Appalacian Trail

[The Crimson King]

So anybody here ever do the whole 2,200 miles?

We got close, did about 2 miles where the trail gets right up on to 403/9/9D in NY, fell only about 2,198 miles short but we did see more of the trail in several parks (Great Smokey, Shenandoah etc)

If you are unfamiliar with the trail, I refer you to Bill Bryson's excellent book "Into the Woods" or the entertaining movie of the same name staring  Robert Redford an Nick Nolte 

 

[joewilly12]

I always wanted to walk the trail start to finish but some setbacks like a spinal fusion and a hip replacement have put my trip on hold for now. 

[Thai Jet]

I've done a few tiny parts of it. Not too much more than you did. Mostly hit the A.T. in Vermont since it was fairly close to the Catskills.

[Thai Jet]

1 minute ago, joewilly12 said:

I always wanted to walk the trail start to finish but some setbacks like a spinal fusion and a hip replacement have put my trip on hold for now. 

A hip replacement will so that.

[joewilly12]

4 minutes ago, Thai Jet said:

A hip replacement will so that.

Depends on the mind body and soul. 

[Thai Jet]

Just now, joewilly12 said:

Depends on the mind body and soul. 

I agree with mind over matter. Nick Saban's always coaching " What does it take to make you quit? "

[joewilly12]

2 minutes ago, Thai Jet said:

I agree with mind over matter. Nick Saban's always coaching " What does it take to make you quit? "

Quit isn't in my vocabulary I still work a very physical job 40 hours a week and play competitive softball 3 nights a week with 25 yr olds. 

[Thai Jet]

1 minute ago, joewilly12 said:

Quit isn't in my vocabulary I still work a very physical job 40 hours a week and play competitive softball 3 nights a week with 25 yr olds. 

That IS super JW. You're as young as you feel. I played on a flag football league in Albany till I was 59. Wife (then gf of 5 months) would ride with me 5 hrs., watch me play for 3 then ride back here for 5 hrs. Luckily she loves FB.

Keep it up JW. All the best.

[Bombdirt]

I'm kind of curious about this, being from the flat-ass plains of the Midwest and frightened at any incline above 20 degrees or so: 

I've read stories about people hiking the entire length of the Appalachian Trail, and then looked at their accompanying before/after pictures. It's like the mountains suck them away in a hazy meth cloud before depositing them, bewildered, back into society. 

Is this real? Is this a thing? 

If so I will be creating a weight-loss program called "Hike the Appalachian F*cking Trail And That's It."  Check it out on QVC. 

I need our resident mountaineer @RutgersJetFan to weigh in here as well. 

[Thai Jet]

Well you figure you're hiking for months so you're constantly burning up mega calories. Meanwhile your caloric intake is down since you're not packing in mega empty calories like "death by chocolate" etc. Combine the 2 and it equals significant weight loss. At times when your glycogen stores and running low your body will naturally switch to burning stored body fat for energy.

Most of my hiking, climbing consisted of day hikes like climbing a Colorado 14er every other day so there was no mega weight loss like doing the entire A.T. or PCT.

[southparkcpa]

12 hours ago, The Crimson King said:

So anybody here ever do the whole 2,200 miles?

We got close, did about 2 miles where the trail gets right up on to 403/9/9D in NY, fell only about 2,198 miles short but we did see more of the trail in several parks (Great Smokey, Shenandoah etc)

If you are unfamiliar with the trail, I refer you to Bill Bryson's excellent book "Into the Woods" or the entertaining movie of the same name staring  Robert Redford an Nick Nolte 

 

My assistants brother just finished.  Started in Georgia and just got up in to NH.   Retired from Air Force and did it after a divorce.  Lost 20 lbs, grew a beard and looks pretty good.  Took him a few months. 

