I'm hiking the App trail next summer

[graywarrior]

Fuckit. I'm taking to the woods for 4 months.

[LynzM]

1. Sounds excellent.

It's on the 'list of things to do in my life' :bounce:

[ulysses]

2. come say hi when you're at the southern end.

Sounds like fun!

[Theres-a]

3. Have you read "A walk in the woods"

It's hilarious.

[graywarrior]

4. Yes. Wicked funny, and true.

I worked for App Mtn Club in NH for 3 seasons so I know the horrors of the trail at that end of it. But I'm ready.

[Theres-a]

7. I am green with envy

And happy for you.

[Gormy Cuss]

21. Were you part of a hut crew?

When I lived in Boston my friends and I hiked the Whites on a regular basis. We had a knack for finding the least maintained trails, bears, weird survivalists, etc. That's the downside of choosing the path less traveled.
I was at Madison hut one year when Spring came late -- in mid-June there were still snowfields on the Jefferson ravine trail and the floors of the hut were damp and cold because there was still a massive iceball under the hut.

What a great adventure. I toyed with the idea for a few years but it's not practical for me at this point. Maybe someday.

[Jara sang]

8. Bill Bryson is a buffoon

his mockery of the trail is not indictive of a thru-hike. That guy is NOT a thru-hiker. He was just looking for fodder for a new book.

[Theres-a]

10. I agree

I tried to read one of his other books,it wasn't funny at all.But I laughed out loud at walk in the woods.I have only been on the trail for an afternoon,so I know about as little as you could know about it.

[Jara sang]

12. I do trail maintenance on the A.T.

and his book was real controversial among the trail community. Granted, some parts were funny, but some people didn't appreciate the way he just kind of slipped in from nowhere, lambaste thru-hikers and then slip out while making a huge profit from his book.

[rateyes]

5. Man, that's been a dream of mine...

hiking the whole trail. Only been on part of it. One of my favorite spots is at the foot of a waterfall near Elizabethton, Tennessee.

[livetohike]

6. Sounds good to me!

I've hiked parts of it and lived two miles away from the trail in up state New York.

I've always wanted to hike the whole length. Good for you! :-)

[graywarrior]

9. Let's get a DU group together

See how long before we all either kill one another or end up doing a solo.

[CottonBear]

11. North to south or south to north?

Will it take 4 months to hike the whole way? Good luck and post pictures for us if you can!

I have a good guy friend who hiked the whole thing. He met his future wife on the trail. She and a girlfriend hiked the entire trail as well. Their names were 'Go Slow' and 'Go Far'! My guy friend hiked for some time with a National Geographic writer and photographer. Somewhere I have an old National Geographic Magazine that has a picture of Linwood's pack next to a stream. A guy from Chattanooga was featured at the very end of the article standing on the mountain in Maine at the end of the trail.

[graywarrior]

13. Takes 3 to 6 depending on physical, mental and emotional condition

I'm planning on starting at the end of March in GA and finish August.

[CottonBear]

22. That will be a big adventure! It'll be cold and wet in GA in March.

I live in Athens, GA, not too far from the start of the trail. I should go hike the first part of it sometime. I've never done that. Funny how you don't visit the areas closest to you but rather roam about the rest of the country and the world instead.

Have you heard of the Bartram Trail in Norhteast Georgia? A friend, Brad Sanders, wrote a book about the trail. He took the photos too! Bartram was an early explorer from PA who recorded his observations of GA prior to the destruction of our native forests and landscapes by cotton farming. He was a very interesting man. There is a tree (Franklinia Alatamaha) that he found in middle GA. He propogated it. Since that time, it has been extinct in the wild and is now only found in private gardens and arboretums.

What will your trail name be? Good luck with your hike! :)

[pitohui]

14. been thinking about it myself

was reading some information abt the new wave backpackers that go light -- 20 pounds of gear or less

very tempted to try it

[ernstbass]

15. I live near the trail in Virginia

If any of you DU'ers want a night off the trail with hot bath, laundry and a good home cooked meal, call me and I'll come and get you and take you back the next day.

[graywarrior]

16. ruh roh. now you did it. don't think i won't ha ha

[ernstbass]

17. Hey there's always room for like minded progressives in my home!!

[dajoki]

18. trail is about 20 miles...

from me in pa. GOOD LUCK!!:yourock:

[XemaSab]

19. Righteous!

That should be a really neat trip!

I've never been backpacking before for more than just overnight...

[graywarrior]

20. Too bad I couldn't blog my trip.

AMC dudes would really dig that.