help please? =\

[Lonely-Wolf]

i have a few questions to ask about the trail, and im not very good at using this site. if anyone is willing to listen to and help me. please add me on messenger. (im not some creepy person wanting adds). my addy is [email protected]. thanks.

[Gray Blazer]

Go ahead and ask your questions here. Just ignore the flamers.

[Lonely-Wolf]

okay now im curiouse,
thirty hundred post? what does that mean?
and what are flamers?
how long does it take to do the trail?
how long is the trail?
im planing to go over just to do the trail, just to have done it.
im one of those 'yes i have done that' people.
i only came across this site by mistake and
wanted to see what it was about know im really into doing the trial XD
and about another hundred questions
dont want to bombard you all at once.
thanks
and me a registered moron or someone else?
moron means carrot :P thought id say that for a random moment

[Lilred]

First of all..... to Whiteblaze.

The trail is 2175 miles long, from Georgia to Maine. It takes an average of 5 months to do it all.

Flamers are people who, for whatever reason, find the internet a fun place to cause trouble. ignore them.

If you go to the home page here, you will find, on the left hand side, a box that says 'Articles'. Lots of great information there. I'd start with that. Also, read the thru-hikers papers, found at this link....

http://www.spiriteaglehome.com/THP%20top.html

good luck, and the research and planning are half the fun... keep us posted.

[Plodderman]

Welcome to Whiteblaze and it will come to you the same way everyone else figured it out - by trial and error.

[Gray Blazer]

okay now im curiouse,
thirty hundred post? what does that mean?
and what are flamers?
how long does it take to do the trail?
how long is the trail?
im planing to go over just to do the trail, just to have done it.
im one of those 'yes i have done that' people.
i only came across this site by mistake and
wanted to see what it was about know im really into doing the trial XD
and about another hundred questions
dont want to bombard you all at once.
thanks
and me a registered moron or someone else?
moron means carrot :P thought id say that for a random moment

There was a saying in the 60's...Don't trust anyone over thirty. My signature is a play on that. All the stuff at the bottom of my post is my signature. You can make your own signature (go to user CP). I don't know if you are a moron (that's me). I only know you are Welsh (that's good, right?
BTW, keep asking questions. There are a lot of really smart people on this website.

[Panzer1]

how long does it take to do the trail?

I'll take this one, It depends on a lot of factors. The easiest answer is to say it will take about 180 days or about 6 months. Some do it faster, some do it slower. Depends on many things like what kind of physical shape you are in, how many days you take off which are called "zero days" when you hike zero miles and how many miles you like to hike in a day.

Panzer

[The Weasel]

Lonely --

This is a friendly website. Ask any question you want, and you'll get answers that are helpful and sharing. We're glad you're here.

The Weasel

[spencerb]

Just take the time to do your research. Get some books on the subject. Appalachiantrail.org can tell you a lot of the answers to your basic questions posed here. Just browse. Ask the friendly folks around here. Go to trailjournals.com and read some journals of people who completed their hikes.

And welcome to white blaze!

[Lonely-Wolf]

thanks so much, yeah tis a friendly site.
being welsh is like being anything else really
yeah went on the wiki and found out abit about the trail.
it looks like alot of fun
thanks for the advice on what to look at.
wanna read the journals. XD
oh i know what you mean by flamers
thanks for the heads-up
what would you say the best season to do the trail in is?
is there like a special time of year when a big group will get together and try to complete the trail or is it 'do it in your time' kinda thing
wierd question i know but thats what i normally do it in :S
thanks again

[Lonely-Wolf]

i've answered most my questions by going on an american search
better info there, just need to plan it out,
its a long trail and will be interesting with the difrent species
of aniamls and the plants. 30odd clubs
thats alot for one trail. :P
trail and error i must agree it is easy once you
figure out were everything is on it, thanks =D

[Gray Blazer]

A lot of people leave from Georgia in March. There will be lots of people at first, but, thinning out later. You will prolly make lots of new friends that you may want to hike with (or not). HYOH (translation....hike your own hike).

[Ox97GaMe]

March to early April is when the big pack of hikers are leaving out of Springer. Sometimes up to 100 per day or more. There are folks that start Jan 1, and I saw some hikers in the Smokies today that started a couple weeks ago.

A lot of hikers that start after May 1 usually end up having to do what is called a Flip-Flop. That is to say they go part way heading north, then jump up to Maine in late summer/early fall and head south to the point where they jumped off. They do this due to the severe weather conditions in Maine and New Hampshire starting around early October. They want to be afar enough south by then to avoid the REALLY harsh weather.

As for season to hike. There are folks on some part of the trail practically every day of the year. Since the trip will take approximately 6 months, you are likely to be hiking in 3 seasons while on the trail. You just dont want to be doing the New England portion of the trail in the winter. Other parts of the trail are manageable for winter hiking.

Your biggest obstacle will likely be with getting your travel papers together. Travel visas are usually only for 3 months. Check with some International thru hikers about all the options for getting the 4, 5, or 6 months you need to hike the trail.