Our First adventure!!!

[In-control]

Since we will be pulling the plug in 2014/15. Our first adventure will be to do hike's with the ultimate goal to do the Appalachian Trail. This is all part of a secondary goal to visit all the National Parks and, of course, the best of the State ones as well.

I purchased this so now we have have to do it!!!

http://hennessyhammock.com/

Anyone else do the AT?

 

[Alan]

Anyone else do the AT?

No, so you'll have to post updates on how you get on.

Best of luck with your plans, it all sounds very exciting.

 

[sailor]

Anyone else do the AT?

We did several sections (whole Georgia, parts of NC).
Might or might not do the rest when retired

I'm in Atlanta suburbs - let me know if you need a ride from ATL airport (or Greyhound station) to the Southern AT terminus.

sailor

 

[Ronstar]

I plan on doing several day hikes along the AT. I'm only doing day hikes from now on, but that hammock looks comfortable.

Good luck & keep us posted along your journey!

 

[robnplunder]

This is all part of a secondary goal to visit all the National Parks

That has been my goal for years and I am about 40% done. I will have to do the rest after I retire. But have you noticed that new National Park gets added every so often? It almost feel like they lowered the bar on what can become a National Park. They converted number of National Monuments into NPs since I started visiting NPs.

 

[BTravlin]

I always wanted to do that but it just never fit in with everything else going on. Did manage to do the 70 some odd mile through the Smokies though.

Best of luck on the trek and please keep us updated.

 

[Bateauxdriver]

Hey. Enjoy the Hennessey Hammock. I have one of those and a Warbonnet Black Bird. I love hammock camping when backpacking.

 

[harley]

I've done large portions of the AT over the years, not much recently. I've done all of NC/TN, VA, WV, MD, and PA, and a little bit of GA and Maine. Thru-hiking it is on my bucket list, but I'm not betting on getting it done. Is that what you are talking about? Starting at Springer Mt. and going straight through to Katahdin? If you do it and blog it, let us know the blog so I can follow it.

 

[Dog]

Sounds awesome. I have some backpacking and bike tour trips on my bucket list too. Enjoy! I would also enjoy following your trip via blog.

 

[bjorn2bwild]

DW and I had plans to thru-hike the PCT until my hypermobile low back problem made that very unlikely. Hiking is our most evenly matched sport, so starting next year we plan to up the mileage of our day hikes considerably. I have mapped out a marathon distance hike on the Olympic Peninsula as the eventual goal.

 

[Helen]

DW and I had plans to thru-hike the PCT until my hypermobile low back problem made that very unlikely. Hiking is our most evenly matched sport, so starting next year we plan to up the mileage of our day hikes considerably. I have mapped out a marathon distance hike on the Olympic Peninsula as the eventual goal.

I would love to hike the PCT, but I have decided I am just not up to a thru hike. I do envy the younger people who are taking it on. I've been to several talks and read a lot of books and blogs on it over the years.

I believe a bear canister will be required in the Olympic Peninsula, is this correct? I would like to do some backpacking through there as well. Also, goat rocks in WA is on my bucket list.

 

[bjorn2bwild]

I believe a bear canister will be required in the Olympic Peninsula, is this correct? I would like to do some backpacking through there as well. Also, goat rocks in WA is on my bucket list.

I don't know about the bear canister requirement. All of our hiking there has been day-hike only. The marathon goal is a day-hike loop.
Olympic NP has a wet and dry side. Backpacking the wet side takes determination.

 

[seraphim]

Bear spray works against two legged predators as well. We always carry it. Just a thought.

 

[bjorn2bwild]

Bear spray works against two legged predators as well. We always carry it. Just a thought.

Bear canisters are bear-proof food containers required in some of the more popular NP's for overnight backcountry campers.
Of course the spray could work better at keeping the two legged critters away from your food.

 

[WhoDaresWins]

I am quite eager to hike a portion of the AT, maybe through Road Scholar!

 

[Dawg52]

The AT is quite a goal. There was an article in our local paper this past year about a girl from here who hiked the entire trail. I can't imagine. My hikes are about 5 miles in length. I do plan to do some short ones next year when I make it back out to CO. Half day ones.

 

[NH Hiker]

I have done about 30% of the trail in section hikes.

If you are interested in the AT, then whiteblaze.net is a good resource. You can also see journals from folks doing the AT on trailjournals.com

I am not sure if you are planning on thruhiking or just section hikes. If you are thruhiking, I suggest a shakedown hike of at 10 days. The dropout rate is about 75% so before planning for a 5 month absence and flying to GA, you want to make you actually like being dirty, sweaty, sleeping in shelters with mice and snoring old men (what's not to love). Some people say that thruhiking is just like a job - every day you get up and put in your 9 hours of hiking.

