By all means, read Bill Bryson’s book “A Walk in the Woods”
Go packin’ (with gun), lots of death and destruction along that trail by a multitude of killers and perverts. Of course it you do pack a gun, make sure that all the states you pass through respect your right to carry a gun.
Well, I can tell you, having climbed Mt. Katahdin 27 years ago, the Maine portion is incredibly beautiful.
Don’t eat the yellow snow.
Always wanted to thru hike it. Have done plenty of research, planning and prep but circumstances and life have always interceded. I may do section hiking in the future as an alternative. Go to the White Blaze forum for a wealth of information, experience and knowledge. Lots of lefty hippies there, so be prepared for that unpleasantry.
Years ago, I looked into the idea, and found enough commentary to decide it wasn’t something I wanted to do. You need to travel in a group of at least two, preferably more. There are a number of nuts who frequent the trail and probably aren’t completely sane.
Bring toilet paper... and bullets... and air fare.
You are heading north? Be careful. Winter will be arriving very soon in Pennsylvania. Good luck to you.
Here’s a trailer from a documentary I recently watched on AT. Ambitious hike. Stay safe, keep a journal and share with us!
http://thebackpacker.tv/2009/11/appalachian-trail-by-national-geographic/
p.s. That docu is available on Netflix for streaming.
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”.
"Take it from me, it's great!"
And another vote for “A Walk in the Woods”...
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.
Talk with this wild bunch. BTW, that closed sign should be visible again by March. This is in TN.
http://www.highonleconte.com/daily-posts.html
I have not thru-hiked (though I’ve thought about it much), but have hiked many many 1-2 week and weekend AT trips over 20+ years in the northeast.
My strong impressions from reading and talking with a number of thru-hikers over the years include:
1) it can be an incredible though grueling experience
2) very very few people can accommodate each other’s tastes, pace, and daily preferences enough to stay together over months, i.e., almost everyone who completes a thru-hike has to do it essentially ‘solo’ although they may share parts of the journey with others
3) Bryson’s book is fictionalized and, although entertaining, does NOT give you accurate ideas about how to plan and complete a thru-hike
4) the best prior info is from successful thru-hikers ONLY, i.e., not from wannabes or almost dids or people who heard something, you’ve got to get on the websites and find what real thru-hikers have to say (of course people did the AT before the web even existed but it helps to know enough about what you’re getting into)
Take a truck load of Monkey Butt powder.
Have hiked about half and it is about as beautiful as you can imagine.