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Awesome pics man. Truly jealous but not for long. My thru-hikes been in the planning stages for a year and a half. Tackling the whole thing spring of 2015, when I can afford to say adios to the world for a season. Curious question, how large was your pack? Was it too big/small or would you have done it the same?
From GA to VA I had an Ospry 80L pack, one I had gotten to do NOLS (but that ended up falling through). It was a great pack and I still have it, but it was just too big, my gear would shift around, throwing off the balance of my pack. Since it was so big it was also heavy (5 lbs). In Damascus I mailed it home and got an ultralite Granite Gear 50L, which only weighed 2 lbs. My winter sleeping bag was too big to fit in it and it was heavy (3.5 lbs), so I switched that out for a summer bag (weighing 1 lb) which was much smaller when packed. But I froze my arse off for a couple of weeks before the nights got warmer.
I loved every black bear sighting. You do worry about them a bit when you are sleeping, but they only want your food, which is why you should hang it. But other than that they are very shy animals, almost always running from you right when they spot you. The only times they would ever attack a human is if you crossed paths with one its cubs, or tried to feed it.
The most terrifying wildlife experience I had on the whole trail was with a bull-moose in Maine. I underestimated how big those things could get (like a bull mixed with a horse. on crack and steroids). and I had snuck up on it, so it was pissed, tossing its horns around, contemplating charging the fuck out of me.
I only saw one boar on the trail and it was in PA. It crossed the trail behind me very quickly without even stopping. It was obviously late for a very important date.
They say black bears attacks are rare, but when I lived out in Washington State I learned that brown bears eat people sometimes. I say that the numbers are skewed. Who is going to report a bear attack? No one is usually left to tell the story.
They say black bears attacks are rare, but when I lived out in Washington State I learned that brown bears eat people sometimes. I say that the numbers are skewed. Who is going to report a bear attack? No one is usually left to tell the story.
Still when I have run into black bears before a simple "get out of here" like you were talking to a unruly dog has always taken care of things. I have never met a grizzly though and I might not be that cavalier about it.
They say black bears attacks are rare, but when I lived out in Washington State I learned that brown bears eat people sometimes. I say that the numbers are skewed. Who is going to report a bear attack? No one is usually left to tell the story.
Still when I have run into black bears before a simple "get out of here" like you were talking to a unruly dog has always taken care of things. I have never met a grizzly though and I might not be that cavalier about it.
Yeah my fam has some land in bear country, I have never had a problem at all. I just always thought there something fishy about those stats because of the low survivability!
They say black bears attacks are rare, but when I lived out in Washington State I learned that brown bears eat people sometimes. I say that the numbers are skewed. Who is going to report a bear attack? No one is usually left to tell the story.
Still when I have run into black bears before a simple "get out of here" like you were talking to a unruly dog has always taken care of things. I have never met a grizzly though and I might not be that cavalier about it.
You don't need to say "get out of here" ya know.
You could have just said like "bacon double cheese burger" in the same tone of voice and it would have had the same effect.
And just to be clear, wildlife in general is at the very bottom of dangers on the AT. Apart from diseases spread by ticks and shelter mice, hikers like NEVER get fucked up from animals.
most dangerous things on the AT: 1) weather 2) weather 3) weather 4) crazy, mountain people 5) weather
And just to be clear, wildlife in general is at the very bottom of dangers on the AT. Apart from diseases spread by ticks and shelter mice, hikers like NEVER get fucked up from animals.
most dangerous things on the AT: 1) weather 2) weather 3) weather 4) crazy, mountain people 5) weather
And also giardia. Don't get giardia.
I frickin' hate ticks. Let's leave it at this. Ticks tend to migrate toward warm areas of your body to attach themselves. I learned this first hand in the worst way possible for a guy when I was volunteering at a summer camp during college.
Yeah the trail runs right through some of the worst areas for bad weather and directly to the worst weather in the world on Mt. Washington, Maine. Have you ever seen a hipster in the woods yelling at the bears about their cheeseburgers? Too tasty for a bear to resist.
Still when I have run into black bears before a simple "get out of here" like you were talking to a unruly dog has always taken care of things. I have never met a grizzly though and I might not be that cavalier about it.
You don't need to say "get out of here" ya know.
You could have just said like "bacon double cheese burger" in the same tone of voice and it would have had the same effect.
It is all the intonation, but with two kids, and two dogs my gruff dad voice works better when it is along the lines of "stop that right now".
I met quite a few people out there who made me very uncomfortable.
1) In TN, i cowboy camped (camping under the stars, no tent). I woke up and two scraggly-ass redneck looking thugs were just sitting by my campsite with rifles in hand just watching me. "Seen any turkey?" they asked. "No.." this weirded me out because I had been asleep, how would I see turkey? "alright we'll keep looking." they get up and walk away.
