Appalachian Trail -Thru Hike

We’ll time to bring this thread out of the basement. About a month and a week after making this thread I ended up losing my home to hurricane Irene. Then I relocated to South Carolina and just got into a job that was never ending.

Boy have things changed, but I still want to do a through hike… to be honest with you I’ve been so busy working the last decade that I almost forgot about the Appalachian Trail altogether. Then suddenly one day this year I started watching a couple of videos and I started falling in love with the idea of doing a through hike.

I do have a plan and that is to be debt-free in 3 to 4 years. Right now I’m very happy with my job and my current financial situation. I am not happy with my life in general though. I feel like I’m missing something. I know what that is that is the freedom to get in tune with nature again.

I decided I want to retire by 62 and I’m going to be that 70-year-old man that still hiking and keeping active. Looking at my 85-year-old father and watch him deteriorate healthwise since the time he retired I realize his biggest mistake was to sit on his ass and watch TV and do nothing physical. In my opinion that was a huge mistake on his part. But what happens unfortunately with many people after they retire their bodies break down much faster due to inactivity.

I’m going to do the opposite… I want to attempt the triple crown. The Triple Crown is the Appalachian trail, Pacific coast trail and The continental divide trail.

In the meantime enjoy this video. I’ll post more later. This guy kind of inspired me to wanna hike again. I will start small and work my way up because it’s been a decade since I’ve hiked and I know what it takes to get into the physical condition to do a through hike. It is not an easy thing to do, but it is a beautiful challenge and I’m looking forward to the future.


View: https://youtu.be/UHdnXDxORoo

Looks awesome dew!
 
I’m currently watching this guy‘s hike.

He does the AT IN 100 days…


View: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYYwNtuG8QTj7eIkalb_jjoZWiz7e9ZVb

My Long TRail attempt. I was so young (17). And in the best shape ever probably. Started college at UMass summer of 65" had fall semester off, returned for second semester after xmas, flunked out and joined the army. The Long trail in VT is all mud in springtime and usually into early summer. All midge and mosquitos and other nasties thru august, all snow and ice from mid-late fall until mud season.Thus early fall is the ideal (only sane?) time to do it. Three of us started at the Southern Trail head at the Williamstown-VT line two days before my 18th Bday. Traveled real slow (we were told we should manage it in 20-22 days. Took 34` days and quit at Jay's Peak. We felt Peakish. And didn't make it to the northern trail head at the Quebec border. Felt great about it although we didn't finish. The green mountains are beautiful. If you've done through hikes, you probably carry only a couple/three days supplies. The pack you didn't even feel at the start soon weighs a ton. So its down you go to some wee small VT town for more supplies. Alcohol seemed to heavy to tote, but always found a stool and some beer while doing this. Occasional nice dinner. Sometimes pancakes with VT Maple syrup. Slow. 10 miles maybe on a good day slow. First 12 days were pretty easy (100 miles or so. coincidental with the well maintained Appalachian trail.. After that, it was really difficult for me. But so rewarding.
 
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My Long TRail attempt. I was so young (17). And in the best shape ever probably. Started college at UMass summer of 65" had fall semester off, returned for second semester after xmas, flunked out and joined the army. The Long trail in VT is all mud in springtime and usually into early summer. All midge and mosquitos and other nasties thru august, all snow and ice from mid-late fall until mud season.Thus early fall is the ideal (only sane?) time to do it. Three of us started at the Southern Trail head at the Williamstown-VT line two days before my 18th Bday. Traveled real slow (we were told we should manage it in 20-22 days. Took 34` days and quit at Jay's Peak. We felt Peakish. And didn't make it to the northern trail head at the Quebec border. Felt great about it although we didn't finish. The green mountains are beautiful. If you've done through hikes, you probably carry only a couple/three days supplies. The pack you didn't even feel at the start soon weighs a ton. So its down you go to some wee small VT town for more supplies. Alcohol seemed to heavy to tote, but always found a stool and some beer while doing this. Occasional nice dinner. Sometimes pancakes with VT Maple syrup. Slow. 10 miles maybe on a good day slow. First 12 days were pretty easy (100 miles or so. coincidental with the well maintained Appalachian trail.. After that, it was really difficult for me. But so rewarding.
I lived in Williamstown Massachusetts up until 2011. I’ve also hiked every single trail in that area. I understand about the bugs trust me lol. Fortunately for me when a flea or a mosquito bites me they usually croak.😒
 
