WHEN and WHERE you first stepped on the AT?

[A-Train]

August, 1998 on Mt. Lafayette. Coming from Greenlead Hut, headed to Galehead. Waited on the summit for my folks for what seeemd like forever. Soaked in the incredible views.
2 thru-hikers came from Franconia Ridge heading north. I asked them where they had come from. "Georgia" one of them replied. I could hardly fathom the idea. I was intrigued instantly and the seed was planted.
Incidently enough one of those hikers was Jack Tarlin. I forget the other guys name.

[Jack Tarlin]

Well I hope I offered you a drink at least!

[A-Train]

Well I was only 15 so, I probably was packing my own

[weary]

Well I hope I offered you a drink at least!

Jack, stop joshing us. Even I know you wouldn't have offered a drink to a 15-year-old. Right? I'm assuming you just didn't read his entire post.

Weary

[Jack Tarlin]

Gee, I thought the "W" in WCTU stood for Women's Christian Temperance Union. I was evidently mistaken; it actually stands for "Weary".

Of course I read A-Train's post. Unlike you, Weary, I actually do read stuff before replying or commenting. You should try it sometime.

And you'll see that other than mentioning that he was with his folks at the time, he doesn't mention his age anywhere, so reading his post wouldn't necessarily enlighten anyone to his status as a minor. While his present age is included in the uper right hand corner, gosh, I neglected to figure out the math, so no, when I read his post, I had no idea how old he was in 1998.
I rarely look to see how old anyone is before I reply to their correspondence. Believe it or not, this isn't something that particularly interests me.

But to set your mind at ease, Weary, no, I doubt I'd have offered him a drink at that point in his life. That was a joke. OK, Weary? Sorry I got your bowels in such an uproar there.

However, if he was hiking with the Olsens at the time..........

[Lone Wolf]

85 posts and it finally went to s**t. Why don't you two intellectuals go back to the guidelines thread and continue ********** there. Grow up.

[Jack Tarlin]

Read my post #82 again, Wolf. It was all of 10 words long.

All I was doing was attempting to make a joke.

Lighten up. Seems Weary ain't the only one that's humor impaired today.

[A-Train]

However, if he was hiking with the Olsens at the time..........

I actually was, I just neglected to admit it initially. Small omission on my part. I had sent them ahead to Garfield Ridge to fetch some water, you must have just missed them. They are true Ultra-lighters

[SGT Rock]

1979, the loop around Standing Indian.

[tombone]

was winter of '68, and i stepped on the AT first at Dry Sluice Gap, having climbed up the Grassy Branch Trail after spending perhaps my coldest ever night at Kephart Shelter w/scout troop. The climb from Charlie's Bunion to the (old) Icewater Spring LT was a killer at the end of that day. First section hike was I-40 to Devil's Fork Gap the following summer, followed by Clingman's to Fontana. First (and only) thru was '76.
For that I upgraded from canvas scout pack to Sears Hillary III pack, work boots were the norm, Svea stove, richmoor was around and mountain house freeze dried was new on the market. Foam pad under the fiberfill or holofill? sleeping bag. Flavored dextrose slabs, powdered tang, and pop tarts got me up the trail back then. 110 instamatic camera provided tiny negatives for slides. gotta back up the projector to get any size-but at least they are all really underexposed/dark.

[bobgessner57]

1970, 50 mile loop through the Smokies with my scout troop. We were trimmed down going light with 4 mil plastic tube tents, sterno stoves, canvas packs and all the cotton we could stand (including the strap pads made from old baby diapers). Had a fantastic trip from Newfound Gap north to Cosby Knob and then around to Smokemont. The things that hooked me were the views, especially Charlies Bunion; the bear at Cosby shelter that grabbed a pack by the pocket with a butane cyliner in it-then blindly charged the outhouse and got stuck in it knocking the door off in the process; meeting the other hikers; and the wonderful water, so cold and good.

[weary]

Read my post #82 again, Wolf. It was all of 10 words long.

All I was doing was attempting to make a joke.

Lighten up. Seems Weary ain't the only one that's humor impaired today.

Ah, Jack. Most of my posts are humorous. Haven't you noticed?

Weary

[Big Dawg]

1st trip - Oct/99, loop trail near Mt.Rogers, 2nd trip - Oct/00, Springer heading north, one section at a time!!

[smokymtnsteve]

When I wuz a little bitty baby ..

my grandma used to pack me up and take me

[karo]

My first experience was like others here. I first saw and stepped on the AT at Newfound Gap in the Smokies. My son and I walked a few yards north and then returned before my wife and daughter freaked out on us. WE then went up to Clingman's Dome and they laughed at me for bringing a hiking stick. A hundred yards up the trail, my wife had the hiking stick and I wound up carrying my kids! But we made it anyway and I still have at least one pic of that moment. My first real hike was when Lonewolf dropped us off to hike to Apple Orchard shelter for a TT (trailtalk on thebackpacker.com) hike. Do you remember that LW??? That was November 2003 and everyone bailed except Little Bit and myself from our group and several on the former thru hikers. I swore if I ever got off that mountain and back to my wife I would NEVER go again. LOL, I never lived up to that tho. I will continue to hike and hope to sectin hike the AT more when I can. I love reading the trail journals and gear advise here and on Whiteblaze!

[karo]

http://community.webshots.com/photo/...00585320RsaadN

BTW lonewolf, what is that guys name??

[cutman11]

I NEVER hiked, backpacked, or camped in my life. I turned 39 and took one son to a weekend indian guide camp. It just so happened that Massie Gap in the Grayson Highlands was nearby, and on the way home, we stopped with another Dad and his kid. We hiked up some side trail ?rhodadendron trail onto a large plateau with a single small hill in the middle of it. We walked up the hill, and from there could see a bunch of hikers on various parts of the AT, like ants they were so far away. I found out about the AT then, and decided I needed to do it. I started at Springer the next year on my birthday, and have been sectioning sequentially ever since.
I too my oldest son with me that first trip to springer ( we only ended up going 2 days to gooch gap -- I had so little experience, it was tough on him).
My second son went a couple years later and hiked 2mi. uphill from deep gap to the top of Standing Indian, he got to the top first (8 yr old) and Yelled down to me to hurry up, "Dad, Dad, you GOTTA SEE THIS, it makes the walk up that big hill ALL WORTH IT." I knew then, that he was hooked, and sure enough, he has hiked with me every summer since then. It still brings tears to my eyes writing this. He is now 12, and has done two 90 mile sections, and I'm pretty sure he will be among those of you who have Thru hiked either before, during or after your college days. I just hope I can beat him to Katahdin, so that I can do it again with him when he makes it there on his own!

[Hurricane Tom]

My first time on the AT was back in my sophmore year at college at U. of Tenn. in January of '89. Had a guy on my dorm floor who was an experienced hiker and suggested a few of us drive over to somewhere near Cherokee, NC and access the trail and spend the night in a shelter. I had no idea the "shelter" was a 3 sided shed with a chain link fence for a wall and bed. Did I mention it was January and about 10 degrees outside? We all just about froze to death in or rented 1 season bags except for the experienced guy in his 4 season mummy bag. We never spoke to that guy again.

It took me 15 years to get over that first time but I finally took up this adventure again in August of '04 with my best friend. We did a day hike from Watauga Dam to Venderventer and back. We are hooked!

[chknfngrs]

I hiked Mt. Washington with my dad in 1989.

[Uncle Wayne]

Early 90's. My 16 year old son and I took a 3 day trip to the NOC. One of the best times of my life.