43 years ago upon my graduation from high school I hiked the Presidential range. I have pictures of spending July 4th in tuckerman's ravine having a snow ball fight. I remember staying at the Lake of the Clouds hut. I fell in love with hiking and swore I would hike the AT. Unfortunately life got in the way. Other than half day "walks in the woods" I have not hiked since. I still dream about the experience. How long is the preparation and planning period for someone like me? Any thought?
_Green dog_Planning and prep
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Good for you Green Dog, the AT is a grand adventure in a world of stripmalls. Read some journals here at Trailjournals all the way through to understand that a thru-hike is both physically and emotionally challenging. Take a look at my '06 and '04 hikes here at the site if you want, I also wrote a lot of insight prep pages at my '10 section hike too. You'll learn much through others, but your decisions on what's best for you will still be important - we're all different.
Start thinking about gear and don’t buy everything you see at first, its quite fun to go gear shopping. It’s not about how much you can carry, but rather what you don’t carry that leads to bigger smiles and more joy. Footwear has changed - Trail runners are more the norm with each passing year since hikers loads keep getting lighter. Counting ounces of items isn’t fanatical,it’s practical.
Put yourself in a three-month membership at a fitness club is good as well as start walking around the neighborhood. Work on endurance fitness - this will help you with making miles despite the terrain. This is not absolutely necessary but it does allow for greater emotional strength in the first weeks and steps of the physical foes you’ll face.
Those are some first steps and many more will reveal themselves to you as you get deeper into it. I and others can go on and on and its all good. You can make it with 60 lbs on your back and you can make it carrying 25, it’s about you and how you want to go about it after you understand the bigness of the trek. Ask questions. Get a backpack that fits. Eat foods that please you. And stay in the moment and let go of your cityness and multitasking. You’re about to give yourself a grand gift and live large, very large this year. ~ Postcard
_Postcard_
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#4
Hello Green Dog,
If you’re relatively healthy (doesn’t matter if you’re out of shape), and your mind wants to hike, you can go for it this year.
You have a couple of months to just walk and do what you can. You have a couple of months to put some gear together. Sure there is tons of gear to choose from, which makes it seem like a daunting task. However, you really don’t carry that much. Getting footwear, a pack, a tent (or hammock), and some clothes, and you’re ready to go.
You have time to think about how you are going to resupply, and there are some good blogs here and on White Blaze that cover that stuff. You may be behind if you wanted to go the dehydrated-food method … most of them start many months before their hike.
I was out of shape when I started and just started off hiking very low miles and slowly using the first month or so as a training ground. By Virginia, I was hiking with the 20-somethings. I was 47. My sister e-mailed me during the first couple of weeks, “7 miles doesn’t seem very far.” Yep, I was out of shape. But made it to Katahdin!
It really is a mental challenge, so if your mind is ready to go and is ready to face the physical challenges, I think you should just get out there.
Happy Hiking.
Bison AT '09
_Bison_
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#5
Do take a stove. (trust me)
Do not try to complete in 100 days.
Do stop and visit with hikers you meet.
Do not forget to let others back home know how you are doing.
One thing I used during my hike was Injinji socks. Never had a blister while using them.
Mental aspect is not to be ignored. Some days are downers others are what you hoped to see!
Enjoy! Boomer!
_Boomer_