And keep going, "This sucks."

I think it would have been a great thing to do when I was young and had no responsibilities. I lived in Northern Virginia for a couple of years and hiked the section from Harper's Ferry down through Shenandoah National Park a little at a time. But I never had the time or money to take 6 months off to hike the whole thing.

I think it would be great to be young and have no responsibilities, so I want to hike the trail.

Good point. :thumb:

I'm 49, with a bad knee, a bad shoulder, a wife and a mortgage. Spending 6 months hiking just isn't something I'll ever be able to do now.

I did a lot of hiking and backpacking in the Sierras, the Cascades, the coastal mountains of northern California, and the Appalachian Trail through the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia when I was in my 20s and early 30s (lived in NoCal for 6 years and VA for 2). I would have loved hiking the whole Appalachian Trail, but I was already married by then.

I've done the lower three states and plan to hike it beginning to end when I retire. This summer I plan to do a 120 mile loop that takes me through Joyce Kilmer national park, which is one of two remaining virgin forests in the eastern US.

Invest in the trail book and plan. It tells what is at each stop, where the water is and how to resupply while on the trail.

Also, invest in the best water pump and take at least 4 1 quart collapseable bottles. Pay attention to pack weight. Only take cloths that are appropriate for the season and have cloths mailed to strategic points at specific times. The trail planning book gives the information you need to plan and even pre-box what you want sent.

If you like to read take a Kindle, don't carry books. Krocs make great camp shoes and don't add weight, and you will want camp shoes to air your feet. Stove, small pot, cup and spoon is all you need for a kit. After 5 days you will stop caring about anything other than water, hiking, eating and sleeping so don't worry about entertainment.

Keep a daily journal, you will have feelings and thoughts worth recording and are unique to the experience. Going back later and reading the journal brings the memories back so you can relive it with others.

At first tents sound exciting, but after 5 days you will not want to bother with setup and will prefer the shelters. I recommend a light hammock tent because there will be times you want to be alone. There are plenty of other hikers on the trail so there is plenty of social time and trail stories. There are story boards on the trail that through hikers use to pass messages so take a pencil.

Have fun.

An excerpt from my journal.
Day 53: been raining for six days. Bobbys broken law looks to have gangrene. Very little food, meager sustenance provided by the inner bark of the beachwoods.
Day 54: too weak to write much today.
Day 57: feeling better today, but we were forced to eat Bobby. Disposed of his leg in the valley.
Day 59: suffering horrible diarrhea. All hope is lost. Give my chiefs tickets to Phobia.

LMAO