The Appalachian Trail

[Grace]

I was wondering if anyone here has hiked the entire appalachian trail and, if so, how long that took. Also, when's the best time to start, for the best climate the whole time? I'd like the hike the whole trail from start to finish (I think it starts in Georgia and ends somewhere in New York?)

Any information at all on it would be lovely. And if anyone wants to join me, I'd like to do it next year. The winter is fast approaching.

 

[Grace]

Thanks man!

 

[Imbrium]

The AT goes from Katahdin in Maine to Springer Mountain in Georgia. around 2160 miles. It takes about 5 to 7 months. If you're really interested. I'd be up for it sometime soon.

 

[Imbrium]

Sorry about all the periods. I'm watching 2 young nephews at the moment.

 

[Mouse]

my friend works on the AT as a crew leader type person, I could get her to gimme the low down on hiking it. I'll get back to ya.

 

[Grace]

Awesome job. That would be great Mouse. And Imbrium, I'll go anywhere with you. :kiss:

 

[voodoolady]

plannin on hiking the Atrail early spring...
was lookin' for some info on it as well.

 

[loess]

Check out the website Whiteblaze.net. It's a huge community of Appalachian Trail enthusiasts. If you use the search function, you can find out just about anything you need to know.

I actually found out about hammock camping through that site and completely overhauled my approach to hiking and backpacking because of it.

 

[Mouse]

Grace wrote:

Awesome job. That would be great Mouse. And Imbrium, I'll go anywhere with you. :kiss:

yeah she loves it cuz she's a total tree hugging hippy (I mean that in a good way) but right now she is in-between working there and traveling and doing other stuff. When I finally hear back from her I'll definitly ask her a few questions about hiking the trail.

 

[Lint]

I hiked the Appalachian Trail in '04! Also the Ice Age Trail in '03, the Pacific Crest Trail in '06, and I just finished the Continental Divide Trail this year. Yeah, it gets pretty addictive! I'll probably be out on the PCT again next year if I can save up enough money. Fucking jobs! Work to hike...
There is a shit ton of info out there. Like Loess said, Whiteblaze.net is a good place to start. They have forums to read and planning guides. Baltimore Jack has an especially good piece about resuppy strategies.
As far as gear goes, check out places like backpackinglight.com and Ray Jardine's website. You can make a ton of your own stuff, from quilts to stoves, and save a lot of money while still carrying lightweight gear.
I would also suggest you read up on http://www.trailjournals.com and see what other people experienced out there on the AT. This will help you plan, and you can learn from their experiences. Hell, I even did a journal there this year for the Continental Divide Trail! The ramblings of a drunken derelict, indeed.

If you have specific questions that you can't find answers to at these places, feel free to contact me and I'll happily barf up more info than you could possibly want. I love this shit, and love talking about it. Hiker Trash!!!!!!