[RutgersJetFan]

10 hours ago, Bombdirt said:

I'm kind of curious about this, being from the flat-ass plains of the Midwest and frightened at any incline above 20 degrees or so: 

I've read stories about people hiking the entire length of the Appalachian Trail, and then looked at their accompanying before/after pictures. It's like the mountains suck them away in a hazy meth cloud before depositing them, bewildered, back into society. 

Is this real? Is this a thing? 

If so I will be creating a weight-loss program called "Hike the Appalachian F*cking Trail And That's It."  Check it out on QVC. 

I need our resident mountaineer @RutgersJetFan to weigh in here as well. 

That looks about right. The periods I spend in the mountains range from 7-10 days, and I look like complete dogsh*t after that. I can't imagine what I'd look like after half a year. I admire people who can go for that long. For me, after about a week and a half I need a bed.

Bewildered is an understatement too. Those first couple days back in the human world feel like I traveled into another dimension.

[The Crimson King]

1 hour ago, southparkcpa said:

My assistants brother just finished.  Started in Georgia and just got up in to NH.   Retired from Air Force and did it after a divorce.  Lost 20 lbs, grew a beard and looks pretty good.  Took him a few months. 

I am impressed, Betcha he has some great stories about it

[southparkcpa]

44 minutes ago, The Crimson King said:

I am impressed, Betcha he has some great stories about it

Ill see him in a month at her wedding but wow.  So I ve been REALLY DEEP in trying to become fluent in Spanish and have been to Spain 3 times in the last 18 months.   There is a pilgrimage in Spain of about 500 miles that Ive met many who have done it.  From WIKI.  

The commonly agreed-upon route for El Camino de Santiago (a.k.a. the Way of St. James) begins at Saint Jean Pied de Port, France, and travels 500 miles through four of Spain's 15 regions, ending at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia.

 

 

 

  

[The Crimson King]

3 hours ago, southparkcpa said:

Ill see him in a month at her wedding but wow.  So I ve been REALLY DEEP in trying to become fluent in Spanish and have been to Spain 3 times in the last 18 months.   There is a pilgrimage in Spain of about 500 miles that Ive met many who have done it.  From WIKI.  

The commonly agreed-upon route for El Camino de Santiago (a.k.a. the Way of St. James) begins at Saint Jean Pied de Port, France, and travels 500 miles through four of Spain's 15 regions, ending at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia.

 

 

 

  

Ok now THAT'S cool

Enjoyed Spain myself. It was kinda like Italy light but all we did was Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona and the roads in between. The southern coast is on our to do list.

… and here's some Spanish for 'ya that a lot of NYers learn (forgot how the rest went however)

La Via del tren subterraneo son peligrosas … 

 

A side note: 

There is an excellent touring company called Wilderness Travel. They do mostly hiking high end trips:

https://www.wildernesstravel.com/experience/hiking-trekking

Too tough for an old man like me but their African tours are excellent, way better than A&K, but maybe a tad more pricey. You can't hike those unless you can run faster than lions, hyenas and hippos

 

 

 

[southparkcpa]

23 minutes ago, The Crimson King said:

Ok now THAT'S cool

Enjoyed Spain myself. It was kinda like Italy light but all we did was Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona and the roads in between. The southern coast is on our to do list.

… and here's some Spanish for 'ya that a lot of NYers learn (forgot how the rest went however)

La Via del tren subterraneo son peligrosas … 

 

A side note: 

There is an excellent touring company called Wilderness Travel. They do mostly hiking high end trips:

https://www.wildernesstravel.com/experience/hiking-trekking

Too tough for an old man like me but their African tours are excellent, way better than A&K, but maybe a tad more pricey. You can't hike those unless you can run faster than lions, hyenas and hippos

 

 

 

So that’s kool.   That saying is basically saying the subway is dangerous,  I’m not a hiker , have no desire. 2 of my Spain trips were with an immersion school , I stayed with a family etc. I’m over 50 so it was a bit weird but the family and I bonded.  

