Date: 2009-12-15
To: Sticking My Neck Out
Miles today: 0.0

This is the day I'm posting a long section hike on the AT for my club (Northeast ohio Backpacking Club)to view and perhaps join me on. It's a commitment to myself, but posting it means it will be that much harder to back off. Here's the post:I have for many years yearned to do a through-hike of either the AT or the PCT. I have realized that this is just not going to happen, at least for the next 5-7 years, because of the competing demands of family and work. So . . . this trip is a testing of the waters, as well as the first step in a possible goal of section-hiking the AT, as well as a taste of the through-hiker experience. I¢ve chosen the length (4 weeks) to suit the time I can free up; I¢ve chosen the timing of my start (4/9/2011) to catch the tail-end of the northbound through-hiker class of 2011 so that the peak volume is avoided. This timing also helps avoid but does not eliminate the risk of running into nasty early Spring weather (eg. lots of snow in the Smokies in March).I am posting the trip in case others would want to try this too. I¢m assuming that this would allow for fellow yearners to share the cost of getting to Springer by shuttle from the Atlanta airport or a bus station, and potentially the same on our return to NEOH. I don¢t assume any club members that want to join me at Springer will necessarily hike the same amount of time, hike at the same pace, stay at the same camping venues, visit or pass by the same trail towns, or finish what any of us set out to do ¢ it¢s just too unpredictable.It¢s about 270 miles from Springer Mountain GA (the southern AT terminus) to Hot Springs, NC (a trail town that the AT goes through, not that far from Asheville, NC). This section includes all of GA and all of the Smokies: some beautiful and challenging miles of trail. I figure that I can get from Springer to Hot Springs in three to four weeks, hiking at my usual pace. I¢m including about a day a week for resupply, relaxation, or enjoying a break in town (or not). I¢m therefore going to set aside 4 weeks to get to Springer, hike, and return to NEOH. I'm assuming that I might finish in less time, or possibly hike farther in the same time if I feel so inclined upon reaching Hot Springs. Who knows ¢ there¢s even a small chance that I might hate the trail experience and bail out at an earlier point ¢ I make no promises. I¢ve done 10 days on the trail and not had enough, but never 28.My detailed planning is a year or more away, but I¢ve posted this trip now for others to consider in their long-range plans. Any interested parties should sign up or contact me and we can exchange ideas by email. We could also do some hiking together to see how compatible our hiking styles are or aren¢t. Here are some ideas of how I would approach the experience: [1] go light to enjoy the hike more and experience less physical stress; [2] use a combination of mail drops and on/off-trail purchases for resupply; [3] cook meals and socialize a bit in shelters with other hikers, but then hike on a bit more and make camp elsewhere when conditions permit; [4] in good weather get up early and start hiking ¢ have breakfast on the trail; [5] hike slower but for more hours per day than the average hiker; [6] take time to enjoy the beauty around you.