Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the Appalachian Trail? Where will you start hiking?

It’s a 2200-mile trail that runs from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Katahdin in Baxter State Park in Maine. I will actually begin preparation for the climb to Springer Mountain, the southern terminus, on March 26 at Amicalola Falls State Park, Georgia.

At the visitor’s center, all backpackers, beginning or ending the trail, must sign the AT register; most hikers weigh their pack. Signing the AT register is very important since it provides information for the Appalachian Trail Conference in the event there is an emergency, and the hiker must be brought off the trail. Each hiker is required to sign the trail register that is placed in each shelter along the way. If there is an emergency, the volunteers from the various Appalachian Trail clubs begin checking shelter registers along the trail in the area where the hiker last reported staying. Volunteers begin searching from that point by checking in registers for a particular trail name, and asking hikers they meet if they have seen that person. Another group of volunteers would start searching at a point farther up the trail where the hiker’s trail name does not appear in the registers, and walk towards the other group of volunteers until they meet.

The trail registers also tell thru-hikers information about the status of the trail either to the north or south of them.

How long will it take to hike the AT?

My first day on the AT will be March 28^th. I hope to complete the trail by late August to the mid September, approximately 5 ˝ months.

What kind of backpack will you carry, and how much weight?

I have a Gregory pack that I have carried on all other hiking excursion weight load of approximately 45 to 50 pounds. This time I wanted to travel lighter. I recently bought a new GoLite pack that is rated for 20 to 25 pounds and looks like a big bag. Cutting my weight nearly in half.

What do you carry in your backpack?

	Small first aid kit that contains a few band aids, tape, moleskin, scissors, tweezers, needle, and a little medicated ointment
	Katadyn Exstream water bottle that has its own water purification system inside. Instead of carrying a 2-liter water bottle that weighs 8 pounds, I’m carrying 28 ounces of water. I can easily refill my water bottle at any spring, creek, river, pond, or pump
	3 pound 2 oz. Zero degrees Down sleeping bag which has served me well; however, I’m thinking about purchasing a 1pound, 15 degree bag
	ľ Thermarest pad
	4 to 6 day supply of food weighing about 10-12 pounds
	1 pot and lid for boiling water and to eat out of, a spoon, a cup for hot drinks
	Esbit Compact Pocket stove that uses solid fuel tablets. I’m allowing for 2 tablets per day, morning and night
	Rain jacket and rain pants which also serves as a wind breaker on windy days
	Down jacket that weighs a pound and squashes nicely into a stow bag
	2 man tarp, no tent
	2 pairs of light weight nylon shorts; several pairs of liner socks and Smart Wool socks; 2 pairs of long underwear; one set of clean “town clothes”; short sleeve zip shirt; long sleeve shirt; light weight camp shoes; gaiters to keep small rocks and dirt from getting into my boots; a pair of Yaktrax Walkers for use on slick ice, snow, and mud; a toboggan and baseball cap
	Sony digital camera
	Sunglasses; sun lotion; bug dope; personal hygiene items
	Pair of Leki hiking poles.

What does Simon carry in his backpack?

A high quality dog food, vitamins, broken bone treats, a water and food bowl, an all weather rain jacket that will help to keep him dry when it’s raining or warm at night when temperatures drop in the tent, and boots. Simon’s pack will be about 10 pounds.

What foods do you carry in your food bag?

Mac. & Cheese; tuna, ham, or chicken in the foil pouches; Ramen noodles, various flavors; hot & cold cereal; coffee & tea bags, jell-o, high protein fruit flavored mixes, Tang, instant powdered soup; candy bars, instant pudding, cookies, hard tack candy, & sometimes gum; occasionally a half dozen boiled eggs, a piece or two of fresh fruit & a fresh deli sandwich found along the way.

There are re-supply towns approximately every 3-4 days along the trail. The 4^th & 5^th day food is carried for emergencies. I’m sure the amount of food I carry will change after I begin the trail, and feel more comfortable with hitching rides into the nearby communities. Most towns listed in the Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers’ Companion are located just tenths of a mile off the trail to approximately 12 miles.

Food is also sent from home to prearranged trail town post offices. Since Simon will need a lot of dog food, I’ll probably mail to myself a “bounce box” ahead of me on the trail. In it will be things I do not want to carry all at once like food, clothes, shoes, vitamins, extra batteries, fuel blocks, envelops & stamps, and extra dog food.

Where do you sleep on the trail?

The AT has shelters and campsites about every 10 miles apart. Each shelter usually has a water source close by. Sometimes the shelters are full; then, you sleep in a tent or under a tarp, or move on to the next shelter. I plan to go into town at least once a week to re-supply, do laundry, shower, go to an AYCE restaurant, and sleep in a bed!