I did Madrid, Barcelona, Toledo and Sevilla.   

Sort of my new hobby....  I went solo twice and once with GF.  Solo sounds boring but these schools won’t let you speak English and it’s very rewarding. 

[IndianaJet]

I'll do it when the Jets win the Superbowl....who's coming with me!!!!

[Bombdirt]

2 hours ago, IndianaJet said:

I'll do it when the Jets win the Superbowl....who's coming with me!!!!

I'm with you for about five miles or so, but only if I can bring a few Sherpas to carry all my oxygen tanks. 

[Jet_Engine1]

I was going to do it when I got out of the Army. 1995 I was 24-25 years old. Just getting out of the Infantry, best shape of my life. I had the equipment and fitness level, and was accustomed to living outside for months at a time. I even ETS'd from Ft. Benning, getting a lift to the start point in North Georgia would have been easy. Fell in love with a girl (we broke up in 1999) and let that bitch talk me out of it. 

 

Youth is wasted on the stupid.

[joewilly12]

On 9/4/2018 at 2:33 PM, IndianaJet said:

I'll do it when the Jets win the Superbowl....who's coming with me!!!!

I might be interested if I don't drop dead of a heart attack after the game. 

[Beerfish]

I went camping and hiking with my nieces and nephews in early august.  Did a three day hike along the sunshine coast trial north of Vancouver.  The hiking distance was not that bad but the elevation changes were extreme.  Was really a tough three days hiking, of course with full packs.  There is a whole other magnitude of planing and such if you are doing a week plus let alone months.

[Ruby2]

Would love to find the time to do it all one day. Honestly don't know how anyone who is contributing to society can.

For now the excursions on it in Jersey and New York will have to do.

[RutgersJetFan]

On 9/5/2018 at 8:19 PM, Beerfish said:

I went camping and hiking with my nieces and nephews in early august.  Did a three day hike along the sunshine coast trial north of Vancouver.  The hiking distance was not that bad but the elevation changes were extreme.  Was really a tough three days hiking, of course with full packs.  There is a whole other magnitude of planing and such if you are doing a week plus let alone months.

This is where I see a loooooot of people go wrong in California. I was climbing in the Sierras this past weekend and came across not one but two groups along the way where people were struggling, and I had to stop and offer advice/breathing exercises. People simply do not take elevation and altitude seriously. They think all 10-15 mile hikes are created equal.

"Oh, I did a 15-mile hike in Yosemite once, so doing an 11-mile hike up a 14k mountain should be similar."

Nope, nope, and nope. Not even in the same league. And for me, the worst part of it all is that people who don't take this stuff seriously not only put their own lives in jeopardy, but even worse the people they are with. The second someone doesn't take a mountain seriously is the second it kills you. I have seen trips that others have planned for years get ruined by some stranger that thought he was ready to go up a high elevation stratovolcano and now needs saving. Drives me nuts.

[Beerfish]

3 minutes ago, RutgersJetFan said:

This is where I see a loooooot of people go wrong in California. I was climbing in the Sierras this past weekend and came across not one but two groups along the way where people were struggling, and I had to stop and offer advice/breathing exercises. People simply do not take elevation and altitude seriously. They think all 10-15 mile hikes are created equal.

"Oh, I did a 15-mile hike in Yosemite once, so doing an 11-mile hike up a 14k mountain should be similar."

Nope, nope, and nope. Not even in the same league. And for me, the worst part of it all is that people who don't take this stuff seriously not only put their own lives in jeopardy, but even worse the people they are with. The second someone doesn't take a mountain seriously is the second it kills you. I have seen trips that others have planned for years get ruined by some stranger that thought he was ready to go up a high elevation stratovolcano and now needs saving. Drives me nuts.

