National Scenic Trails - Appalachian Trail - Field Notes

This is a compilation of readers experiences on the Appalachian Trail submitted through GORP's Hiking Forum. We appreciate your contribution and look forward to any other hints submitted to the Adirondacks forum.

I am planning an AT thru-hike for March '98 and am interested in any helpful hints, comments, suggestions, etc. from those that have completed of hiked portions of the AT.

If you like mountains and lakes, I'd head North, and do ANY part of the AT in Maine, which has nothing but mountains and lakes. Be aware that if you do the last stretch, including Katahdin, the mileage will be easier; you may get more thean 20 per day here if you want. For more info, contact the App. Trail Conference in Harpers Ferry, or the Maine App. Trail Club (MATC). MATC is a great group; they publish a fantastic guidebook/map set which would be indispensable if you do in fact decide on Maine. Also, be aware that because of horrendous recent ice storms and subsequent damage, trails in Maine may well be a bit tougher this year, tho by September most problems should have been fixed. Something to remember when planning mileage. . . .To Darrin: Best of luck. The suggestion to see Fred and Kathy's page is a great one, also, see Trailplace (www.trailplace.com), the BEST source of info on Thru-hiking/long-distance AT hikes. Between Fred and Kathy, Trailplace, and the ATC (call or write them; ask 'em for their current publications list; it's got tons of stuff on planning thru-hikes--this list also available for viewing/purchase on ATC's own web page), this should give you all the info you need for planning. Best non-computer resource I can think of is Dan Bruce's "Handbook" for planning Thru-hikes, which is invaluable resource. If your local outfitter or bookstore doesn't have it, you can get it thru the ATC or from Dan himself (see Trailplace page). Anyway, by now you've probably found these sites; if not, check 'em out. Again, best wishes, see you down the Trail.

Darrin: The Bruce book you want is the "Planning Guide" for thru-hikes. The "Handbook", is another book of Bruce's,updated annually,and is the best book available to use en route, as it contains a wealth of information on towns along the Trail, hiker hostels, re-supply, places of special interest, etc. The planning guide is what you should see first; the handbook (this year's) should be available in about three weeks. Note to others: Dan's Handbook is not merely for thru-hikers--if you're planning a trip of ANY duration on the AT, you should check it out, as there's info in there you'll find nowhere else.

Victoria and Frank,

I'm interested on spending a week on the Appalacian trail in september. I have hiked 600 miles on the PCT trail and 400 miles on the continental trail. I live in Vancouver Canada, and I'm not fimilar with the details of the Appalachian trial. I can hike 25 to 35 miles aday on the PCT. I was told the Applachian trail was the toughest by experts who have done all three. So I quess I'm looking at about 20 miles a days a 140 mile section. Could yourecommend a section for me to do. I really like mountains and lakes. thanks

Mike,

There are lots of great sections of the A.T. to hike, but if you are looking for mountains and lakes, Maine should be your first choice. The 278 rugged miles of A.T. in Maine have plenty of both. If you want to hike about 140 miles, you will be able to hike half of the state and the question becomes which half. Our first choice would be to start in Gorham, New Hampshire, where the A.T. crosses U.S.2 about 2 miles north of town. From there you would hike north on the A.T. passing Gentian Pond and entering Maine. This hike will take you over the toughest mile on the A.T.--Mahoosuc Notch--with its jumble of boulders to climb over through and around. There are numerous ponds and unforgetable mountain ranges including the Saddlebacks and the Bigelows. At the end of the hike, you take a shuttle across the potentially deadly Kennebec River to end at U.S 201 in Caratunk, Maine, for a total of 146 miles.

Another great hike would start at Caratunk and go 151 miles to the top of Katahdin at the northern end of the A.T. This, too, would be a spectacular hike, with lots of mountains to climb. But it boasts more ponds than mountains as the last stretch to Katahdin is relatively flat. On the hike up Katahdin the trail gains 4,000 feet of elevation in five miles as it climbs toward Baxter Peak. The climb back down from the peak would add another five miles to bring the total to 156 miles for the trip.

Have a great trip, Victoria and Frank

Can you offer any suggestions for packing to reduce bulk, as opposed to weight? I am preparing for a few weeks on the AT, and want to use the smallest pack possible. Thanks!

