'05 AT Thru Hike

“My trail name does motivate me, something to live up to. If my trail name was "Town Days" it probably would've taken me a little while longer to get to Katahdin!”

“MileMonster, I am still amazed that your mom kept up with you. You must have gotten her genes for hiking...lol”

“Ewker - it's spelled "jeans".”

“no, its "genes" as in "genetics"”

“I know, CB. I was trying to make a joke - it works with "jeans" too, lol.”

“barely 2 months removed from the trail, and ive already started planning my imaginary (potential?} 2nd thru-hike. here is my list of where i would zero if i had it all to do over again. the determining factors were spacing (usually 120-150 miles apart), affordability (most fall in the $5 to $20 range, some are free), and overall coolness. none were motels, except for inn at the long trail. there were some significant exclusions, most notably miss janets in erwin, tn and the cabin in andover, me. those are also must-stays, they just didnt fall into the zeroing schedule

134 miles nantahala outdoor center: just the right spot for a zero, about 2 weeks or less into it. i zeroed at fontana dam and was not impressed. their re-supply sucks ass. at least at the NOC you can go rafting if you wish. camp for free along the river or stay in the bunkhouse for 15

271 miles hot springs: nice selection of inexpensive lodging, including a five dollar campground and a pricier bed and breakfast, along with cheap but nice hostels

409 miles kinkora: gets a little crowded, but great atmosphere, and bob peoples only asks for a four dollar donation

523 miles partnership shelter: the most civilized shelter on the trail! HOT shower, just off the road, and pizza delivery after 4 when you call from the mt rogers visitors center. snacks and coke machine too. no charge for stay

688 miles four pines hostel: 4 bucks and you can stay in joe mitchells garage after wowing yourself silly on top of dragons tooth. i think if i zeroed here, i would dayhike the 2.5 miles back to dragons tooth and spend the afternoon there

826 miles rustys hard time hollow: i didnt stay here, but more than anywhere else on the trail, this place got rave reviews for the serious amount of FUN everyone had

951 miles terrapin station: of all the places i stayed in my 7 plus months, this was my favorite. this place had it all: a super-accomodating host in former thru grateful greenpeace guy, ben and jerrys, pops, snacks, pizzas, laid-back suburban- bohemian atmosphere, nice record and book collection which he allowed us to utilize, and all the necessary amenities of civilization (except a/c). the beds were air mattresses instead of just hard bunks like most hostels. the host gets very involved with our enjoyment. my first night he got a rousing game of trivial pursuit going with everyone, and he offers one free trip per day into front royal for supplies, charges a small fee for extra runs. i cant say enough about this place

1087 miles pine grove furnace state park: you might need to zero after gorging yourself on the 1/2 gallon ice cream challenge. and no, youre not too cool to do it. this is an AT challenge not to be scoffed at

1218 miles eckville shelter: lots of snacks and pops for purchase, hawk mt sanctuary is nearby. the caretaker this year kinda had a screw loose from what i heard. if you get lonely, his dog will hump your leg

1394 miles: graymoor friary: free meal. nuff said

1534 miles upper goose pond cabin: arguably the best backcountry stay on the trail. theyve got swimming, canoeing, hospitality, a nice shelter, remarkable new england scenery, and a pancake breakfast all for 3 bucks! incredible!

1686 miles inn at long trail: this place is pimp! just like in the old days: bar, restaurant, and room all for a reasonable price (just under $50). you can catch a bus into nearby rutland or killington for re-supply and anything else you might want in town

1776 miles hikers welcome: your gonna want to rest up for the big push into the whites and this is a great place to do it. ran by former thrus, theyve got an enormous movie selection, internet access, and a relaxed atmosphere

1876 miles hikers paradise: located behind colonial comfort inn in gorham, the accomodations are spartan but sufficient. they do have a fully equipped kitchen, a tv with vcr (rental store down the road), and the beds are a nice break from the hard ground. after hiking a measly 1.2 from the shelter, i zeroed the next day, so i practically double-zeroed. youll be exhausted from the whites, and maine is only slighlty less difficult, so rest up!

1986 miles widows walk: if you want peace and quiet, this is the place. quaint, old-fashioned, inexpensive, but the owners take lots of trips so you may have to stay in the local motel when you get there

2059 miles shaws: sadly, keith shaw passed away a few days ago, but this place should still be running for a long time as it is legally in his young sons name, along with mrs shaw, who is also still alive. ive never had breakfast as good as i had breakfast here. EVER. seriously. all u can eat eggs to order, sausage, bacon, french toast, pancakes, home fries, juice, coffee, milk. it is a banquet and a feast that we mortals are unfit to partake. tender, juicy, tasty, mmmm-mmmmmmmm
last edited: 12/12/04 4:30:13 PM”

“if you havent already, go to trailjournals.com and read about former thrus experiences. im there, but im only about half-way done writing”

