Wanting to hike the AT, couple random questions.

[MannDude]

Hi there,<br><br>Being as i'm new here perhaps I should introduce myself before just jumping right in.&nbsp;<img src="/forum/images/smilies/cool.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Cool" smilieid="7" class="inlineimg"><br><br>For starters, I'm a nature lover and guy who can't get enough of the outdoors who somehow (interestingly enough) started his own company in 2010 and have been, errr, 'stuck inside' and infront of a computer for too damn (can we curse?) long. A previous business venture a year prior to this had me outside working on an orchard, waking up with the sun, digging ditches, choppin' invasive trees, old-school irrigation of a 20+ acre orchard, lifting heavy stuff and being outside for 14+ hrs a day. It was a lot of hard work and I hardly had any help. I've since moved past that venture and I just feel that i've grown 'soft' these past couple years as my primary source of income is work-at-home / IT work / online ventures. It's pretty nice, but just seeing the treetop blowing around outside my 3rd story apartment window isn't enough to satisfy my nature needs.<br><br>I'm also one who, for lack of a better word, 'picks up and moves' when I get the urge too. Several years ago I had the&nbsp;opportunity&nbsp;to move out west to a place i've never even been to, within 3 weeks I was on a plane and lived there for a year. I'm very comfortable with changes of scenery, and I believe that is what i'm in dire need of now!<br><br>Anyhow, I apologize if these are some odd questions.<br><br><br>-Cell Phone coverage? Does it exist and is there a particular carrier that performs better and has better&nbsp;reception&nbsp;on the AT? I know it seems somewhat silly to do the AT yet remain connected in such a manner, but this is more so I can check in on my staff and business as needed (every 1-2 days).<br><br>-Is there internet anywhere along the way? Once again, I know this isn't an office courtyard where wi-fi will be available. But I figured there would be areas along the way that may have a wi-fi hotspot or something for those of us who are torn between modern&nbsp;conveniences&nbsp;and a love for nature. I'll likely be carrying a small / lightweight Netbook or bring along an iPad or something similar. I'll need to check in with some upstream providers once a month and sign off on online invoices once a month. Plus it'd be nice to keep a photo blog of my journey and keep my friends, family, staff, and customers up-to-date in my hiking venture.<br><br>-Uh, is the trail.. how do I put this.. "pot friendly"? I'm a casual smoker even now, but I think that after reaching certain goals along the way that I could consider a joint 'well deserved'. Afterall, this is supposed to be my escape (as much as possible) from my current duties and obligations. My concern here is encountering those along the way who may not be so keen on it. This of course would be done within my own privacy, either inside my tent or outside if no one is around.<br><br>-What's the typical age group of people hiking the trail? I'm 23 and plan on doing this solo, just curious what age of people I will encounter along my way.<br><br><br><br>I'm so excited about this. As a child we used to go to the Smoky Mountains down in Tennessee and I always loved it. I'm certain I can accomplish the entire trail given my love for nature, my ability to work hard under extreme conditions, and my dire need to get the hell out of my apartment and into some woods! Even now, at 23, I walk everywhere. I have a car in the parking lot that hasn't moved in months. I live in a small city and there is no where that I can't walk to (everything is more or less within a 5-7 mile radius of me) and im no stranger to walking. When I was 18 I moved out of my parent's house to live on my own in a place I was renting. I didn't have a car at the time, but I used to have to walk about 4 miles to work in the morning (in the dark) through a narrow path in the woods that connected downtown with the 'hilltop' (Which as you can guess, is uphill). While these are small in comparison to what I know i'll have to do on the trail, I honestly think that 15-20+ miles a day for me would be a non-issue.<br><br>Anyhow, I just kind of wanted to introduce myself to this rather nice looking community and gain some insight from those experienced.<br><br>Got questions? Ask them, i'd be happy to answer them.<br><br>For obvious reason's using a handle on here, I wish my name was 'Dude Van Zandt', i'm merely paying homage to Townes Van Zandt who's been stuck in my head a lot lately.

[MannDude]

Ah, crap.

I went to submit this, and it said I wasn't logged in (I was). So I hit back, make a quick copy of the message so I don't lose it (I hate re-typing messages) and click 'Submit' again, get prompted to login (I do) and this is what got posted. I can't edit it or i'd remove all the added html formatting. If a moderator can replace my message above with the following message, i'd be so happy!

Hi there,
Being as i'm new here perhaps I should introduce myself before just jumping right in.

For starters, I'm a nature lover and guy who can't get enough of the outdoors who somehow (interestingly enough) started his own company in 2010 and have been, errr, 'stuck inside' and infront of a computer for too damn (can we curse?) long. A previous business venture a year prior to this had me outside working on an orchard, waking up with the sun, digging ditches, choppin' invasive trees, old-school irrigation of a 20+ acre orchard, lifting heavy stuff and being outside for 14+ hrs a day. It was a lot of hard work and I hardly had any help. I've since moved past that venture and I just feel that i've grown 'soft' these past couple years as my primary source of income is work-at-home / IT work / online ventures. It's pretty nice, but just seeing the treetop blowing around outside my 3rd story apartment window isn't enough to satisfy my nature needs.

