Date: 2018-04-11
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Miles today: 0.0

Hello,This is my trail journal. I will be using this to keep track of and share with you my experiences as I hike the Appalachian Trail.  In this initial entry I¢d like to answer some common questions that I¢ve been asked recently. What is the Appalachian Trail?The Appalachian Trail (AT) is a connection of hiking trails that link Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is 2,190 miles long, passes through 14 states and has approximately 465,000 feet of elevation gain/loss. The trail-blazing began in 1925 and finished in 1937 but took several decades to gain popularity. Currently, 2-3 million people visit sections of the AT every year with about 3000 attempting a thru-hike and a quarter of those thru-hikers finishing. What am I doing?I will be attempting a northbound thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. On April 13th I will be taking a train from New Jersey down to Georgia where I will begin the following day at the southern terminus, Springer Mountain. How long will it take?I am aiming to finish between 5 and 6 months which is a typical pace. The window for northbound hikers is March to October. It is certainly possible to hike the AT outside that window but you will be dealing with harsher conditions. For Southbound hikers beginning in Maine the window is later, about June to December. Where do I sleep?A combination of tent, lean-to shelters, hiker hostels, and occasionally hotels. Camping can be done along the trail or in designated campsites. Campsites can have lean-to shelters which is usually a three-sided building which will protect you from the elements. What about food/water?The AT passes through towns every 3-5 days most of the hike so resupply on food or gear is fairly simple. You usually just need to find a way in and out of town. Resupply boxes from friends/family are also common too if there are specific types of food or gear you want. Water comes from natural resources. River, stream, lake, puddle. But it must be treated by chemicals or filter. I will be carrying a filter which I will cover later in an entry on my gear. How do I navigate?From beginning to end the AT is marked every couple hundred feet by a white blaze. That¢s a painted white vertical rectangle. Even though the trail is marked it doesn¢t mean you shouldn¢t bring tools to navigate though. I will be bringing with me ¢The AT Guide¢ by David Miller. This is a compact summary of notable locations along the trail. Everything from water sources, campsites and shelters, scenic views and towns with their accompanying resources such as stores and taxi/shuttle services. I will also be carrying a GPS to keep in contact with my parents as they will be my main points of contact throughout my journey.Won¢t I be lonely?Nope. There where be all kinds of hikers on the trails and especially at campsites and shelters. AT hikers group up frequently too since they are hiking the same trail and are experiencing similar circumstances.  Isn¢t it dangerous? What about storms, bears and other wildlife?No, hiking the AT and hiking in general is not dangerous as long as you plan ahead, have the right gear, and make smart decisions along the way. Yes, there are bears in the wilderness. They hate humans. Encounters are far and few between and rarely ever result in an altercation. But planning and respect for bears¢ territory is very important. Keeping campsites clean of food and trash and hanging your food bag/toiletries at night not only keeps you safe but the bears too. When a bear becomes too accustomed to humans it will approach them more frequently and could have to be relocated or in some cases euthanized. I have been asked if I am going to bring a gun for protection. No. That¢s ridiculous. How would you feel if you took a leisurely day hike and passed someone strapped at the hip. Plus let me remind you I¢m hiking 2190 miles and a gun is relatively heavy. In my opinion the greatest threat I will face is Lyme Disease from deer ticks. My gear will be treated with permethrin every 4-6 weeks and I¢ll use bug spray. And check myself every morning and night. That¢s about all you can do. Why am I doing this?Over the next half year I will spend my time in the most scenic locations the east cost has to offer. From my experience hiking the sense of accomplishment and views atop mountains are breathtaking and life changing. Hiking is challenging and I think it¢s fun. If you haven¢t been out hiking recently go do it. If you feel up to it, research a 4000 footer in New Hampshire or New York and climb it. You won¢t be disappointed. Lastly, my dad told me I should define what success means to me before I leave and I thought that was a really good idea. So what does success mean to me? Success to me means more about what happens during the hike than the completion of the AT. Certainly finishing the AT is the goal and will ultimately mean success but being successful is something that will happen during the trip, not only at the end. Success to me is pushing myself to new limits. To taking on challenges I have not faced before and dealing with them in a calm and logical manner. Success to me is keeping a smile on my face even on the days when all it does is rain and I¢m cold and sore. Success to me is meeting all kinds of people and sharing the outdoors with them. Success to me is waking up on the side of a mountain and having coffee while I watch the sunrise. Success to me is learning something new everyday and adding to my outdoors skills. But above all, success to me simply means HAVE FUN! I look forward to sharing my experience with all of you. Please feel free to share the link to this journal or to reach out with questions or Follow me on Instagram for more pictures! @ ¢Connjako¢