Ta very much!Originally Posted by ShelterLeopard
getting to Springer
I live in South Metro Atlanta. I plan on setting off on March 20. If anyone needs a lift from the airport or the train station around that date, I will try to help you out. I expect that my wife or oldest son will drive me to North Georgia and there is always room for one more in the car.
I havent a clue as to what I have gotten myself into, so I need all the Karma Credits I can amass.
Seriously, if someone needs a lift to Springer on March 20, let me know.
I think you'll find "trail culture" very cool. I've never met so many caring people that'll practically give a hiker they've just met "the shirt off their backs". You might not miss the real world as much as you think (except those close to you of course) ... you might start wishing that the "real world" were a little bit more like the "trail world"!
Good luck you guys! Enjoy every drop of your "adventure of a lifetime"!
I can't wait to march forth on March 4th!
oh my goodness! 60 more days!!! whewwww. oooh man!
Tintin - it will probably be both cheaper and much faster to fly to Atlanta. Amtrak is pretty expensive and very slow.
ALL food is delicious on the trail...
After the first few weeks of hiking you don't miss television, you don't miss sex, you don't miss electricity or hot water... you miss FOOD! In 2000 on my first Thru attempt I was hiking along conversing with a fellow hiker about the meals we would do big miles through a burning forrest for, but then we began to list food that we hated which we would happily scarf down if given the chance.
Through my years of growing up in Texas and the time I spent in Panama in the Army I had acquired quite an aversion to green peppers...
"If someone gave me a green pepper right now I would eat it like an apple..." I joked as we trundled along.
Not thirty minutes later we encountered a middle gaed man, his wife and daughter coming up the trail towards us, carrying a small burlap bag.
"You guys Thru hiking?" he hailed us as we got closer.
"Yessir, so far so good!" we replied, stopping to engage in some of the Q&A which NoBo's tend to become annoyed with and hoping for some "trail magic" which they also tend to take entirely for granted.
"We've got some snacks here if you boys are hungry." he stated as he pulled an orange of the bag each of us.
We dropped pack and sat to devour these citrusy globes of sweet pulpy mana from Heaven, answering questions, chatting and laughing contentedly while we slurped and dribbled.
"We've also got a few bananas, if you'de like them?" We liked them very much. The smooth, creamy fruit quite literally sent waves of joy throughout my body, almost as if I could feel the potassium working on my sore muscles like a magical elixir.
Then he produced a pair of Red Delicious apples which were both red and extremely delicious. His little burlap bag of goodies, more full of blessings and joy than Santa's, was quickly growing empty.
"All I have left is these two green peppers. Not sure if you'll want these..."
My companion and I just looked at each other then burst into gales of laughter, leaving the family a bit perplexed and I'm sure wondering a bit if we had chosen that very moment to lose out collective minds.
We explained the reason for our sudden attack of jocularity and gratefully accepted the proffered veggies.
I can't remember anything ever tasting as good as that green pepper tasted to me that day. Anything.
I'm still not keen on some dishes with cooked green peppers, but I will always and anytime eat them raw.
Everything is exactly as it should be. This too shall pass.
staring April 1.
Totally pumped.
Things yet to do:
get accepted to grad school
quit job
buy pack, bag, and almost everything else
shakedown hikes in the waning weeks
buy plane ticket
but basically, this hike hinges on me getting into grad school so that is the most important thing right now!
Anyone else here leaving around April 1?
march 1st for me..... i am hoping that I will be able to handle the winter weather. I dont like to be cold at night. I am working on getting my winter sleep system perfected. Spending newyears eve up on top of springer! Chance of snow newyear's eve night early new years morning, what a grand opportunty to test it our!
I will be hiking the approach trail tomorrow up to springer and staying on top springer for the new year - i guess there will be other hangers there as well. Cant thing of a better - more sybolic guesture then starting the new year at the starting point (southern terminus) of a path Iwill be journeying for a great portion of this coming year!
Look forward to seeing you there March 1. I'll be on the approach trail Feb 28. Camp overnight on the mountain top.
Myself personally, its 60 days left to go now. I have a widget on my desktop counting down the days. I can't wait to get away from society for a while. Tired of things in reality, wish I were born a few centuries ago when life was simple.
Things left to do:
Practice Hikes
Shakedown Hikes
Work them Thighs
Hammock Hanger
Section Hiker
Nature Lover
for sure! I cant wait to meet all my fellow hikers. It is always nice to talk with others who share your same passions for the trail and "simple living"
yeah, I have been singing that "society" song to myself for a couple of weeks now. I am a ball of emotions at this point. Its hard to believe take off is just two months away!
less than a month to go before i head to the airpot for the 30 hour plain ride to the states and the start of the trail!! cant wait it will be the first time in over 4 years that i have been on the trail
Lachlan- NOBO- March 1st
Dropped out of school, left my apartment, liquidated all assets, and scrounged every cent. I would quit my job if i had one but i do not (im still blaming the economy over my own lazyness). Assembled my equipment and started stockpiling food. There is a new kind of ramen, its picante chicken. Bought the maps and guide book, dont like to read. All thats left is to do some exercise, will start when my hangover is gone. Probably around the 3rd of January. All leading up to the day of days, March 1st. Not looking forward to the wet and cold and lack of good beer between trail towns. Stoked none the less. This will be a great year!
You sound like my kind of person.
Mine too... I am likely moving my start date back (or is it up?) from 20 March to 1 March (or so)
the more the merrier
I've got just about all my gear now. Now I just gotta do some shakedowns. Will be real hard when I go back to Wyoming since the temps and weather are gonna be unrealistic of what i'll face on the trail, probably not too different from the whites this time of year so i'll have to find other ways to prepare myself or just rent extra gear from the co-op at school. I went on a hike about 6 miles today, lots of up and downs, w, started snowing pretty good but it was a real wet snow so I figure it's fairly realistic of what I might face in the beggining of the trailGood news is I was able to keep myself comfortable. Tonight i'm camping out in my backyard to try out my sleeping system- figured i'd take advantage of the "warm" high twenty temps before I go back to Wyoming.
Hey NOBO's, whats the first town everyone is stopping at after leaving Springer.
Neels Gap. 3-4days
Hammock Hanger
Section Hiker
Nature Lover
Guess what! 57 days!
Hammock Hanger
Section Hiker
Nature Lover
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