Just looking for some input, have done several day hikes in and around TN, my son has gotten the bug and thinks we should hike the AT approx. 80 miles from Springer MT to Bly Gap last week in December. I envision cold, rain, ice, hunters etc. etc. Am I foolish for biting this off? Spring time sounds a lot better to me. Any input regarding trail conditions, preparations, etc. would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks a bunch,  Wild Willy

Congrats to the Appalachian Mountain Club. They've managed to complete a spectacular purchase of land up in Maine. Here's the full press release:

I'm sure many of you remember the tragic story of Meredith Hope Emerson who was murdered on the A.T. in 2008. Well, her friends have a charity to raise money in her honor and they're holding their second annual Run and Walk in North Georgia. Here are the details:

Many people hike and some have hiking thrust upon them. Hiking the AT takes planning but it also takes time - especially if one of your goals is completing a through-hike. The responsibilities of job and family often times make this goal out of reach unless you are fortunate enough for early retirement or have kept yourself in the kind of shape to make the trip later in life.

For some people, the down job market we're in now has certainly made the time issue less of an obstacle. Tackling a trail like the AT has become more doable for some people willing to include it as part of reinventing themselves for the future, clearing their mind of the baggage of their last job, or simply taking advantage of the time on their hands to move up their AT experience from what they thought would be a later-in-life activity.

An AT experience would certainly give one a sense of accomplishment and reward that could propel them into the next phase of their life. There's no time like the present!

There are 50 miles of the AT in  North Western Connecticut and The Connecticut Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club is hosting its third annual AT Day Saturday, October 3rd. There will be ten hikes with a variety of lengths ranging from 4 to 12 miles which in total will cover the whole of the Connecticut section of the trail.
The hikes will be followed by a Grand BBQ at Macedonia State Park near Kent, starting at 3.00pm and costing $5 per person.

For more details go to www.ct-amc.org.

Dave DiSanto of Mount Laurel, New Jersey set out on the AT from Springer Mountain, GA never having done anything more than a day hike.

DiSanto's preparation included reading books about the AT, watching film about through-hikers and talking to people that have done successful through-hikes.

He averaged 10 miles per day at the start but is now doing more than 20 miles per day. His long hike thus far was a 31 mile trek through Virginia. He has spent his nights in a combination of motels, hostels, shelters his tent and in the homes of family along the way.

He is now only a few weeks from completing his 2,175-mile through-hike, calling on his experience as a road racer and tri-athlete to keep his focus and never think about giving up. There have certainly been mosquitoes, aching joints and sore feet along the way, but with the finish in sight the pain is nothing he can't overcome.

The weather has also been a big obstacle for him, enduring nearly a month of rainfall primarily in the Smoky Mountains.

An estimated 1,500 people started hiking the Appalachian Trail last spring. Historically, no more than 25 percent make it.

DiSanto plans to do odd jobs upon his return to earn money to hike elsewhere, such as the Continental Divide Trail or The Pacific Coast Trail.