If hiking were a religion, then the Appalachian Trail would have been the pastoral dynasty. The 2,193-mile trek stretching from Georgia to Maine is not the longest foot trail globally. However, it is the Godfather of hiking trails. The Appalachian Trail (AT) as an idea came to life in 1921. However, the full-scale stretch is said to have been finished in 1937. It totaled to about 2,200 miles then. However, the AT has dwindled in length over the years, which may be due to many factors. These include land sales, urbanization, and restructuring of the trail in some parts.
Whereas it is the third-longest trail globally, AT remains a firm favorite for many global hikers. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) reports that they receive up to 2 million hikers every year. AT, however, is the longest hiking-only trail on the globe, a challenge so many are always raring down-Thru-hikers from different corners of the globe attempt to hike the entire course in a single season. According to Laurie Potteiger, an information specialist at the ATC, a thru-hiker walks every one of the 2,193 miles within a single calendar year.
The number of courageous is reported to increase every year, with the last stat pad in 2017 showing 715 northbound and 133 southbound. When hiking the AT, you can go northbound or southbound, depending on your preference. Many choose to go northbound because the first thru-hiker, Earl Shaffer, a World War II veteran, left Georgia’s Springer Mountain in April 1948 and arrived at Maine’s Mountain Katahdin in August. He has a book on this escapade titled “Walking with spring.”
An average thru-hiker should complete the AT in five to seven months. There are a few known to have done so in relatively lesser time. Karel Sabbe, a Belgian dentist and long-distance runner, holds the record, having completed the trail in 41days, 7hours, and 39minutes back in 2018. These top athletes eliminate rest days hence covering a substantial distance in shorter seasons. If, however, you don’t share the zeal or have no need to rush to the endpoint, rest days will do your body a lot more good. You could hike about 15 to 18miles a day and a rest day once a week.
I started my northbound thru-hike mid-February, backpacking my way throughout the AT in New Jersey, about 200 miles north through Virginia, New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts in the stone-cold winter, something quite familiar with this route between Late February to April. The AT can be a daunting trail, especially if you choose to go northbound at that time of the year. History claims that many have lost their lives due to hypothermia. So you need to pack accordingly, especially if you plan to hike northbound at this season of the year.
Of recent, the ATC has promoted versatile ideas to get everyone involved. The famous one is the Flip-flop, a non-continuous thru-hike. The hiker starts wherever they like, chooses any direction, takes a ride to a different point on the trail, and continues hiking in another course. That has made hiking quite more desirable for many hikers that want a piece of the action but are time-bound. It doesn’t matter which track you choose to move, as long as you get the miles in.
My time northbound felt like a college frat party every rest day; sharing camp stories and getting to know each other made this quite an unforgettable experience. We must have been in the hundreds on this trail, as we kept meeting up with southbound groups. The AT is often referred to as a community in the wilderness and like any community. You are sure to meet many people with different beliefs. Terms like Blue blazers and White blazers have become synonymous with hikers on the AT. White blazers are purists who believe in walking every mile of the trail, whereas Blue blazers believe in taking shortcuts along the way.
The AT community extends beyond hikers. Volunteers do so much work on the trail, like cleaning out privies to building rock steps. Ridge runners, found at different points on the course, offer insight on the route and emergence response. Trail angels offer food and barbeque to hikers as well as rides to those in need of a re-supply. The highlight of my hike on the AT was the Trail Days Festival in Damascus, Virginia. I met many legends of the AT who had uncovered so many hidden treasures of the trail.
- What to expect on the AT
Regardless of your shape and size, the AT is a game of endurance. It comes down to how many miles you set to make every single day while factoring in the uphills and downhills on the trail. If you have been doing some aerobics and leg work, then you might have a chance. The rest days are pretty essential to calm the body from burn-out and mental fatigue. It would help if you handled this as a vacation than a deadline office assignment.
- What to pack
On this trail, clothing will make or break you. On my thru-hike, temperatures ranged from the twenties to 100, rain, snow, back wrenching humidity. Avoid Cotton and use light fabric. Merino wool is an excellent choice because of its versatility; it works well in hot and cold weather and works well as a sleeping layer. A light puffy jacket is a good choice for early spring and northern New England, where you will use the full range of alpine gear such as a hat, gloves, and rain jacket. Suppose the need arises to cut the weight then mailing the gear home in the mid-Atlantic through the summer. This trail is about footwear, that is, boots, socks, and blister treatment. Other items you mustn’t forget include; face towel, water bottle, a portable stove, pot, pot grabber, first aid kit, trekking poles. Life has very few certainties. Having a great time on the AT is one of them.