An interesting subject is this bulk vs weight thing. it has been my experience that the two are related more closely than might be expected. reduction of bulk is easily as important as throwing away heavy items. ray jardine has layed out the path to REALLY get rid of bulk. but his techniques may be a bit draconian for the less hardcore among us, myself included. i find the thinest availiable thermorest pad in the full length format saves a bit o room. my western mountaineering versalite bag smashes down to almost the same size, but will not live happily an entire trip doing so. i did about one third of the cdt without cooking and that helped a bunch, however the lines cross on that subject after the food load gets past a week of so. but it is the area where the really big gains can be picked up, and that's where i would concntrate my efforts. rei in seattle sells what is probably the lightest and smallest of the one man tents that will work well in the rain (single wall tents are usually just sweatboxes in rain or during a daytime nap, altough some very nice ones are out there. the tents from eureka are simply too low for long term comfort, and have an awkward fly configuration.), for even more excellent ventalation, use the "swift" from walrus. i use 36 exposure film, not 24. i use a "rib" from dana, that quite effectivly moves items out of the pack and around to the front. and i carry hardly any extra clothing. additionally you can always strap an item to the outside for that first day or so, then after you have eaten a little bit, it will fit back inside. food shirinks anyway after a day in the bag and gets easier to pack. of course a smaller pack will itself weigh less (hooray!), and will ride up higher on the hips. this will give you a longer stride, more Hoorays!. i think that without much effort at all a guy could get the down to 24/26 pounds(dry), easily. i may be wrong on this last part but i'm not seeing any big benefit once it goes under 35 pounds (with some food). it's still there, the difference between 25 and 35, versus 55 to 65, simply isn't that big a deal.

Hello Frank and Victoria,

My backpacking friends and I are planning a late April trip to the AT. We will have 6-7 days to spend on the trail and would like your input on which section we should choose. We live in the SE and live within a days drive to the Southern terminus at Springer Mtn. My question to ya'll is this; which part of the AT would you hike, from Springer to the NC border or would you do the section from the NC border to Fontana Lake? We want to do the section with the best scenery and overlooks, and the less traffic. We are all experienced hikers and have not done any on the AT and want to get the most out of out precious time as possible.

Thanks, Sandman

Sandy,

There's a lot of nice scenery between Springer Mountain and Fontana Lake, so it will be hard to go wrong either way. You mentioned that you want less traffic. This is a little difficult at the southern end of the AT in April as mid-March to mid-April is when the bulk of the 2,000+ hikers who attempt to thru-hike the AT start their hikes. Many of these hikers will not make it out of Georgia, but hundreds and hundreds will over those eight weeks. Starting late enough in April will cut down on the problem. In late April, there are likely to be fewer thru-hikers on Springer than in the Nantahalas, but that's hard to predict acurately in February. On a strictly scenery basis, we would pick the North Carolina hike.

Best of luck, Victoria and Frank

I am planning a section of hike through the Nantahala N.F. The hike will take place the last week of April and we will cover around 65 miles. Any advice for a beginner hiker and any tips on weather or terrain for this particular section of the AT. I'm worried about the quality of gear I will need for the trip any ideas on an affordable shell for a beginner hiker. (gore-tex ?)

Jeff,

That's a great section of trail. We maintained 4 miles of it for the Nantahala Hiking Club for several years (Wayah Gap to Wayah Bald) and really love the area. Remember that the elevation can be a mile hile in the Nantahalas, so don't count on spring too much when planning your clothes. Be prepared to layer for warmth.

The are some long climbs in the section that are better done slow and steady. Many times neophyte hikers take their packs off at every break. You will loose less momentum if you take breaks with your pack on. To rest, you can bend over and put your hands on your knees to redistribute the weight. We're not saying that you can't take a pack off break, but that when you do, you will loose more momentum.

Looking for something affordable? Gore-Tex is nice, but it does cost more. A good coated nylon shell will suffice. OK, it doesn't breathe, but remember if it rains long enough, you get wet no matter what you are wearing.

Have Fun, Victoria and Frank

I'm 45 and just beginning to backpack. My first outing was on a short section of the AT and I failed miserably. Bailed out on the 2nd day. I had the heavy rubber rain gear and my sweat made me too cold. Have since corrected that problem and am going again next weekend. Any special advice for someone my age just beginning? (I've had short successful trips on other trails since that first failed one.) Thanks!!!!!!!!

dear mr 45 year old. yes, age is the ultimate obscenity, but the alternative is even grimmer. i (44 yrs old) have found that by wearing nylon pants, and zip neck long underwear, that the sweat problem is much less. also, if you are out of shape, this sweat thing can get extremely uncomfortable. so, put on your pack and hoof through your neighborhood with the pack loaded down hard. you will gain a bit of conditioning, and your body will hurt a ton less when you hit the trail, because the hips and shoulders will be more up to the task. those people you see out there, hiking, looking really good. they have two things going for them you do not. one is that they have been at the game for a long time. two is that they have learned to be uncomfortable, and still look cool. it's sort of like riding a bicycle a real long way. it hurts. more so, you are already a winner because you are ACTUALLY OUT THERE. doing something is a lot different than wanting to do it. so go out and be miserable, pay the dues, get rained on, try - fail - try again, you will love it.