'05 AT Thru Hike

“Hi Boys & Girls,

I thought it was time to formally commit to my ill conceived plan to thru hike the AT beginning in early April. Thanks to a lot of good advice from TT folks I have some pretty good gear (no particular skills, but my gear is good) and will ask more advice about other issues as I get closer to D day. If anyone should be inclined to accompany me, you are most welcome. Be forewarned, however, you will need to bring adequate bail money. Oh, by the way, Maine is north of Georgia...right?”

“Very cool! Best of luck. I commend your plans and goals. Isn't April a bit late to start though?”

“I've heard it both ways. Whenever I mentioned March someone would say "Isn't March a bit early to start"? What's needed here is a month between March and April. Maybe someone will start a thread and create one.”

“well if'n I lived over THERE instead of way over HERE I might be tempted to join you for part of it...

Keep us posted! :)”

“hmm...

yeah... i'll leave it at that, just a hmm... for now”

“SE - I assume you have been checking out the resources over on Whiteblaze.net - not a bad forum either if a bit single focused.

link”

“Thanks Hog. Yes, I've been to Whiteblaze and to that one that Wingfoot owns...TrailPlace. Both are helpful. Thanks again.”

“What part of the U.S. are you from, I work at the Atl. airport and live near Springer Mtn. if you need a lift to trailhead my e-mail is dblalock@backpacker.com, let me know. Best of luck!!!”

“I may could accompany you at least to Hot Springs. Keep in touch.”

“If you haven't been there, www.georgiahikes.com has great info on the first leg of the journey.”

“Dicentra - thanks for the nice thought.

Simer - hmmm back to you

Blalock - I live in Wisconsin. Thanks for the offer. I've still got some logistics to figure out...what to do with my house, stash my truck, how do I want to travel south, etc? Hiking with me to Hot Springs would be cool (not a bad pun).

TDale - Checked out Georgiahike this a.m. Good info. Thanks.

I'm still stuck at the beginning, however. No one has told me which direction I should turn atop Springer Mt to get to Maine. There's 4 choices and I don't like the odds. Could you at least narrow it to 50/50?”

“should bring your shovel and start digging when you get to the top of Springer”

“I'm still stuck at the beginning, however. No one has told me which direction I should turn atop Springer Mt to get to Maine. There's 4 choices and I don't like the odds. Could you at least narrow it to 50/50?"
Snake Eyes
09:13:27 AM
09/10/04

I think you head North.”

“SE, April isn't too late if you just keep hiking. 15mpd average equals 5 months.

As far as direction goes, follow the white blazes.”

“Snake Eyes, good luck if you decide to do this.

I have talked to the people where I work but they won't let me off with pay for that long :(”

“I wish i could go”

“Zac,

That's all I was looking for, north it is. I thought it was up there somewhere. Just in case too many people think I'm serious (there's always someone), I'm just trying to be facetious.”

“SE, I can't believe you would blatantly lie about something as serious as not knowing which way to hike at Springer Mt. if you're hiking the AT Northbound. That is a necessary piece of information for northbound hikers. I gave you helpful advice (follow the white blazes), and now you say you were just kidding? The nerve of some people. Sometimes you people from up north just burn me up, being facetious and all that.”

“Well, I thought trying to be facetious was sort of a step on the road to recovery from being my normal smart a$$ed self. That's why I'm practicing. However, you're still my role model and I think I'm in capable hands (but I knew you got it).”

“"Never be ashamed of who you are."

- Zorg.”

“Zorg should be ashamed of himself.”

“Priest Vito Cornelius : You're a monster, Zorg.

Zorg : I know.”

“Check out Spur's journals on http://www.spursjournal.com/. He actually keeps them on trailjournals.com, but he catalogs them on his own site.

The man went for a short AT hike in 2000 and "spur of the moment" decided to do the whole thing. Never hiked before since his Boy Scout days. Then did the AT again in 2001. Then the PCT in 2002. The AT again in 2003. Currently doing the CDT as we speak in 2004! I've been keeping up on his journals for the last few years - amazing how much he hikes.”

“Must be nice to be able to take a 2000 mile hike spur of the moment.”

“Yup.”

“Ray, Crash Bang will be back from his venture soon. You should speak to him. When you come up this way, Maple and I will definitely join you for a portion like we are doing for Crash in October.”

“Can you get to the ALDHA GAthering in October? (www.aldha.org) It will be Columbus Day weekend in West Virginia. Good chance to talk to a lot of long distance hikers.