“hey nimblefoot, how long have you been planning this trip. Do you have any mail stops planned. you doing a trail journal so us folks on TT can keep track of your progress or lack off ;)”

“I decided I was going to do it prior to my first post on TT and most of my prep has been physical. I've read a lot, lurked and posted on a lot of websites, emailed folks like MM and others. MM has emailed me a lot of his stuff and responded with kindness and patience to all my inane questions. I bought the "ThruHikers Handbook" by Wingfoot and even read parts of it. I've also opened an account on Trailjournals under the name Nimblefoot and have posted one prep message. At present I don't plan on doing any maildrops but may do a bounce box or two or three. Food sources seem pretty well spaced and a bounce box should help me where they are not. I'm really not going to crazy with planning because I know that once I get on the trail I'll gradually discover all sorts of things I could have done differently. I'm just going along for the ride.”

“you're March 3rd date is good! You're going to have cold weather in the Smokies even if you start in April. Alot of the trail thru there is between 5000-6600 feet and that means cold nights. You'll probably get some snow and that will be awesome! Good luck! Even if you make it thru GA and southern NC, that in itself is quite an undertaking!”

“Hello? BJ? That might be worst than BM.


Maybe not.”

“EarthNsky - just curious - what's a night time temp range for the Smokies that time of year? Not that it matters, I'll be there anyway and it'll be what it'll be. I think I'm prepared for the cold, but we'll see.”

“Well I've been on Mt. Mitchell (not in GSmNP but similar ele) in July when the daytime high was 55 and the night time low was in the high 30's.

You could see temps in the teens and you could see temps in the 40s. Probably alot of time it will be around 30 degrees during the day. It's hard to predict there. I would be ready for the cold though.”

“You could probably expect to see some overnight frosts in the Smokies, especially in higher elevations. You may see some minor snow as well, but that usually melts within a day or so of falling that late in the winter.

They say Damascus, VA, is a good place to ditch your warmer gear, and it should work well for you, since you're starting March 3. But you'll want it back by the time you hit either Hanover, NH or Glencliff, NH. It's like winter in the White Mtns all year around, and, though not likely, you could see snow up there even in August.”

“"They say Damascus, VA, is a good place to ditch your warmer gear"

as people start at different times of year, ive never liked using where youre going to be as basis for what to wear. go by the calendar. with a march 3rd start, itll be early to mid april when he hits damascus. you could start gradually sending stuff home if the weather forecast warrants it. however, that said, unless you go at a really weird time, get your warm gear before vermont. not all of it, but nights in the 40s in all parts of new england is not unusual. i know from experience. i knew a couple who had not gotten their warmer sleeping bags before the green mountains and wrapped up in their tent inside the shelter to keep warm. the green mts are a nice precursor to the whites, and so is the weather. that said, i had perfect weather and visibility in the whites ; )”

“I got damn cold on June 23 on Mt. Rogers just outside of Damascus, so be prepared!”

“My cold weather bag is a Marmot helium. I think it's rated at 15 degrees. I slept in it on the SHT a few nights in October and was toasty warm. I also have a silk liner.”

“I had a 45F that cold first night of summer on Mt. Rogers. So I was a little chilly, lol...”

“At the link you can find average weather information For Clinkman's Dome.”

“why do I get the picture of a couple hikers toasting each other on top of a rock ....









_clink_ man's dome ???”

“I've done a lot of different things to train for my hike, mentioning them on various threads. This is what I did today: hiked up and down the stairs at the local hockey arena for 40 minutes, with pack...a little of it running. 1 hr workout with pack on treadmill at 4 mph at elevation of 8 (don't know what 8 equates to. degrees?), ran some of that. 200 crunches. This should maintain and continue to develop my cardio, legs, back and abs. I'm also hoping that climbing up and down the steps will at least minimize the liklihood of shin splints and ankle injuries in the early part of the hike. Weekends I'll try to get outside for long dayhikes. Evenings will be spent drinking beer in serious preparation for trail towns. I plan on adding to the length of all of this as time goes by, particularly the beer drinking. Don't want to embarrass myself on the trail by not having any tolerance.”

“8%, probably.”

“the 15 bag might be a bit much. i was overwarm most nights in my 20 bag (north face cats meow), but some nights it was just enough.

i dont know that working out for 40 minutes to an hour a day will really prepare you for the reality of hiking 8-12 hours a day, every day, day after day, and i think you might be apt to giving yourself shin splints rather than preventing them. if you really want to prepare yourself for the thru-hike, go do some intense winter-camping. go skinny-dipping at the lake in december. roll around naked in the snow. thatll toughen you up”

“no”

“Now that I've had some sleep and my coffee is brewing let me see if I can elaborate. As concerns the bag, I think the Helium will be good for the beginning and the end. During the warmest part of the trail my liner might be adequate. I have a couple other bags at home that can be mailed if need be. I'm okay with the workout I'm doing right now as long as I continue fairly long hikes on weekends. There aren't really any decent hills around here to give me the same work that I get from hiking up and down the stairs. I've slept out on the SHT in the low teens, cold rain, some snow and I sleep warm. Hiking in the cold isn't a problem. Jumping in a lake sober has never been a particular attraction. Some of what I'm doing is because I just get bored with doing a certain routine. If there were snow on the ground, I'd just cross country ski until time to leave. Thanks for your input.”

