Friday, February 22, 2008

Trail Basics

Here are some basics about the Trail, for those of you just grasping this thing – as I did last fall. These are the questions I’ve received most often:
  • The wha? The Appalachian Trail – one of the longest, oldest, and most well-known footpaths in the world. It runs along the spine of the Appalachians, between Georgia and Maine.
  • How long is it? Right now, its 2,175 miles. The trail length changes because it is constantly rebuilt and relocated onto public easements and off-road areas over the years. For comparisons sake, it’s the same driving distance between New York and Salt Lake City.
  • Where’s it start and end? The trail runs between the top of Springer Mountain in northern Georgia (about 1.5 hour’s drive north of Atlanta) and the top of Mount Katahdin in northern Maine (about 4 days drive from anywhere). Of course, you have to hike to and from these peaks, which adds another 16 miles or so to the total length, but as Bill Bryson wrote, that’s like getting out of the car after driving cross-country.
  • How long will it take? About 6 months. Fast hikers will do it in 5 months, slower ones in 7 months. I figure I am average, or at least I intend to take enough time off to go that pace. To make it in six months, I will have to go a little over 12 miles each day, including days off.
  • Who am I going with? No one, except the hundreds of other would-be thru-hikers who will also start in Georgia this spring. In fact the trail might seem downright crowded in the beginning.
  • Will I be taking a gun? Funny how often I’ve been asked this. No, I’m not bringing a weapon of any sort besides a Swiss Army knife. Any weapon will be too heavy, offer no real protection, and will only increase the chance of someone getting hurt or killed. Statistically, the trail is safer than almost anywhere else in the country, certainly safer than my own neighborhood in Philly. There have only been around a dozen murders on the trail in its 70-year existence, including one this past winter. If you draw any other 2,000 mile line across the US, you’ll probably hit many more than that.

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