[at-l] How to help a newbie: Part III WAS: crampons

[ackenglass@hotmail.com (Alexis Lee Acken)]

What my friend Joanne and I are planning on doing is another variation on a
thru hike.  Because of schedules, we're not able to start the trail until
mid May 2003.  We briefly thought about hiking Sobo but quickly dismissed
that because neither of us feel like we're experienced enough to start with
the trail's most rugged terrain. We're planning on starting from Springer
then (mid May) and hiking north.  I figure that advantages to this are that
we'll be behind the bulk of the thru-hikers and won't have to deal with any
winter weather.  I'm expecting an average of 10-12 miles a day with very few
town days.  Once we get to Harpers Ferry, we're planning on flip-flopping
and hiking south from Katadhin back down to Harpers Ferry.  This will
eliminate the pressure of having a set date by which we must end the hike.
What advice or criticism does anyone have of this proposed plan?  What
disadvantages do people see, or benefits?  Anyone else tackled the trail in
a similar manner?

Alexis


> One of the things a lot of people ignore is that the ATC encourages what
> they call "alternative" hikes.  Meaning doing the Trail a "different" way
in
> order to miss the main "thruhiker season" in the south and relieve some of
> the pressure on the southern facilities.  See
> http://www.appalachiantrail.org/hike/thru_hike/itin.html
>