told my MD what I am doing (he was pretty amazed by it). Besides saying I'm a little overweight (which he said the trail would take care of - haha) he said I was good to go. Gave me a tetanus shot (which is actually a good idea). Also said the backpack was probably good for my sciatica as it helps straighten my spine (I told him how my back felt better after about two hours of carrying my backpack this past Sat). So that ol' clunker is good for something! Lowes Alpine at 6 lbs rocks.
Back to organizing mail drops.

dsg
02-08-2007, 21:02
UI've thought about trhis from age 12. i'm 52 so that's been 40 yrs. i'm packed, less food - ready to send my pack to hostel. haven't met many people on whiteblaze, haven't been very socialable, but hope to meet all of you. i know it's Katadin. i know tis, - 40 years in the making

stuco
02-08-2007, 23:01
Man, I am so jeleous of you folks. I wish I were hiking this year but I have to get finished with school first although sometimes I think maybe I could not do summer school and do a SOBO but don't have enough cash anyway. Good luck to all. Have a blast. You can do it. Just enjoy one day at a time. I will be doing the Pinhoti over spring break and thinking of you all. (Plus various other short(er) hikes.)

Flower lady
02-10-2007, 15:33
16 days 4hrs and 27 min. to go before we go to the bus station, can't wate
Flowerlady & Cedar

Stonewall
02-10-2007, 16:10
I have 4 months an 7 days or 127 days and I get nervous bouts about going ... keep thinking I want to get up and go now to get over the feeling. Then put myself back in my place by reminding myself that the reason i am leaving in June is I can't afford it now.

J Link NJ
02-11-2007, 23:14
im sitting here reading everyones posts and a tingly feeling keeps going up my spine and then out across my shoulders and my eyes are tearing up. all day everyday i think and talk about the trail. i go to the store and instead of thinking "o this would be good for dinner tonight", i think "hmm, that would make a good meal on the trail, not to heavy, but filling enough, easy to cook"

im sad to leave my life, sad to leave my friends, but overjoyed with the thought of what my life will be in a few months, and excited as hell to get out there.

if this isnt springer fever, i dont know what is.

neo
02-11-2007, 23:23
i hope to see some of you folks on the trail:cool: neo

Mountain Man
02-11-2007, 23:31
I feel good. I'm ready to go. Just 9 more days. :banana

WhoAh
02-11-2007, 23:31
Four weeks from today.... excited, scared, stoked, antsy.... all rolled up into one...

Scared the bejabbers out of some of my neighbors a couple of evenings ago when I went walking with my pack on. I didn't think to much about it until I was right up on them - when they saw this hiker trash-looking dude with a pack on bearing down on them - they though some vagrant was coming through. She let out a kind of startled "oh" and he looked like he was going to crap. When I told them "good evening" and they realized who it was, all was well... their dog took off running toward the house, though...

four weeks.....

Socrates
02-11-2007, 23:40
2 1/2 weeks God, hurry up n get here!

maxNcathy
02-12-2007, 09:47
Thirty three days (ie March 18th) I will be flying south to Atlanta.
On the 19th after breakfast we will be making a beeline from Canton Ga. to Rd 42 and Springer Mountain.
I wonder what the temperature will be.Will it be raining hard or snowing??
Who cares!!

Michele
02-12-2007, 09:52
28 days till my feet are ON Springer (26 before I drive away from this blustery snow-covered state!!!) Can't wait...can't wait...can't wait!!!!

Ronin
02-12-2007, 10:21
Hey everyone. Yes, the excitement is building! I've still got seven weeks before I leave for ATL, but I'll be BUSY in the meantime. That should take my mind off the Trail...YEAH RIGHT! :)

Blissful
02-12-2007, 11:47
17 days until we drive down to GA. 18 days to hit the Approach trail. I have family up this week to check out what we're doing. :)

MrHappy
02-12-2007, 12:49
I'm back in the same boat as all of you guys now. Started on Jan 15th, and finally decided to come home for a break when I got to Fontana. I will be heading back to the trail as soon as possible, and I can't wait. I think I will be more excited this time than I was a month ago, if that's even possible.

Earl Grey
02-12-2007, 17:15
I'm back in the same boat as all of you guys now. Started on Jan 15th, and finally decided to come home for a break when I got to Fontana. I will be heading back to the trail as soon as possible, and I can't wait. I think I will be more excited this time than I was a month ago, if that's even possible.

Sorry to hear that. Ive been reading about your journey and if youre around Harpers Ferry in May i'll roll with you. I see the same ambitions as you do in myself because I do the exact same thing. "let me just make it to this next town here" and blah blah but that got me into trouble one time and I got dehydrated which sucked. So now I go slower and dont care if I make it to the next <insert location here>. Also I carry 3L all the time dont care how much it weighs, dehydration is crap as I can imagine hypothermia is too.

