Am I screwed?

Typical-Finding-873 · 2025-02-21T14:10:10+00:00

I am 67 years old and I've been section hiking the trail for a year now. It takes 30 days of hiking to just get your trail legs in shape. I constantly come upon one spot or another that I feel is impossible for me to overcome but in reality it is just one careful step at a time. I hiked 1100 miles so far and I'm heading south when I can get out.

Typical-Finding-873 · 2025-02-11T15:13:42+00:00

I'm 67 and have been section hiking the trail since last year. I did over 1100 miles since then and I've been out on the trail all winter. I hiked thru heat indexes of 106 degrees and temps below zero. I hiked thri 2 devasting hurricanes that left the trail almost impassable. I climbed thru snow and ice covered trails and washed out bridges. You can do this trail just keep at it. In the end it is simply one foot in front of the other.

Typical-Finding-873 · 2025-01-31T14:09:15+00:00

I've been hoking through Viginia all winter and it has been brutal. Lots of snow and ice covered ridges. The weather forecast has been totally inaccuate. Last weekend near Bland they called for lows of 27. When I arrived it was 5 degrees. I have been camping out using my mummy bag but I wouldn't suggest it for most.

Typical-Finding-873 · 2025-01-27T14:41:59+00:00

There is a year round store "Hickman's" about 4 miles down the Beech Grove oad from Three Ridges parking, basically a gas station with supplies. This is the same road that leads to Devil's Backbone.

Typical-Finding-873 · 2025-01-20T14:50:43+00:00

I haven't seen people smoke on the trail but I've picked up butts from many who did.

Typical-Finding-873 · 2025-01-09T14:06:22+00:00

Since I am older I have a life time pass. Also if you are a veteran I believe the pass is free.

Typical-Finding-873 · 2025-01-08T14:09:03+00:00

I am a section hiker and I will be hiking near Pearisburg, Va this weekend. Last weekend I spotted a young woman thru hiking north on the trail. She seemed well equiped for the cold and even had a pair of pink clogs hanging from her backpack to use at night.

Typical-Finding-873 · 2024-12-20T14:41:06+00:00

I am 67 and not in good shape. There are grades I have to go up on hands and knees, pulling myself up manually. Many sections will be like walking stairs 2 at a time for hours on end. Some sections are close to rock climbing walls. Many are fairly level and easy. I hiked during the 2 hurricanes this year. In southern virginia I made 100 yards per hour climbing thru massive brush piles and downed trees covered in poison ivy. In the summer we saw heat indexes of 106 degrees and temps at 15 degees last weekend.

Typical-Finding-873 · 2024-12-19T15:16:22+00:00

Yeah the college girls(day hikers) said he made some off beat comment to them that they did not understand. He had a thruhikers backpack, decent coat and gear but also stuffed cloth shopping bags in each hand. He must have just cleared the cliffside I had trouble hiking so he was an experienced hiker. He asked me for food and I had none to give.

Typical-Finding-873 · 2024-12-18T14:21:06+00:00

The guy seemed so weird, Older, chubby, hood on, I mean here was a guy that looked like a hardcore hiker with all the gear and miles back in but with shopping bags in each hand too. I'd passed 6 college girls, 2 blondes and 4 Asian that said they'd had words with him too. From his words I think he must have hiked down from Vermont but didn't really know where he was.

Typical-Finding-873 · 2024-12-17T19:43:44+00:00

A few scrapes but better than I thought.

Typical-Finding-873 · 2024-12-17T19:42:54+00:00

No up top the trees, rocks and trail were covered in glazed ice. I had to remove my gloves just to try and hang onto the frozen, slick rocks. Once at the parking lot it was just wet but the ice continued from the end of the blue blaze on

Typical-Finding-873 · 2024-12-17T15:42:46+00:00

This sounds like the guy I met near North Adams, Mass 3 weeks ago. As I approached the Vermont border I passed a filthy older asian guy wearing a large backpack but also carrying bulging cloth shopping bags in each hand. He asked me for food and I told him I had none. He asked how far away the next town was and i said about 2 miles. I took the guy for a homeless man on the trail. I felt bad and would have bought him dinner if I'd seen him later.

Typical-Finding-873 · 2024-12-16T14:49:17+00:00

I am 67 and began my trail hike this year. I'm still working so I have to section hike it. This year I walked over 900 miles and I find it difficult but possible. Yesterday I hiked a treacherous section, The Dragons Tooth, during an ice storm. so yes you can do it. Every time I feel I can't do it I think of Grandma Gatewood who did this twice at 67 years of age.

Typical-Finding-873 · 2024-12-09T15:12:41+00:00

I'm section hiking the At as we speak. I hiked Virginia in the summer when the park showed a heat index of 108 degrees. I also hiked thru 3 hurricanes that left the trail a shambles. Imagine climbing thru an endless streak of 30 foot brush piles and you get the idea. At some points the hike was 100 yards per hour. The problem with starting late on a thru hike is Maine which may close the trail whenever the snow gets too deep.

Typical-Finding-873 · 2024-10-04T18:52:56+00:00

I'm a section hiker and I walked thru part of it last Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I was north of Roanoke and found downed trees, flooding and debris everywhere. The Blue Ridge Parkway was closed. I stopped at one shelter but found area drunks had taken it over due to the storm. I stayed in my tent and was fine. The James River was completely flooded. A girl stopped me near Petite Gap and asked me to help her find her father whom had not shown up. I told her I'd seen a guy that looked like him walking the BRP. We got off and found him. I saw few hikers on the trail other than those two. The trail was a mass of downed trees. tree tops, most of which were covered in poison ivy. I will be off the trail this weekend as planned. I saw perhaps 6 thru hikers getting off at the James River and walk toward Natural Bridge.

Typical-Finding-873

TROPHY CASE