I have long wanted to thru hike the AT, but needed to do what most people do: work and live life. And then came retirement and the opportunity to take the six months necessary to hike my dream. I hiked many, many miles in preparation for this journey (upwards of 500 miles). I talked with thru hikers. I read books and searched the Internet. I watched videos and took notes. The decision was made for a southbound trek (SOBO). Most people choose to hike northbound (NOBO) for a number of reasons. Choosing SOBO means hiking the most difficult parts of the AT first (Mt. Katahdin, 100-Mile Wilderness, the White Mountains in New Hampshire). It also means you are likely to have far fewer hikers on the trail with you—and this has proven true.
My content includes “Trail Life” “Musings” and journals. Each journal has the number of miles hiked in parenthesis and the name of the location where I spent the night. Taking a Zero day means a day of rest, while Nero means taking a half day to rest and/or resupply.