April is a good time to start. You will have less snow and ice and cold and you really will be hikign with spring. I started April 2 and March 28 on my hikes - still had snow along the way, but less than those who started a month before me. I still finished by mid-September -- and I took my time.

I wish you well.

I also wish we were heading out next year. But CDT'06 is less than 700 days away.”

“The Gathering can be a lot of fun anyway. I went in 2002, just prior to a five-day trip on the AT.

Here's my pics from the 2002 Gathering”

“bit, you planning anymore trips on the AT?

I thought SS had one planned but he must have made it a private trip ;)”

“I gotta get in better shape to hike the AT. Plus, my kids have entered that age where it's tough to schedule a week away from them at a time. This fall, it's soccer.”

“bit, tsk,tsk!! using the kids as an excuse since you got old and fat ;)”

“Hell, I got old and fat because of the kids!”

“Hey Snake Eyes - looking at my maps, it looks like you go UP outta Georgia towards ME ( and how the hell do ya get ME outta Main anyhow )

But seriously, I'm gonna keep this on the radar and maybe meet you at Springer for a day or so. Never been there.

As far as getting from Wisconsin to Georgia, I'd either drive or fly - dont walk - its tooo far and you'll need the energy (and shoe leather) on the AT hike.”

“There's a lot of M states, not enough letters to go around
ME=Maine”

“Damn, Roam Around, you're aimless tonight and I'm just killing time. Why didn't we get together?

BTW, is it true that sections of the AT were hit hard and are unlikely to open for at least a year?”

“nowslimmer, thats a damn good question, why didn't we? I dunno.

Sections of the AT in NC probably were hit really hard and could be a huge mess, likewise in VA probably.

I havn't heard any thing in particular about the AT itself though.”

“I haven't heard anything, either. I just thought we might get Snake Eyes going a little. We need something stronger, like Legal Disputes Force Closing Of Appalachian Trail until at least 2007.”

“lmao, sorry I dropped your lead man.”

“this just in.....


North Carolina, including the AT has dropped off into the Atlantic Ocean. Luckily, the Black Mountain Crest Trail has remained intact.”

“From past experience, trail crews will be on the trail within the next few weeks to begin to clear the damage. The volunteers who maintain the AT generally take the responsibility very seriously.”

“Having met Nowslimmer I automatically take everything he says with a dump truck full of salt. Since he's also met me I'm sure he does likewise as well. Roamie, I'd be very pleased to meet you at or around Springer when the time gets nigh. I was visiting my mother in the Madison area this weekend and stopped in at the local REI, walking away with some Patagonia long johns, a Petzl Tika Plus head lamp, a full length 4 season thermarest and a pair of camp slippers. Rather than blowing a lot of money during this trip I think I can actually put money in the bank. No reason why not, just planning and discipline.”

“SOunds like you got some good items. Seems like I read you saying you never had a headlamp before, and I can tell you that you'll really like having it. I went without one for several years, opting for the mini flashlight. Now that I've had a headlamp for a while now though, i'll never be without it. Handiest little thing I've ever had.”

“I checked it out last night after dark by walking the 100 yards from my driveway to the road AND back. It was really cool, an eerie kind of light. Do I need to post a trip report?”

“Snake Eyes,
Go for it! Best of luck. Just be sure to save enough money to buy a new pair of kicks when you hit PA. Getting someone to start with you is nice but of little consequence. You'll meet so many hikers that you'll very rarely be alone.”

“Thanks NJ,

Most of my hiking tends to be solo because most people my age that live in the area are too far advanced in their alcoholism to really get out (sort of kidding) and the younger people I know really aren't into it. Fortunately I enjoy my own company, but 2000 plus miles of it would be a bit much.”

“Snakeyes.....my birthday is April 1st and I can't think of a better way to spend it than on Springer MT!!!!!!”

“just noticed this thread...im on the northside of atlanta and could give anyone needing it a ride to springer...i actually went up for the weekend of crashbangs start of his thru hike...never did get to see him then though...”

“you know how they have to chain up the wolfman during a full moon? thats what theyre gonna have to do to me during thru-hike season

i wanna goooooOWOOOOOOO!!!”

“Dude, then go.

Have you ever read any of Yogi's journals? She just finished the CDT for her Triple Crown. She works as a waitress in between hikes until she gets enough money for a thru-hike and then she goes. Prefers being on the trail. It's her chosen lifestyle.”

“i wont have 5000 bucks saved by then”