About 20 years ago, on a nice early October day, I hiked up Mt Washington on the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail (Smog Railway side). Coming down the Jewell trail (mostly open) about 3:00 this guy came jogging up the trail. He was wearing sneakers, shorts, and a cotton t-shirt (soaked) and carried a half-full water bottle. No pack.

I asked and he said he was going all the way to the top. I told him it was 3:00, and he said, yeah, plenty of daylight left. I told him if it were me I'd turn back and try and some other day early in the morning. He shrugged and started jogging up the hill. We were just about a mile or two from the base station and there's no way he made it to the top. There was no news of a hiker dying up there that day so I guess he turned back or came down in the dark. But even on a warm October day, it gets cold fast p there when the sun goes down so I doubt it was a fun time.
 
About 20 years ago, on a nice early October day, I hiked up Mt Washington on the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail (Smog Railway side). Coming down the Jewell trail (mostly open) about 3:00 this guy came jogging up the trail. He was wearing sneakers, shorts, and a cotton t-shirt (soaked) and carried a half-full water bottle. No pack.

I asked and he said he was going all the way to the top. I told him it was 3:00, and he said, yeah, plenty of daylight left. I told him if it were me I'd turn back and try and some other day early in the morning. He shrugged and started jogging up the hill. We were just about a mile or two from the base station and there's no way he made it to the top. There was no news of a hiker dying up there that day so I guess he turned back or came down in the dark. But even on a warm October day, it gets cold fast p there when the sun goes down so I doubt it was a fun time.
About four weeks ago, I was at a REI in Jacksonville, and this older gentleman that I was talking to about doing a through hike told me that the temperatures up in Mount Washington already hit subzero and they’ve had snow and I believe that was late August. And I said holy crap lol.
 
About 20 years ago, on a nice early October day, I hiked up Mt Washington on the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail (Smog Railway side). Coming down the Jewell trail (mostly open) about 3:00 this guy came jogging up the trail. He was wearing sneakers, shorts, and a cotton t-shirt (soaked) and carried a half-full water bottle. No pack.

I asked and he said he was going all the way to the top. I told him it was 3:00, and he said, yeah, plenty of daylight left. I told him if it were me I'd turn back and try and some other day early in the morning. He shrugged and started jogging up the hill. We were just about a mile or two from the base station and there's no way he made it to the top. There was no news of a hiker dying up there that day so I guess he turned back or came down in the dark. But even on a warm October day, it gets cold fast p there when the sun goes down so I doubt it was a fun time.
I and my friends were huge skiers, we were young and we were good too. We became obsessed with Tuckerman Ravine and did it quite a few times. Hiking up there with skis, boots and beer on your back in heavy wet snow was a workout even for young bucks like us.
The first time was the most memorable one. We always rented a seasonal chalet and skied every weekend at Wildcat, usually. You could see Tuckerman across the valley from the top of Wildcat. As it turned out, I broke my leg the very first day of the season that year. Major suck. So I missed it all, and finally healed up and got the cast off early April. 4 days later, hiked up Mt Washington. It was a mistake. My leg was all atrophied and I was not in top shape at all. I had to wear 3 or maybe 4 pairs of socks so my ski boot would fit on that leg. Got up to the ravine, climbed the headwall, and made my first ever run.. you can't appreciate how f-ing steep it is. Over the edge I go and flew down, and made it. As it turned out, I was the only one that made a clean run, LOL. All the guys wiped out. But it was a gorgeous day, super warm and sunny. Skiing all the way back to Pinkham Notch base station was the real challenge. Moguls the size of fucking Volkswagens. Got to the bottom and just collapsed on the ground for a while.
 

