Hi everybody! My buddy and I are planning a northbound thru-hike starting in mid-march. who isn’t? So apart from hiking approx 2,150 miles, what makes a real thru-hiker? What are the can’t-miss attractions and events on and along the AT? I would certainly appreciate any reference to a website or something if answering this question is too tedious. Thanks for your time. Happy Trails.
Scott
Trail Daze, May 15-18 in Damascus, Va. Browns gap hiker feed 3rd weekend in April about 23 miles south of Hot Springs, N.C. Don’t really know what a “real” thru-hiker is.
Lone Wolf
I guess anyone can be a “thru-hiker” but maybe in the go-to-scout-camp-tradition you do what every other past hiker does. Have a blast, night hike, eat to much, laugh your self silly over the stupiest thing another hiker does, reflect on if you really have had a good life or pissed it away. You’ll be a traditional “thru-hiker” when you have walked long enough that you just stop in the middle of the trail and go, “Huh, so this is why I’m here, to watch the best sunset ever from a plywood privy. It don’t git no better than this”.
Bushwhack
Mt. Cammerer is one of my favorite places I have ever been to. I seriously recommend you write this spot down for your hike. It is located in the Smokies. It is not far at all past Cosby Knob Shelter(Towards end of the SMNP). There is a trail that goes out to Mt. Cammerer. The trail is half mile there and half mile back. Mt. Cammerer is an old fire tower built into the side of the mountain. I stress to you that this place is so cool. I also stress this to any other hikers. It is a must go!!
Other than that, Trail Daze is a blast. Providing it isn’t cold like last year. I expected warm weather(it being May and all) and decided to just pack shorts for the weekend and wore sandles too. Sucked for me when I was frozen. 
And the last question. A real thru-hiker? I have not hiked the trail yet but so I don’t know my personal answer but from talking to hikers and so forth, I think that we can’t answer your question on that. It is something that you find inside of yourself and reflect on. Think about that.
-Lil Rebel
GA->ME or ME->GA (Someday)
Lil Rebel
Walk,walk,walk. till your knees scream on the downhills and your feet burn on the flats!! It one of the greatest things in the world. Hang with the group then hike by yourself. Sleep in the woods with no one around.Hike until you look forward to Lipton noodles for dinner( they are pretty good) WHITE BLAZE NORTH/PACK ON BACK
Virginian
For the last couple years some Dutchmen threw an all day, AYCE
bash in Port Clinton.
It was June 22 last year, if my memory still works.
They were very nice, gave rides to groceries, etc.
The only drawback was that you had to look thru their AT thru-
hike photo album.(only kidding!)
They would not take a dime for their efforts. They just want-
ed to pay back for Trail Magic on their hike.
And don’t forget to carry a stone from Springer to Katahdin.
Scamp
Scamp
Goose Pond in Mass. is beautiful! When I stayed there in 2001 the caretaker of the cabin served fresh raspberries in the afternoon, baked cookies in the evening, and blueberry pancakes in the morning. All for $3. the pond is awesume with a dock and canoe. Try to get there so you have time to swim, lay ot the dock, etc. It is truly a great location!
Roadrunner
The people you meet!!, Trail Days, The Hiker Feast in NY near Bear Mountain. Two days of all you can eat steak, fish, chicken, pizza, fruit, veggies, sweets, and end with ice-cream. Half Gallon Challenge in PA, Hike Necked Day (june 22), The battles in hiker towns; The Pie lady and Shaws in Monson, ME and Mr. Johnnie and Miss Janet in Erwin, TN., The hot tubs in Hot Springs, NC. Begging for a sleep for work at the Huts in the Whites, NH. And the list goes on. Have a great hike.
Papa Smurf
I love the advice that Amtrak gave me my second day hiking SOBO last year: keep one foot in front of the other and it is YOUR HIKE… do it YOUR WAY!
By the way, Pie Ladies strawberry ruhbarb pie and those 14 french canadian girls who gave WIN and I pecan pie in the 100-mile wilderness… was priceless! (Makes me want to get back on the A.T. so I can lose more weight!!)
Spanky
Hi,
What makes a thru-hiker? Good question. I see a thru-hiker as a person who has made a comittent to him self to attempt a thru. I didn’t say complete a thru, I said attempt. I’m talking about a serious attempt. Not one that has limitations on the time you have or the money that’s required. A person who has reasearched the requirements, has aquired the proper gear and has read or asked others enough questions to know what is involved. If you do these steps and attempt to hike the whole AT in one year, in my book you can call yourself a thru-hiker. More than likely you will end up as an unsucessfull thru-hiker but still a thru hiker.
You won’t know if you are a sucessful thru-hiker until you get to the end of your journey. Many reach this determination at the top of Katahdin, some at Springer. For me it was the north end of the Clarks Ferry Bridge in Duncannon, PA. I flipped and did my second half as a SOBO.
Grampie
Dam, Spanky, that was this year in July wasn’t it. I went right by those girls going North (they were going south), and didn’t get anything. You must be cuter than me.
Blue Jay
Thanks everyone for your thoughts. We’ll definitely put our own spin on the thru-hike, but I appreciate you letting me benefit from some of your experiences.
I’ve heard about the naked day. Is 6/21 some kind of tradition? Don’t get me wrong, if the mood strikes me, there’ll be plenty of naked days, but it might be nice to take part in a greater, cosmic nakedness.
By the way, what’s “SOBO”?
Scott
LOL Bluejay… yes, I must be cuter! I ran into them somewhere in the first week of August. By the way, I ran into them again just north of Full-Goose Shelter about two weeks later. They all gave me cous-cous for breakfast.
By the way, “SOBO” means “southbounder” or Maine to Georgia
Spanky
SOBO is southbound, NOBO, northbound.
I totally agree that walking the trail any way you want is what makes a thru-hiker.
And please, no more references to Hike Naked Day and French Canadien girls in the same thread. ; )
Colter
A thru-hiker is someone who walks from end to end.
All other comments refer to how you approach the walk, and/or what you discover along the way.
Sincerely–Paul English.
Paul English
A thru-hiker is someone who walks from end to end.
All other comments refer to how you approach the walk, and/or what you discover along the way.
Sincerely–Paul English.
Paul English
Hike naked day is on the Summer Solstice, June 22. The sun reaches its most southern point in the sky. That is also the longest daylight day in the year. Happy hiking!!
Papa Smurf