I thru hiked the AT this year (ama) - A Walk in the Woods (2015) Discussion

[–] 9 years ago

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[–] sieso 9 years ago

1.) No. I used a Thermarest NeoAir XLite sleeping pad. Cost about $120. Amazing pad, pretty much a mini inflatable mattress. Very comfortable. Worth every penny. They just made a new version of it too.

2.) The AT unlike the PCT and CDT is incredibly easy when it comes to logistics. Depending on your pace you will cross a road almost every day or multiple times a day. Not to mentions towns are very close and the trail itself goes through many towns like Hot Springs, NC, Damascus, VA, Hanover, NH, etc etc

3.) Probably 10-14 days. Don't remember. I spent a lot of zero and nero days. I could have finished the trail so much faster but I got so lazy at some points I would do less than 10 or 5 miles and get a hotel, motel or hostel for the night

4.) This goes back to logistics. Water on the AT is everywhere. I met people that thru hiked the PCT and CDT and they said you have to carry at least twice as much water on those trails. On the AT they would only carry 1 liter because you go by water sources every few miles. The driest area was northern PA and the quality of water was bad in NJ and NY because you're at such a low elevation. I would usually break camp in the morning with 2 liters and drink another liter at the end of the day. On extremely hot days I drank around 2 gallons a day

5.) 4-6

6.) Some areas you're not allowed to make camp fired. I believe camp fires are banned in all of CT. Thru hikers usually dont make fired because that's the last thing you want to be doing after hiking 20-30 miles

7.) Yes. It was always a goal of mine to thru hike the AT and finally had the time and money to do it.

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[–] 9 years ago

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[–] sieso 9 years ago

Only saw one bear. It was right before the Shenandoah National Park

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[–] zsappenfield 8 years ago

i just hung out with a bunch of AT hikers right off the shenandoah river, right past compton rapids they were doing the canoeing part of the trip... and they were some cool ass people. we helped them out, fed them, gave them beers, they were just awesome ass people, some marines, some army, some from germany, some from cali, all over the place... they all smoked pot to lol which was cool but really they just had great stories and they were so friendly and chill, they said hte same thing about bears only saw one around our area in front royal(ish)

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[–] 8 years ago

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[–] salexander2578 9 years ago

We're you able to get time off from your work to hike? If so, did you still have the same job when you got back? This would be the biggest obstacle for me.

I could take an unpaid (obviously) leave from my company, but when I returned, I probably wouldn't have the same job I worked 18 years to progress to. Not sure how the job market is elsewhere, but it's tough in Florida as stable jobs are hard to come by. Thanks!

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[–] sieso 9 years ago

Did not have a job at the time. I got out from the military. Still currently in the job hunt. Kind of sucks.

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[–] bormanator 9 years ago

Did you stay a night in Harper's Ferry? I really like that town.

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[–] sieso 9 years ago

Yeah I took two nights there and slackpacked. It was a nice historic town. However if I thru hiked again I probably wont stay there. There's a loud ass train the runs through there that will keep you awake all night. I imagine real estate prices there are very cheap for that reason. Not to mention there's not many lodging options there.

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[–] dickandlaurie-1 9 years ago

Trains do run right through Harpers Ferry, but that's part of its charm. Watching them shoot through a tunnel in the rock face out onto a bridge over the Potomac River is quite a sight to behold.

The train also makes Harpers Ferry accessible from just about anywhere, since Harpers Ferry is served by both Amtrak (1 train 7 days a week) and the MARC commuter train (about 3 trains on weekdays).

You can barely hear the train from the majority of lodging and camping options in and around Harpers Ferry, although a few are right alongside the tracks. Because Harpers Ferry is located on a steep hill, the sound of the train doesn't travel far. The most popular lodging options for hikers and tourists alike, the Econolodge motel, is on the other side of the hill from the train. There are other hostels and B&Bs far enough from the train for it not to be intrusive, or even audible.

This website lists lodging options: www.historicharpersferry.org. Harpers Ferry can be a challenging place for a long-distance hiker on a very tight budget, since there is currently no free camping in town, but there 3 hostels in the area that offer less expensive options than most towns in the U.S. We also have a number of highly-rated B&Bs, too.

