AT mileage: 41mi/66km
Days to hike: 2
Elevation ranging from 230′ – 1,880′/70 – 573m
Difficulty rating: 2 – 3 (scale of 1 – 10)
National Park – Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Historic
Most historical section – American Civil War
First monument dedicated to the memory of George Washington
AT mileage: 4mi/6.4km
Days to hike: some hours
Elevation ranging from 265′ – 1,200′/81 – 366m
Difficulty rating: 2 – 3 (scale of 1 – 10)
National Park – Harpes Ferry Historic
Most historical section – American Civil War
Shortest AT miles of the trail
Trail town – Harpes Ferry, ACT HQ
AT mileage: 550mi/885km, including 20mi/32km along West Virginia
Days to hike: 29 days
Elevation ranging from 265′ – 5,500′/80 – 1,677m
Difficulty rating: 2 – 6 (scale of 1 – 10)
National Parks – Blue Ridge & Shenandoah (well maintained, excellent for novice hikers)
National Forests – George Washington & Jefferson
Beautiful rhododendron & azalea tunnels
Abundant wildlife
North Virginia – strenuous
Longest AT miles of the trail
Trail towns – Damascus & Linden
AT mileage: 293mi/472km
Days to hike: 16 days
Elevation ranging from 1,326′ – 6,625′/404 – 2,019m
Difficulty rating: 5 – 6 (scale of 1 – 10)
National Park – Great Smokey Mountains
National Forests – Cherokee & Pisgah
Clingmans Dome – highest point on the AT 6,643’/2,025m (where pollution and some European insect damaged much of the green firs)
Beautiful rhododendron tunnels
High ridges & balds – exposed
Panoramic views
First trail town – Hot Springs
AT mileage: 88mi/141.6km
Days to hike: 5 days
Elevation ranging from 1,725′ – 5,498′/526 – 1,676m
Difficulty rating: 3 – 6 (scale of 1 – 10)
National Park – Great Smoky Mountains
National Forests – Nantanhala & Pisgah
Long climbs
Remoteness – sensation of being in deep forest
Beautiful varities of forest growth & flowering shrubs
Spectacular views
AT mileage: 75mi/120km
Days to hike: 6 days
Elevation ranging from 2,510′- 4,461’/765 – 1,360m
Difficulty rating: 6 (scale of 1 – 10)
National Forest – Chattahoochee
Rugged wilderness
Some road crossings
Steep ups & downs
Returned to the US to help with Linn, my daughter’s birth to her second child. Once back there, I managed to surf many websites. Words from experienced hikers were taken into consideration and useful info were noted from books, DVDs and maps. After attending a 3 days session at Lees-McRae, Banner Elk, North Caroline and 2 days of practice hike in Virginia, I decided to hike with Warren Doyle’s 2005 Expedition #5.
A six months independent fullpack (weighing about 25% of my own weight) hike was NOT what I wanted. Warren Doyle’s logistics – a van support meeting at the trailheads with the gears, food & water enabled daypack hiking, higher mileage days thus over lesser days. Even then, there would be days with fullpack hiking as there are no access for vehicles in the national parks. My children were relieved as they feared that a search party would have been alerted if I decided on an independent hike.
Clothes, communication modes, documents, first-aid, food/beverages, gears, hygiene, mail-drops, stationary were the headers on my list.
