2018 | Long distance hiking | USA
Appalachian Trail NOBO
Northbound – from Amicalola Falls in Georgia to Mt Katahdin in Maine
2200
Miles
472,296ft
Elevation gain
6,643ft
Highest point
63
Nights in my tent
115
Total days
THE BEGINNING
9th May 2018 – Amicalola Falls, Georgia. Starting solo and alone.
THE END
31st August 2018 – Mt Katahdin, Maine with my incredible friends Professor, Jukebox and Peaches
What is the Appalachian Trail?
The longest hiking only trail in the world – the Appalachian Trail – begins at Springer Mountain in Georgia (or at Amicalola Falls if you’re committed!), passing through 14 states and ending at Mt Katahdin in Maine.
Established in 1937, the trail is now maintained by 31 different trail clubs and they are in competition with each other to make their section the hardest! (This may, or may not, be speculation).
Fine out more here: What is the Appalachian Trail?
The Appalachian Trail in pictures
A small but carefully curated selection of some of my favourite images from the trail.
The Appalachian Trail in numbers
Location: USA – Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine.
Southern Terminus: Springer Mountain, Georgia
Northern Terminus: Mt Katahdin, Maine
Distance: 2190.9 miles (it changes slightly every year with reroutes and changes, plus extra for side trips to get water, trips into towns and side adventures!
Highest Point: Clingmans Dome, Great Smoky Mountains National Park 6,643ft / 2,025m
Lowest point: Bear Mountain State Park, New York 124ft / 38m
Elevation: +472,296ft / -470,810 that’s the equivilant of climbing Everest – from sea to summit and back down again – over 16 times!!
Duration: It took me 115 days (~4 months, this is on the quicker end of average)
Start: 9th May 2018
Finish: 31st August 2018
Hiking days: 135
Zero days: 3
Nero days (under 10 miles): 5
Longest stretch without a break: 59 days
Average miles per day: 19.3 miles
Days over 30 miles: 1
Highest mileage day:
Nights with trail angels: 20
Nights in paid accommodation: 26
Nights in hostels: 14
Nights in motels: 7
Solo camp:
Nights in my tent: 63
Days with trail magic: 45
Days with real food: 63
Longest stretch with out real food: 6 days
Showers: 20
Longest stretch without a shower: 10 days (twice)
Resupply: 42
Longest stretch without resupply: 5 days
Laundry: 16
Longest stretch without laundry: 13 days (three times)
Hitches: 38
Days with rain: 53
Number of times I fell over: 14
Bears seen: 11
Total spent on trail: $2,683.91 (an average of $23.34 per day / $1.23 per mile)
The Appalachian Trail in words
During my Appalachian Trail hike I kept a daily blog. It details the highs, lows, ups and downs. The good, bad and ugly parts of the trail and my character.
What is the Appalachian Trail?
Final preparations
AT day 1 – A walk in the woods
AT day 2 – No rain no pain no Maine
AT day 3 – Neels gap
AT day 4 – Up and down
AT day 5 – Don't make judgements when you're too hot
AT day 6 – Hotter than hot
AT day 7 – One state down
AT day 8 – Under my umbrella
AT day 9 – The start of the Balds
AT day 10 – A day of two halves
AT day 11 – Some big miles
AT day 12 – The Great Smokey mountains
AT day 13 – Hey bear!
AT day 14 – Tennessee
AT day 15 – The end of the Smokeys
AT day 16 – Max Patch
AT day 17 – Hot Springs
AT day 18 – A long slog through the rain
AT day 19 – It's still raining
AT day 20 – More rain!
AT day 21 – A much needed nero
AT day 22 – A change of scenery
AT day 23 – Roanoke mountain
AT day 24 – The Humps
AT day 25 – Enough of the tropical storms already
AT day 26 – The apocalypse
AT day 27 – The road to Damascus
AT day 28 – My first zero
AT day 29 – So. Much. Snot.
AT day 30 – Wild ponies
AT day 31 – Magic pizza
AT day 32 – El Burrito
AT day 33 – A mixed bag
AT day 34 – Do you want to stay in my double wide?
AT day 35 – Another day, another burger
AT day 36 – Angel's rest
AT day 37 – It's better with friends
AT day 38 – Short Shorts is a bad influence
AT day 39 – Dragons Tooth
AT day 40 – McAfee Knob
AT day 41 – pool party
AT day 42 – OMG the flies!
AT day 43 – A very worthwhile side trip
AT day 44 – A bit of a meltdown
AT day 45 – I'm an idiot
AT day 46 – A burger? No thank you
AT day 47 – All you can eat
AT day 48 – Blue Ridge mountains, Shenandoah river
AT day 49 – Skyline Drive
AT day 50 – Wayside blazing
AT day 51 – Bye bye Short Shorts
AT day 52 – Front Royal
AT day 53 – The rollercoaster
AT day 54 – The psychological halfway point
AT day 55 – New shoes!
AT day 56 – The Mason Dixon line
AT day 57 – Independence Day
AT day 58 – The half gallon challenge
AT day 59 – Boiling Springs
AT day 60 – The birds and the bees
AT day 61 – Lust drags you down to hell, apparently
AT day 62 – Double magic
AT day 63 – Gentleman's club
AT day 64 – Things are getting rocky
AT day 65 – Hot and steep
AT day 66 – The best campsite yet
AT day 67 – Hot dogs and apple pie
AT day 68 – New Jersey!
AT day 69 – Running from the po-po
AT day 70 – Under the boardwalk
AT day 71 – Triple trail magic
AT day 72 – lemon squeeze
AT day 73 – All of the calories
AT day 74 – Hello Connecticut
AT day 75 – The 24-24-24 challenge
AT day 76 – A very random day
AT day 77 – Back in Massachusetts
AT day 78 – Double trail magic
AT day 79 – The one with all the foot problems
AT day 80 – Cheshire
AT day 81 – The home of Ben and Jerrys
AT day 82 – Oh what a night
AT day 83 – Vermont aka Vermud
AT day 84 – Manchester
AT day 85 – Orange squishy things
AT day 86 – The Yellow Deli
AT day 87 – A rest day in Rutland
AT day 88 – Eternally wet feet
AT day 89 – Who loves orange soda?
AT day 90 – The penultimate state
AT day 91 – Beware the bog boards
AT day 92 – Welcome io the Whites
AT day 93 – Lonesome Lake
AT day 94 – Franconia Ridge
AT day 95 – My 9,000 mile birthday party
AT day 96 – Lake of the Clouds
AT day 97 – Mt Washington
AT day 98 – The Wildcats
AT day 99 – Overtired
AT day 100 – Maine; the way life should be
AT day 101 – Human nature
AT day 102 – All by myself
AT day 103 – The thought of Thai food makes me walk faster
AT day 104 – The Saddlebacks
AT day 105 – 2000 miles is very far
AT day 106 – A day in the White Wolf Inn
AT day 107 – The first glimpse of Katahdin
AT day 108 – Crossing the Kennebec
AT day 109 – The curve of space time
AT day 110 – 100 mile wilderness
AT day 111 – Dam the beavers
AT day 112 – The Whitecaps
AT day 113 – My name is Alexander Hamilton
AT day 114 – The day before the big one
AT day 115 – Katahdin
The Appalachian Trail in Numbers
After the Appalachian Trail
Heartache and Happiness – life after adventure part 4