[at-l] Dragon's Tooth

[rafe.bustin@verizon.net (Raphael Bustin)]

Anna wrote:

 > Oh gawd!! This is the only things that scares me about doing a thru hike!
 > I would rather walk twenty extra miles then attempt this kind of thing!
 > My first thought is that it can't be that bad...........grandmothers have
 > done it for crying out loud!! and my second thought is..........are there
 > alternate ways around? :) I have taken this year to confront a lot of my
 > fears and I have really come light years, but this kind of thing still 
gives
 > me nightmares!!!


This is something you're going to have to work on, Anna.

But it's not too hard, please believe me.  I'll bet almost anyone
on this list would be delighted to walk with you through their favorite
"nasty" bit of AT to show that it's no big deal.

I'm 5'5".  I got beat up a lot in elementary school.  I was the
kid that the team captains in gym class always picked last.  To this
day, I cannot maintain a jogging pace for a mile.  But I have walked
well over half of the AT, and most certainly the harder half, and
most of hardest, highest peaks several times over.

Heck, why do you suppose I like hiking?  It's one of the few sports
I can do, and feel good about.

If you keep your wits about you, there is almost no place on the
AT where you your safety is at risk.

There is NO technical climbing on the AT.  Zip. Zero.  You do
not need rope.  You do not need an ice axe or crampons unless
you're hiking summits in the wintertime.

I'm not sure where Albert Mtn. came into this discussion, but
having cut my teeth on the White Mountains, Albert Mtn. just
doesn't register on my scale of difficulty.  I had to laugh.

If you're ever in New England, please look me up.  I'd be happy
to show you some fun parts of the AT in New Hampshire and/or
Maine -- which, IMHO, are as hard as the trail gets, and also
as beautiful and scenic as it gets.


rafe b.
aka terrapin