K0OPG
02-13-2007, 12:58
Leave of absence starts on 20 March, drive to HF, spend night and start hiking south on 21st with another whiteblazer.

Nervous, scared of the unknown, excited, pumped, worried about wife and home, bills are taken care of, homesick and I haven't left yet and my son joined the Marines and I have to be back for his graduation from bootcamp. OOHRAH!!!

Well see how it goes.

Whistler
02-14-2007, 00:33
I'm getting antsy. I was originally planning late May, then bumped it to early May, and now I'm thinking mid-April-ish. I just need to get grad school acceptances sorted out first.

Patience, patience.
-Mark

Blissful
02-15-2007, 22:41
Well, 14 days 'til the Approach Trail.

I found out I have to remake our peanut butter trail goodies after learning I might have used tainted PB a few weeks back. I have to throw out several lbs worth that were to go in mail drops. oh, well. better that than Salmonella. Plan to get good PB this time.

rafe
02-15-2007, 22:48
I found out I have to remake our peanut butter trail goodies after learning I might have used tainted PB a few weeks back. I have to throw out several lbs worth that were to go in mail drops. oh, well. better that than Salmonella. Plan to get good PB this time.

That'll teach ya to shop at Wally World. ;)

VictoriaM
02-15-2007, 23:43
I think it just hit me, and I'm starting to panic. Well, not really panic, but I'm seeing how much work I still have to do before I can go, and it's a bit overwhelming. It's also really starting to sink in that I'm leaving my husband for six months. Am I crazy, doing something like this? Eh...probably. Oh, well.

BirchBark
02-15-2007, 23:52
Hi everybody-

I hope to meet you all (at least some of you!) this spring/summer/fall. I'm hoppin' on a train to Atlanta once this winter nasty abates.

No schedules, no headaches.
See you there!

Blissful
02-16-2007, 00:13
Am I crazy, doing something like this? Eh...probably. Oh, well.

I went through that phase. Then I realized this is for real, so I began to settle down and get my act together. But I am still far behind in mail drops, doing last minute things, etc. And I have all this family visiting right now, which is great but makes getting ready more of a challenge.

Blissful
02-16-2007, 00:17
That'll teach ya to shop at Wally World. ;)

Yeah, actually it was the Peter Pan brand at my neighborhood market, but same junk as Wally World, come to find out (ugh). I did want to buy the natural stuff, but it would have been pretty expensive for all these trail bars I have to make. I need the happy medium.

rafe
02-16-2007, 00:37
Yeah, actually it was the Peter Pan brand at my neighborhood market, but same junk as Wally World, come to find out (ugh). I did want to buy the natural stuff, but it would have been pretty expensive for all these trail bars I have to make. I need the happy medium.

I had a scare after that post and ran to the pantry to check the lot number on my jar of PB. It's the generic brand from a local chain supermarket. Who knows where it comes from... but I guess it's OK. My wife only eats the fancy organic stuff. I'll happily shop at Costco or BJ's but not Wally World, except for emergencies.

WhoAh
02-16-2007, 00:47
It's also really starting to sink in that I'm leaving my husband for six months.

Leaving my wife of 22 years for six months is something that I have been wrestling with - I know this will be difficult for me but really hard on my wife. I think I have mentioned this on another thread somewhere - I will owe her really, really big time when my journey is done... Longest we have ever been separated is for 3 weeks when I went to Thailand about 15 years ago.


Am I crazy, doing something like this? Eh...probably. Oh, well.

I think that is a shared affliction...

23 and a wake-up...

maxNcathy
02-16-2007, 09:24
Hi EveryOne!
Flying south a month from tomorrow.

Where do you guys plan to spend the first 5 nights on the trail?
It seems that after Gooch Gap shelter there is no place to camp for quite a long ways. Is that so?
I wonder if I will stay somewhere at Neels gap or camp on both sides of the Gap.It does not really matter as I have enough $ and am very flexible as to where I go each day.

Sandalwood

PS Blissful, I enjoyed reading your journal.

rafe
02-16-2007, 09:36
It seems that after Gooch Gap shelter there is no place to camp for quite a long ways. Is that so?

Good camping right next to Justus stream. I think that was my 2nd night out from Springer. Jarrard Gap also (south of Blood Mtn.) In fact I don't recall using any shelters between Springer and Neels Gap, except the very first night at Stover Creek shelter.

maxNcathy
02-16-2007, 09:47
TT, was there a campsite on the Trail at Jarrard Gap or do you need to hike down a road to get to a private campground? Thanks, Sandalwood

maxNcathy
02-16-2007, 09:50
Good camping right next to Justus stream. I think that was my 2nd night out from Springer. Jarrard Gap also (south of Blood Mtn.) In fact I don't recall using any shelters between Springer and Neels Gap, except the very first night at Stover Creek shelter.

