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Because I will be hiking the Appalachian Trail!!!!!!!
For those of you who don't know, it is the countries longest marked trail. It is 2,175 miles long and touches 14 states. It will take us about 6 months to complete. My boyfriend and I will start in Georgia next March and continue up to Maine during the spring, summer and fall.
It's been a dream of his for a long time and I have been considering it for the past year or so. We finally decided to commit to it and will be leaving everything behind us for half of 2009. It's a good time in both of our lives for this, and we may never get the opportunity again. Everything we need will be carried on our backs. We will hitchhike into towns to resupply and wash our clothes every once in a while (since we'll only be carrying 2 sets of clothing), but the majority of the time we'll be out camping in the wilderness.
I'm really excited, but really nervous. We will be planning for the next year. Right now we are focusing on day hikes but soon will go out for weekend hikes to get ready. I will be saving as much money as possible this year for the trip and gear. We will hopefully find used gear and borrow a lot of it, but we will have to purchase some things. We will also spend a lot of money on food. When you're hiking 20 miles a day, you eat a lot!
Nothing too exciting going on at this point, but I'm excited and wanted to let you guys know! At some point I will start up a "trail journal" so you guys can keep track of my progress. And if any of you live along the trail, maybe we'll get a chance to meet!
One suggestion, you mentioned borrowing/getting used gear... Thats all well and good, but buy yourselves a new tent. Sun damage over periods of time can really damage a tent, some older tents may be fine for weekend use, but they wouldn't last for a 6 month hike. You'll also want to buy packs that are your exact size.
Buy quality footwear!
And yes, please keep a journal
Edit to add: Few little tidbits I've learned...
Don't sit down for every break, lean back so your pack rests against a tree..
Don't take your pack off every break. When you take your pack off you'll realize how sore your shoulders are
When you can, loosen your shoulderstraps and tighten your waistbelt so your pack rests on your hips. Can't do that all the time, but it helps when you can. You lose a bit of stability.
Last Edit: Mar 21, 2008 17:06:29 GMT -5 by wooz - Back to Top
it's still so far away, but i know the next year is gonna go by fast. theres so much to research and so much to prepare for.
thanks for the advice, wooz. I do plan on buying a new pack, tent and boots specifically for this hike. I'm gonna try to borrow a lightweight sleeping bag, sleeping pad, stove, hiking poles, and stuff like that. I have camping/hiking gear, but I don't have lightweight stuff so I have to buy/borrow most of my supplies for this trip. I'm trying to keep my pack under 30 lbs including food and water, but we'll see how that goes.
Post by msfelithatsme on Mar 21, 2008 18:39:41 GMT -5
ccrgmac said:
Great job.
If you haven't read it, go pick up a copy of "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson. He has a great perspective on it.
exactly what i was going to suggest... though i never finished the book.. the hikers kept jumping off the trail and staying in a hotel and i got angry at bill and his friend. haha. sounds like an experience of a lifetime!! go you!
If you haven't read it, go pick up a copy of "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson. He has a great perspective on it.
exactly what i was going to suggest... though i never finished the book.. the hikers kept jumping off the trail and staying in a hotel and i got angry at bill and his friend. haha. sounds like an experience of a lifetime!! go you!
ooooo, ill have to get a copy. If anyone has an extra, id be happy to take it off your hands!
I have a very good friend who is NOBO on the AT. He stops occasionally in some of the trail towns and updates his journal. You should keep one for us, and yourself. Great memories, and a great way to keep up with others you've met on the trail, and some you may meet on the way.
Edit:fixed url
Last Edit: Mar 25, 2008 8:42:21 GMT -5 by Deleted - Back to Top
I have a very good friend who is NOBO on the AT. He stops occasionally in some of the trail towns and updates his journal. You should keep one for us, and yourself. Great memories, and a great way to keep up with others you've met on the trail, and some you may meet on the way.
yes yes!!! i plan on using trailjournals to keep my journal. I've gotten sucked in to so many journals on there. Do you have a link to his journal? I'd love to read it.
There's no combination of words I could put on the back of a postcard. No song that I could sing. But I can try for your heart Our dreams, and they are made out of real things Like a, shoebox of photographs With sepiatone loving Love is the answer
A little feeling in my gut that I get of late when I think about these cats running the world with hate
so i ended up picking up, "a walk in the woods". i had a gift certificate i love it so far! im only on chapter 2 though lol.
when i was checking out at the bookstore, the lady ringing me up was like, "im reading that right now. you're not gonna wanna walk the appalachian trail after you read that!" haha.
Post by strumntheguitar on Mar 23, 2008 15:58:11 GMT -5
Dude cupcake... I might be seein ya on the trail. I've been talking about doing that after I graduate for the past 2 years. It's definitely something I plan on doing, but this summer I might want to devote to festies and maybe next summer I'll start a'walkin! ;D
That's great, have a super time. I do plan on completing that hike also before I get too old. I spend time in the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness and we have the Superior Hiking Trail that runs along the north shore of Lake Superior for 275 miles. It's a good training hike for Appalachian trail. Watch out for the creepy ones along the way. Unfortunately you can't trust everyone you run into. Sorry, that's the ex cop in me being over cautious. Have fun! As far as equipment goes, I'm a Northface man. Their stuff has never let me down.
"I like too many things and get all confused and hung-up running from one falling star to another till I drop. This is the night, what it does to you. I had nothing to offer anybody except my own confusion."
central park in the summertime... the closest thing to nature
Dude cupcake... I might be seein ya on the trail. I've been talking about doing that after I graduate for the past 2 years. It's definitely something I plan on doing, but this summer I might want to devote to festies and maybe next summer I'll start a'walkin! ;D
Good luck to ya, and enjoy it!
Doooooo it!!!!!! Start planning now and do it!!!!!!!!!!
If you need a contact in Charlottesville, VA along the way, PM me and I'll give you my personal details. The trail runs within a half hour of me. Gorgeous country. Good luck and by all means, stay safe!
Post by arlenefavreau1 on Mar 26, 2008 7:39:03 GMT -5
Did the entire trail as a boy scout in five months. here's what I remember at the time it sucked being a kid and hiking 2 thousand miles sounded good didn't make it that way. Why you ask ground hornet's, red ant's, ice cold stream water to wash up in and long days of walking, fun, fun, fun. How ever here I am at 42 and I tell everyone I know that as a kid I hiked the appalachian trail we started in maine due to our location at the end. (we were from fla) so congrats on your journey that lays ahead of you.
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