Post #2

This is the end of my second week on the Appalachian trail. For the first five days of this week all it did was rain. Many of the nights I was able to stay in a shelter, in the nights when the shelter was full I had to pitch my tent. My tent is very easy to pitch so when I had to set it up in the rain nothing really got wet because I was able to get it up in a short amount of time. The past few days though have been very sunny and with temperatures in the upper 70s. 70 is Way too hot to begin with especially in mid-March. I think I still prefer snow at this point over the super hot humid days down here. I've been drinking around 4 liters of water per day which is quite a bit more and I would drink normally. As of posting this I've done 136 miles on the trail. When it's clear and sunny out the views are spectacular. (last photo) Most days I've been spending my time above 5000 feet elevation so you really get to see all that's around when you're on top of these mountains. Just yesterday the bugs started biting in North Carolina, A little early in my book but thankfully I have some very strong bug spray that keeps them away. I haven't gotten a single blister yet, but when I see all of my fellow hikers talking about how they've got between 5 and 10 on both their feet I feel very lucky. In about three days I will enter the Smoky Mountain National Park, that will probably be the hardest section up to this point. I'm really looking forward to it and I've enjoyed every second I've had out here on the trail. Check out where I am according to my spot tracker and from there you can track my progress.

Asah

Sunset from the top of Wayah Bald

Pizza that was delivered to me at the trail head

Breakfast at the Nantahala outdoor center

Crossing the North Carolina/Georgia state line

A vista from the top of Wesser bald

Post #1

This is my first update to my blog. Being out here in the Georgia countryside I thought it would be warmer than it is up in Vermont. But from what I've found it's been very cold and not very stereo typical southern weather. Today's the first day I've worn shorts since I've gotten here. My first three days there was a lot of rain and sleet, And it's sunny and warmer today but then the whole rest of the week is going to be wet and rainy. I've found listening to my little radio while hiking to be helpful in getting up hills. The only problem with it is that when I try to listen to NPR, the Georgia bible stations block it out. It's Part of the trouble of being in the deep South I guess. I was doing some last-minute shopping for food at a super Walmart I found a 2 pound block of Cabot Vermont cheddar cheese.I love being able to have a slice of cheese at lunch and mixing it in with the macaroni and cheese for dinner. There are a lot of hikers starting at the same time as me so there are people to meet and socialize with. Unfortunitly service on ATT has been spotty. This is my 6th day and I'm having a fabulous time. 

On top of blood mountain in Georgia 

On top of preacher rock

Fog where you can't see much more the 30ft infront of you

After the fog froze to the trees

First day out

Me at the Southern terminus of the Appalachian trail on top of springer mountain. 

Excuse any grammatical errors, I'm typing this on my iPhone.

Gear List

Gear List

This is my stove. The MSR Pocket Rocket, I'll be carrying 4oz of Fuel at a time. 

These are my hiking socks, I'll be carrying 3 pairs. Two for hiking. one for my sleeping bag.

Aquamira is my primary water purification source. I have quite a bit stocked up so this bottle can be replenished frequently.

The Camelbak will be my primary water bladder. this one holds 3 liters though I doubt I'll ever fill it up that much.

This is my secondary water bladder all rolled up. It is a Platypus Platy Bottle 2 liter bottle. See it in its full glory here

This is my sleeping bag in its compactor sack. It's a Mountain Hardware Lamina -15 degree bag, fully pictured here, (mine has a different color scheme.)

My tent is a North Face Stormbreak 1. A very roomy 1 person tent with a large vestibule under the rain fly. See it pictured here.

My cookware includes a Sierra cup and a small stainless steel pot. Cat for scale.

My sleeping pad is a Therma-rest Neo air, an amazingly light/small sleeping pad that is incredibly comfortable. 

For clothing I'm going to be bringing: 2 synthetic Tee shirts, a Columbia compactor down jacket, a North Face rain coat. 1 pair of glove liners, 2 pairs of sock liners, 1 Columbia Omni Heat heavy mid-layer. 1 pair of synthetic hiking shorts, one pair of synthetic hiking pants, 2 pairs of synthetic underwear, and one hat.

My hiking boots are a pair of Timberland Chocurua brown hiking boots.

My hiking poles are a pair of Kelty Range 2.0's. They have some duct tape spooled arounds them so if I need some I have it in a place that is easily accessible.

Some miscellaneous  things: Wilderness knife, cat hole spade, First aid kit, Toilet Paper, Deck of cards, 10,000 milliamp hour battery, Spot Gen 3, Iphone wall to USB charger and phone/wallet combo.

More miscellaneous stuff includes titanium Spork, life straw as a back up water purifier, Eton survival radio for entertainment, and Dr.Broners for cleaning dishes.   

Backpack can be seen here, 

Other things that I'll carry but are not photographed include:

Toothbrush

Toothpaste

Baseball Hat

Tyvek Ground Cloth

Tiny can opener

Liquid silicone

Matchbooks

Flip Flops

Thru-hikers companion

The A.T. Guide

Scrubby

Thru-hike 2015!!!

Hello all,

My name is Asah, this will be my blog for my 2015 Thru-hike. Right now I'm planning to start my Thru-hike on March 4th at Springer Mountain. I was able to graduate highschool early, and I have always liked hiking, so doing the AT is a logical next step. I hiked the Long Trail with my dad the summer of 8th grade and had an amazing time. The summer of my 10th grade year I went on a National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) course in the North Cascades where we were backpacking out in the wilderness for 30 days. I love hiking because it's so much simpler then everyday life in the frontcountry. I'll post a gear list eventually and I'll try to keep posts like this going weekly, maybe more while I'm on the trail.

-Asah