I'm also one who, for lack of a better word, 'picks up and moves' when I get the urge too. Several years ago I had the 'opportunity' to move out west to a place i've never even been to, within 3 weeks I was on a plane and lived there for a year. I'm very comfortable with changes of scenery, and I believe that is what i'm in dire need of now!

Anyhow, I apologize if these are some odd questions.

-Cell Phone coverage? Does it exist and is there a particular carrier that performs better and has better&nbsp;reception&nbsp;on the AT? I know it seems somewhat silly to do the AT yet remain connected in such a manner, but this is more so I can check in on my staff and business as needed (every 1-2 days).

-Is there internet anywhere along the way? Once again, I know this isn't an office courtyard where wi-fi will be available. But I figured there would be areas along the way that may have a wi-fi hotspot or something for those of us who are torn between modern&nbsp;conveniences&nbsp;and a love for nature. I'll likely be carrying a small / lightweight Netbook or bring along an iPad or something similar. I'll need to check in with some upstream providers once a month and sign off on online invoices once a month. Plus it'd be nice to keep a photo blog of my journey and keep my friends, family, staff, and customers up-to-date in my hiking venture.

-Uh, is the trail.. how do I put this.. "pot friendly"? I'm a casual smoker even now, but I think that after reaching certain goals along the way that I could consider a joint 'well deserved'. Afterall, this is supposed to be my escape (as much as possible) from my current duties and obligations. My concern here is encountering those along the way who may not be so keen on it. This of course would be done within my own privacy, either inside my tent or outside if no one is around.

-What's the typical age group of people hiking the trail? I'm 23 and plan on doing this solo, just curious what age of people I will encounter along my way.

I'm so excited about this. As a child we used to go to the Smoky Mountains down in Tennessee and I always loved it. I'm certain I can accomplish the entire trail given my love for nature, my ability to work hard under extreme conditions, and my dire need to get the hell out of my apartment and into some woods! Even now, at 23, I walk everywhere. I have a car in the parking lot that hasn't moved in months. I live in a small city and there is no where that I can't walk to (everything is more or less within a 5-7 mile radius of me) and im no stranger to walking. When I was 18 I moved out of my parent's house to live on my own in a place I was renting. I didn't have a car at the time, but I used to have to walk about 4 miles to work in the morning (in the dark) through a narrow path in the woods that connected downtown with the 'hilltop' (Which as you can guess, is uphill). While these are small in comparison to what I know i'll have to do on the trail, I honestly think that 15-20+ miles a day for me would be a non-issue.

Anyhow, I just kind of wanted to introduce myself to this rather nice looking community and gain some insight from those experienced.

Got questions? Ask them, i'd be happy to answer them.

For obvious reason's using a handle on here, I wish my name was 'Dude Van Zandt', i'm merely paying homage to Townes Van Zandt who's been stuck in my head a lot lately.

[hikerboy57]

welcome to WB. just click on the articles on the homepage to get started. theres a wealth of information there. afterwards, if you have a speciofic question, fire away. PS dont be so confidant you'll be doing 15-20 miles a day. theres plenty of stretches where thats a good pace, but quite a few areas where you'll be lucky to do 10.you're the perfect age . the bulk of thru hikers are from 21 to 82, so you fit the profile.

[MannDude]

Thanks for such a quick response! I'm digging through articles and posts right now trying to get a better understanding of what to expect.

I'm hoping to set off in March, maybe April and go North. If for some reason I can't make it this year (Work is really hectic and I have this internal conflict with my self-created work obligations and my want to be outside) then you can rest assured that i'll be there the following year!

[Traildog & Tbone]

Welcome bro I'm new to the sight also. This site is awesome every time I think I've read all I can on a subject the next day I find something new & helpful. Trail Journals is also a great site to source, its quite addicting somedays though, check out Wags or Gangsta from 09. I also will be starting a thru next april 1st hope to see you on the trail! Just moved from Vegas to the mid west but was hiking 15 miles daily out there with no problem, but found the humidity and the hills here are slowing my pace a bit, but will overcome. As for smokin, theres always "stealth smoking" & I agree its a great reward & nightcap after a long hard day helps with soreness & fatigue also. I'm 32 and it seems no matter where I hike around the country the age range is very diverse these days.

[MannDude]

Welcome bro I'm new to the sight also. This site is awesome every time I think I've read all I can on a subject the next day I find something new & helpful. Trail Journals is also a great site to source, its quite addicting somedays though, check out Wags or Gangsta from 09. I also will be starting a thru next april 1st hope to see you on the trail! Just moved from Vegas to the mid west but was hiking 15 miles daily out there with no problem, but found the humidity and the hills here are slowing my pace a bit, but will overcome. As for smokin, theres always "stealth smoking" & I agree its a great reward & nightcap after a long hard day helps with soreness & fatigue also. I'm 32 and it seems no matter where I hike around the country the age range is very diverse these days.