For the car traveler on a budget, there are less expensive option in Charles Town, WV, about 5-6 miles away, as well as a variety of higher-end chain motels.

Harpers Ferry, WV
4,000 miles on the A.T. from 1987-2015

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[–] melinda2001 8 years ago

You might end up with a better job. Heck, you might find one on your trip. It's easier to get raises by changing jobs than on the job so you may be undervalued. Being gone for a while may also remind them of that fact. And besides, you can find stables to work in all over the place. ;-)

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[–] sjmiller05 9 years ago

I did it back in 1995 from Maine to Georgia. I am so wanting to do it again. I also did the entire Colorado trail in 1999. Both times I had no job. Congrats on your finish - it is an awesome experience.

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[–] ABN-Para 9 years ago

I was thinking doing the Maine to Georgia route (that one is all downhill, right? ;)) When did you leave?

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[–] sieso 9 years ago

Most SOBOs leave in June.

Going SOBO is usually tougher than NOBO. This is due to the rough beginning. You have to climb Katahdin to start, then go into the 100 Mile Wilderness, from there into southern ME (which a lot of people think is worse than the Whites) and then of course you head into the White Mountains after that. You're pretty much jumping into a fire whereas going NOBO you slowing get into it.

Since I started early I ran into a ton of SOBOs when they just started, less than 100 miles in. Almost all of them were complaining about something, they all looked like they were in rough shape.

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[–] sjmiller05 9 years ago

If my memory serves me right it was in May. I just got done doing some short routes (getting back in shape) on the CDT. Meant some cool ppl doing the entire thing -- started in Mexico in Lake City CO at a hostile. Man how the tech changed since I did the AT.

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[–] AdkEric 9 years ago

Approximately how much money did the hike cost?

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[–] sieso 9 years ago

I didn't keep tabs on my bank account. It varies from person to person. I spent more just because I had the money.

There were hikers that did it with a few thousand in the bank. The most expensive thing is gear

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[–] TennesseeTarheel 9 years ago

My late Father-in-law walked the trail from Georgia to Maine at age 62. He trained on Stone Mountain in Georgia. Early on, Near Clingman's Dome, he slipped on ice and broke his ankle which side-lined him for a few months. His handle was " The Old Boy Scout". A gregarious man, he made many friends on the trail, and he always yearned to "get back to the trail". I think that yearning develops when the hikers visit "civilization" during their adventure. " The Old Boy Scout" passed away in 2011 at age 79.

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[–] Rheli 9 years ago

In the book probably the worst part is the situation at some of the bunkhouses. I wonder if they're still that bad or if things have since gotten better...

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[–] sieso 9 years ago

The bunkhouses vary from hostel to hostel. Most of them aren't that nice but you're not paying much so that's the trade off

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[–] Rheli 9 years ago

Thanks.

In the book he tells of
-dirty, smelly, never-washed pillows
-never cleaned facilities
-being forced to pay full rate during a snowstorm even though no beds were available and people were forced to sleep on the floor

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[–] phelpsg1 9 years ago

The bunkhouse in the book is at the Rainbow Springs campground near Standing Indian Mountain, NC, and it was apparently pretty bad. According to rumor, they sued Bryson, claiming that it wasn't THAT bad. For a thread on the lawsuit, google bunkhouse sued bryson

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[–] Rheli 9 years ago

Thanks Phelps!

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[–] joshgreaves332 9 years ago

How much did it cost you overall?

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[–] sieso 9 years ago

Didn't keep track of money that well, I had a good amount in the bank. I spent more on gear/trail than most hikers did. Probably around 5K including everything, but that's a very vague estimate.

You can get buy with only a couple thousand to start the trail. I took a lot of zero and nero days so that was a big chunk of change

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[–] steadyteddy 9 years ago

I'm sure I could think of hundreds of questions for you (!), but I'll just start off with a few:

1) How old are you? Or if you don't want to answer that question, what sort of age range do you think is suitable to be able to thru-hike without it being an insurmountable challenge? (Having just seen the movie, I really don't want to leave it until I'm in my 70s to try it!)

