Date: 2003-02-10
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

We have started to "share" our trail site with many friends and family, many have not had the opportunity to learn about the Appalachian Trail (AT), so this is the mandatory "AT History" entry. I will include a couple of suggested websites to visit to give depth to your "study of history." Well, along side this entry, streching way down I expect, is a map that shows the full extent of the AT...from the trailhead on Springer Mountain, Georgia, through a total of fourteen states, to the trail terminus on Mount Katadhin in Baxter Park, Maine. Most thru hikers go South to North (GA-->ME or northbound) because of timing related to weather, also timing related to our culture where one can usually get extended time off during the summer months. A northbounder (NOBO) will typically spend most hiking time during the summer months of June, July and August, sandwiched between some spring and fall time. In our case, we have few time constraints so we plan to take our time, hiking GA-->ME in an expected 183 days averaging about 12 miles per day. As to the history, the AT concept was first conceived of by a man named Benton MacKaye who had a utopian vision of an America that would allow and encourage people to take regular vacations communing with the natural world by hiking, living and laboring in the beauty of the Appalachian Mountain range. He had great concerns about the health of the human psyche that spends too much time in cities, indoors and working the typical tedium that our culture inflicts upon us to earn a living. Thus, he proposed a 2160 mile +/- trail that would be dotted with regular "retreat centers" for people to vacation at...combining relaxation with outdoor work to maintain the trail and its retreat centers. Well, as one can expect, the utopian vision of retreat centers was never realized (some accused MacKaye of socialist/communist leanings) but his vision did bring us what is today the AT. The best web link for history is located at the following website - http://www.appalachiantrail.org/about/history/ Today, hiking the AT is something about 3-4 million people enjoy each year, most for short walks, but an estimated 2,000 will attempt a thru-hike most years, though only some 30% are expected to complete their hike. One stays on course by following the 2" x 6" white "blazes" that are painted onto trees, rocks and other landmarks...guiding the hiker along the correct route. Another excellent history site is located at http://trailplace.com/aboutat/history/ which provides an oppotunity to read about the trail sections in each state. Hikers owe a great debt of thanks to the thousands of trail volunteers who labor each year to keep the trail clear and to freshen the blazes. This is no small undertaking as winter weather, spring rains and high winds litter the trail with obstacles, which trail volunteers clear to keep the AT passable. As for thru-hiking stories, we have a number of books listed in our Gear section that we highly recomend. Each is unique in its AT story, and all provide fun reading about the hardships and the inspirations of the thru-hike. So, I believe this should conclude our "historical overview" and I will now return you to the regularly scheduled journal entries related to our planned GA-->ME thru-hike of 2003. Enjoy....Montana