Hey! Thanks for the welcome. When I was 20-21 I lived in the desert about 50 miles away from Vegas, had my 21st in Vegas... I miss living in the desert, it was blue skies all day everyday. The night skies were something I had never witnessed before (I was far enough away from Vegas to have no light pollution), absolutely amazing. I actually spent some time living in New Mexico for a couple months too and I can honestly say that the American Southwest is somewhere that i'd like to live on a more permanent basis. I still look at available land for sale out there, wanting to find a decent little plot to build an EarthBag Home

Good luck on your hike, perhaps we'll pass each other along the way.

[Traildog & Tbone]

Yeah I dont really miss Vegas but I do miss the desert (like you said blue skies everyday), just walk out the back door & hike in any direction wouldnt see anyone out there and no need to leash the dog. Like I said still getting used to the humidity here in Ohio not that bad but not digging it at all. I think Utah is where its at, the landscape weather and people where awesome never really spent much time in New Mexico though.

[Blissful]

Hard to say if anywhere is so-called "pot friendly" since its an illegal substance except in certain states for medical purposes. I certainly don't expect and agree with people doing illegal activities in public gathering areas - ie shelters, etc. If you want to do it behind a tree somewhere in the woods that's up to you.

[MannDude]

Hard to say if anywhere is so-called "pot friendly" since its an illegal substance except in certain states for medical purposes. I certainly don't expect and agree with people doing illegal activities in public gathering areas - ie shelters, etc. If you want to do it behind a tree somewhere in the woods that's up to you.

I understand it is illegal but there are certainly areas/states that are a lot more 'pot friendly' than you may believe. I guess it was kind of a silly question to begin with but I didn't know what the general mindset on the trail would be. Different areas / regions of the US (despite local/state laws) are a lot more 'pot friendly' than others, and I figured the middle of the woods or ontop of a mountain with a beautiful night sky would likely be one of the most friendliest of areas.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to come across as your stereotypical 'pothead' or anything. I'm just a guy who works hard, has done a lot for myself despite my age, and after a long day of work (whether it be physical or mental, mental being 90% of my job) I enjoy relaxing with a few tokes similar to how a mother may pour a glass of wine after their kids go to sleep, or how someone may enjoy a beer or two after a long day or week and relax. I'm not a drinker, I just enjoy the occasional toke, that's all. I'm not going to be smoking big blunts in shelters or walking down the trail with a bong or anything, haha. I guess, "out of site(smell), out of mind" would be appropriate for the trail, then?

Hope I didn't offend,

[Tuckahoe]

Just remember that many parts of the trail go through lands controlled by federal law, it doesnt matter what state law may be or if the local sheriff will turn a blind eye.

[fadeleaf]

I understand it is illegal but there are certainly areas/states that are a lot more 'pot friendly' than you may believe. I guess it was kind of a silly question to begin with but I didn't know what the general mindset on the trail would be. Different areas / regions of the US (despite local/state laws) are a lot more 'pot friendly' than others, and I figured the middle of the woods or ontop of a mountain with a beautiful night sky would likely be one of the most friendliest of areas.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to come across as your stereotypical 'pothead' or anything. I'm just a guy who works hard, has done a lot for myself despite my age, and after a long day of work (whether it be physical or mental, mental being 90% of my job) I enjoy relaxing with a few tokes similar to how a mother may pour a glass of wine after their kids go to sleep, or how someone may enjoy a beer or two after a long day or week and relax. I'm not a drinker, I just enjoy the occasional toke, that's all. I'm not going to be smoking big blunts in shelters or walking down the trail with a bong or anything, haha. I guess, "out of site(smell), out of mind" would be appropriate for the trail, then?

Hope I didn't offend,[/COLOR][/INDENT]

I'd say it's generally accepted in the hiking community. There's always those who don't like the smell, and those who equate legality with morality. If you're at a shelter just be sure to check with everyone before you do, just to be considerate.

[Slo-go'en]

I'd say it's generally accepted in the hiking community. There's always those who don't like the smell, and those who equate legality with morality. If you're at a shelter just be sure to check with everyone before you do, just to be considerate.

And if you have any in your pack, stay out of "The Place" in Damascus. Every so often there will be an "incident" there and subsiquent crack down. The only problem with checking with everyone at a shelter is you might not have enough to go around! A lot of old hippies are still out on the trail. I do belive it is better pain relief than OTC pharmaceuticals. Doesn't damage the liver either. But the bottom line is discression is the best policy. Even here on WB, where it can be a contentious topic.

Being an active walker will be a big help and puts you well ahead in terms of conditioning then most who will be starting the trail. It won't take you long to build up to 15-20 mile days.

It sounds like you should do well and don't have any unrealistic expectations or goals.

[MannDude]

Thanks everyone for your feedback, much appreciated.

I think I will attempt the AT in 2013 after I have more time to plan and get ready. It's something that has been in the back of my mind for quite some time, then after finding this site it's been pretty much set in stone. I'm going to do it.