 

[seraphim]

Thanks Bjorn. Just a senior moment lol...

 

[In-control]

Thanks All - so sorry that I did not check in more often. That silly work and life thing got in the way. This year is a test year. We are doing the MidState trail in MA. It goes thru the state from NH to RI - 92 miles. I am also a trail maintainer so it is so nice to see people using the trails. They are a national treasure.

I am currently hiking 10mile trials around the state parks that are hilly on the weekends. It's a great way to try out gear and methods. As well as get into physical and mental shape. I will be building a blog and posting on it. So I will keep you'all updated via that.

I might be doing a flipflop!!!!

Start in Harpers Ferry WV, southbound, in late April. Then fly to Maine and head south to Harpers Ferry. The benefit is that you are, theoretically, not in the south in JULY/August but in ME when it is amazing!

Cheers and Keep trekking!

 

[In-control]

We did several sections (whole Georgia, parts of NC).
Might or might not do the rest when retired

I'm in Atlanta suburbs - let me know if you need a ride from ATL airport (or Greyhound station) to the Southern AT terminus.

sailor

THANKS that is a very kind offer and I will keep it in mind.

 

[In-control]

Bear spray works against two legged predators as well. We always carry it. Just a thought.

Thanks - I have an LTC card and will be getting that. I am more worried about people then Bears. Most people meetup with others sporadically. It is just more fun, and safe, to hang with people.

We shall see.

 

[In-control]

That has been my goal for years and I am about 40% done. I will have to do the rest after I retire. But have you noticed that new National Park gets added every so often? It almost feel like they lowered the bar on what can become a National Park. They converted number of National Monuments into NPs since I started visiting NPs.

Wow 40% done - that's great.

 

[In-control]

Hey. Enjoy the Hennessey Hammock. I have one of those and a Warbonnet Black Bird. I love hammock camping when backpacking.

Thanks -

I was exposed to it on a jungle hike for 3 weeks in Belize. Our guide had one, Hennesy, and it just makes so much sense. You never knew where he stayed - Leave no Trace!!

I just got a Lawson for my wife. She likes the ground more but I wanted the option of a Hammock as well. You never know where you end up and what the conditions are. Like its dry at night and an brook in the morning!

Lawson is a one man shop - I worked with the owner and he gave it to me deal that I could not say no too. The Hennesy is simply ground breaking. I stopped camping, after Belize, because I was tired of sleeping(kinda) on the ground. I even purchased a small camper.

Now I'm living light!

 

[In-control]

I have done about 30% of the trail in section hikes.

If you are interested in the AT, then whiteblaze.net is a good resource. You can also see journals from folks doing the AT on trailjournals.com

I am not sure if you are planning on thruhiking or just section hikes. If you are thruhiking, I suggest a shakedown hike of at 10 days. The dropout rate is about 75% so before planning for a 5 month absence and flying to GA, you want to make you actually like being dirty, sweaty, sleeping in shelters with mice and snoring old men (what's not to love). Some people say that thruhiking is just like a job - every day you get up and put in your 9 hours of hiking.

Great Advice! I am thinking two weeks at a time at first. Getting older has the benefit of seeing things with a certain amount realism. Sure it's easy to get excited about an adventure but after a week of rain the allure may wear off. My biggest hurdle will be sleeping out in the woods alone. So this year I will doing a 4 day adventure close to home. After that I am looking to start on the AT in MA, I live in MA, for two weeks. If all is well I may keep on trekking. If not I will have one of my minions(children) come and get me.

 

[NH Hiker]

Great Advice! I am thinking two weeks at a time at first. Getting older has the benefit of seeing things with a certain amount realism. Sure it's easy to get excited about an adventure but after a week of rain the allure may wear off. My biggest hurdle will be sleeping out in the woods alone. So this year I will doing a 4 day adventure close to home. After that I am looking to start on the AT in MA, I live in MA, for two weeks. If all is well I may keep on trekking. If not I will have one of my minions(children) come and get me.

If you are on the AT in summer, then most likely you will never be alone at night. Most people either stay in the shelter or tent nearby (I recommend tenting - it is worth the extra time to setup/take down to get better sleep). If you are out for any period of time, most likely you will see some of the same folks every night. There will be a bunch of hikers who hike the same distance as you so you will leap frog each other during the day and then usually stay around the same shelter at night.

The trail through MA is nice, you could head North and things will get tougher just as you are getting in hiking shape. The AT in NH is gorgeous but of course much harder.

Section hiking is nice in the fact that you are done before you get bored. The bad part is the getting there - it gets more expensive the farther you get away from home. Often getting a shuttle to the trail can cost more than the airfare to get there.