Am I Crazy?

[Mttscoot]

Hello all,

I am new to this forum and new to the "hiking-scene" in general. I am a senior at the University of Pittsburgh and will be graduating this upcoming April. While my undergraduate friends are all scrambling to find out what south-of-the-border country they are going to leave their mark on come spring break, I found myself feeling spacey and stumbled on this website as a possible option for my break.

Anywho, I hope this is the first post towards an enlightenment for myself, and for better or worse, would like to know if a week-long hike of the AT is doable. I have longed to do something soulful and independent...as 16 years of academia has had its toll.

So my question is...say I begin to plan now....can I pull off a week-long hike in mid-March? I am a strong-willed athletic dude and can scratch together what I believe to be many of the necessities (backpack, sleeping bag, knife, flint, ect.), but as you may be able to tell, I'm not real sure where to start...

I knew a guy a year older than me that had rations sent to him periodically throughout his hike, but I don't know if this is necessary for a weak long endeavor.

Anyways, I apologize if this is lengthy but I am hoping the good people of this community can begin to point me in the right direction.

Thanks in advance!!

Matt

[moytoy]

Sure you could do it if you plan properly but you really should understand what you’re getting into first. Anywhere on the AT in mid March can be cold and wet. I have walked through 6 inches of snow in April in the Smokies.

It just depends how determined you are and how well you prepare. You can get gear list here and all kinds of moral support. And maybe even some advice. If you don’t already have some hiking gear you need to get cracking soon. Once you have the gear then you need to learn how to use it.

By now the beach should be looking better to you. If not, “go for it”

[Mttscoot]

The more I think about it the more hellbent I feel.

So you think that around mid-march it should be very wet?

Also, is packing/preparing food for a week doable?

I will check out the gearlists...thanks!

[Spokes]

Welcome to WB Matt.

Golly, if you start planning now you could do a whole thru-hike! Seriously, you could carry a 7 day supply of food for a trip but I think you'd be overwhelmed. Have you considered doing a couple of weekend shake down hikes instead? That way you could see what works and what doesn't. You know- build up.

Perhaps you can ask friends who hike to take you along on one of their trips? People are usually very willing to help out and you could ask questions directly.

WB has a lot of great information too. Hit the drop down tab in the above banner labeled "Thru Hiker Info", then click "Prep Articles" for a plethora of tips and tricks.

If you're thinking about the AT, Backpacker Magazine did a wonderful 10 page article recently that provides a good overview for planning.

http://www.backpacker.com/november_2...inations/12530

Hope this helped. Good luck!

[JAK]

Find a girl and shack up for the week.

The AT will still be there after you graduate, get a job, get married, have kids, and go through a mid life crisis.

[Red Hat]

GA for Spring Break is a great hike. You'll have company and meet good folks. You'll definitely decide to come back and try a thru.

[Toolshed]

Welcome to Whiteblaze. Thousands of guys your age each years go off and do the same for Uncle Sam. you just won't get free gear or a nicve uniform.
Nothing wrong with stretching your legs and feeling your oats.
If you have old scout gear, start there.
Browse the site and search forums. The same questions have been asked mutlitudes of times.
Pepsi can stove, Goowill pot, Ramen noodles/Lipton sides (for starters - you can become much more creative), Your biggest investment right now would likely be a sleeping bag and a shelter (though a simply tarp will do, I think most on their first trips prefer tents until they tire of carrying them or staring at the closed-in nylon netting.)
you could simply where decent running shoes, though you might ewant a fallback plan in the event of snow.
Walk, eat, get wet, eat, get cold, stop, shiver, eat, walk, sleep eat, walk more, pee, sit, eat, repeat. Not much more to it.......
Good Luck

[bigcranky]

Hi, Matt,

Welcome to Whiteblaze.

The short answer is yes, you can plan and execute a 1-week hike of the AT for Spring Break. My personal recommendation would be for you to start at the beginning, at Springer Mountain in Georgia, and hike north for a week. There are several reasons for this:

1. You will be hiking with people who are in the same position as beginning hikers. There is a lot of support among starting hikers in Georgia.

2. That section of trail provides an easy resupply at the 30-mile mark (at Neels Gap you walk right through an outfitter and hostel.)

3. As a section hiker you'll need more support for vehicle shuttles, etc., which is easy to get in March in Georgia.

My partner and I did this section last March, though we went southbound from the NC/GA state line. We met a lot of great people and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

In terms of logistics, I would talk with the folks at the Hiker Hostel in Dahlonega, GA. They can help you make all the arrangements. If you take public transit, they will pick you up at the station, give you a nice place to sleep, a good breakfast in the company of other hikers, and a ride to Springer Mountain, all for a very reasonable price. Then they can pick you up when you are done hiking and put you back on the bus (or the train, whatever.) If you drive, you can park at the hostel, and let them take it from there.

You said you can cobble together the gear you will need. That's great. Although you can't tell from reading Whiteblaze, gear is the least important part of hiking. Your gear just is what it is -- everyone has different gear, and they will all passionately defend their own choices. The only serious suggestion I would make is this -- try very hard to have your entire pack weigh less than 35 pounds when you walk away from the trailhead. That's food, water, gear, clothing, everything. I know you are young and can easily carry 65 pounds, but trust me on this one.

If you are serious, then right now you can go to the Appalachian Trail Conference web site and order the map set for Georgia/North Carolina. You should also buy a trail guide like the Thru-Hiker's Companion, which will provide a lot of information on this adventure. Then start planning -- make gear lists, figure out what you need to do to make this happen. Ask more questions -- there are some helpful and knowledgeable people here.

Good luck and happy hiking.

[Jim Adams]

Matt,
I'm from Belle Vernon and go to Georgia every March. Get ahold of me...wait, sending you a PM.

geek

[Mttscoot]

Wow, thanks for the awesome response everyone, I get more excited with every post. What message hit home was that packing really just depends on the person -- which is obvious to some -- but I found myself searching endless gear-lists. I am going to take the time in this coming weekend to put together what I feel I will need gear-wise and run it by you guys.

Thank you guys so much for the response thus far.

I'm getting stoked!
Down with academia!!

Matt

[Tinker]

Matt,
I'm from Belle Vernon and go to Georgia every March. Get ahold of me...wait, sending you a PM.

geek

Hi, Matt.
No, you're not crazy.
THIS guy is - (going down to Ga. every March ).
Yes, I would say to head down to Georgia with whatever gear you have, find your way to the summit of Springer Mountain and follow the white blazes north. Be prepared for temps as low as the single digits, carry dry or freeze dried food for three to four days, resupply whenever you cross roads, and learn from multi trip hikers (long and short term).
The real trick is carrying enough but not too much. If you're willing to listen to others (and have a good BS filter) you'll do fine.

[Mttscoot]

haha good man, I'll try to do just that

[Tinker]

Btw: Jim Adams is one of those so-called "Trail legends".............
Or would that title more appropriately be applied to his cat, Ziggy?

[Even Flow]

I live in the South Side of Pittsburgh & leaving for the trail on March 18th, let me know if you need any help anything!

[scottdennis]

Find a girl and shack up for the week.

The AT will still be there after you graduate, get a job, get married, have kids, and go through a mid life crisis.

No. You climb Everest for your mid-life crisis.

[Wild Type]

If you already are at a university, you might want to check out their outing center/club. Most schools have these and you can rent equipment and see if you like getting out before investing too much. Good Outing Centers also run tours. Your first time out, you might want to consider a small group trek with a seasoned tour leader. Let them worry about the location/logistics.