Introduction

"Three robust young men stopping for water, rest and quiet contemplation amidst a cacophony of singing insects in this, the heartland of America." Anonymous, 8/16/10

"Oh AT, you have me by the heartstrings...You make me sweat all the sins of this year away." Tuesday, 11/4/10, Black Rock Hut

The quotes above were written in an Appalachian Trail logbook, a simple spiral notebook found at shelters sprinkled along the 2,181 mile trail. The logs, or registries, are a
collection of mostly tedious comments about weather and hiking conditions. But there are gems inside. I used to never read the things but as the trip progressed I looked to them for messages from hikers, vitriolic tirades, temper tantrums, trail news, shout-outs and comedy.

A thru-hike is a complete, uninterrupted hike of the entire Appalachian Trail, north-to-south or south-to-north. There is some controversy among the approximately 3,000 people in the Milky Way who actually care about backpacking concerning the definition of a thru-hike. I've given my definition of a thru-hike since this is something of a vanity project. But mostly this is a blog about 2011 thru-hikers.

I left Springer Mountain, the southern terminus in Georgia, on February 20, 2011. My goal was to thru-hike north to Maine.

There is a glut of nonfiction about adventuresome upper middle-class boys and girls writing about their accomplishments outside the office. I've noticed these adventures tend to be self-promotion disguised as self-help. The stories are perfect to read for that time after the first divorce when the wife gets full custody of the kids. It's really unsavory stuff. That stuff bores me to tears. All that angst from overachievers. What a waste.

This project will be pure vanity and no self-help. I mean, it will be a little vanity and lots of stuff about my fellow thru-hikers.

Anyway, the log entries I previously mentioned tell the best stories because they are the most raw, most vivid and most vital. And more importantly--they are about the people of the trail. I'm taking the time to record this as a total layman in the field of backpacking. I wanted to see what happens and what kind of people are out there. Nothing more. But we must remember this a great journey and it is to be enjoyed.