BAC On The Appalachian Trail

middlebrook04

middlebrook04

Flight Levels
Well "BAC In The Hills" was a bust so moving on.

A few of us have been in discussion about a Fall AT trip. I have to plan way ahead for vacation so if we can get a date set early it will help me be able to join in. I was thinking somewhere between October 9th and 22nd. and maybe a multi day trip. We have had suggestions to do multiple sections of the trail, I personally have no preference. I have been on the AT a few times but just in passing, native trout streams being my target. A couple of you have a lot more experience with the trail than I do, so you guys will have to take over on the route planning and I'll help with whatever I can.

I'm game for anything as log as I can get my vacation in early. No problem packing up to five days (30 to 40 pound pack with no fishing gear) and should be able to handle 8 miles a day. If we plan to do more than that I'll start training now.
 
I have about 1/4 of the A.T. Completed. With a plane I tend to hike targets of opportunity. If it is cold up north, I do a section in the south etc. Alan and I have discussed the section in Georgia from about Hogpen Gap to NC border. Blairsville GA has an airport that might work.
But it sounds like you have not hiked this trail much. It can be frustrating as it is all "PUDS" pointless ups and downs. It seems to go around nothing and over everything. Lots of days hiking length are determined by available places with water and rare flat areas for tents. With all the foot traffic it is strongly urged to camp only at shelter areas which tend to be about 11 miles apart. A 40 lb pack would be pretty heavy for this trail.
All that said...... I enjoy it and each section gives a sense of accomplishment. And helps me stay in shape. Hundreds of people walk the whole thing each year and there is lots of information available. October is late in the season for these hills, even Georgia gets snow this early sometimes. If there is interest we could certainly plan it and accept that weather might be a complication in October.
 
Halloween, I still have little ones at home. What about Oct. 26-28? Paul said it would be cold on trail that time of year, I was just trying to catch the autumn leaves.

drwhite said:
A long weekend around Oct 29 I could make work. The previous 3 weekends are already taken up!
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I tend to be a last minute planner unfortunately. I don't even know if my calendar goes as far as October. You will keep my eyes open as you all plan a hike and see when I can join. I still have about 1500 miles left I would like to finish on this trail.
 
Much as I'd like to join in, I'm not sure I can do 11 miles of PUDS with a backpack several days in a row. I'm hiking the Ice Age Trail and can do 10 miles with a day pack (and bike back to my car), but I don't think we have the hills you are talking about. The Ice Age is still a work in progress so not too many places to camp and still a lot of on-road hiking. I find a campsite nearby and take my pop-up camper, so I'm back to the camper every night. Actually I'm in the camper after a ten mile day today.
 
I'm not able to hike with a pack due to the shot knees from many years of jogging, but I live about 15 miles from the beginning of the AT (which is Springer Mtn, 7 miles from Amicalola Falls State Park). If y'all want to do the first section of the AT, you could fly to my home airport in Jasper, Ga., JZP, and I'd love to help in any way I can. Transport you where ever, housing if needed a night or so, etc. My neighbor is a wealth of info on hiking the AT as he has done it completely in one long trip. My place might be a little more convenient than Blairsville, and our avgas is about the lowest around, and with plenty of parking.
 
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