Has anyone hiked the entire Appalachian Trail?

Hello everyone, I'm tired of working all the time and never taking a vacation. Im going to train for a few months walking and then take a five month leave from work to walk the Appalachian Trail. Has anyone done this?

No, no one has ever done this throughout history, Never never never. And if you try to look up anything about this on the internet, its all lies!!!!!! Or, you could just look it up on one of the many sites whose main existence is about hiking this trail all the way through instead of starting here with an easily answered question about a strenuous hike that hundreds, thousands of people have done over the years. ATS is great. So is intelligently searching the internet for specific and factual answers without sarcasm. Sowwy. Just teasing. Check out whiteblaze.net/forum/content.php It's an extensive site about the AP with links to others as well. Good luck! (Not the best time of year for this, seriously)

Grand idea!! I recommend this book: www.amazon.com... Not only is it funny, it has some practical tips too. I hope you do it, we should all set goals like this for ourselves and do them!!! Let us know!

reply to post by ceranko


Try doing the Trans canada trail

YES...most unbelievable experience of my life! My brother and I completed the trek in 1997 and started backwards. We left from the trail head in Maine. Baxter Peak/Mt. Katahdin. I do not advise doing it this way unless you have trained well and have seriously good to great trail legs already. I would be happy to answer any questions that you might have about our experience, It was awesome and the "re-entry" into society sucked...big time.

There are a lot of benefits and a few things to be cognizant of, but outside of that, it will change your life and world view if you complete it and stay on the trail without a break.

Peace.

reply to post by ceranko


I have done parts of it. I vacation in Shenandoah regularly so I have a few tips for you. 1 wait till April to start or you will freeze your buns off 2 bear mace is a great idea many black bears on the trail 3 water purification is a must have 4 light weight gear is a must have 5 don't go it alone have a partner 6 when you reach Shenandoah national park spend a night in big meadow camp ground it's beautifull. Also if you want to get hammered they sale whine in the camp store. Oh and if you find yourself in a place called Buena vista Virginia and run into a blond named christina tell her I still love her.

Second paragraph of wikipedia has this to say

The Appalachian Trail is famous for its many hikers, some of whom, called thru-hikers, attempt to hike it in its entirety in a single season. Many books, memoirs, web sites and fan organizations are dedicated to this pursuit.

So yeh, many people try to do it. 2200 Miles is a long ways though, I couldn't even guess how long it would take me to do something like that

reply to post by ceranko

my boss did it. said it was the best time ever!

Try doing the Trans canada trail you'll die of mosquitos, bears, and cold wintery nights. By the time you're done you'll wish you were never born. It would be similar to the Bataan Death March of 1942. It would be like being sent to the russian goolags!

reply to post by jaxnmarko


Thank you for the info!

reply to post by Upthepunx


Trans Canada sounds too cold. The reason I picked the appalachian trail over the pacific or rocky mountain trails or the alaska is the amount of communities you walk through on the Appalachia. You can restock on food and supplies due to hikers ditching their gear at the stop points. But also trail love. It just sounds like a personal test and three months of not working and living in the wilderness will be incredible. People werent meant to sit in a cubicle in a soulless job every day. Dont get me started.

Originally posted by ceranko
reply to post by Upthepunx

 

Trans Canada sounds too cold. The reason I picked the appalachian trail over the pacific or rocky mountain trails or the alaska is the amount of communities you walk through on the Appalachia. You can restock on food and supplies due to hikers ditching their gear at the stop points. But also trail love. It just sounds like a personal test and three months of not working and living in the wilderness will be incredible. People werent meant to sit in a cubicle in a soulless job every day. Dont get me started.

Why you're not happy being a biological andriod like the rest of us? Come on now don't get too uppidy