TT, Did you stay at Neels Gap or just pass through?

maxNcathy
02-16-2007, 10:03
Any Survivor fans?? Looks like I will rent a place with a tv so I can watch the show on Thursday at 8 pm.

rafe
02-16-2007, 10:03
TT, Did you stay at Neels Gap or just pass through?

Stayed the night. Good eats. That was also my first meeting with Wingfoot. The night before had been a cold one, camped on a ridge somewhere south of Blood Mtn. Brrr. The day I left Neels I camped again, somewhere near Low Gap, as I recall. Easy camping in GA.

maxNcathy
02-16-2007, 10:19
Stayed the night. Good eats. That was also my first meeting with Wingfoot. The night before had been a cold one, camped on a ridge somewhere south of Blood Mtn. Brrr. The day I left Neels I camped again, somewhere near Low Gap, as I recall. Easy camping in GA.

TT, Where did you stay at Neels Gap? Did they have a tv? What time of year was it? were you cold in your sleeping bag on the ridge south of Blood Mt? What rating of bag did you have then? Were you in a tent? Did you ever get knee problems?

Jim Adams
02-16-2007, 10:28
SPRINGER FEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:banana:banana

If you think it is bad now, wait til it hits in the post-hike years!! It is killing me right now and I am not even going to Springer!!

I am excited for all of you! I hope your hike is all it is meant to be and the GREATEST ADVENTURE YOU'VE EVER HAD!!

See you in Hot Springs!!
Sunny aka Sunrise ga-me 02 :sun

EVERY YEAR!:D
geek

rafe
02-16-2007, 10:40
TT, Where did you stay at Neels Gap? Did they have a tv? What time of year was it? were you cold in your sleeping bag on the ridge south of Blood Mt? What rating of bag did you have then? Were you in a tent? Did you ever get knee problems?

Stayed at Walasi-Yi, of course. :) It was early April. If there was a TV, I missed it. I had some generic down bag from Hermans (a sporting-goods chain.) Warm enough except for one or two nights (eg. at Muskrat Creek shelter.) No knee problems, I have short stubby legs and I ski and hike alot. I was warm in my tent & bag on that night on the ridge near Jarrard Gap... but the wind was howling. My tent was covered with frozen rain in the morning & my water bottles were frozen solid. No big deal, except for the midnight nature break. ;)

maxNcathy
02-16-2007, 10:47
Thanks TT. Now I am off on my Yamaha snowmobile for a ride on the trails..22F and fresh snow.

MrHappy
02-16-2007, 12:07
There is a TV at Walasi-Yi but no cable... just a VCR and an eclectic collection of tapes. I know that if you are in a group of three or more, there are cabins for rent near Neels Gap. Don't know if they have TV.

There are several campsites between Gooch Gap Shelter and Woods Hole Shelter (12.something miles). Alternatively, you could go into Suches, GA from Woody Gap (5.0 miles from Gooch Gap Shelter) OR you could get a shuttle back to the Hiker Hostel in Dahlongega. If you're in need of a break or a short day, that might not be a bad idea. However, it's not a terribly difficult day from Gooch Gap Sh. to Woods Hole Sh.

maxNcathy
02-16-2007, 12:27
There is a TV at Walasi-Yi but no cable... just a VCR and an eclectic collection of tapes. I know that if you are in a group of three or more, there are cabins for rent near Neels Gap. Don't know if they have TV.

There are several campsites between Gooch Gap Shelter and Woods Hole Shelter (12.something miles). Alternatively, you could go into Suches, GA from Woody Gap (5.0 miles from Gooch Gap Shelter) OR you could get a shuttle back to the Hiker Hostel in Dahlongega. If you're in need of a break or a short day, that might not be a bad idea. However, it's not a terribly difficult day from Gooch Gap Sh. to Woods Hole Sh.

Thanks, Mr Happy.

Sandalwood

maxNcathy
02-16-2007, 16:44
Hey, I have a very important question. Are any of you fans of Survivor and starting north on or near March 19th? Want to share a room with cable TV on Thursday, March 22 at/near Neels Gap?

Sandalwood

Lone Wolf
02-16-2007, 16:56
Hey, I have a very important question. Are any of you fans of Survivor and starting north on or near March 19th? Want to share a room with cable TV on Thursday, March 22 at/near Neels Gap?

Sandalwood

Your best bet will be to get a hitch or shuttle to Blairsville, about 15 miles from Neel Gap. There's a few motels and good restaurants there.

maxNcathy
02-16-2007, 17:12
Your best bet will be to get a hitch or shuttle to Blairsville, about 15 miles from Neel Gap. There's a few motels and good restaurants there.