2) Met a guy on my first day in the Shenandoahs, who was obviously doing a LOT of coke. Someone later told me that he was escaped from a mental institution in NY, hiding out on the trail. Dunno if it was true, but it seemed convincing enough.
3) A vietnam vet named Teardrop who was batshit crazy, who would later become the no.1 murder suspect of a fellow thru-hiker.
4) a homeless kid who lived in one of the shelters who tried to yogi (hiker term for 'begging') corn and food from me. I would find out after i got into town that he was kicked out of town by the police for stealing and public indeceny.
5) a couple of sketchy hitches
other prominent dangers i forgot, hypothermia and heat exhaustion. that messed up lots of hikers.
Post by Vector Viking on Jan 27, 2012 15:02:36 GMT -5
The AT is where I picked up this moniker I use on the interwebs now. I've never thru-hiked, but I've done the Southern a couple of times. I never saw any bears, but I always had my german shepherd/chow mutt with me. She liked to talk while she walked so most critters knew we were coming before we knew they were there, she could carry her own food and water, and sketchy types usually veered away from her too. She'd have been useless against an angry bull moose though. Those fuckers have been known to attack cars on the road. The worst people I ran into on the trail were dog haters. They can just kiss my ass, really. JP, those are some really amazing pictures, lots of them take ma back to some pretty happy times. Thanks for sharing them with us.
I met quite a few people out there who made me very uncomfortable.
1) In TN, i cowboy camped (camping under the stars, no tent). I woke up and two scraggly-ass redneck looking thugs were just sitting by my campsite with rifles in hand just watching me. "Seen any turkey?" they asked. "No.." this weirded me out because I had been asleep, how would I see turkey? "alright we'll keep looking." they get up and walk away.
2) Met a guy on my first day in the Shenandoahs, who was obviously doing a LOT of coke. Someone later told me that he was escaped from a mental institution in NY, hiding out on the trail. Dunno if it was true, but it seemed convincing enough.
3) A vietnam vet named Teardrop who was batshit crazy, who would later become the no.1 murder suspect of a fellow thru-hiker.
4) a homeless kid who lived in one of the shelters who tried to yogi (hiker term for 'begging') corn and food from me. I would find out after i got into town that he was kicked out of town by the police for stealing and public indeceny.
5) a couple of sketchy hitches
other prominent dangers i forgot, hypothermia and heat exhaustion. that messed up lots of hikers.
I forgot people are actually a lot scarier than wild Bears.
After a night in Harper's Ferry, I had a desire to quit the trail and go move in with my buddy in New York. I still had a good amount of money, and I knew if I would be close to broke by the time I would finish the whole trail. There is a trainstation in Harper's Ferry that could take me to DC where I could easily hop a bus to Brooklyn. I called my parents told them I was quitting and called my friend to see if I could stay with him while I looked for a job. It was all set to go. That night in the hostel, I was looking through AT Journeys magazines, and through all of the pictures I had on my camera. I realized I wasn't ready to go home. I needed to finish.
Phase 3 - "The Mid-Atlantic". This was a very different kind of challenge than the phases 1 and 2. Characteristics include: - Hot-as-balls temperatures. you hit the mid-atlantic in the heat of summer. sometimes with heatwaves going over 100 degrees. - Deer-ticks. They carry Lyme disease, and took a lot of hikers off the trail either for good or for a couple of weeks. They were everywhere. - Boring scenery. No great mountains, no great views. Very flat, annoying terrain. - venomous snakes. major rattlesnake and copperhead territories. more to do with the summer than location. - lack of wilderness experience. From Maryland to Connecticut, there is just a huge lack of wilderness. Everyday you would be going through towns, state-parks, or major road-crossings. in NY the trail even goes through a zoo.
town of Harper's Ferry
Summer solstice is also known as "Hike Naked Day". All along the trail you would see thru-hikers walking along in the nude. I was zero'd in town so I didn't partake unfortunately.
Crossing the river into Maryland
I don't know what the heck that is
Doing some journaling at the shelter
Tunnel over the highway
Annapolis Rock
Follow the trail
Out of the South. In to Pennsylvania.
in Caldonia State Park. They let us in to the pool for free if we agreed to do a Q&A forum for the park guests.
I mentioned earlier crazy mountain people.
Officially halfway done!
the half-gallon challenge. In celebration of making it halfway, it is common tradition for a thru-hiker to eat a half-gallon of ice cream at the Pine Grove Furnace state park. I made it like half way. eck
Me and a few others packed out a 30 and a 24, carrying about 9 beers each. Beer is really heavy so we only made it like a mile. Playing kings cup on the trail.
wheat field going into Boiling Springs
town of Boiling Springs
the easiest section of the trail is the Cumberland Valley in PA. 12 miles of flat farmland.
