2007 Tru-Hikers registry

[HapKiDo]

Start Date (my Dad's 84th birthday) March 18, 2007, from Springer Mountain, about midafternoon.

With a hiking partner.

We plan to hike by "hours hiked" not by mileage. We're unorthodox in our view of a Thru Hike because a mile on the AT is not like any other mile on the AT. We plan to start out 6 to 7 hours of hiking a day (after the first day) and add a half hour or an hour each week until we're hiking about 10 to 12 hours a day.

We plan to take "dinner/boots off/siesta" breaks in the 'middle' of the day and then continue for the remainder of our hiking hours. This will give our bodies time to recuperate from hiking each day. And on sunny hot days, we can do our laundry and it'll be dry when we return to our hike after our siesta.

We are both retired, so we really don't have an "end" date, but I think it will be before the end of September. Could be the end of August. We won't spend time or much money in trail towns because we don't plan to do "mega-mile" days. We'll have built up our bodies gradually by adding hours rather than miles. And the hours will make the miles.

We will be using one mail drop a month in order to get our prescription medications, vitamins and supplements.

Our Trail Names:
HapKiDo Coosa and Screaming Mimi

HapKiDo
A mile on the AT is not like any other mile on the AT.

[maxNcathy]

Hi HapKiDo, I will be behind you two a few hours so I will be see ing you probably.Keep well, Sandalwood.
PS happy retirement!

[Touch of Grey]

Mid-March sometime...NOBO...slow to start and as much or as little as my legs and back will take me. Want to be done in ME by my wifes birthday in September but we'll just have to wait and see if it works that way. Dialing in my eqipment now so I'll be ready to go next year.

I retired last January after 30 years of being in the same place. It's my time now so no hurry!

TOG

[Pacific Tortuga]

I thought I'd be out on the AT a few years ago but a quad by-pass was needed in Sept.04 so it all went on the back burner. My start date is mid to late March and I expect to take a full 6 months. I want to see the places in history that made up the character of the United States and hike. The details will fall into place and this will be the greatest adventure/gift of my life, to myself. There is a copious amount of information available and I appriciate it all, White Blazes is the last word on preparation to hike any part of the Appalacian Trail. I'd like to thank all members who take the time to help others and over look or call me on it, when
I'm full of crap, it is from the heart and I hope to meet many of you next year, in 2007.

[karo]

I hope to be on the trail northbound by late March. I might have a hiking partner, not sure yet. I will try to get in better shape and be ready for 8-10 mile days. We'll see, LOL!

[Ewker]

congrats karo

[jlb2012]

dang karo, good luck to you

[karo]

Thanks, Ewker and HOI. I need all the support I can get. Our plant should be in shutdown for 12-18 months to changeover to a new product. If I don't take the oppurtunity now I may never get to. I do have a lot of commitments that have to be handled first like my kids college and us another house. I hope to have my house up for sale in a few weeks. They are selling like hotcakes around here and with Nissan building its headquarters in Franklin its just going to grow even more. I have most of the gear I would need and would probably use one of my alcohol stoves to cook with. I may need better clothes for an early spring trip. I hope to post a gear list soon.

[squivens]

well ... my start date has been pushed up once again. My new start date is looking like March 1st now. I need to make it to Harpers Ferry by May 11th for my best friends wedding and then I'll hit the trail again after that the rest of the way up to Maine.

[eyewall]

I'll give it a shot...probably in early March. No plans...no food drops, no mail drops. Just head north at a leisurely pace. I don't have to be anywhere special, except the trail

[VictoriaM]

Hi all! I'll be heading north sometime in early March, at a somewhat leisurely pace. I need to be done by the end of September for school. Other than that, I haven't made many decisons yet.

[Smacky70]

Solo hiker from Australia, starting March 15th NOBO
thru-hike, miles per day.. ermm *converts from kilometers* erm 15 to 20 sounds good.

Just got all the books that I ordered online from the states, doing lots of reading, I'm pumped. (to bad it's still 9 months away)

Trail name.. well, still thinking of it.

[G.H.O.S.T.]

Solo NOBO between dec. 28th and Jan 1st. I'm going to hike the approach the day before and sleep at spring mt. shelter. Doing between 18 and 25+ miles a day. I have to finish by June 15 so I can get married on July 7th plus i enjoy hiking big milage

[the_iceman]

May wind up as a solo. Trying to cash in and move south. If I have down time before restarting my life I may get a February start. The weather patterns and life will decide. Do not want to really go days without seeing anyone but do not want to fight just to find for a place to sleep either. The first week of March is rumored to be like going through airport security -- long lines at the gates.

[capn mark]

Solo, looking to start mid-late Feb. College buddy is getting married 11 AUG so I can't wait much longer to leave. No idea about how many miles I can do yet, but hope to finish within about 5 months. duh, I guess you can look at the dates and figure that out.

[mike!]

Solo... or maybe with 2 other friends (however thier spending habbits dont seem to convince me they are saving very hard..) Heading northbound, i'd like to leave sometime in April, or a little earlier. I'm going to start off leasurly, and gradually pick up the pace, im putting a cap on myself to no more then 25 miles ever. when i finished the LT in 14 days, i told myself, next time i need to simmer down a little bit (i missed to many swimming oppurtinities). as you can see, i've got no firm plans, but i like to save my AT hike planning for boring school classes . Can't wait to meet you guys out there!
mike! (no trailname yet, but havent been out on the trail long enough!)

p.s. kla;jdflkjahdflkjadhflkjadf = mikey's excited!

[Smacky70]

p.s. kla;jdflkjahdflkjadhflkjadf = mikey's excited!

heh, I'm with you there Mike. I spend atleast 1 hour of work everday thinking about what it's going to be like on the trail. mmm I hope my boss won't read this :P

[mindi]

Starting March 10 NOBO, no approach trail. Probably will do fairly low miles at the beginning. I don't have a trail name yet..hoping to earn one on the trail!
Mindi

[BigBambu]

A partner and I are starting sometime in early to mid march at Springer Mountain, GA.

[Michele]

heh, I'm with you there Mike. I spend atleast 1 hour of work everday thinking about what it's going to be like on the trail. mmm I hope my boss won't read this :P

You spend ONLY 1 hour of your workday thinking about it?
Can't wait to see everyone out there!!!!!