Date: 2012-03-20
To: Frequently Asked Questions
Miles today: 0.0

Here is a post I found on Wags' 2009 thru-hike journal. I've modified it some.I have found that the questions everybody has for me regarding my thru-hike tend to be the exact same ones everybody else has, so I thought I would use this journal entry to answer some of the more common questions I've received:Am I Hiking Alone?Yes, technically, I am thru-hiking "solo". I am not planning to do this hike with anybody else. However, I will rarely be alone. There will be many other thru-hikers starting their AT journeys the same day as myself and we will all be sharing the same shelter(s) for the first part of the trail until people spread out and fall into their own paces and hiking groups. I'm very excited about meeting fellow thru-hikers and will most likely meet people who hike at my pace to share my experience with. So yes, I'm planning a "solo hike" but no, I will not be hiking alone. I just have yet to meet the people I will be hiking with!What direction will I be hiking?I will be hiking the most common direction, south to north. I'll be leaving in the spring from Springer Mountain, Georgia and will follow the nice weather north, arriving in Maine in the fall (Septemberish), before winter hits. Septembers in Maine are supposed to be beautiful!How long will it take?The trail is approximately 2180 miles long, extending from Springer Mountain in northern Georgia, all the way to Mount Katahdin in northern Maine. If I average 12 miles a day, it will take 6 months, but only 4 months if I average 18 miles a day.Am I carrying a gun or other personal protection?No, I will not be carrying a gun to ward off bears. With proper actions, bears are rarely a threat to hikers, only our food bags. As far as personal protection, I will have a pocket knife, my bare hands, and my wits.Will I be doing mail drops along the way?I might do a few mail drops, once a month or so, but in general I am planning on buying my food as I go. The mail drops seem like a lot of extra work (for me and whoever needs to send them!) and don't save much money when you look at shipping costs. It also makes your schedule a little more rigid when you have to go to a post office to pick up a package during days/hours the PO is open. Also, then you are not receiving boxes full of food you are tired of and don't want to eat anymore, yet you have 3 months more of mail drops coming with that food in them. Flexibility is my motto for this adventure.Am I taking a cell phone?Maybe. If I bring one, I plan on only using it to keep in touch with people when I hit towns every couple of days. I plan to keep it off most of the time. If I get one, it will be a trac phone. My google voice number will forward to that phone so no need to ask for the number. If I decide against carrying the additional weight of a phone, I will carry a calling card.How much will my thru-hike cost me?This can vary hiker to hiker. If you spend as little time as possible resupplying in towns, your cost will be lower. The more time spent in towns means more spending on lodging, entertainment, and real food. They say on average you should allow $1-2 per mile for your hike. I'm planning on it costing me around $4500.00. I'm doing my thru-hike for the experience, and part of that is experiencing the trail towns/hospitality along the way. That being said, I will be conscious of my spending and try to keep costs down wherever possible.How can I be reached?As mentioned above, I might be checking my phone at towns every couple of days. Also, I will most likely find internet access at towns, too, so you can always email and facebook me! Eventually, I will plan where my few mail drops will be and will post those addresses and dates I expect to reach them for any packages/mail people wish to send me.I hope this has answered some of the questions that have popped into your head! Feel free to email me or sign my guest book with any other questions you think people may be interested in learning the answers to!