Date: 2007-03-27
To: so you want to be a thru hiker
Miles today: 0.0

So, you want to thru hike the AT. Statistics are not in your favor, only about 1 in 50 or maybe even less, make it all the way. This is a shame, as most likely you have spent months planing this trip and spent a ton of money on gear and food. The dropout rate for the first 100 miles of trail is high. Of those who dropout in the first 100 miles, many don't even get as far as Neels gap, just 30 miles and a few days up the trail from Springer. The reasons people drop out early are many. Some find hiking is not at all what they expected it to be. Foot problems, like serious blisters and other minor or not so minor injuries take a big toll. If you have never done much or any backpacking/camping before, are overweight, out of shape and lugging a large pack stuffed with everything the helpful guy at the outfitter store said you just have to have, you might want to think twice about this. Your at high risk of being one of the early dropouts. Before you commit to a 6 month hike on the AT, you should do some weekend trips, then some week long trips. This will let you know if backpacking is for you and help you figure out what gear you really need and what you don't. A big mistake is thinking you can just get off the couch, turn off the TV and start hiking. At a minimum, you need to start walking a couple of miles everyday for a couple of weeks before you start. Wear those new boots you bought and break them in a little. If you have access to a high rise building, use the stairs. Try it with your full pack on, this will give you an idea what its like to climb some of the hills you will encounter. The more you condition yourself before starting the trail, the easier it will be when you do. However, no matter what and how much you do to get ready, it will still take between two and four weeks on the trail to get into thru hiker shape. Take it easy in the begining. Don't try to do big miles right off. Take a break at least once an hour. Take a full day off once a week. These first few weeks are critical as to how well you'll do later on. Of course, much of this depends on how old you are and what kind of shape your in already. Thru hikers tend to fall into one of two age groups. The youngsters - high school or collage age - and the oldsters, many who are retired. Middle aged folks are usually too busy with familly and job to take 6 months off to thru hike the AT. These people you only see on weekends or doing short section hikes. Once you get past the first few weeks and get a couple 100 miles up the trail, your at less risk of becoming a drop out. Though knee problems, shin splints and tendinitious can still send you back home at any time. But mostly it becomes a menta endurance test of will. When you get past the cold and wet mountains of North Carolina, things improve in Virgina. SW Va is still a little hard, as your going up and over a whole series of ridges. Once you get onto the Blue ridge, it gets a lot easier. The AT in Virgina is a pleasure. The trail and shelters are well kept up, there's pleanty of trail magic and the locals are great people. When you get into the mid-atlantic states, MD,PA,NJ,NY, you run into another problem, the heat and humidity. By the time you get into these states, its early to mid summer and the temps are up in the 80's and 90's. Instead of cursing the rain, you pray for it. To make life even more difficult, water becomes scarce and far apart. Now the dropout rate starts to climb again. The heat takes its toll, especially on the older hikers. Time to start to think about flip floping and heading for Maine, though its often not much cooler up there! At least the heat waves don't last as long and it gets cooler at night. I live in Berlin, NH, in the heart of the White Mountains. The AT passes about 1 1/2 miles from where I live, but only a crow could get there in a straight line! Gorham, NH is just up the road, the last trail town before you get into Maine. In September, the bulk of the remaining thru hikers show up in town. Who makes it to Maine? Mostly its the younger hikers. Nearly all of the oldsters have long since dropped off the trail. So, good luck to you! Hope your one of the few with the endurance, persistance and money to make it all the way to the end of the trail! Maine in the fall is a great reward for all the hard work it took to get there. Happy Hiking, Slo-go'en"Take the trail less traveled - blue blaze!"