Appalachian Trail -Thru Hike

So many people have been asking me why would I wanna put my body through 2200 miles of hell. Immediately I say to myself, they truly donā€™t understand what it would mean to me. First of all, itā€™s not hell and second of all this is the closest thing to Heaven you can get! Well, until you die, I supposeā€¦
Then I show them this video, which is absolutely fabulous. This is their final day of their through hike. I followed them from the very first day till the last day. But this last video of them, summited, Katahdin, and reviewing some of their past experiences along the trail, made it such a great video.
The weather conditions that day were brutal but thatā€™s what made it even better. Do you really honestly think hiking 2200 miles is going to be a piece of cake? The more challenging the more rewarding.


View: https://youtu.be/uPJwqd17UC4
 
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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:
Have you ever been close to a thru-hiker? They smell. Really really bad. In the White Mtns I always stop for thru-hikers trying to hitch a ride (pretty easy to tell them from weekenders) and before they even get into the car I have their window rolled down. Not so bad in GA or NC, but by the time they get to New England, bodies, hair, clothing, backpacks, all have a kind of permanent stench.
 
So many people have been asking me why would I wanna put my body through 2200 miles of hell. Immediately I say to myself, they truly donā€™t understand what it would mean to me. First of all, itā€™s not hell and second of all this is the closest thing to Heaven you can get! Well, until you die, I supposeā€¦
Then I show them this video, which is absolutely fabulous. This is their final day of their through hike. I followed them from the very first day till the last day. But this last video of them, summited, Katahdin, and reviewing some of their past experiences along the trail, made it such a great video.
The weather conditions that day were brutal but thatā€™s what made it even better. Do you really honestly think hiking 2200 miles is going to be a piece of cake? The more challenging the more rewarding.


View: https://youtu.be/uPJwqd17UC4

I love to follow hikers' trail journals. Are you going to keep one? Please don't forgte to point us to it!!!
 
I love to follow hikers' trail journals. Are you going to keep one? Please don't forgte to point us to it!!!
The US government is trying to fine Youtubers for posting their video journals. Thereā€™s a battle going on right now regarding the US government overstepping. I would like to do a YouTube journal when I decide to do my thru hike.. if not, Iā€™ll do a picture and written journal for the planet. Thatā€™s if itā€™s still here in about 3 1/2 years lol
 
Have you ever been close to a thru-hiker? They smell. Really really bad. In the White Mtns I always stop for thru-hikers trying to hitch a ride (pretty easy to tell them from weekenders) and before they even get into the car I have their window rolled down. Not so bad in GA or NC, but by the time they get to New England, bodies, hair, clothing, backpacks, all have a kind of permanent stench.
Yes, I have smelled a few. I used to live in the Berkshires and the Appalachian trail is right down the road from my house. Some of these hackers have gone a month or more without a shower.. Iā€™m planning on staying at a hostile or a hotel room every five or six days. Iā€™ll still stink because five days straight hiking will do that.šŸ¤£šŸ¤£šŸ¤£
 
Yes, I have smelled a few. I used to live in the Berkshires and the Appalachian trail is right down the road from my house. Some of these hackers have gone a month or more without a shower.. Iā€™m planning on staying at a hostile or a hotel room every five or six days. Iā€™ll still stink because five days straight hiking will do that.šŸ¤£šŸ¤£šŸ¤£

The stench is natural and woodsmoke mitigates it on clothes and so forth. I've gone a week maximum without a shower or swimming (too cold), but I
really don't really think about it much. Where it is warm you can take a dip or maybe rinse your clothes. Synthetics dry fast. Your nose will adjust to
an extent. If it's too cold to go swimming (I almost always make myself) then you don't sweat as much. No cotton. None. Get synthetic socks, for sure. I
rinse them out and just hang them off my pack to dry as I hate having to multi-day socks.

On the trail it's quick-dry synthetics and fleece and that's it outside of a rain jacket.

One tip is to bring butt-wipes to prevent swamp ass and eliminate skidmarks. You can find bio-degradables if you look, but
those things are a must.
 
