[at-l] AT SOBO Sept. 15 start

[jeanpaul at comcast.net (Jean-Paul Miller)]

I suggest starting earlier..  I started July 14th and things were closing
just as got there time after time. I was the last to stay at many places
before the closed down.  (i was also walkgin slow and I only made it to
mass.)

If you do start Sept 15 have a good time.. it is GORGEOUS there in the fall

100 mile wilderness is not "difficult" if you have enough food for how long
it will take you to walk.  if you are not used to hiking long distance then
.. bring an extra days worth of food or two.  depends on your experience,
both in backpacking and backpacking in that kind of terrain. if I remember
it correctly it is relatively speaking kinda flat except for a big hill.
nothing really sticks out in my head even white rock or something as a long
uphill. I DO remember lots of bog bridge swamp walking and ankle deep to
knee deep water.  (it was raining when I was there for more then 60% of the
time I was in the 100 miles)

one of my fondest memories was walking and standing knee deep in water
TOUCHING a tree with a blaze ON it. and looking 20 maybe 30 feet to my
left... and seeing a high and dry bog bridge.. and I was wondering ... am I
following a low water trail?
it is was the best!!! did you know that swamp water eats leather? I didn't.

get simple light weight gear. and bring less then you think.

I personally enjoyed using the aldha book for mileage and stuff I also used
the ATC databook.

I don't know about snow shoes.

yes I would bring some kind of rain gear. whatever you like .. something
simple and light weight.

many of the AMC huts will be closed. but I think you can still sleep on the
porch... I am not sure about that though. (you should ask them before you do
that.)

good luck have fun if you have any more specific questions please ask.  If
you like I will look at my maps again and see if I forgot some hellish hill
that I purposely blocked out of my memory (but I doubt because I enjoyed
most of it including the up hills and downhills. )

Wisperlight



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