Ask crash about hiking the Appalachian Trail

[daryn]

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did you run into a guy named mando?
how long was your beard?
how many hippies did you have sex with?

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oh wow, you know mando?

[crash]

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crash,

Any bear encounters?

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1. In Shenandoah National Park, near Skyline Drive. I had just had a few beers (few=more than a few) at a restaurant, and was hiking a couple more miles to camp. I came within 50 feet or so of a mother bear and two cubs. I wasn't between the mother and her cubs, thank god, I understand that is a bad place to be. The mother made a barking noise and the two cubs climbed up two separate trees. I got the hell out of there.

2. Also in Virginia, I got up early and was hiking alone when I cam upon a sleeping bear. The bear heard me coming and was up and running away from me before I had time to [censored] myself. There was a little-cubby-hole of pressed down weeds where it had been sleeping. Whenever you see a bear, you exaggerate the size of said bear to impress the chicks, but you have to believe me when I say this bear was easily the size of a small motor home. I don't know the closest distance, maybe 30 feet?

3. Saw one walking on the trail in Pennsylvania, 100 feet away. It looked at me and ran away.

[astarck]

Usual daily routine? How many days/week did you hike? Did you ever seriously consider stopping? And if so, why?

[crash]

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Usual daily routine? How many days/week did you hike? Did you ever seriously consider stopping? And if so, why?

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Once I got in shape, I was an early riser. Up at 6, eat breakfast, hike for 5 hours (with a couple smoke breaks), eat lunch, lounge around for an hour, hike four more hours, pitch tent and eat dinner. In tent to go to sleep by 9.

During the day, if there was a cool place with a view, you could always stop there for a few hours to chill.

of course, once a week or so would be a town day, where you get cleaned up and wash clothes and eateateat.

Only time I seriously considered quitting was two weeks in when my knees huirt so badly I thought I would have to quit. I took a day off, took it easy for a couple days (even hiked backwards down a few hills to try to take the strain off my knees). Halfway through a bunch of my friends quit, that was depressing.

[XXXNoahXXX]

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I spent a lot along the way.

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I understand this depends on a lot of things, but think you could give an estimate or a range for how much you actually spent.

[crash]

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I spent a lot along the way.

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I understand this depends on a lot of things, but think you could give an estimate or a range for how much you actually spent.

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it was a while ago and I didn't keep good records, but best guess:

1500 before trip (equipment, food, books)
2000-3000 during trip (hotels, restaurant food, cigs, booze, misc.)
500 after trip (getting back home)

I would have at least 5000. You can cut that a lot by not staying in motels when you're in town, not hitting the town bars, etc., but you have to live it up a little or you'll go crazy.

[mattw]

how tall are you and what was your weight? can you estimate the weight of your pack? how much weight did you lose? would you consider doing it again, possible north to south? would you consider the rocky mt or pacific coast trails? do you still hike? did you have trouble getting acclimated back into society? did you want to?

edit: what was you mode of transportion to GA and from ME? i would be concered about arriving without my stuff. now what?

edit #2: do you list this on your resume?

[mjkidd]

I through-hiked in 2001. Missed the OP by a year, looks like. I spent more than the OP did on the trail (5-6000 total), but I stayed in motels alot and usually ate in a restaurant every other day. I was an expert hitchiker.

I don't know if I would recommend thru-hiking as much as the OP. As it turns out 2150 miles is a really, really long way to walk. If this sort of thing sounds interesting to you, take a month or so and walk north with the thru hikers for a while. They start in March in Georgia, and end in October in Maine. You know what, just start in New Hampshire in June. The Whites and Maine >>>> the rest of the trail south of the Whites.

[crash]

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how tall are you and what was your weight? can you estimate the weight of your pack? how much weigh did you lose? would you consider doing it again, possible north to south? would you consider the rocky mt or pacific coast trails? do you still hike? did you have trouble getting acclimated back into society? did you want to?

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5 feet 11 inches. Didn't weigh myself pre-post, but pre was probably 170 lbs and post was probably 150 lbs.

Pack weight started at 35 (with no food or water), by the end it was probably 25 (no food or water). If I did it again I would probably try to get it down below 20 lbs. (no food or water).

I probably would not do the AT again. I would do the PCT (Pacific crest trail) again but probably won't (too many commitments now). PCT looks awesome though. Ditto CDT (continental divide trail) although the CDT sounds like a real bitch.

I haven't gone on an overnight hike since. Now when someone asks me if I'ver ever been hiking, I say "Yeah, once"

It was very tough going back to the "real" world. Everything looked ugly and overwhelming whn I went back home, like Vegas. I was terrified to drive for a while b/c the cars were so fast. The strange feelings gradually go away.

[crash]

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I through-hiked in 2001. Missed the OP by a year, looks like. I spent more than the OP did on the trail (5-6000 total), but I stayed in motels alot and usually ate in a restaurant every other day. I was an expert hitchiker.

I don't know if I would recommend thru-hiking as much as the OP. As it turns out 2150 miles is a really, really long way to walk. If this sort of thing sounds interesting to you, take a month or so and walk north with the thru hikers for a while. They start in March in Georgia, and end in October in Maine. You know what, just start in New Hampshire in June. The Whites and Maine >>>> the rest of the trail south of the Whites.

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Actually I did hike in 2001 (guess I should have said 6 instead of about 5). You're right that NH and Maine were the best parts, if you want cool scenery then that's a good plan. I liked the idea of hiking the whole thing, even if some of it was boring.