Thanks, Lone Wolf. I will do that and maybe I will meet someone to share the cost of a room who will be okay with my watching Survivor on the TV for an hour.
Does the Outfitter there do shuttles to Blairsville?

Lone Wolf
02-16-2007, 17:14
Thanks, Lone Wolf. I will do that and maybe I will meet someone to share the cost of a room who will be okay with my watching Survivor on the TV for an hour.
Does the Outfitter there do shuttles to Blairsville?

yes and last year at least they ran a nightly shuttle to an all-you-can-eat buffet in blairsville.

maxNcathy
02-16-2007, 17:27
yes and last year at least they ran a nightly shuttle to an all-you-can-eat buffet in blairsville.

That sounds great! Thanks.

:banana

rafe
02-16-2007, 17:44
You guys crack me up. Yer hikin' the AT but gotta get to a motel to watch "Survivor." LOL. :rolleyes:

maxNcathy
02-16-2007, 19:49
You guys crack me up. Yer hikin' the AT but gotta get to a motel to watch "Survivor." LOL. :rolleyes:

Hey, watch yer mouth, Bro. or you could be voted off next tribal council.

hahaha

Socrates
02-16-2007, 23:03
I'm leaving in less than 2 weeks now. The anticipation is building and I'd say that in about a week, I'll be ready to burst. It's almost like when I turned 18 and went to my first strip club with friends... Nervous on the interstate, nervous walking in the door to the dark crowd and loud music, and then I settled in quite nicely!

mindi
02-17-2007, 00:11
Victoria, I know what you're feeling! Check out my journal...it's under Melinda right now. Full-on freaking out at the moment.

swatcat
02-18-2007, 01:03
Oh man, I too am nervous about getting everything done. I think in all the prep I'm forgetting the hike! I'm also nervous because for me this hike is about a time of letting go (of job, friends, home, etc.), and seeing what the next season of life is. I don't know how I will change after walking in the woods for 5 months (besides the smell). I'm just focusing on being open.

I got my maps and guides today though, and that was super exciting. I don't know if I will be sick of contour maps at some point, but today they were the bomb!

chicote
02-18-2007, 10:25
Last night my wife and I packed up almost all of the gear we will be taking. We were supposed to go to a movie but then we just started fussing with our stuff. We have almost everything except for some extra batteries and the food and fuel for the first stretch. We're getting all that today. Hopefully our gear will stay at under 30 pounds (Kelly is at 19.5 w/o water and food and I'm at 23). We're pretty excited. My in-laws are throwing us a little "wish you well" party next weekend and we're gonna bring our gear to show our family and friends what kind of mess we are going to get into.

MrHappy
02-18-2007, 10:33
If you're at 23 without food or water, you'll probably be over 30... A litre of water weighs 2lbs.

Blissful
02-18-2007, 19:01
I'm getting nervous. I have a ton of stuff left to do - and my editor plopped a book to edit in my lap on my last full week. Great. Thank goodness my wonderfully excellent hubby is getting the food drops together or I would be really in bad shape.

Frolicking Dinosaurs
02-18-2007, 19:40
Just dropping by your thread to say I've added you guys to my prayers.

Michele
02-18-2007, 19:49
3 weeks from right now...I'm at the Hiker Hostel!!! :banana :banana :banana

WhoAh
02-18-2007, 20:21
3 weeks from right now...I'm at the Hiker Hostel!!!

'Bout the same. I will head up on the 10th to the HH, get shuttled up to Springer on the 11th for a day of goofing off and then start North on the 12th.

Stonewall
02-18-2007, 23:13
Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round heads in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. You can quote them. Disagree with them. Glorify or vilify them. But the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. An while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.


Though I can't take credit for it. This is to all of us, the Class of 07, for the past, present, and future hikers. I have 4 months to go today, and I am anxious as anything I still have a good amount of stuff to get together but everything is comming togther as well as can be expected. I'll see you all on the flip side that are NOBO's as all be making my journey SOBO.

Paul Bunyan
02-18-2007, 23:21
I myself are getting syked, only 10 days to go.

Blissful
02-19-2007, 01:25
Just dropping by your thread to say I've added you guys to my prayers.

Thank you SO much, FD!!! Do dinos like hugs? :)

maxNcathy
02-19-2007, 09:04
Exactly 4 weeks from this morning we will be recording smiles around the plaque on Springer Mountain!
I wonder how many will be going north from Springer on March 19th.

Survivor Dave
02-19-2007, 09:32
Well, by this time tomorrow morning, I will be paying my check at Amicalola Falls Lodge for the Breakfast Buffet, and then it's off to Kataaaaahdin!

It has been 2 years in the planning,and 33 years of dreaming.
No more waiting, no more excuses.....It's time to point the boots North and live a little.



