Repeat or not? was Re[2]: [at-l] Feelix

[tmcginnis@ucclan.state.in.us (Thomas McGinnis)]

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: [at-l] Feelix
Author:  kahley7 <kahley7@ptd.net> at ima
Date:    12/23/98 8:57 PM


Yeah....this only re enforces my reluctance to do much AT hiking 
prior to my thru.  I want the Trail to be new to me...every mile.
And it also re enforces my decision to go S>N.  There is just 
something about the 100 mile wilderness and then onto K that just 
seems...... well....I dunno. 

     I have to agree with WILDBILL ("Go ahead and repeat sections 
     during a throughhike: it'll be different and it'll be 
     great!") AND with you, Kahley ("I don't wanna dilute the 
     throughhike with 'prior exposure'.") By the time I hiked in 
     '79, I had done the Connecticut section a half-dozen times. 
     But it was totally different for me doing it while having 
     walked from Georgia. I had planned on doing all 50+ miles in 
     1-2 days, and ended up taking (I think) 3 -- it was too 
     beautiful, and too many great memories -- I had to stop 
     frequently.

     On the other hand, I had never STEPPED FOOT in Maine till 
     hiking out of Gorham, and when I saw Katahdin, WOW!!!

     Now preparing for a throughhike with Alison and the kids, our 
     "home turf" trailwise has got to be NC/TN/Smokies. I am 
     trying to plan destinations for our last "training" year, but 
     don't want to take the fun and wonder and discovery out of 
     the highlights of the trip. But now I think Alison is 
     "spoiled" some: to her, all hardwood-forested hills look like 
     Indiana (they all look like Georgia to me!), and the Smokies 
     are just OK. How do you motivate (or at least not spoil) a 
     throughhike given that? Yow.

     I'm gonna save Hanover+North for the throughhike, and (if I 
     had to choose right now) go with the NC/TN balds for '99. 
     Screw the worries about familiarity. The weather may be 
     garbage when we go through in '00 (as it was for me in much 
     of '79), and we can certainly use TWO beautiful trips if it 
     works out that way, anyway! That's my vote. (Alison?)
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