For anyone interested in making the AT your home...

[thapoet]

Found this really good article about people who literally live on the Appalachian Trail. They just stay on it year round and in the towns along it... also found a cool place for people who are all about the AT.... so here are the links, and if anyone shows any real interest in this, message me or post here. It is on my short list of next adventures...

http://www.examiner.com/article/hiking-the-appalachian-trail-and-making-it-your-life

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/forum.php

 

[ped]

I've been planning a thru for a few years now. I know many trail towns already sort of dislike hiker trash and trails shelters can be quite cramped in season.

 

[thapoet]

yeah,thats what i hear also... i want to do a thru as well... but very slowly... tent and hobo stove.... run into a town that treats me like trash and just camp outside of town... whatever. theres alot of good people on the trail, and churches that feed anyone that asks, so i dunno... just like my other dream (on another post about the rockies) i'd wanna do it with a small group... any experience like that, photodocumenting, drawing and sketching, and writing about it would be better with others... but that is just me.

 

[ped]

Just head to Springer anytime between March 15 - April 15 and you'll find more people than you'd want.

It's a badass journey that is for sure. I have about 5 books on it and read alot on trailjournals.com

One thing that I really don't like (I'm banned on whiteblaze because of it) is there are alot of anal control freaks in that scene it seems. People that do nothing but whine about every goddamn thing under the sun about other hikers. One guy told me he'd shoot my dog even. Just hang out on that forum for a little while and you'll see what I mean.

When you do a thru though you have to make Katahdin by Oct 15 due to weather and Baxter SP closing. Same thing on the CDT and PCT. Weather becomes a factor between the southern, northern and high elevations so it cramps your time. The presidential range of the White mountains in New Hampshire can be blizzard conditions in august, especially Mount Washington for instance.

 

[thapoet]

hang out, heck, that makes me wanna do and say some really obnoxious crap and get banned! what a prick! Now i will have to get a dog to take with me and dare someone to try!
The problem with the hardcore hikers is that they feel like they have to make 20 miles a day. you can NOT enjoy the scenery at that pace.... i dont understand that whole thrill of the hike thing if all you can remember is little glimpses... i wanna break trail, head down to the valleys, watch the sun come up, eat a squirrel, etc.... not see how fast i can walk 1000 miles, ya know...

 

[ped]

Right. I'm the same. Lot of young soul corporate over-acheiver types get into the conquest aspects. I suppose alot of them have jobs and "lives" to return to though.

 

[thapoet]

well lets toast to no jobs and REAL lives then shall we

 

[Nanaki]

The White Mountains are awesome!! .. I was gonna do the trail last year but ended up doing just a small section of it in New Hampshire... I can't wait to get out there again and do some more of the AT, hopefully next time a do a much longer distances of it.

 

[the jester]

i lived on the at for 2 months last winter...best time ever! and no mosquito!

 

[thapoet]

jeez, the more research I do on this the more excited I get! Hey JESTER, did you do it predominantly without money, or did you save up and then hit the trail?

 

[the jester]

the little money i had went to M.R.Es. i got a book on edible plants, learned how to trap and snare from my uncle. the only thing i caught was a small rabbit but it lasted me for almost 3 days. there are many plants you can eat to SURVIVE. I blanced eating MREs and plants as not to loose weight witch is very improtant.

 

[thapoet]

thats awesome... I plan on bringing snares, and some 110 and 220 conibear traps... I also have a sling bow, broadheads, and three piece takedown arrows... I here there is not a lot of wildlife other than squirrels on the trail, but if you hike down into the valleys it teaming with meat... I also have some edible and medicinal plant pamphlets for the eastern deciduous forests and fishing gear... Thought about bring the .22 BUT decided that would be a bad idea. Did you have any run ins with rangers and/or nosey people?

 

[the jester]

i had one run in with a D.E.P officer that was the coolest motherfucker on the planet. he knew exactly what i was doing when he saw me which i thought was impossible since i was way the fuck off the trail. he even chilled with me for a bit and was asking about how i survive. apparently he was a survival instructor for the air force and even gave me a few pointers on my traps that i had set.
other than that, I came across NO ONE. that could be a blessing or it could be horrible.

 

[thapoet]

thats awesome... yeah I spent almost 3 months in the atchafalaya swamp and never once saw a single soul... saw helicopters and stuff, but no people... I "talked" to my kills, lol... plenty of food in the swamp... gators, snakes, coons, deer, and all the small game you could eat... but no people... got real lonely at times... I hope I run into that dep when i go... seems like when you run into people of that nature, you use it to ur advantage for if you run into a jerk... sometimes throwing a name out there helps...

 

[the jester]

if your ever in the new England area ill show you around...

 

[thapoet]

thanks brother... i'd appreciate that! how far north into new england ? i planned on hugging the tenn. n. carolina line, but might go further north. not sure yet

 

[dylan mckenna]

Another sick hike is mount jacora up in north conway new hampshire its a 6 hour hike up to the top but half way up theres a badass cabin open to anyone definatlly recommend the hike if u end up in n.h.