Hope to see all you crazy folk out there. Keep me posted about the sane hikers so I can keep away from them!:eek:


Best of luck to you all and I'll see you when I see you.


Hike like hell,

Big Maguro



Exactly 4 weeks from this morning we will be recording smiles around the plaque on Springer Mountain!
I wonder how many will be going north from Springer on March 19th.

fonsie
02-19-2007, 10:32
Well after doing my calculations, I want to go to trail days. If I started the 28 of march I would pass it up. Im going to start in Harpers Ferry right after trail dails and head to Main. Then Flipflop and go from Harpers Ferry to Georgia. I figure I would have more money and be in shape bye the time I hit the big hills up north. MD, PA, New Jersey seems pretty flat. Besides I been spending to much money lately. I will meet up with all the North bounders in a few months. I am so wanting to do this.

Wonder
02-19-2007, 10:39
Feeling Great!!!! Heading towards Franklin tomorrow!!!! Gotta get there for my b-day!!! Catch everyone on the trail!!!

Frolicking Dinosaurs
02-19-2007, 11:25
Thank you SO much, FD!!! Do dinos like hugs? :)Dinos love hugs !!!

Mountain Man
02-20-2007, 01:40
Less than 9 hours I'll be headed up the Approach Trail. Still need to get in there and load my pack. Oh well, I guess I won't get much sleep tonight, but it will make for some good sleeping tomorrow night on the trail. Thanks to all on WhiteBlaze for all the Info. and most of all the hours and hours of entertainment. :) It made things a lot more bearable while living and working at the Len Foote Hike Inn and being away from my family so much. Made a lot of good friends from WhiteBlaze. Hope to meet a lot more of yall out on the trail this year. Thanks to Sgt. Rock, Dixie Critter, and Attroll for the best Trail related site out there. I'm feeling good and ready to do some hiking. Class of 07 I'll see yall out there, and good luck.

WhoAh
02-20-2007, 02:50
Good luck Mountain Man - hope the cold weather breaks for you and makes for some good hiking. I won't start for another 19 days (19!!) but hope to run into you on the Trail.

Skidsteer
02-20-2007, 07:35
Less than 9 hours I'll be headed up the Approach Trail. Still need to get in there and load my pack. Oh well, I guess I won't get much sleep tonight, but it will make for some good sleeping tomorrow night on the trail. Thanks to all on WhiteBlaze for all the Info. and most of all the hours and hours of entertainment. :) It made things a lot more bearable while living and working at the Len Foote Hike Inn and being away from my family so much. Made a lot of good friends from WhiteBlaze. Hope to meet a lot more of yall out on the trail this year. Thanks to Sgt. Rock, Dixie Critter, and Attroll for the best Trail related site out there. I'm feeling good and ready to do some hiking. Class of 07 I'll see yall out there, and good luck.

Good hiking Mountain Man!

Any general idea or plan for where you'll be Friday and Sat. night? If I get back in time, I may try to catch up with you.

Survivor Dave
02-20-2007, 08:07
YEAH! YEAH! YEAH!

I'm so outta here I can't stand it anymore. Im off to Maine. NOW!

A 33 year childhood dream is coming true!:sun

WOO HOO!


Hike like hell!

See you on the Trail,



Big Maguro

Skidsteer
02-20-2007, 08:10
Have a good hike, Big Maguro!

peanuts
02-20-2007, 10:45
mountain man and big maguro.....have a great hike! wish i was there to see you guys off! be careful:)

HapKiDo
02-20-2007, 19:35
I have decided not to Thru Hike in 2007 for at least a couple reasons. 1- is that I adopted a second dog, part golden-shep-lab-&-54-others. I'm going to train her as a Trail Dog and take her on some 15 to 20 day Section Hikes this year. Next year I've planned a 3 month hike from Harpers Ferry north starting in mid June (that is if #2 doesn't detain me). 2- Politics. I don't think I could stand being away from the political scene for six months straight. I think that 2008 will be the year of the "third party" and I want to be in the middle of it. (I was a Goldwater Girl in High School. So was HRC. I find that deliciously personally hilarious.)

Another partial reason is that after I collected all my gear, I suddenly lost interest. Pooof, just like that. I don't know if the "journey was in the planning" or exactly what happened, but I lost interest after I had my pack ready. I just didn't want to pack up my belongings, put them in a storage facility and become homeless.

I will be assisting a few Thru Hikers as they come through Georgia. Once a TrailAngel, always a TrailAngel. :D (They used to say that of us Republican Goldwater Girls, too.)

:eek:

Socrates
02-21-2007, 00:11
Doing the approach on Saturday. Sped things up cause I'm bored.

maxNcathy
02-21-2007, 09:15
Doing the approach on Saturday. Sped things up cause I'm bored.