The mid-atlantic is no-doubt the most boring part of the hike. The terrain is much easier with no major loss or gain in elevation. This is where the social aspect of the hike is important. With no earth-shattering views or scenery, thru-hiker friends are no.1 means of entertainment. So many people hike the trail Northbound, starting around the same time (March, April). So you always would see other thru-hikers, naturally making friends along the way. With the extreme heat and humidity, along with lack-of-wilderness and scenery; companionship was the best motivator in this part of the trail. It was also good for having someone check your unreachable areas for ticks.
Hikers Trapper and Blackfoot looking down the mountain on our descent into Duncannon.
The Hotel Doyle in Duncannon. One of the oldest and one of the last Anhauser-Busch hotels. 22oz. Yuengling Draft for $3. $15 for a room. Memories were made here.
I swear I saw more deer than squirrels out there.
Trapper hiking onward.
Pennsylvania is covered in venomous snakes. Copperheads being the scariest, because they don't rattle when you walk past them. Gotta have your wits about.
4th of July in Pennsylvania
Trapper and Aces making their way through the boulder field.
View from The Pinnacle (afternoon)
View from The Pinnacle (sunrise)
Lehigh Gap is considered the most notorious climb in the mid-Atlantic. A very steep rock scramble, where you put away your trekking poles and do more hand-over-hand climbing than hiking. Looking downward to see what I've just climbed.
me, Lehigh Gap
Pond, right before I got into Delaware Water Gap
Going across the Delaware River into New Jersey. Our first day in Jersey we did a "slackpack". This is when someone, a trail-angel or shuttle service, takes your gear a certain number miles up the trail and allows you to hike those miles without your pack. It's like a day off from hiking, but you still walk the miles and see the sights.
1-1-12 Bassnectar NYE SHOW! 1-21-12 G. Love and Special Sauce 3-1-12 Radiohead 3-9-12 Experience Hendrix 5-15-12 Jack White @ The Ryman 6-7-12 Bonnaroo 6-19-12 Roger Waters presents "THE WALL" 7-7-12 Ringo Starr's 72nd Birthday Party Extravaganza at the Ryman
Post by Whoreshack on Jan 29, 2012 20:28:23 GMT -5
JP- I've recently read A Walk in the Woods and will be picking up The Thru Hiker's Handbook. Any other recommended AT reading, fiction and non?
Also, while I dream of doing the entire length, my schedule won't be allowing that anytime soon. Is there a particular stretch you'd recommend for a good, long Section Hike, coming from KY? I was thinking of starting with the Smokies in TN. I've also heard great things about the Shenandoah section. Thanks for sharing.
the book that got me really interested in the AT was "Awol on the Appalachian Trail". I'd recommend that to anyone, interested or not.
The Smokies were definitely my favorite part in the South. Also the whole NC/TN border and Tennessee is beautiful as well. If your long distance is going to be long, you could do from Fontana Dam, through the Smokies, and the border and all the way through TN to the Virginia border and see nothing but amazingness. That would take you probably 3- 4 weeks, less than a month. but i'd recommend going south because the last 40 miles in TN to the VA border are relatively flat, while the Smokies are really tough, at least for someone on their first week.
edit- and that's just for easy traveling from KY. My favorite parts of the whole trail were in New England and you'll see why when I post pictures from The White Mountains in NH, and pretty much all of Maine (by far my favorite state).
The final, and most difficult part of the Mid-Atlantic. A searing heat-wave hit while in New York, putting temperatures up to 110 degrees. Also to make matters worse, I accidently left my cell-phone at a hostel in Vernon, NJ, which caused me to miss my meetup with my friend in Brooklyn. I got another hiker behind me to carry it but I didn't meetup with him until I got to Kent, CT. Also - when I got to MA I met up with my dad near Lee and we went to Boston for a few days. Another small break from the trail.
me on the NJ/NY border
Hikers going throught the "lemon squeezer"
rainy day at Tiorati Circle
The sun peeking through the trees
Tower on the peak of Bear Mountain. On a clear day you can see NYC.
Trail took us through a zoo. This was awkward and a bit saddening. Seeing all these animals in small cages after seeing them in the wild. Black bears, porcupines, coyotes. Almost like a slap in the face. Definitely wasn't enjoyable.
Going over the Hudson River. Lowest point on the AT at only 125'
Temperatures were rising in a heat wave as was the humidity, causing my camera lens to fog.
Too damn hot to hike. Going for a swim to cool off.
a train-stop right on the trail
A story. My friend Aces, her boyfriend came to visit and hike with her a bit. Now since he had a car, I figured this a perfect opportunity to slackpack. From Pawling, he drove my gear about 5 miles over the CT border, allowing me to slackpack about 12 miles. Now right as I was about leave Pawling, a hiker came in and told me the guy that was carrying my phone was right behind me, and should be coming right behind him. I waited around for 3 hours and the guy never showed up. It was almost 7pm and I had to get going so I could get my gear. I ended up having to night hike. Crossing the NY/CT border at about 10pm
As it got darker, my headlamp began to die, causing the light to dim and flicker, dramatically slowing me down. I didn't reach my gear until 12:30am. With no light to find a campsite, I ended up sleeping on this bench by Bull's Bridge.
