Lately, I’ve been getting posts on my FB feed from this dude who calls himself Trail Marshall.  He has apparently appointed himself “king of the AT” or something similar (which is comical since apparently it took him 400 days to complete it…if he actually did reach Katahdin.)

I read through a number of his posts and I have to say that I believe the guy is totally deranged.  He rambles on and on about gripes he has with other people or things that others do that annoy him.  It’s fine, it’s social media and you can do whatever you want, but the problem I have with his posts is that he offers “expert” advice that’s often wrong or makes hiking the AT sound like pure hell, filled with druggies, criminals, and generally bad people.  I’ve thru-hiked the AT in its entirety and wouldn’t trade that experience for anything.  Sure, there are some bad apples there, but that’s true anywhere.  A vast, vast majority of people both hiking and supporting are kind and good people. 

I hope those who are considering thru-hiking the AT aren’t influenced by this clown and don’t take him seriously.  I believe he’s just some unemployed dude trying desperately to get clicks from people so social media sites will pay him.

My dad has been section hiking the AT. He's getting older (76) and is close to being done. I decided to hike a hard section with him.

We hiked about 17 miles from Beaver Brook Trailhead to The Basin (near Liberty Springs Trailhead). According to my watch, we did over 5600' of elevation gain. It was by far the most intense hiking trail I have ever been on. Over the course of 17 miles, hiking was basically never "easy" or even "normal"... It felt like every single one of my 40,000+ steps had some degree of difficulty to it. I honestly couldn't believe how crazy the climb up the mountain was. Here are some pictures I took to try to convey was what we were up against.

The weather was picture perfect 10/10. It was like a dream.

It felt incredible to get to the top. Was one of the best feelings I have had. Getting back down became a bit of a slog and I couldn't wait to be done. But now I want more of the White Mountains. I'll definitely be back.

Has anyone here dealt with burning mouth syndrome while hiking? All I want to do is eat, but I'm in so much pain every time I try to!

This has only ever happened to me once, like during a single meal, several years ago. I assumed I was allergic to something in the meal. I hiked Katahdin two days ago and was fine during and immediately after, but after the first night back, suddenly my mouth wants to reject any and every food except for the orange/mango bodyarmor I've been slowly sipping on. I doubt I suddenly became allergic to everything in 24 hours.

I am supposed to head back out to the trail today to start SOBO, but I'm super worried about going while not wanting to eat anything.

Hey everyone!

My name's Spreadsheet, and I just recently completed my NOBO thru. It was absolutely thrilling and I loved every second of it.

I received my trail name as a result of a data log I was keeping for every day of the hike. I tracked a lot of different things, from miles and timing to sleep system and resupply days. Having met quite a few of you on trail (506, to be exact!), some of y'all might recall my promise to do some data analysis and post the results here. Well, after gorging myself on home-cooked meals and writing some Python code, I hereby present: Spreadsheet's 2026 Thru-hike as told from the perspective of Microsoft Excel.

Fast Facts

• Number of days: 124
• Average mileage per day: 18.86 mi./day
• Average pace: 2.068 mi./hr.
• Number of unique hikers met: 506
• Total amount spent throughout the hike: $3,481.78¹

Mileage and Pacing

My longest day on trail was Day 70 with 31.2 miles between Port Clinton and the Bake Oven Knob Shelter in Pennsylvania. Thinking back to it, it was the one nice day of weather I got in all of Northern PA.

I took 7 true zeroes and 7 neroes (which I defined as doing less than 9.43 miles in a day, as that would be half of my average for the whole hike). On average, there were about 9 days between zeroes and neroes. While that may seem like a lot of breaks, there were a few instances in which concurrent neros/zeroes occurred - in other words, I took breaks that lasted for more than just one day.

Across the board, my mileage and pace behaved exactly as you might expect. It started low, steadily increased as time went on, and then took a hit around Northern New England (basically, Vermont and on). The average pace and mileage across each state helps show this, as well as Figure 1.

Yep, that means my fastest state in terms of pace was Pennsylvania and my slowest was New Hampshire. In terms of mileage, a lot of the shorter states (MD, WV, CT, etc.) had the best averages, which was the result of just happening to do longer days through them. The slower states were Georgia (because I was just starting out) and New Hampshire (because of the elevation gain, which averaged at 4300 ft./day - roughly 300 feet above the daily average for the whole trail). So all in all, no serious surprises here!

The Weather

Many like to call the AT one of the wettest scenic trails you can hike. I spent 22.58% of my days getting rained on at some point. This was defined as any amount of rain that felt heavy or persistent enough to require putting my pack cover on my pack. Across all 124 days, a cumulative 8.46 inches of rain dumped on me.

Some states were admittedly rainier or hotter than others:

Clearly, it was a hot and rainy trip at times! You can see the full progression of temperature in Figure 2.

