Appalachian Trail (and Others...)

I like walking, I like hiking and like many others I have a huge bucket list of things I want to do, and one of the things in the list is the (in)famous Appalachian Trail (as long with the Pacific Crest Trail).
Yes I know they are both long and extremely hard probably, and I don't know the exact number but a lot of people abandon them before the end. But they looks so good, and with goals and dreams like this you don't really need a reason... Maybe you just want to challenge yourself, you just want to have an adventure to have lots of good memories to share. I don't know, and I don't know if I will ever be able to try them out.
But what about you? Have you ever tried (or conquered!) them, or have you ever even dreamed to try them?
Come on, share your experiences. Those are the most famous of course, but there are a lot of good trails out there, I'm sure.

 

I just think something like that would be too grueling. I really don't have an interest in a marathon hike. I mean maybe a medium to long hike would be OK, but I can't afford shoes and bandages or to take all that time away from working. I guess blogging about your adventure would be good though.

 

I had three friends in high school, then at university who were Appalachian Trail thru-hikers. They didn't make it all the way. The one who got furthest made it from Georgia to Massachusetts. He had to quit because he developed multiple mini-fractures in his feet. One of the three went out California way and became an employee of the Park Service (I'd worked a summer for Forestry, part of the Dept. of Agriculture). Others and myself used to hike short sections of the trail all the time, plus the trails that lead to waterfalls and natural pools -- my favorite. Me, I liked hiking with young women. Ah, nature.

Later in life, I worked with a fellow who hiked both the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail -- both in their entirety. This fellow was your quintessential loaner. He seemed to have no real friends or girlfriends -- wouldn't talk about his private life at all. Owned a 3-bedroom house -- why three bedrooms if you have no one?! So the wifer and I are eating out; guess who we see dining in the same restaurant?! Yep .... and with a woman!!!!!!!!!! Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!! There was a semi-normal life somewhere in him! How could it be?! And nope, he'd not tell me anything about her, maybe one or two things, maybe that, can't remember.

 

Our favorite camping area is located on the Appalachian trail in WV. It intersects with the Greenbriar River trail & the Allegheny trail along that stretch.
We've day hiked many times and it would be fun to do multi-day hikes.
Not sure if I want to attempt multi state hikes. Although the challenge would be a real good test of your meddle.