The stench is natural and woodsmoke mitigates it on clothes and so forth. I've gone a week maximum without a shower or swimming (too cold), but I
really don't really think about it much. Where it is warm you can take a dip or maybe rinse your clothes. Synthetics dry fast. Your nose will adjust to
an extent. If it's too cold to go swimming (I almost always make myself) then you don't sweat as much. No cotton. None. Get synthetic socks, for sure. I
rinse them out and just hang them off my pack to dry as I hate having to multi-day socks.

On the trail it's quick-dry synthetics and fleece and that's it outside of a rain jacket.

One tip is to bring butt-wipes to prevent swamp ass and eliminate skidmarks. You can find bio-degradables if you look, but
those things are a must.
I agree Whose gonna smell you in the middle of no where.....and man wipes are the best thing since baby wipes lol....

~Dee~
 
I agree Whose gonna smell you in the middle of no where.....and man wipes are the best thing since baby wipes lol....

~Dee~

The problem comes when you roll into town to go to a market or check into a motel and become aware of grossing
somebody out, but it's not a big deal. They're used to trail folks and get it.

Where I go for hiking there is a store just outside the perimeter of Baxter Park that has great coin-op
showers. I was reluctant to try them at first, but they keep them clean and that first 20-minute
shower and finally changing into clean clothes is a slice of heaven.
 
The problem comes when you roll into town to go to a market or check into a motel and become aware of grossing
somebody out, but it's not a big deal. They're used to trail folks and get it.

Where I go for hiking there is a store just outside the perimeter of Baxter Park that has great coin-op
showers. I was reluctant to try them at first, but they keep them clean and that first 20-minute
shower and finally changing into clean clothes is a slice of heaven.
I never checked into a hotel, stores yep.... Iā€™m not going to lie fresh water streams were my favorite bathing sights lol. But I was a unique person back in the day... My hubby would never ever hike the trail or not ever travel without a Hotel lol. Ive tried to convince him to go cross country in a RV heā€™s not loving it lol. It is what it is lol.

Hiking it was the best experience I ever had ....

~Dee~
 
Iā€™ve never come close to a thru hike, but I used to love going out to the Mt Rodgersā€™s and graceland highlands area in VA. When I was in my early 20s I could go out there for four or five days cause I had no responsibilities. I also had no problem then hiking 12 to 15 miles a day with 90 pounds.
I saw people who would really try to shave weight but I never worried about it. Id carry a tarp, rope, blanket, 2 gallons of water (id rather carry it than purify it) homemade beef jerky, granola, prunes, and a lot of weed and whiskey.
There were wild horses up there, but the huge bulls running around could be scary.
The app trail ran through there but there were hundreds of miles of side trails. I miss those days.
These pics were from a random snowstorm in April or may Up there with an old flip phone. there is a horse in one of them. It was really easy to get caught in terrible weather.
 

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The US government is trying to fine Youtubers for posting their video journals. Thereā€™s a battle going on right now regarding the US government overstepping. I would like to do a YouTube journal when I decide to do my thru hike.. if not, Iā€™ll do a picture and written journal for the planet. Thatā€™s if itā€™s still here in about 3 1/2 years lol
How can they fine hikers for posting a video? I didn't have that issue in 2003. Just had photos. From a camera. Did have a cell phone. Back then there were payphones everywhere. In 2006 there were still phones in the GA and North Carolina but they scarce.
 
Yes, I have smelled a few. I used to live in the Berkshires and the Appalachian trail is right down the road from my house. Some of these hackers have gone a month or more without a shower.. Iā€™m planning on staying at a hostile or a hotel room every five or six days. Iā€™ll still stink because five days straight hiking will do that.šŸ¤£šŸ¤£šŸ¤£
Lucky you. The Berkshires were a nice part of the trail. Roads every 6-8 miles and lots of restaurants. Pretty scenery and not too hilly. Greylock had the usual obnoxious mountain-top-with-a-paved-road gaggle of tourists, but by the time we hit Mass, we were stridin' and glidin'
 
I started buying my gear. I spent a lot of time on research and I just recently bought the Osprey Atmos AG 65 backpack. For my Tent I just received my Durston XMID2 2nd Gen in the mail today. My daughter just gave me a pair of black diamond trekking poles for my birthday. I was going to go with the Durston X-MID Pro but I couldnā€™t bring myself to spend an extra $400 to save about a pound and a half of weight. I also bought a pocket rocket to stove and a Toaks titanium pot.

