Have just read a book written by Winton Porter based on the Appalachian trail and the characters who walk it. Porter runs a hostel/shop which is located right on the trail about 4 days north of the start of the walk in Georgia. He describes some of the people and the events which take place at Mountain Crossings at Walasi-Yi - an old stone building constructed in 1937. I have learned a lot from reading it and it has certainly helped prepare me for what to expect.
Some of my thoughts
- The large numbers of hikers - a couple of hundred people will start in the same week.
- Many are badly prepared with poor gear, overweight packs.
- The temperatures are really cold and snow can fall right through May.
- Everyone has a trail name which they earn along the trail - what will mine be i wonder?
- Lots of retirees doing the through hike - good to have a common age group.
- Not really wilderness - mobiles work, most of the walk. Dial a pizza.
- There really are bears and I better be quite clear on how to behave.
- Quite a few 'characters' who seem to live on the trail and walk forever.
- Lessons on American culture will be very frequent - mostly americans walking.
- What are pop tarts?
- Lots of intrastructure - easy to get transport to towns.
- The mail service - sending yourself parcels and packing out what you dont want.
- The history of the landscape - the native indian and the settler - Blood Mountain
- Learning the history of another nation and comparing it to our own, with a lot of time walking to think about it.
- People carry guns on the trail.
