Appalachian Trail

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do." Mark Twain

Hiking the Appalachian Trail is a goal I have always had, but I always imagined it would be something I did after I retired. With the economy the way it is and the job market the same, I have been seriously considering spending the this time to hike the trail.

Instead of rushing through the trail, I want to spend time improving my photography skills and taking side trails to photography waterfalls, wildflowers, etc. I especially want to spend more time in North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia where I know I will have a considerable amount of things to photograph.

5 million footsteps, that is what is considered to be the average amount of steps taken to hike the Appalachian Trail. The trail starts in Georgia at Spring Mountain and ends in Maine at Mount Katahdin. It passes through 14 states, ranges in elevation from 124 feet to 6625 feet. It crosses six national parks, 8 national Forest and is home to over 2000 rare, threatened, or endangered plant and animal species.

My next several post will be about gear and planning my trip. Obviously I want to keep my pack weight as low as possible so I have some decision to make about clothing, gear, photo equipment, etc.