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  1. #61
    Registered User One Half's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Last Call View Post
    The first A.T. shelter is right behind the visitor center, Max Epperson shelter....for the life of me I don't understand why one would want to skip the 1st 8 miles of the A.T. and be driven up the mountain to Springer.....
    Because it's NOT part of the AT.
    https://tinyurl.com/MyFDresults

    A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world. ~Paul Dudley White

  2. #62
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    If you decide not to do the approach trail, do go back to the falls sometime when you can really enjoy them, they are magnificent.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

  3. #63
    Registered User Last Call's Avatar
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    The nice ranger lady told me the A.T. begins at the arch in front of the visitors center, So I'm pretty sure that makes it official. Who am I to question the ranger there in charge?

  4. #64
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    the ranger obviously doesn't know much about the AT

  5. #65
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    Quote Originally Posted by PennyPincher View Post
    Because it's NOT part of the AT.
    By the same logic, most shelters and campsites aren't either. Ie. most of them are on blue blazes and none of them need to be visited in order earn 2000-miler status. Even a purist will end up walking many dozens of miles of blue blazes, bushwhacks and road walks. It's inevitable.

    Always gets the natives riled up, chatting about it. It's just not a big deal either way. HYOH and all that.

  6. #66
    Registered User LIhikers's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by PennyPincher View Post
    Because it's NOT part of the AT.
    OK, it's not part of the AT, I get that.
    But here you are, setting off on a 2200 mile hike and you'll be walking lots of places that aren't part of the AT, so why skip those 8 miles just because they are at the beginning of the journey?

  7. #67
    Wanna-be hiker trash
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    If you don't start from Mt. Oglethorpe, then you're not really doing the whole trail.
    Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.

  8. #68
    Registered User Nhan's Avatar
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    Make the choice that you will regret the least. If you're gonna count every mile then the trail becomes more of a chore than an experience, most people won't care about the certificate that you get when you finish, its about the memories you're gonna take with you. By choosing to skip it you you're opting out of potential memory. my two cents.

    Sorry for dredging this thread up, but I had something to say.

  9. #69

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nhan View Post
    most people won't care about the certificate that you get when you finish
    Understatement

  10. #70

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    The Appalachian Trail starts on Springer, not at Amicalola Falls Park. Pretty simple.

  11. #71
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    Quote Originally Posted by Singto View Post
    The Appalachian Trail starts on Springer, not at Amicalola Falls Park. Pretty simple.
    “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler.” or “Make things as simple as possible, but not simpler.”

    - attributed to Albert Einstein

  12. #72

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    I'm thru hiking now (currently enjoying a zero). After day 1, nobody has ever asked if you've hiked the approach trail or not. There seems to be this idea that you have to hike it to be legit. Nobody cares on the trail as there's other things to worry about like avoiding Norovirus and hitching into town. However, if you genuinely want to see the falls and experience the build-up to Springer Mountain, then have a blast doing it.

  13. #73

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    Quote Originally Posted by Singto View Post
    The Appalachian Trail starts on Springer, not at Amicalola Falls Park. Pretty simple.
    The strong opinion people sometimes have over arbitrary definitions can be amazing. This goes beyond the AT. Why let someone else so easily define your experience?

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