Korean Job Discussion Forums

bosintang · Posted: Sat May 26, 2007 9:23 pm Post subject: Appalachian Trail thru-hike

Has anyone done or attempted an Appalachian Trail thru-hike ? Any great stories to tell?

I just read "A Walk In the Woods" by Bill Bryson, and it's tempting me to do one in the next year or two. Might be a great way to get back in touch with North America.

I'm also interested in the International Appalachian trail . There's a lot less information about it though, and I don't even know if the trail's completed yet!

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

One of my friends did that for a few months.

Best book I read on it was "A Walk Across America" by Peter Jenkins. He does the Appalachian Trail with his dog. Real interesting.

ella · Joined: 17 Apr 2006

Class of 2004, here ("year of the cicada"). 2178 miles, 187 days. I did a flip-flop hike which means I hiked from GA to PA northbound then from Maine back to PA southbound. Developed a severe case of plantar fascitis I had to go home for briefly in the middle of the hike and I also survived a bear attack on my tent (while I was in it). Never met better people than I did on that trip. Would do it again in a heartbeat (but if I do another thruhike I'll probably do the CDT or PCT before I do the AT again, just because I like going to new places).

bosintang · Posted: Sun May 27, 2007 4:23 am Post subject:

bosintang · Posted: Sun May 27, 2007 4:26 am Post subject:

ella · Joined: 17 Apr 2006

I did it alone. I was overweight but I also trained for it (filled up my pack and went hiking - that's the only way to prepare). I liked the solitude although there were plenty of crowds when I started mid-March. Lots of people drop out early, there's a 80%+ failure rate. With training, purchases, saving and planning, it took me about a year to prepare. I had "Springer fever" for two years before I actually did the hike.

The cicadas were deafeningly loud. They got everywhere, too. People would come into camp with half a dozen riding along on their clothes or pack somewhere. When the bugs finally went away their empty bodies were all over the place and crunched underfoot as you hiked.

If you're considering thruhiking, research, research, research. Whiteblaze.net is a good place to ask questions. Perfect your food dehyrdating skills. Find the right footwear. Make sure you have plenty of money and a reliable support system at home. And realize that no matter how much you prepare, the moment you set foot on the trail everything's going to change - including you.

bosintang · Posted: Sun May 27, 2007 3:14 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the info. It's impressive that you did it by yourself. I'd definitely want a partner, for companionship and safety reasons if nothing else.

ella · Joined: 17 Apr 2006

It's tough to find someone who can check out of their lives for a six-month hike at my age. Most hikers were just out of high school, just out of college, or had just retired. There weren't many people between those age groups.

As for safety and companionship, there are always people on the trail. In the summer months you won't be able to get away from them! In November and December hunters were my sole companions. I don't care for hunting but I have to say hunters earned my respect. There were only a couple of times I didn't see anyone for 2-3 days at a time. I enjoyed those periods but I was happy to see another human again when I finally did.

travelight · Joined: 25 Mar 2007

www.trailjournals.com

This website has daily journals and pictures from hikers currently on the Appalachian Trail.

jlb · Joined: 18 Sep 2003

I also attempted a thru-hike in 2004. Check out www.trailjournals.com/jackieb for the blow by blow. I walked 1500 miles from GA to Mass but got bit by a tick and ended up in the hospital so had to call it quits. I also did it alone but you meet a lot of people on the trail. I even started pretty early (Feb. 22) and still met lots of people.

Training: not so important especially if you're willing to take it slow for a couple weeks at the start. A light pack is a big factor though so do your research. If you're not sure, just bring the crap you have and buy at an outfitters along the trail when you learn a bit more about what you actually need.

www.whiteblaze.net and www.trailforums.com are the best resources out there for the AT.

It's pretty safe to do it alone (I'm a girl) and was only scared a couple times.

It kind of did make me crazy. I wanted to quit about the last 500 miles but thought that I'd made it so far already, there was no way I was giving up. I think most people kind of felt like that. In some ways, it becomes the 9-5, just in the forest instead of the office. That said, it's better than a job anyday. But I do want to finish someday and do the PCT as well.

ella · Joined: 17 Apr 2006

Personally, I didn't read trail journals before I hiked. I asked questions and read the guidebook but I wanted the day-to-day experience to be new. Interestingly, I never wanted to quit or go home. Everyone says you will but I didn't. Every day was different and it never got to be routine. I was glad to be there. I also didn't got bored in Virginia, which was one of the best parts of the trail IMO, and I was never ravenously hungry although I did burn out on some food items (I never want to eat another Snickers bar, ever)!

jlb - nice to see another 2004 hiker here! I checked out your photo but I didn't recognize you. You probably stayed ahead of me since I began mid-March. Sorry to hear about your tick bite, though.

jmbran11 · Joined: 19 Jan 2006 Location: U.S.

As someone born and raised in Appalachia, I find it very cute that so many people are taking it on as an adventure. To us, of course, it was just after-school activity to prevent boredom and cheap entertainment.

I totally say go for it. Sorry, I don't have any great advice or anything, but the sites looked good and why not?

And, Ella, just to let you know - we got off of school during the first few days of buck season since so many kids skip school to go hunting anyway. Then, you see all the skinned/gutted deer hanging in people's garages for the next few weeks. Yuk! But, congrats on your hike.

ella · Joined: 17 Apr 2006

It isn't a couple of hours after school that makes it an adventure, it's the sixth months of walking the entire east coast.

The day after Thanksgiving everyone and their dog was out hunting. I hiked exactly seven miles that day (to the next shelter) and I remember every step because it was like walking through a war zone. I had orange 360 on my body and my hat and I blew my whistle constantly. They aren't allowed to hunt on the trail but I heard ricochets so close I ducked behind trees a couple of time. Just to add to my nervousness, flushed animals kept running across the path and nearly into me.

Having said that, the hunters I met were helpful and respectful. They were always good for a lift into town or back to the trail. (The animal carcasses in the back were kinda gross but I got a good close-up look at several moose and I wouldn't want to get that close to a moose unless it were incapacitated!) I thought it would annoy the hunters that I was out hiking but they said they liked it because I stirred up prey.

huffdaddy · Joined: 25 Nov 2005

As an alternative, there are numerous pilgrimages in Japan you could go on.

I hiked the 88 temples of Shikoku a few years ago. Somewhere around 1200-1400 kms. Took me 43 days in all.
http://www.shikokuhenrotrail.com/

More pilgrimages can be found here:
http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/pilgrimages-pilgrims-japan.html

travelight · Joined: 25 Mar 2007

The AT teaches you to appreciate things that you would normally take for granted. It breaks life into its simplest terms (food, water,shelter). Joy is found in things as basic as a good water source, dry socks and a little bit of trail magic.