Socrates, how far do you think you will go? Do you feel strong and determined?Remember what the veterans try to tell us: Go easy the first 10 days or more to help prevent injuries and severe pain.Will you have a pack weight below 30 pounds? One good thing, we can all make adjustments to our gear at the Outfitter at Neels Gap if we choose to.
Keep well and happy hiking!!
Let us know how you like it as you go along. I leave March 19th so you will be miles ahead but I will look for your shelter journal entries.Leave advice for me and other newbies in the journals.
Sandalwood

Socrates
02-21-2007, 09:58
Socrates, how far do you think you will go? Do you feel strong and determined?Remember what the veterans try to tell us: Go easy the first 10 days or more to help prevent injuries and severe pain.Will you have a pack weight below 30 pounds?

Hmm I feel physically adequate and determined as come hell or high water. Wet, blistered, tired, and/or limping on one foot, I'm going up Katahdin. Taking it easy will be my middle name when I first get out there. There's no rush. I'm a professional procrastinator, but I come through when it counts. And a pack weight below 30 pounds? I laughed so hard, I think I farted. No no, I just weighed it with EVERYTHING packed and I came in right at 40 pounds. That included more than enough food for 4 or 5 days (Which I know is too much.) I'm bringing extra tasties and sharing it with whoever might like to have some until I make it to my first town and then it will be more strict planning. Also included 3 water bottles and a miniature box of Merlot wine equal to about 1 and 1/3 bottles that I plan to have my first night and also share. If not, I'll be fine to consume it on my own. But the pack feels fine on me so no complaints. Minus the wine and extra food, I should be pretty good. And yes, I wll always leave something in the books. I love to write and I love to help!

Blissful
02-21-2007, 15:12
We leave in, get this...7 DAYS for the drive from our home in VA to the Hiker Hostel. Yippee for warm weather - hope that means the snow and ice will be mostly gone on the trail.

Doesn't seem possible (esp with everything we have left to do, ugh)

Socrates
02-22-2007, 04:18
We leave in, get this...7 DAYS for the drive from our home in VA to the Hiker Hostel. Doesn't seem possible (esp with everything we have left to do, ugh)

I look foward to meeting soon then! I hear ya on things left to do. Like I've said, I'm a procrastinator so in the morning, I'm gonna be running around like a freak for this weekend... Cleaning out the truck, returning items, mailing letters, making calls, perfecting my ipod list, etc...

maxNcathy
02-22-2007, 19:11
We leave in, get this...7 DAYS for the drive from our home in VA to the Hiker Hostel. Yippee for warm weather - hope that means the snow and ice will be mostly gone on the trail.

Doesn't seem possible (esp with everything we have left to do, ugh)

Wow, your big adventure is getting really close. I hope the weather is not too crazy for you guys. Have fun!!

Sandalwood

Third Times A Charm
02-22-2007, 19:39
Food packages made up, train ticket bought, can wait to get away from the Rocky Mountain snow machine. Arrive 3/3 or 3/4 depending on Amtrak. Need to arrange shuttle from Gainesville to FS 42. I have hiked the approach trail 3 times.

Spock
02-22-2007, 20:29
Antsy. Doing last minute stuff. Stuck here for 2-3 weeks. Then...Oh, Boy!

skyhiker2
02-23-2007, 21:21
Waiting to leave to hike the At.. Is the same feeling I had when I was a kid waiting for X-mas.....

HapKiDo
02-24-2007, 16:24
:sun I went back to the drawing board (well, actually the "financial board") and I can hike in 2007!!! It just won't be a Thru Hike. I can afford a "halfahike" this year, starting somewhere around Maryland/West Virginia and hiking South to Springer.

Most of y'all will have already passed by that area before I start in mid-summer, but maybe I'll see a few SoBos.

:sun Next year I'll complete the other half of the hike and then I'll do a Thru in 2009 (when I really DO become homeless).

Yeeeeeeehhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaa, cough, cough, gasp.
HapKiDo
keeeeeeeeyop!

maxNcathy
02-27-2007, 22:45
February always seems to be a bad month for me. I think that SAD (seasonal adjustment disorder) gets me every year. So I will be glad when March comes along with more daylight and sunshine and more outside fresh air as I hike in the mountains on the AT..March 19th start for me.

Got all my gear and more...trying to decide today if I can leave my long johns at home.

Sandalwood

rafe
02-27-2007, 22:49
Got all my gear and more...trying to decide today if I can leave my long johns at home.

That's the one item I'd never hike without. Not. Ever.

Marta
02-27-2007, 22:50
That's the one item I'd never hike without. Not. Ever.

Ditto what he said.

Marta/Five-Leaf

maxNcathy
02-27-2007, 22:56
That's the one item I'd never hike without. Not. Ever.

Do I see you wearing red long johns for hiking?

rafe
02-27-2007, 22:58
Do I see you wearing red long johns for hiking?