“302 am?!?! are you really up late thinking about this hike? man, youre like a kid at christmas : )”

“No, I'm an old fart...there's trips to the bathroom to be made...but I am getting a little more obsessed by the day.”

“Hey Nimblefoot, you planning on starting from Amicalola, or from Springer?”

“also when are you starting. did you ever decide on a date”

“I think he said March 3.”

“i think he already left”

“yay”

“I'm starting March 5th, a Saturday and I figure I'd start from the approach trail because most everyone else does it that way and I'm a weenie. I changed from the 3rd of March to allow my hero and role model a little more lattitude in meeting me there.”

“I didn't say that I wuld meet you there!”

“Nowslimmer - evidently you keyed in on the word "weenie".”

“lol....ok, gotcha. As the date gets closer we'll work out details, but as of right now my schedule is clear.”

“What mail drops are you using, nimble? There's a long spell after Damascus that I'm trying to figure out now... And too bad you're leaving early, as I'm planning a trip, but can't leave that early. I'm looking at Mar. 27 as my start date, so if you have to push back, keep me in mind as a starting partner.”

“"There's a long spell after Damascus"

what do you consider a long spell? i re-supplied about every 50-70 miles. 64 miles after damascus, you can go into either marion or sugar grove hitching on hyway 16, although i actually went in to troutdale. trust me, unless youre finicky about what you eat, it makes more sense to re-supply on the trail than mess with mail drops. youll find lots more places to buy food on the trail than you will post offices. just use mail drops for maps and sending gear back and forth as needed”

“oh, and you can order pizza from the phone at the mt rogers nra hqs, which is right next to partnership shelter, AND get a hot shower to boot. if i ever thru-hike again, ill zero at partnership.

god i miss it”

“Man, I was thinking drops more like every 100 miles. I've heard from plenty of people that food is fairly easy to come by off the trail, so not as worried about that (and I'll eat anything, so picky is not a problem). I just have a 250 mile section with no drop points "just in case" (damascus-troutville). The info about Partnership helps a ton. That gives me another definite re-supply point if I need it. Always good to get help from those with experience. Thanks! Pizza's gonna sound real good after 524 miles.”

“Other than what I've done to get in shape physically and the research I've done in settling gear issues, this is probably the least prepared for a hike ever. I have Wingfoot's thru hiking guide and stuff written by others and so far haven't really sat down to plan out drop points. I'm just not a planner. What I'll probably do is start reading the book early in the trip and talk to SOBO's, deciding on drop points from that. Otherwise I get too anal and it gets too much like work.

BTW, I'm heading out of my home in the morning. Going to southern Wisconsin for a few days and then on to Richmond, Va to spend February with my son. I just now stepped into the house from a farewell dinner some friends had for me. Life is good.”

“Can't stand any more of the northern snow and cold, eh!”

“That's a big part of it, but also the whole waiting thing. I just want to get the show on the road.”

“Zeno and others:

There is a ton of information on Resupply, Shopping, Drops, etc., at www.whiteblaze.net

If you look in the "Information" section, you'll see all sorts of stuff; plus these topics have been covered quite a bit in the Forums (just do a site search on "maildrops" or "Re-supply" and you'll find all sorts of information.

There is an extensive article on maildrops/re-supply covering the entire Trail that I wrote and updated several years ago; I expect to update it again within a few weeks to take into account new
hostels, businesses, service providers, etc.
Over the years, I've gotten some excellent feedback on this piece; you might find it useful.

You guys might also want to get your hands on either the Thru-Hikers's Companion or the similar Thru-hiker's Handbook; the 2005 editions of both of these came out in recent days. You can get the first at www.atconf.org (also the place to get maps and guidebooks); you can order the second at www.trailplace.com Both of these books
contain all sorts of material on towns, stores, Post Office locations, non post-office addresses that accept hiker mail, etc.”

“get wingfoots guidebook. its not perfect and the authors a dork but its the best book to use.”

“Stopping by to say "hello" on the way to southern WI, there, NF??

aaaah, I'm probably outta the way!!”

“Got all those books BJ. Been reading so much about this trip that I'm probably over-planning at this point. Been going through the wealth of info on whiteblaze as well. Hadn't seen your article, but reading it now. Thanks!”

“I am giving away ultralight camp stoves to those attempting a full AT hike this year. Please check out my website: www.advancedmountainproducts.com and email me if you are interested.

-percious”

“Percious, that sounds great. You will have mail shortly. Thanks.”

“Percious - you got mail. Thanks so very much.”