Appalachian Trail Resources

[Gippsmick]

Any recommendations for some good resources for the Appalachian Trail. Books, track notes, websites....

[Turfa]

Two of the best on-line resources are

http://www.trailjournals.com
many journals of AT hikes. These are a great way to understand what life on the trail is like

http://www.whiteblaze.net
a discussion forum specifically about the AT. A lot of junk (like many forums) but also some excellent information. Check out the "Articles" section. Also a good place to get recommendations for guidebooks etc.

Also, you could ask me......... I hiked the AT in 2006 & would be more than happy to help you out with any questions etc

[Gippsmick]

Thanks Turfa. That gives me a good starting point. Looks like there is a stack of info out there but it looks like quantity over quality.

[north-north-west]

You should also read Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods.

[jacko1956]

Books:
AWOL on the AT
Becoming Odyssa (female perspective)
As Far As the Eye Can See
and a multitude of others. Try search on Book Depository www.bookdepository.co.uk
Try AT Conservancy site http://www.appalachiantrail.org/

If you're intending to go in 2013 PM me as I am too.

[Turfa]

With regard to guidebooks, option are

Thru-hikers Companion http://www.appalachiantrail.org/hiking/ ... -companion
This is kind of the 'official' guide published by the Appalachian trail Conservancy. It does have a lot of useful information & is worth buying. There is another book called the "AT Data Book" that complements the Companion. The Data book is small & really only contains a list of distances between features on the trail (water sources, campsites, road crossing etc.)


The AT Guide http://www.theatguide.com/index.html
This is probably the best guide to actually take with you on the trail. It has a lot of information presented in a small package. This guide was merged with an older guide called "The Thru-Hikers handbook" which is the one I used on the trail in 2006. If I was going back again, the AT Guide is the one I would take with me as it combines the information that is in both the Companion & the Data book from the ATC

I also purchased the full map set for the trail https://www.atctrailstore.org/catalog/i ... 0&compid=1
Quite an investment at $220 but I love maps. I did carry them on the trail, but only as an emergency backup as navigation is not required along the trail.

[Eremophila]

You should also read Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods.

My thoughts exactly

[jacko1956]

Isn't it an interesting fact that the most popular book on the AT was written by someone who was not able to complete even half of it.... It is a good read though.

By the way, anyone in WA with an old copy of Walk in the Woods I would like to purchase it at op shop prices as I am trying to get enough to put a copy in at least a dozen consecutive Bibbulmun huts.

[ncharlier]

A couple others are "Barefoot Sisters:Hiking South" and the sequel,can't remember the title, where they turned around and hiked north. They did much, but not all, barefoot. The two sisters take turns narrating, and these books are more ionteresting than the usual "I got up, I made breakfast, it was cold/rainy/hot/buggy, I got another blister, I smell bad" type of trail narrative. They were in their 20's when they hiked, and were pretty social; there's some sibling rivalry on display at times, and some mild romance, even some fairly hair-raising bits. Both books are pretty long, about 500-600 pages apiece, but they don't feel padded out.