The Appalachian Trail
What we've learned about the AT
Tough to do alone!
2014 Dolomites, Cortina d'Ampesto, Italy. Barry, Anda, Arlene and Greg refugio to refugio spectacular views and great food!
It would be very difficult to plan and attempt this journey without the full support of our husbands. From the exotic lunches that Barry prepared for us following our gruelling training walks and
his many trips to the mountaineering shop to pick up this or that. Barry's many trips and Greg's support to slackpack us and provide assist in resupplies; without our men it would have been a
much bigger challenge. Thank you Barry and Greg for all you put up with!
How far is it and how hard is it...really?!
It is 5 million steps, 2189.2 miles or 3523.2 kilometers to follow the Appalachian Mountains from Springer Mountain, Georgia, to Mount Katahdin, Maine. The trail passes over about 138 mountain
tops, across several rivers and streams, through 14 states with nearly one quarter of the trail runs through Virginia. The vertical ascent/decent is equal to climbing Mt Everest 16 times so
roughly about twice a month for 6 months.
Food
Dehydrated or freeze-dried food is a staple, but a bottle of olive oil allows you to add calories to every meal. Walkers burn about 4000 calories per day. Carrying two pounds of food for
each day is necessary to maintain weight. We set out after resupplying with 10-12 pounds of food and two litres of water. Each litre weighs two pounds. The upside is that every time you
eat you lighten the load until the next resupply.
Despite our best efforts we lost 30lbs each. We found it difficult to carry enough calories but indulged in pints of ice cream and any high calorie food we could find when we went into
towns. The big joke among hikers was entering a grocery store and asking for the high fat, high calorie, high sugar food aisle.
Can we do it?
Roughly 70-80% of attempted AT thru-hikes end in failure. Or, rather, only 20-30% of folks planning to hike the entire AT in one calendar year finish. Should we, the upcoming class of 2015 even
tell people about our plans? What if we fail...but what if we don't?
These two nearly 58 and 60 year olds are not shy about telling you "we are going to walk the Appalachian Trail or at least give it our best shot! So what if we fail? If you worry about failng you will never try anything!"
And we DID IT!!! In 151 days walking every step of the trail Unhinged and Eveready completed the entire length of the Appalachian Trail.
What is it about backpacking that makes it a "spiritual practice"?
"There's a sense of being taken to the edge. I have to draw on resources I didn't know I had. Maybe most importantly, my ego gets challenged. It makes me hungry for a beauty I cannot control. It teaches me to travel light. There's something wonderful about the idea that all you really need is what you can carry on your back like a turtle, both in terms of actual essentials and in terms of letting go of things in your life that you need to release.
The trail also teaches me a sense of mindfulness, as the Buddhists would call it. You've got to pay attention to the weather, you've got to pay attention to blisters and places where you may be hiking or camping for the night. But the most important thing for me is silence and solitude." Lifelong hiker and spiritual searcher Belden C. Lane, author of Backpacking With the Saints.
What do you take to walk in the woods for six months? Not a lot!
What thru-hikers say
“Hiking the A.T. has no doubt ruined my life. I fear that never again or anywhere on earth will I ever share such an amazing experience with such a unique and genuine group of people. The beauty and splendor and joy and pain are now a part of who I am.”
Rusty "Wheeler" Towery
"Thank you for the scenery: the mountain and the tree
Thank you AT for what you have showed me
Thank you for the hike making the mind and body strong
Thank you stream, wind, and bird, for the song
Thank you for the consciousness, inspiration, and glee
Thank you AT for what you have taught me"
Alex Palin
"It was the beginning of everything...the beginning of my real life! Now I know I can do anything I want, so I'm less willing to invest time in things I don't want. I've been wandering ever since, never in one place longer than about 6 months, experiencing a wide variety. Best of all, it inspired the women in my family to be strong and pursue what they want. I'm now watching my niece prepare for a "discover the country and self" adventure. Life can be exciting if we let it."
Nancy Sheppard