Well, these days they're not red... but yeah, the photo's no lie. Shorts and long johns... for sure, in cool or wet weather.

maxNcathy
03-03-2007, 13:54
Two weeks from today I will be in the air flying to Georgia.
WoooHooo!

I wonder what the coldest temps will be from Springer to Damascus. Do I REALLY need wind pants and long johns, that is the question.

Ronin
03-03-2007, 14:05
Apparently, yes, you do. Better safe than sorry - you can always ship stuff home if you find that you don't need them. I'm leaving on March 31 and I'll have long johns and nylon hiking pants with me. Cheers!

rafe
03-03-2007, 16:22
Two weeks from today I will be in the air flying to Georgia. I wonder what the coldest temps will be from Springer to Damascus. Do I REALLY need wind pants and long johns, that is the question.

You leave the long johns behind, you'll freeze your arse off. And it'll serve you right, 'cuz you've been warned. :D

ed bell
03-03-2007, 16:31
I've usually got long johns in my pack through May. No way I would leave them home anytime before then.

maxNcathy
03-08-2007, 09:08
Anyone deciding to go earlier or later or postponing your hike to next year?
Ten days until I fly south.

Sandalwood

doggiebag
03-08-2007, 09:28
Decided to drive down to Atlanta from the Baltimore/DC area then a Unitaxi to Amicalola Falls. Got some good one way car rental quotes from expedia.com - roughly a 10 hour drive. I'm leaving on the first day of spring. Anyone interested in a ride just PM me just help with fuel and wheel time.

Regards,
M

RobKimball
03-08-2007, 13:39
Got my reservation and train ticket... Getting on Amtrak Saturday March 31, riding overnight to Gainesville, staying at Amicalola Falls lodge for Sunday night and leaving first thing Monday morning!

Gear's set, legs are loose, now I just need to swing a hammer on a job site for 3 more weeks and I am gone!

antonweir
03-08-2007, 15:23
Well, it's time. I'm catching the Greyhound first thing in the morning for the 22 hr ride to Atlanta. To ease the shock, I've rented a car to take a five-day minitour of western GA and easter AL.
Hope to set off from Amicalola Falls SP on March 16th.
I don't think I've every really felt nervous about backpacking before. The AT, though, does have me drinking way too much coffee and staring at my gear. Will that really be my house for the next four or so months?
Guess I ought to take a rosary....

AW

Mrs Baggins
03-08-2007, 15:38
We're leaving for GA on Amtrak from DC on the 13th and setting off on Springer on the 15th. :eek:SCARED OUT OF MY MIND! But then I'm the designated worrier in the family! Husband is perfectly calm while I lay awake nights thinking about lightning storms, bears, rattlesnakes (I have come across them on the AT at close range), creepy people, my pack weight (24 lbs w/o food and water)....................we've done section hikes overnight but nothing like this. Wrapping up the last of the loose ends now. :D

maxNcathy
03-08-2007, 15:39
Well, it's time. I'm catching the Greyhound first thing in the morning for the 22 hr ride to Atlanta.


Guess I ought to take a rosary....

AW

NO need to carry the rosary mass. God is with You and he is really LIGHT.

Sandalwood

TOW
03-08-2007, 16:17
Anyone hear if the ATServants have started yet, Craig and Suzy Branch?

mindi
03-08-2007, 20:22
Miss Baggins..I feel your pain! Someone suggested on my trailjournal that my trailname should be 'Worrywart'.

I loaded up the EMS pack that I decided to switch to today and walked up and down the hill with it. It's not balanced quite right but I imagine I'll get it adjusted better in time. It's almost as tall as I am..the hardest part is getting it on.

30 pounds with food and fuel (without water) and it feels like about 300. I should have gotten in better shape!

IT'S ALMOST TIME I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!!

Fannypack
03-08-2007, 21:48
Miss Baggins..I feel your pain! Someone suggested on my trailjournal that my trailname should be 'Worrywart'.

sounds good to me

Calmwater
03-09-2007, 00:02
Like doggiebag posted, I was considering renting a car, if anyone wants to split the cost let me know. I'm in Pennsylvania and will be leaving in mid April.

Trailwind
03-09-2007, 00:40
Two weeks from today I will be in the air flying to Georgia.
WoooHooo!

I wonder what the coldest temps will be from Springer to Damascus. Do I REALLY need wind pants and long johns, that is the question.
Based on previous years you should expect temperatures to get down close to 0 F for a couple of nights. Probably below freezing for quite a few nights into the next month and a half. There will be a fair share of warm days, wet days, dry days...plan for them all.

eric_plano
03-09-2007, 01:20
I'm out of a job next Friday and on the trail on April 11th. It still doesn't seem real :D

Michele
03-09-2007, 02:12
I'm driving to Georgia THIS saturday and my feet will be on Springer THIS monday! (where's my barf bag!?) LOL I go between total excitement and nervousness, but I know all will be well once I get to the trail. I feel like I used to feel when I would audition for honor bands as a kid!

blake
03-09-2007, 02:44
Just got my reservations for Baxter State Park for July 1 -3. Camping for a couple of days with friends, then I think I'll walk to GA. Practice hikes in grand canyon in two weeks too. I love life.

