[at-l] Hike ended short after 13 miles

[Bror8588 at aol.com (Bror8588@aol.com)]

In a message dated 3/4/2005 12:17:35 PM Eastern Standard Time,  
ellen@clinic.net writes:

Has  there ever been anyone thru hiking for the first time, regardless of  
preparation, who hasn't been a bit surprised at what they actually experienced  
while wending through Georgia and North Carolina?



I don't know if anyone was not surprised but I can affirm that I certainly  
was.  I was not prepared for the mountains and the steepness of the trail  in 
Georgia.  I had heard about the difficulty of the AT in New Hampshire  and 
thought that the trail would make me fit by the time I got there.   Wrong!  The 
trail is demanding from the beginning.  Forty-four pounds  in a pack didn't seem 
too much to carry when I considered my hike from  a NYC point of view.  But 
when I got on the trail it was another  story.  I am very glad that I was not 
starting out in Snow and Sleet as the  Lucky Cowboy did.  Still, I look back at 
my experience with a sense of  joy.  The experience was great.  Would I do it 
again?  I hope so,  though my expectations are tempered by the experience.  
Would I carry 44  pounds?  No.  But what would I leave out?  Decisions,  
decisions. 
 
 My goal is to lose 44 pounds of weight this year, build muscle and  
strength, get in Aerobic health, and get proper braces (knee wraps, etc.) and a  new 
pack (I need one with a chest strap that keeps the shoulder straps from  
slipping) and Sleeping Bag (my present bag sucks when it is very cold at  night).  
The Alcohol Stove worked well in terms of getting food hot and  water hot but I 
like the manipulating factor of a different kind of stove.   This summer I 
will experiment here in the Northeast.  My boots were  fantastic (Vasque) and 
the Hammock was good though I found in Georgia that there  were many flat places 
to set up a tent.  I like the stability of the ground  (in dry weather) but 
in wet weather the hammock seems the way to go. 
 
Well, it is winter, there are people on the trail now.  God Bless  'em!
 
Skylander