What the heck’s going on here? Do you guys have me on block?

:coffee:
To be honest with you, I wouldn’t blame you guys.
:rofl:
You know how the internet of things are. You can't remember where you've seen things. I saw that pic today on Reddit and it was the second time I saw it. I automatically assumed that the first time was also on Reddit. My bad.
 
You know how the internet of things are. You can't remember where you've seen things. I saw that pic today on Reddit and it was the second time I saw it. I automatically assumed that the first time was also on Reddit. My bad.
It’s all good. I was trying to make a funny. 🙂
 
Pig,

Did you know there are lonely "trail angels" along the way who will take you in for the night, do your laundry, feed you and then
use you for sex?

When I was up near Mt. Katahdin two years ago we went out to The Blue Ox bar, which is a great place and a kid comes in
alone who had just finished the AT earlier that day. I bought him a couple of beers and sort of interviewed him. He was a very
different breed of cat, but was really intelligent and happy to talk about his experiences.

Among other things, he told me that he was polyamorous , had several "trail wives" during his journey (and showed me pic evidence of them)
and that one night he had a threesome with one of them at the home of a trail angel who was more than twice his age. And a consensual, good time was
had by all.

I don't know how much of this stuff you've heard, but he, not the bragging type at all, just said that it's non-stop sex when you aren't hiking
and what happens on the AT stays on the AT.

Hope that doesn't discourage you from trying it, but I thought you should know before you invest a lot of your time. :angel:
 
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Pig,

Did you know there are lonely "trail angels" along the way who will take you in for the night, do your laundry, feed you and then
use you for sex?

When I was up near Mt. Katahdin two years we went out to The Blue Ox bar, which is a great place and a kid comes in
alone who had just finished the AT earlier that day. I bought him a couple of beers and sort of interviewed him. He was a very
different breed of cat, but was really intelligent and happy to talk about his experiences.

Among other things, he told me that he was polyamorous , had several "trail wives" during his journey (and showed me pic evidence of them)
and that one night he had a threesome with one of them at the home of a trail angel who was more than twice his age. And a consensual, good time was
had by all.

I don't know how much of this stuff you've heard, but he, not the bragging type at all, just said that it's non-stop sex when you aren't hiking
and what happens on the AT stays on the AT.

Hope that doesn't discourage you from trying it, but I thought you should know before you invest a lot of your time. :angel:
I heard of Trail Angels and seeing them hand out free food. Did not know about the free sex. I did assume there was lots of sex going on among the tribes or they like to call it Tramily. Totally breaks my heart that there might be tons of sex involved during my future Thru-hike.:coffee:
 

What the heck’s going on here? Do you guys have me on block?

:coffee:
To be honest with you, I wouldn’t blame you guys.
:rofl:
I bet a lot of people have me on block...and, I don't care. Whateva...
 
Pig,

Did you know there are lonely "trail angels" along the way who will take you in for the night, do your laundry, feed you and then
use you for sex?

When I was up near Mt. Katahdin two years ago we went out to The Blue Ox bar, which is a great place and a kid comes in
alone who had just finished the AT earlier that day. I bought him a couple of beers and sort of interviewed him. He was a very
different breed of cat, but was really intelligent and happy to talk about his experiences.

Among other things, he told me that he was polyamorous , had several "trail wives" during his journey (and showed me pic evidence of them)
and that one night he had a threesome with one of them at the home of a trail angel who was more than twice his age. And a consensual, good time was
had by all.

I don't know how much of this stuff you've heard, but he, not the bragging type at all, just said that it's non-stop sex when you aren't hiking
and what happens on the AT stays on the AT.

Hope that doesn't discourage you from trying it, but I thought you should know before you invest a lot of your time. :angel:
I know most of them in my area...had to pass on the herpes, clap, and other various STD's. But, this is a thing. :coffee:
 
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