2) Did you feel in danger at any point? Was that feeling justified or just a natural reaction to being out in the wilderness for so long?

3) Did you encounter any bears and if so, how did you deal with them?

4) Did you notify a particular organisation about your intentions to thru-hike? Did you keep them or any other concerned parties updated about your progress and if so, how did you do this?

5) What about the urge to quit? How soon did you first start feeling it? How frequently did it come up? How intense was it? And how did you overcome it?

6) In retrospect, how do you feel about the misery/joy balance of doing it? I've no doubt there were many moments of each, and doubtless plenty of moments that were neither highs nor lows - just unrewarding trudging. I'm just curious about whether you feel it was worth the pain and suffering. Let's just say, hypothetically, you were offered expenses and a salary to do it and chronicle your journey for an outdoor magazine; would you do it a second time?

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[–] sieso 9 years ago

1.) I'm 25. It all depends on how well you take care of your body. I've seen people in their twenties that are so out of shape they can hardly climb stairs. And I've seen people in their forties that easily run marathons. On the trail I met people under twenty and over sixty. Just look at your health and overall fitness instead of age, age really is just a number. That being said, there have been plenty of people to thru hike that were overweight when they started.

2.) I met and hiked with people almost the entire way. I only spent a few nights completely alone the entire time on the trail, and even then I didn't feel I was in danger. You're on a popular hiking trail, it's not like you're bushwacking through the amazon jungle. I did meet two strange people on the trail. Pretty sure they were mentally ill.

3.) Only saw one bear. It was right before I went into the SNP. It just ran away. I started early so didn't see many bears

4.) Only my family. Called and texted whenever I was in town

5.) Never thought about quiting. Somehow word got around that I was thru hiking so I didn't want to go back a failure. But I never had the urge to leave the trail. There were defiantly days where I didnt want to hike, but that's a different feeling than quiting. Met a guy in CT that started his thru hike in the early 2000s and he randomly quit when he hit PA. Years later he's finishing everything from PA to ME and he said it was a dumb decision and wished he could take it back.

6.) In the beginning (GA) I said I would never do a long trail again. But now it's the opposite. Sometimes I randomly think about all the things I saw and people I met on the trail and it makes me happy. Even thinking back on the miserable days like hiking in the rain is a good memory now. It was defiantly a great adventure.

If someone paid me to thru hike again I would absolutely do it. It's been 5 months since I finished and still trying to find a career/job. And it would depend on how they would want me to document the trip. I'm not really fond of being on camera but wouldnt mind keeping a written journal. I actually do want to do it again just to see how fast I'd be able to finish now that I know all the ins and outs of the trail. Baring injury I'd defiantly finish in under 4 months.

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[–] silvercometred1 8 years ago

There are elderly people in their sixties and older that thru hike.

Ha! I'm 62 and I don't feel elderly! I planning on thru-hike the AT in 2018. I'm will in training this year and next and I'm taking the time to assemble my gear and plan my hike.

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[–] KazKazui 8 years ago

I would like to ask if you met any wild animals, especially bears. Because that would be my main concern.

Also, was it easy to navigate or is there a chance that you can get lost in the woods? And do you have to climb mountains? If yes, how hard is it?

My questions might sound funny for you but I never did something like that in my entire life, but I'm really interested to do it one day.

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[–] sieso 8 years ago

Saw one bear in VA. I started early so I didn't see many

Trail is easy to follow but I did fall off the trail a couple times and got lost. Really sucked to be honest. Buy the AWOL guide before you go.

You climb many mountains. The hardest will be in the Whites and southern Maine. Some get pretty steep

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[–] kishan_ninja 8 years ago

Hi Sieso,

I have a couple of questions,

Apart from Bears, Are there any danger from poisonous Snakes , Scorpions or Spiders in the entire AT ?

And one does not poop everyday when you hike so much right ? I mean when everything is exhausted as energy ?

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[–] sieso 8 years ago

Saw a few rattle snakes.

I pooped in the privies every day

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