Expenses

Now for the question a lot of people have: money! As mentioned, I spent just shy of $3,500 while I was on the trail. That excludes the just shy of $1,000 I spent on gear beforehand (I had a lot of stuff already, most of my spending was on a lighter tent, better sleeping pad, and a bear canister)

Having said that, the expenses can be broken up into different categories (depicted in Figure 3). I spent the majority on food, as was expected, followed by hostels/hotels. I honestly could've spent more on souvenirs, but realistically I was just buying stickers for my bear can. The miscellaneous category ended up just being shelter fees in the Whites/Southern Maine (shoutout work-for-stay and stealth camping for making it one of the cheapest white mountain traverses ever)

Expenses can also be broken down by state. Much more interestingly was the average resupply cost per day of hiking across the several states, which are listed below. In other words, this was calculated by taking each resupply in a given state, dividing by the number of days spent hiking after that resupply, and then summing those values together. Maine proved to be the most expensive, primarily because I committed to resupplying every two days for much of the hike. North Carolina was the least expensive, likely because 1) it was the south, 2) I hadn't yet fallen victim to my hiker hunger, and 3) I was still willing to do much longer food carries.

Miscellaneous

Finally, some miscellaneous statistics because this post is getting long but they're interesting enough. Yes, I was shocked by how often I ended up taking showers/doing my laundry

• I averaged 4.950 days between showers
• I averaged 6.625 days between laundry
• I averaged 2.243 days between resupplies
• I read 5,728 book pages on my phone over the course of my hike, averaging 46.19 pages per day
• I encountered 19 instances of trail magic below the MD-PA border and 14 instances above (although the vast majority of trail magic in the north came in the form of coolers left by groups on trail)

And that's all! Naturally these are many but not all of the calculations I can do with the data that I have. I'm considering releasing the full dataset if that's something that enough folks are interested in. Or, alternatively, feel free to ask for calculations and I'll see what I can do. And no, I didn't track my calories! (would've been a bit much, even for me)

Hope this sates the appetites of any data hungry hikers out there! Happy trails y'all!

¹ Note that my expense total excluded money that I spent on an excursion to get off trail and see some friends graduate, as that was an atypical amount that most hikers won't be spending.

I am planning a trip early September from Fontana Dam to Hot Springs.

The majority of this is in the Smoky Mountains National Park, where I will be required to stay in shelters. Hikers that have been through this portion, any recs or lessons regarding tent vs Bivy vs????

My already owned options are Zpacks duplex (camo) @ 22oz or OR helium Bivy @ 18oz. I'd have to double check the weights as they're older versions. But seems like a minimal difference, the advantage being 4ish ounces and much smaller packing size for the OR Bivy. I also carry a poncho / tarp regardless or shelter.

Previous similar hikes I would stay shelter vs Zpacks duplex 50/50 of the nights depending on laziness vs not wanting mice on my face.

Max food carry 4ish days and base weight around 14lbs.

Thanks for any advice!

Hi, currently at Delaware Water Gap, about to enter NJ. I'm trying to find an outfitter in 100/200 miles north from here for new shoes and a down jacket. The nearest place I can find seems to be REI in East Hanover, NJ. Does anybody know anywhere closer to the trail that I could shuttle/Uber to?

This dog was found on the Appalachian trail loose if it's your dog please contact us at once thank you

I've made it 500+ miles into my flip flop thru attempt and at this point im just feeling so burned out. The hiking has just become another job and im not finding joy in it right now. My why was just to be in nature and take a step back to reset my head which I feel like ive already done. It was also to see places ive never seen. I've done 8 states. All I look forward to at this point is town days and I miss my friends and family.

That said im not quite ready to come home yet. I'd still like to spend another month or so adventuring. Wether that's hiking to Maine or taking a road trip or something else. I just dont have a luxury budget.

Motivation advice or travel ideas?

For context I consider myself a very type B stop and smell the roses kind of person. The experience is more important to me than the physical/goal setting side.

Maybe this has been asked before but, over the course of the whole trail, how often are resupply stops if I prefer to do between 12-16 miles per day? I have done over that and will do if required but, in my previous LASH I found my sweet spot for mileage was that 12-16 with maybe an 18-22 tagged on now and then but not regularly. I'm on a thin margin for pack weight being 32.5 lbs with 3 days food (meaning let's say all leave town monday morning, and resupply thursday morning, technically 3 days and a morning) and 1L water, and it kind of makes out at 35 lbs so, ideally I'd like to keep it at 3 days or less. I'm just trying to see what others have done who did the mileage I do!

Planning a fall section in Virginia, possibly Front Royal to Harper's Ferry.

When would you recommend going for not-too-cold nights and maybe a bit of fall color? I'm considering early October but have some flexibility in my schedule. Thank you!

Hello fellow hikers. My brother and I are planning on setting out Friday from Uncle Johnny's for a section hike ending at Cross Mountain/ TN 91. We are planning on staying at Mountain Harbor one night as well as Boots Off another. Besides that we plan on sleeping in shelters. I am aware of a big gap between Curley Maple Gap shelter & Clyde Smith shelter. We use Far Out for updates.

