My gf and I are pretty brand new to the hiking scene. We are currently in the process of getting our gear together, and doing some local hikes around our home town, just to get a feel and hopefuly to get broke in ourselves. In September we are planning to break into the AT starting at Amicalola State Park. We are planning on getting there on a Thursday night so that we can wake up bright and early Friday morning and begin the approach trail. We will hike till Tuesday when we will sadly have to return to our cars and return home so we can work again Wednesday. So, any advice? How will the weather be? How about parking our car at the park? Can we set up our tent at the Park for the night before we set out to hike? Is there a place to get breakfast? How about the cost of these things from the park, from parking to eating, to setting up a tent (if allowed?) Also, how about the hike? We want to finish up at Neels Gap on Tuesday, does that sound reasonable? And how about getting back? Are there people around or do we have to seek someone out to give us a hitch back to Amicalola State Park? We have been reading through lots of forums, books, magazines, whatever we can get, but I know theres a difference, so this is our plans, and any advice from someone thats been there would be awsome!! We also have the AT data book (coming in the mail) and i plan on purchasing a Thru hike companion guide. Also, how about gear? I am carrying a Kelty Red Cloud 5600 pack and my gf has a Kelty 4500 womens coyote pack. We both have 20 degree North Face sleeping bags, a kelty Grand Mesa 2 tent. We are getting an MSR superfly cannister stove, and the MSR blacklite cook set. I am hiking in Timberland Chocurua boots, and she has the Timberlan euro hiker boots. How about waterproofing these boots, and recomendations for a particular type of h20proofer? There are so many questions we have, so any help would again, be awsome.