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[at-l] Intro plus question




With the exception of about 100 steps, I have never been
on the AT.  (Last summer, on Skyline Drive, I imposed
on my wife and we stopped the car at one of the At
crossings.  I got out, put my feet on holy [small H]
ground, and returned to the car.)  Unless it rains
Real Hard, I intend to do a Friday afternoon through
Sunday noon backpacking trip on the AT.  Can someone
help me get started?

Questions:
(1) Where can/should I go for a good "linear" (non-loop)
AT hike within Skyline Drive?  Where should I start,
where should I try to end up, what side trails would
I be foolish to miss, that sort of thing.

(2) Where does one set up a tent?  All the info I
have encountered refers to shelters, cabins, etc., and
that's not what I want to sleep in.

(3) are there any logistical hints, e.g., "Call ahead
to register, bring $10 for the car, and carry a PDA
only if you are going to carry a gun to defend
yourself,"  that I should know about up front?

(4) Don't hit me: unless my destination happens
to have a nice pay phone, I intend to take a Sell Fone
(for outgoing use only, and only after I am standing
firmly in on the shoulder of Skyline Drive).  I *won't*
take it, though, if someone truthfully tells me that it
won't work there anyway.


Constraints:

* I'll probably be entering Skyline Drive sometime
Friday afternoon, coming from Harrisonburg.  I have
a ride that I can arrange to take me back to the car
Sunday.

* I have two relevant references handy: the "AT Guide
to Shenandoah National Park", and "Best of AT Overnight
Hikes" by Logue and Logue.  I have no quad maps for
the area, but I am assuming that the AT in SNP will
be pretty hard to lose. :-)

* I am a semi-experienced backpacker, with all the
usual equipment, and tolerable stamina for a guy with
a sedentary job.  I always go low-impact (I use a
stove), etc.,  so I won't have any problems with the
Park folks on that issue.

* logistical info and general goodies can be posted
to the list, of course, but I'm just paranoid enough
to request that specific place-and-time suggestions
be done as private e-mail.

  -Tom Williams


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* From the AT-L |  Need help? http://www.backcountry.net/faq.html  *

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