My next two major purchases will be inflatable mattress. Iā€™m leaning towards the big Agnes Rapides XL. Iā€™m still unsure. What kind of sleep system Iā€™m going with. I may end up buying two separate systems. One for warm weather and one for cold weather.

My goal is to keep my backpack around twenty five to twenty eight pounds including water. I can handle 40 pounds but the body of a 56 year old man usually doesnā€™t like 40 pounds for a really long period of time. Iā€™m not going ultralight because I still want to have some luxuryā€™s and thatā€™s why I went with the osprey backpack due to excellent carrying ability.. the tent I bought is an award-winning tent and used to be extremely difficult to get your hands on it. But since they came out with the pro version(Dynema fabric) for $670 the tent that I received was much easier to obtain and at the cost of $300 and only 35 ounces it was a no-brainer for me.

Finally, I canā€™t wait to do some section hikes. I might hit the Georgia border and going to North Carolina when the weather starts getting cooler again.
 

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My next two major purchases will be inflatable mattress. Iā€™m leaning towards the big Agnes Rapides XL. Iā€™m still unsure. What kind of sleep system Iā€™m going with. I may end up buying two separate systems. One for warm weather and one for cold weather.
A reasonably durable foil-lined tarp with the foil side up placed under your warm weather mattress with go a long way to making it good for cold weather, as long as you have a 20 degree bag.
My goal is to keep my backpack around twenty five to twenty eight pounds including water. I can handle 40 pounds but the body of a 56 year old man usually doesnā€™t like 40 pounds for a really long period of time. Iā€™m not going ultralight because I still want to have some luxuryā€™s and thatā€™s why I went with the osprey backpack due to excellent carrying ability.
That's a great weight. You'll see lost of 50 pound packs in Georgia...and lots of gear and clothing left behind in shelters also. Pack weights will be down be the Smokies.
Finally, I canā€™t wait to do some section hikes. I might hit the Georgia border and going to North Carolina when the weather starts getting cooler again.
That is an excellent hike to do. It's fun starting a georgia > smokies section hike in March because of all the excitement.
 
)n Feb. 28, 2018, I drove my 35 year old son from Manchester, NH to Springer Mtn, Georgia so he could start the 1725 mile walk to Mt. Katadin, Maine. He was determined to do the complete trail, start to finish. It took him two days to finish the falls at the start.
He's 6'6" 250# and had never smoked or drank. It was 72 degrees when I bid him farewell.

A month later the temps on the Trail dropped to -18. He texted me that his eyelids had frozen closed overnight. You best read up on the Traoil because it's not a nice walk on a wide path through the woods. It involves everything from walking on even ground to partially climbing mountains. That and traversing ledges. That's where he met his downfall. He was walking on 60 foot high ledge when it gave way because of the ice that had formed. He survived the fall but wrecked his knee and ankle. Ain't no help close on the Trail. He had to walk with a full pack seven miles before he found a road.

He got a lift to Ashville, Tenn. where he met a guy who owned a trout farm who was kind enough to let him stay in a shack until he was recovered. Then he restarted and made it to the Blue Mountains when horrific rain washed out the trail and he went down again. I sent him money and took a bus home and was off his feet for four weeks. He'd lost 30 lbs.

Then I took him to Hanover, NH where he figured he'd go south to Virginia and then someday finish the Trail from Hanover to Katadin. Two days carrying a 40 lb pack and the temps went in the high 90s. For a week he spent six hours a day looking for water. He met a girl from Germany trying to do the same thing. They spent two days and two nights in a barn but the temps were unbearable. I drove back and pick them up and dropped her off at the airport, never to be seen again.