Bull's Bridge
town of Kent
a wet and rainy, misty day in CT
The falls in Falls Village
Trapper going through a meadow at dusk. Heading up to Lion's Head
Shelter on Lion's head facing the sunrise. Didn't even have to get out of my sleeping bag to get this picture
Sage's Ravine
Massachusetts!
looking out from Race Mountain
kinda cool
Here comes the sun
It's a beautiful day
Dad picked me up, took me into Beantown. Here's us at Faneuil Hall.
Back on the trail.
Camped out by Finnerty Pond
Taking a break to get water before heading into town of Dalton. (Fun Fact, only day on the trail where I didn't see a single, other person, my side trip into Boston put me in between bubbles of hikers, but I would have some reunions when I got into Dalton)
Phase 4 - New England. Technically Massachusetts is New England, but the infamous terrain of New England doesn't really start until you are more than halfway through MA and past Dalton when you hit Mt. Greylock. For the last 800 miles, the trail has been very flat with no big ascents or descents making for easy hiking. Greylock was the wake-up call for the Green Mountains in Vermont, and eventually the very strenuous White Mountains in New Hampshire. New England contains the biggest ascents, most painful descents and most strenuous terrain on the AT, which sucks considering how banged up and worn out your body is at this point. In terms of scenery and views nothing tops New England. And from Vermont to New Hampshire to Maine it gradually gets more and more jaw-droppingly beautiful. Part of the reason so many thru-hikers go Northbound is because you save the best stuff for the end.
After I arrived in Dalton, I stayed at trail-angel Tom Levardi's house. The next day he drove me and a couple of other thru-hikers, Bubbles and Truckin' 23 miles to the town of North Adams up the trail to do a 23 mile slack pack southbound back over Mt. Greylock back to his house in Dalton. Some pictures from that slack.
summit of Greylock
View from Greylock
Next day Tom dropped us back off at the same spot in North Adams, except this time we hiked north to the Vermont border!! (as it says in the sign, the first half of the AT-Vermont section is also the famous Long Trail that starts here and goes all the way into Canada. The two trails separate at the Maine Junction with the AT turning east and the Long Trail continuing north.)
My first full day in Vermont I hitched into the town of Bennington to stay at one of the best free hostels on the trail, The Vortex.
Some would say that it's less of a hostel and more of just a place for hikers to crash for free. (so many of us are low on funds by the time we get up this far north).
Could you believe that I actually woke up to this cat crawling around in my sleeping bag?
The trail, heading up Glastonbury Mountain on a misty day
Weight loss is becoming apparent
View from Stratten Mountain
Weight loss is becoming VERY apparent
Up on Baker Peak
View from Baker
Little Rock Pond
Pissed off cows
500 miles to go!
Up on Mt. Killington
View from Killington
Maine Junction. (where the AT turns off from the Long Trail)
Part 10 - (Vermont, New Hampshire & beginning of 'The White Mountains')
the "Green Mountain Range" of Vermont
An old cabin with a lookout on the top
view from the lookout
making my way through the tall grass
Owls
Crossing the Connecticut River on a miserable, rainy day into New Hampshire
town of Hanover, home of Dartmouth College
There isn't anywhere in Hanover for hikers to sleep, so an awesome Dartmouth co-op Sorority let me and a few other hikers stay in their common room.
first full day on the trail in NH
Some NH scenery
Found a cool pond, went for a swim!
The light shines down on me as I make the huge ascent up Mt. Moosilake
The White Mountains (aka The Whites): The Whites officially begin with Mt. Moosilake. This is the first time Northbounders are above tree-line in 'the Alpine Zone'. The Whites are said by many thru-hikers to be the most difficult hiking on the entire AT. The terrain is very rocky and rooty, making for difficult footing. The ascents go straight up, (no switchbacks) and the descents straight down. Since a lot of the trail is above tree-line here, it can make for some of the most beautiful views and scenery on a good day, and some of the most unforgiving, brutal weather and wind on a bad day.
Mt. Moosilake
Kinsman - the hike up and down this mountain kicked my butt
Truckin' and I on Kinsman. (Franconia Ridge in the background)
Lonesome Lake
View from Mt. Lincoln. (a lot of peaks in the Whites are named after Presidents)
Mt. Lincoln is more or less the start of Franconia Ridge. The next installment of photos, Part 11, will be solely dedicated to Franconia Ridge and the Presidential Range, the two most famous and most beautiful parts of the White Mountains.