"Take it from me, it's great!"
Posted on 11/26/2011 9:10:55 PM PST by An American in Turkiye
My brother and I are taking our first steps on the Appalachian Trail in 2015. We will start in Georgia and complete the trail in Maine. Any Freepers ever done a thru-hike? Would like any advice/stories anyone may have.
I was there today with my grandkids.
Walked from Three Forks to Long Falls (just north of Springer).
Wife and I carryin’ full packs, practicin’ and gearin’ up for overnighters soon.
I live about 8 miles from Springer Mtn.
Never met any unsavory types there. I know stuff has happened, but I’m guessing it is statistically insignificant.
Carry well concealed. Don’t get caught. If you must deploy, practice “Rule Of Three Ss”.
Wow, 8 miles! If you are still there in 2015 I will look u up before we set out. My brother is retired military, and I retire from the military August 2014. With our combined training, we will be fine. What is the Rule of Three S’s?
Springer is about 30 miles from Blood Mt.?
shoot, shovel, shutup
“What is the Rule of Three S’s?”
Shoot, shovel, shut up.
“Springer is about 30 miles from Blood Mt.?”
Yeah, pretty close to that.
“If you are still there in 2015 I will look u up before we set out.”
Please do. I’d be glad to meet up with you. Mebbe we can walk a ways together.
Yeah, you’d have to be pretty hard core to leave out now on a thru hike.
"Take it from me, it's great!"
And another vote for “A Walk in the Woods”...
I will! Looking forward to it!
(Who's that old guy in back, though?) ;-)
So you’ll be passing through Maryland and probably want to move along pretty quickly.
Can’t carry a gun here and we get lots of “mystery deaths” on the trail.
Might wanna invest in a big, nasty dog, too.
Same reason I never go near the C&O Canal without The Dog.
Every year, “bodies turn up”.
A great and hilarious read.
Start in the north and go south...Walking downhill is much easier...
“make sure that all the states you pass through respect your right to carry a gun.”
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As well as National Parks and forest,
Especially the GSMNP, where you will most likely encounter a few bears.
By all means, DO NOT read Bill Bryson’s book “A Walk in the Woods”. It will taint your personal experience highly.
I have not through hiked, I have however hiked a little over 1000 miles on the AT in the last 5 years.
First off, sign up for an account at http://whiteblaze.net/
Second, sign up for http://www.trailjournals.com/
Third, Appalachian Trail Conference Bi Annual Meeting is held for GA-ME hikers to reach it in time. Which is really cool, except it creates a surge of traffic on the trail as maybe 40% of the entire through hikers for the year all move in unison to reach Virginia at the same weekend.
Fourth, you and your brother better really get along. Conceptualize if you buy equipment you intend to share the packload of by splitting it in two, now see if you have an argument, or need some personal space, etc., and one of you has the tent rods and the other has the tent. It happens. Alot. Mostly with romantic couples but I’ve seen it with nuclear family units too.
Create a plan and watch out for hurricane season. The Mountains get copious amounts of water with a hit in the gulf or lower atlantic. This will be a very good trip. I have been on the AT a few times but always in winter. Go in the N.A. late spring.
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