Mrs Baggins
03-09-2007, 06:41
"I loaded up the EMS pack that I decided to switch to today and walked up and down the hill with it. It's not balanced quite right but I imagine I'll get it adjusted better in time. It's almost as tall as I am..the hardest part is getting it on."

I'm carrying a Gregory Diva - it's so well balanced that it doesn't seem to get any heavier feeling no matter what I put in it. But since I'm only 4' 10" I get the "almost as tall as I am" !!! The pack feels great but then I look in a mirror and it looks HUGE on me!! :D

maxNcathy
03-09-2007, 08:57
Based on previous years you should expect temperatures to get down close to 0 F for a couple of nights. Probably below freezing for quite a few nights into the next month and a half. There will be a fair share of warm days, wet days, dry days...plan for them all.

Thanks, Trailwind. Lately I have been wondering if I should take my 10F sleeping bag or my 20F sleeping bag which is 9 oz lighter.Today i lean towards the warmer one.

maxNcathy
03-09-2007, 09:04
"I loaded up the EMS pack that I decided to switch to today and walked up and down the hill with it. It's not balanced quite right but I imagine I'll get it adjusted better in time. It's almost as tall as I am..the hardest part is getting it on."

I'm carrying a Gregory Diva - it's so well balanced that it doesn't seem to get any heavier feeling no matter what I put in it. But since I'm only 4' 10" I get the "almost as tall as I am" !!! The pack feels great but then I look in a mirror and it looks HUGE on me!! :D

MB, Hi Go with comfort and don't worry about mirrors. Thankfully there are not many along the trail...
...should I bring shampoo or just concentrated all purpose liquid laundry soap to keep me shiny and clean and smelling purty???

Sandalwood

MrHappy
03-09-2007, 11:43
Sandalwood/MaxNCathy... I have a ten degree bag and I've been sweating bullets at night since coming back last week. If you're worried about being cold, I'd reccommend the 20 degree bag with a silk liner. The liner is very comfortable and will keep you warm or cool depending on the weather.

WhoAh
03-09-2007, 17:47
OK... last post for a while. Putting the laptop in storage and getting my pack ready to hit the airport in the morning. Will be up on Springer Sunday.

I AM PSYCHED!! Ready to get this little walk in the park going!! See ya'll out there!

maxNcathy
03-10-2007, 20:26
Sandalwood/MaxNCathy... I have a ten degree bag and I've been sweating bullets at night since coming back last week. If you're worried about being cold, I'd reccommend the 20 degree bag with a silk liner. The liner is very comfortable and will keep you warm or cool depending on the weather.

Thanks for info Mr Happy. Now I am leaning towards the 20F bag and wearing more clothes during colder nights.
Keep well and ENJOY each day on the Trail.
Thanks again my friend, Max

maxNcathy
03-10-2007, 20:28
OK... last post for a while. Putting the laptop in storage and getting my pack ready to hit the airport in the morning. Will be up on Springer Sunday.

I AM PSYCHED!! Ready to get this little walk in the park going!! See ya'll out there!

I am jealous! Have a wonderful time.
I have to wait till the 19th to start so won't get to see you unless you take lots of zero days.
Have a super time, max

vaporjourney
03-12-2007, 11:52
I am getting slightly nervous for my trip that will start at the Approach Trail on the 17th. I've been busy modifying some gear, and am waiting for a new rain jacket (Golite) to arrive any day now. Some logistical hurdles are bothering me, those mainly being small resupplies of yerba mate and protein shakes, and where to send them. Trying not to plan too much though because I'm sure most plans will go out the window within a couple of weeks. I've moved back to GA to stay with my parents until I depart. It's been nice not having to go to work the past 3 weeks, but all of the sitting around makes me want to hit the trail even more. The beautiful, warm weather, coupled with the daylight savings time has me feeling great about the start of the hike. Really can't wait, but definitely nervous, and even slightly confident about the trip ahead. Have also been worried about the trail being way too crowded, and have even contemplated starting a few days earlier to avoid the weekend starters, but probably won't.

I'm a pretty shy guy, but can't wait to meet some great people on the trail.

maxNcathy
03-17-2007, 12:29
Today, I am EXCITED. Tomorrow I land in Atlanta at 335 PM and will set foot on the AT Monday morning.

I may see some of You.

Sandalwood