Where does Simon sleep?

Simon sleeps with me whether I’m in a shelter, tent or under a tarp. He also hogs the sleeping bag! Simon will also stay in the motel when we are in town for the night. I look at it this way---if they don’t want Simon in the motel, they don’t want me. He is a real companion!

Are you afraid of wild animals?

No, I am the intruder in their home. They have more right to be there than I do. I respect them and leave them alone. I enjoy watching the animals, but know when to step back and let them alone, especially skunks! In bear country food is hung from trees away from tents and shelters. Mice are pesky and will chew into a backpack or climb into a pocket to steal your food; consequently, packs are hung from shelter rafters, too, or on special bear poles or trees fairly close to the shelters. Snakes are seen far and few in between and usually slither off before you see them. One would be wise to use caution and good common sense when in snake country. I’ll take heed to watch for the red ants in Ga. OUCH!

Do you have a trail name? If so, what is it, and how did you earn your special name?

Yes, my trail name is Swing’n Jane. I earned the name while hiking the Buckeye Trail with my Circuit Hiker friends. Patio(Pat) and I were hiking together through masses of brambles attempting to dodge them by promenading and flopping our elbows chicken style. Simply put, we were laughing, having fun, and being silly! Along the trail, we found the remains of an old farm homestead. Pat and I stopped to take pictures and tried to visualize who might have lived there. Patio went on up the trail and I followed. He said, “Look what I found” or something very close to that, and grabs this huge grapevine with both hands. He swings out, comes back, and bangs into a large tree trunk. I said,” Here, Pat, let me try that.” I grab the grapevine high up and prepared for my Jane maneuver. Pat said he’d go stand by the tree to keep me from banging in to its trunk. A rather thoughtful guy, wouldn’t you say? So here I go! A big swing out and my hands would not hold my weight. I dropped to the ground! I just knew I had broken a knee. I couldn’t move for a few minutes. Finally, with Pat’s assistance, I managed to get back on my feet. My knee was instantly swollen, and looked like a huge basketball; however, I was relieved to know that my knee was not broken. Pat and I still had 5 miles of trail to hike before reaching our end destination where the other hikers were waiting on us. I found a stick along side the trail and used it as a cane. Pat was worried, but wouldn’t leave me. It was almost dark; our hiking friends were anxious because we were so far behind them. They knew something must be wrong. When Pat and I got close enough to the end, we could hear them yelling our names. They were searching with flashlights for us by hiking towards us on the trail. With Pat’s assistance, I finally hobbled out of the woods just at dusk. I threw my trusty cane back into the woods thinking I could manage on my own to reach the truck. Was I wrong! I couldn’t stand up without someone hanging onto me. That’s my story, and I’m stick’n to it. Patio( Pat) became Tarzan and I became Swing’n Jane. I earned it.

Are you hiking with a group?

No. Simon and I will be starting the AT alone as thru-hikers; however, I am hoping that some of my Buckeye Trail friends, my Central Ohio Hiking Club friends, and my West Virginia hiking friends will join me somewhere along the trail. The more the merrier! Simon and I would enjoy your company. I just received word recently that my BT friend, Jaybird, is planning to join Simon and me on the trail at Springer Mountain and hiking through Georgia to the North Caroline border. I have a friend in Tennessee who has offered to pick me up or drop me off at certain trailheads, allowing me to “slackpack” (to hike without a pack) a few days. It’s rumored that a couple of Newborns In Need people from Ohio will be meeting me near Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Pennsylvania. They don’t know it yet, but I plan on conning them into helping Simon and me eat a half- gallon of ice cream hopefully within 4 minutes so we can become members of the AT Half Gallon Club!

People who hike the AT hike at different speeds somewhat like the tortoise and the hare. The camaraderie is terrific, but so isn’t solitude. A lone hiker is never truly alone; there is someone always close by either ahead or behind on the trail.

I will be looking forward to hiking with old friends as well as meeting and making many new friends along the trail. If you can’t physically hike with us on the AT, then hike with us through pictures and words found on my AT website. www.oocities.org/sgarey42

Happy trails,
Swing’n Jane

How long is the Appalachian Trail? Where will you start hiking?
How long will it take to hike the AT?
What kind of backpack will you carry, and how much weight?
What do you carry in your backpack?
What does Simon carry in his backpack?
What foods do you carry in your food bag?
Where do you sleep on the trail?
Where does Simon sleep?
Are you afraid of wild animals?
Do you have a trail name? If so, what is it, and how did you earn your special name?
Are you hiking with a group?