Our 2nd day was only like 4kms but it was straight up.  I had done some training beforehand for this hike but did not know the elevations were going to be so extreme and neither did the nieces and nephews who had planned the trip.  I got ahead of the rest on that 2nd day heading up to a mountain lake and I went short distances and took lots of short breaks just enough to get the heart rate down then went on again.  Last day was the longest hike but the was by far the easiest due to slightly more moderate elevations.

 

 

[RutgersJetFan]

37 minutes ago, Beerfish said:

Our 2nd day was only like 4kms but it was straight up.  I had done some training beforehand for this hike but did not know the elevations were going to be so extreme and neither did the nieces and nephews who had planned the trip.  I got ahead of the rest on that 2nd day heading up to a mountain lake and I went short distances and took lots of short breaks just enough to get the heart rate down then went on again.  Last day was the longest hike but the was by far the easiest due to slightly more moderate elevations.

 

 

Lesson learned, right? The first thing you should always be checking on anything strenuous is altitude. Distance and elevation do not correlate well and it's a pretty common mistake I see people make. For anything more than a few miles long you should always study a trail and know it like the back of your head before heading out. This should all be done way ahead of time so you can reinforce it and come home not dead. For instance, I'm planning for the High Sierra trail next year and I've already started learning the route. I'm heading up Whitney on a solo trek in 5 weeks and I already know every step of the route for both day and night. People die every single year on non-technical routes because of nothing more than not knowing the details of a route and the weather before they headed out. Happens every year on Mt Baldy.

Look at it this way: The best trekkers and climbers in the world put an extraordinary amount of time learning routes before they head out on anything. If Conrad Anker can't head out without doing that, neither can you.

[Beerfish]

On 9/10/2018 at 4:31 PM, RutgersJetFan said:

Lesson learned, right? The first thing you should always be checking on anything strenuous is altitude. Distance and elevation do not correlate well and it's a pretty common mistake I see people make. For anything more than a few miles long you should always study a trail and know it like the back of your head before heading out. This should all be done way ahead of time so you can reinforce it and come home not dead. For instance, I'm planning for the High Sierra trail next year and I've already started learning the route. I'm heading up Whitney on a solo trek in 5 weeks and I already know every step of the route for both day and night. People die every single year on non-technical routes because of nothing more than not knowing the details of a route and the weather before they headed out. Happens every year on Mt Baldy.

Look at it this way: The best trekkers and climbers in the world put an extraordinary amount of time learning routes before they head out on anything. If Conrad Anker can't head out without doing that, neither can you.

Agreed, the mistake was relying on my nephew and his wife on what the trail was going to be like.  They had done a bout 4 days on the other side of the same trail and said that section was fairly flat and not much elevation so they 'assumed' it would be similar.  In any case I am glad I did it as I had not done full pack hiking in some time, only day hikes.  I can see me doing another trip next year but making sure it is flat terrain.

[batman10023]

On 9/10/2018 at 5:57 PM, Beerfish said:

Our 2nd day was only like 4kms but it was straight up.  I had done some training beforehand for this hike but did not know the elevations were going to be so extreme and neither did the nieces and nephews who had planned the trip.  I got ahead of the rest on that 2nd day heading up to a mountain lake and I went short distances and took lots of short breaks just enough to get the heart rate down then went on again.  Last day was the longest hike but the was by far the easiest due to slightly more moderate elevations.

 

 

How in shape are you?  This seems tough. 

[Thai Jet]

6 hours ago, Beerfish said:

Agreed, the mistake was relying on my nephew and his wife on what the trail was going to be like.  They had done a bout 4 days on the other side of the same trail and said that section was fairly flat and not much elevation so they 'assumed' it would be similar.  In any case I am glad I did it as I had not done full pack hiking in some time, only day hikes.  I can see me doing another trip next year but making sure it is flat terrain.

Lesson learned "Trust no one" .  Learn to do it yourself.

[The Crimson King]

Did another 2,225 feet of the AT yesterday

Drove over the Bear Mt Bridge :)

Still looking to see a thru hiker though