Appalachian Trail hikers

Hey now, I live in one of those looong boring stretches

Yeah, the middle is kinda boring. And painful. Try walking on shoebox-sized hunks of granite for a week. Fun.

 

I hiked a nice section along the WV/VA border, and loved it. Breathtaking beauty let me tell ya! I look forward to hiking more of it as soon as I can. Maybe I can get lost and never come back to civilization... lol. *sigh*

 

Sounds great, I'd like to hear more about the nicer parts in between. Sometimes it's those lesser known areas that are the deal, when you can go somewhere beautiful and not encounter another soul, you feel like you own it, y'know?

 

I'm planning a hike over in January sometime to the Roan Mtn. area going across the two balds. I have hiked this section 3 times before and have enjoyed it each time. The first was in boy scouts when I was just a young teen. The last two times with my best friend who I hike with quite often. I like the winter time because it is not so hot. And since we don't take tents we have to have good sleeping bags. Anyway was wondering if anyone else had hiked this area before? It is in the NC mtns. I think on the NC/TN line.


There needs to be a smilie that designates a hiker!!!

 

My sentiments exactly! When I get out there, it takes a day or two to shed the stress of my chaotic life. Then I begin to feel a part of the beauty, rather than the intruder. That is when I just soak it in and my suffocating soul takes a deep cleansing breath... ahhhh.

 

I did some hiking in Virginia near the boarders of North Carolina and Tennessee, pretty amazing. I dunno if it was on the AT, but it was near it. I remember a sheer cliff several hundred feet high on one side of a mountain, and on the other a massive cavern with a sandy floor, a couple hundred feet in depth and width, with a vaulted ceiling 80 feet high. From inside the cavern, you could look out and see a waterfall, it was like another world.

Anybody got any pictures of their experiences on the AT?

Here's a shot of the summit of Mt Washington, the highest peak on the AT, though not necessarily the nicest. I don't hike up there too often these days 'cause it's so damn crowded. Kinda kills the buzz when you get up there only to find a restaurant/tourist center filled with fat cats with cameras.

I'll try and get some shots of Katahdin on here when I get a chance.

 

Here's a shot of a winter outing along the AT/LT in Vermont a couple years back. That was the deal! We didn't think we'd need snow shoes, so we left them at the car, but as we got up to the mountain pass, we found ourselves waist deep in powder, it took us about three hours to cover the last mile. When we got there, it was dark and cold, and it was all we could do to set the tent up, but we awoke the next morning to what you see here; blue skies, sunny, no wind, and we had it all to ourselves.

 

Cool pics, thanks for sharing! I'm a real wuss about winter hiking. Where exactly was that cavern in Virginia? I'd love to see that!

 

Fedora, if you're serious, and you'd like a hiking partner that won't cramp your style, I am geared up and ready to hike. Well, I'm hoping for a little package from Santa marked "Western Mountaineering" but other than that I'm ready for a long weekend on the trail.

And see? elayne says it's beautiful up here in the middle. I agree.

 

Dang I'm jealous! I haven't earned vacation at my new job yet and I am freakin' dying to go hiking... ANYWHERE!
So what are you hoping Santa will bring ya? Gortex undies? LOL

 

Haven't set a date yet, Couple of guys from chruch are going more the merrier I will let you know when we get a date. But you gotta bring some of them wassabie peas.

 

Damn work thing always gets in the way. We're planning to grab the packs and hit the AT over Thanksgiving, that way we'll get at least two nights sleeping on the ground in the woods. We'll be packing the wassabie peas.

 

Lucky you! Are you doing a part of the trail in Vermont?

 

I have a friend who is an organic green grocer. He gets me 5 pound vac packed bags. Wasabi peas for ALL who wander!

 

No, I have several sets of lightweight polypro. Good stuff. I'm hoping "Santa" brings me a 20F down bag from the Pac NW. But since I know "Santa" doesn't have $500 lying around I'm not getting my hopes up...

I'm less than 90 minutes from several trail crossings. Anytime you want to go hiking, say the word!

 

Just tell Santa to get off his ass and sell some stuff on ebay... lol.

I've been wanting a new bag as well, mine is ancient and too heavy.



Thanks for the offer, I'll remember that!

 

We'll probably hit Southern Vermont, head up Friday after Thanksgiving, hike in and camp two nights, and hike out Sunday. There's a bunch of peaks nearby we can hit for a day hike on the day in between.

As for that place in Virginia, I'm not sure exactly where that was, since it's been over twenty years, but looking at the map, I'm tempted to say Big Stone Gap, which is actually closer to the boarder of Kentucky and Tennesee, Not NC.

Southern Vermont's a three hour ride for us, the Whites are four or five, and Katahdin's eight. The closest crossing on the AT for us is about two hours West in North Western Connecticut, near the boarder of New York. Believe it or not, it's pretty sweet, some nice peaks out that way, and there's a stretch that runs along an intense whitewater section of the Housatonic River, the best time to catch that one is in the Spring when the water's high.

I try to keep the consumerism in check, but I don't skimp when it comes to back packing gear, and it always seems to pay off when we're out in the woods (nothing like being cold, wet, and miserable to ruin the experience). We've got the 0F bags for winter, and the 20F bags for the rest of the year.

5 pound vac packed bags?! LOL, That'd last me years! (assuming we're talking about the same organic green).

 

Sounds like lotsa fun. I hope you have good weather for your trip!


That northern part is what I want to do sometime, everyone I've talked to says its one of the best parts of the trail. So you like whitewater rafting? I've been on the New River in WV a couple of times and it is a blast!


Note to self: Gotta try some of those wassabi peas!

 

I have my own version of the HS tarptent and wear a fleece suit over my polypro so I can almost always get away with 20F. But then I don't live up in your neck of the woods. Another reason why I'll never be a southbounder

yup, they are, but I have a lot of hiker friends, sailor friends and woodworking friends. A case of Yuengling and 5 pounds of peas is a typical Friday night in my workshop.

 

Some shots of Katahdin and Knife's Edge (the best way up, which is the Northern most part of the AT). We lucked out with the weather, not too many days like this up there, usually overcast and nasty. We met a group of end-to-enders up at the top (the terminus), pretty cool.

My biggest passion outdoor-wise is whitewater kayaking, which I took up four years ago at the ripe young age of 39, a year after the birth of my child, go figure. I drove all the way down to Virginia recently to run the Yough, the Cheat, and the Blackwater, good times! I'd like to get back there and hit the Gauley and the New, and of course, Big Sandy. I'll think of you guys, and be sure to bring the backpack and the wasabi peas...