I give him credit for trying. If you're not a real hiker, doing the Appalachian Trail might be a hell of a lot worse than you can imagine. Be prepared to carry a 40-50 lbs back pack. Be prepared for Trail Theives because people start and will take anything to sell so they can get home. Screw being Mr. Nice Guy. Everyone on the Trail is looking out for #1 and will kill you for a bag of nuts.

I know, there's a 67 year old woman who's done it seven times. But not the entire trail from start to finish. She walked around some of the tougher parts.
 
)n Feb. 28, 2018, I drove my 35 year old son from Manchester, NH to Springer Mtn, Georgia so he could start the 1725 mile walk to Mt. Katadin, Maine. He was determined to do the complete trail, start to finish. It took him two days to finish the falls at the start.
He's 6'6" 250# and had never smoked or drank. It was 72 degrees when I bid him farewell.

A month later the temps on the Trail dropped to -18. He texted me that his eyelids had frozen closed overnight. You best read up on the Traoil because it's not a nice walk on a wide path through the woods. It involves everything from walking on even ground to partially climbing mountains. That and traversing ledges. That's where he met his downfall. He was walking on 60 foot high ledge when it gave way because of the ice that had formed. He survived the fall but wrecked his knee and ankle. Ain't no help close on the Trail. He had to walk with a full pack seven miles before he found a road.

He got a lift to Ashville, Tenn. where he met a guy who owned a trout farm who was kind enough to let him stay in a shack until he was recovered. Then he restarted and made it to the Blue Mountains when horrific rain washed out the trail and he went down again. I sent him money and took a bus home and was off his feet for four weeks. He'd lost 30 lbs.

Then I took him to Hanover, NH where he figured he'd go south to Virginia and then someday finish the Trail from Hanover to Katadin. Two days carrying a 40 lb pack and the temps went in the high 90s. For a week he spent six hours a day looking for water. He met a girl from Germany trying to do the same thing. They spent two days and two nights in a barn but the temps were unbearable. I drove back and pick them up and dropped her off at the airport, never to be seen again.

I give him credit for trying. If you're not a real hiker, doing the Appalachian Trail might be a hell of a lot worse than you can imagine. Be prepared to carry a 40-50 lbs back pack. Be prepared for Trail Theives because people start and will take anything to sell so they can get home. Screw being Mr. Nice Guy. Everyone on the Trail is looking out for #1 and will kill you for a bag of nuts.

I know, there's a 67 year old woman who's done it seven times. But not the entire trail from start to finish. She walked around some of the tougher parts.
I think my experience as a snow maker will help me a lot. Iā€™ve dealt with 16 below zero temperatures and 100 mph winds and I loved it. Donā€™t get me wrong it was scary and I had to make sure I was in the middle of a trail, so when the trees start falling I was safe. Unfortunately, I cannot see your foot in front of my face at times so that made it even scarier. Iā€™ve also camped on the top of mountains with primitive gear in subzero weather. Iā€™m also ex military and Iā€™ve dealt with many different weather conditions. Iā€™m hoping my experience of hiking thousands of miles will help give me an advantage. I think the record for the oldest man or a human being to thru hike, the Appalachian Trail is 84 years of age. And let me tell you something I would love to shake that manā€™s hand, because that is a major accomplishment.

Also kudos to anybody that makes an attempt to thru hike, the Appalachian Trail, or any trail.
 
Sounds great. The modern gear has passed me by.but it,s amazing the design advances.

Love Bryson, but he failed to mention what a walk in the woods costs these days.
 
Having just hiked over a hundred miles in Utah, I will say that unless youā€™re very physically fit, itā€™s an exceptional ask of your body, especially if youā€™re 40+.

Iā€™m 45, in pretty good shape from constant mountain biking and frequent hikes, but I know personally that I would need 6-8 months of training to prepare for the App hike. I did it when I was in my 20ā€™s, did the whole thing with three college buddies , and we all did well, but back then I was 6ā€™3ā€ 170. Being 35 pounds heavier now would force me to make some serious changes first.

Regardless, though, itā€™s an awesome personal challenge, Piggy, and I hope it goes phenomenally for you. Slow and steady wins the race.
 
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