The appalachian trail consists of 2,168 miles of breathtakingly beautiful country. it extends from the top of mt. katahdin in maine to the top of springer mountain in georgia. the trail passes through new hampshire's white mountains and vermont's green mountains, the berkshires, catskills, and poconos. towards the southern end are the appalachian mountains, the shenandoah valley, and the great smokies. hiking through these mountain ranges is very challenging. in fact, some say "brutal." to date, most people have taken about six months to hike the entire trail -- if they have succeeded. in 2001, 2,375 hikers began, but only 389 finished.
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