Is there anything else we should know about this section of trail?

Is it safe to leave my vehicle at the Cross Mountain trailhead parking area?

Is there a simple elevation map of the AT, one that allows one to zoom into a scale of a mile or less? Not dominated by advertisements, not at a coarse scale, something I can use to follow a hiker going south to north? Thanks.

For example, I have found a campsite - Redington Stream - and googling it there is 1 result with 0 information about it, just a GPS pin. No info on fires, water availability, # of tents that can fit, etc...

We are planning a hike along the AT north from an access point on Barnjum rd south to saddleback lodge, and the entry point doesn't really "exist" - it is a road that google maps shows from an aerial view, but won't route you down, and a forum post from 2023 that says to go down the road and "park near a large boulder"...

Im totally cool with this if so - I love how uncharted it is, I just wonder if im missing something that would make this easier. In 2026, you just expect everything to be mapped.

Title. Senior, and would have to do it after school ends (next year) in early June. Is this feasible? Ik it obviously would be impossible going north, but I figure the weather going south would be a little milder, and I've seen online you can start later.

Hi everyone,

I’m visiting Atlanta in early August and I’d like to spend a few days on the trail. My rough plan is to take a shuttle to Springer mountain and take a shuttle back from Neels Gap.

I’m travelling by myself, and it seems that the shuttle to and from may blow my budget (rudimentary research said ~$100 each way).

Are there any cheaper / alternative ways of accessing the trail?
Are there any alternatives areas I should consider instead with easier / cheaper access?

Thank you!

Here's some of the gear and food I'm planning to take wish I could secure a longer time off work, how feasible is it to complete in 15 days.

I’m planning an AT LASH for 2027 from around mid May through early September and wanted to get some opinions on my gear list and base weight.

I’m not trying to go as ultralight as possible. I care a lot about sleeping comfortably because good sleep feels amazing after a long day of hiking, and I also like having a few quality-of-life items. I’m definitely willing to carry a little extra weight if something makes the hike more comfortable or enjoyable.

Is there anything important I’m forgetting? Are there any items that seem unnecessary, redundant, or heavier than they need to be? I’d also appreciate any suggestions for lowering the weight without giving up too much comfort.

I haven’t figured out my food plan yet. Once the hike gets closer, I’m going to sit down and work out my meals, calories, and resupply strategy.

Around 0.6 lb of my current base weight is medication. That is based on carrying roughly a three-month supply, but I’m hoping to figure out a way to mail it ahead so I only need to carry a 15-day or one-month supply at a time.

Tick prevention is also a pretty big deal to me. I really don’t want Lyme disease, and I would also like to continue being able to eat red meat, so I’m taking tick protection seriously. I know some of the tick-prevention stuff might seem excessive, but that is one area where I don’t mind carrying a little extra weight.

Here’s my gear list: https://www.packwizard.com/s/B7-lpIT

Current base weight: 18 lb +/- .5 lb

Thanks for any advice.

I have lived local to Duncannon and hiked that section of the trail my entire life - saw the Doyle post this today and wanted to share for the free N95s.

The NY state police shared this to a few Appalachian Trail FB groups. Figured I'd share it here. He was last seen about 3 miles north of the AT where the Dover Oak is.

"New York State Police in Dover are asking the Appalachian Trail community to please be on the lookout for Ryan Courtien, 49, of Dover, New York, who is currently missing from the Waldo Road area in the Town of Dover, Dutchess County.

If you are hiking, camping, trail maintaining, or otherwise spending time on or near the Appalachian Trail in the Dover area and surrounding communities, please remain alert and report any possible sightings.

If you have any information regarding Ryan Courtien’s whereabouts, please contact New York State Police Troop K Headquarters immediately at (845) 677-7300.

If you encounter an emergency or believe you have located Ryan and immediate assistance is required, call 911 immediately.

Thank you for your assistance. Please share this information throughout the Appalachian Trail community to help ensure as many people as possible are aware. Your vigilance could make a critical difference."

Hello, I think I left my wallet in a very kind locals car last night in Millnocket, Maine. If your name is Savannah or Nathan (?) and you gave two hikers a ride to the Hannaford on Wednesday July 15 please check your back seat! If this is you, please DM me to figure it out.

Thank you so much!!

What are AT hikers doing about wildfire smoke from Canada descending over the mid-Atlantic and New England over the next few days?

Curious because my teenage son is out there…

I’m going to do a SOBO section of the southern half of Vermont, ending in Williamstown, MA just on the other side of the border. Are there any good places there to park a car for a week? I’m fine paying to park if that’s the best option.

Hello loveliesssss!

It’s been a dream of mine to hike the AT for over 10 years, I’m planning on starting in 2028, and have a ton of questions and obstacles I need to overcome.

✨1. How do you financially support yourself on the trail?
✨2. What has been your greatest obstacle you overcome?
✨3. What advice would you have told yourself two years before you started the AT?
✨4. Any advice for a newbie in the planning stage?

Thank you loviessssss! 💜