Over the hill newbie

I'm brand spanking new here.It has been 40 years since I've done any backpacking but I am chomping at the bit to get on the trail again. I will be 63 in a couple of months, have had two heart attacks (two in two days) due to hypertension, don't smoke and, as my user name would indicate, I don't have a weight problem unless it is the inability to gain any.
I really am eager to get onto the Appalachian Trail as soon as I can for some solo trips. I'd like to maybe do a 2 night trip just to test gear, which I haven't bought yet, and get use to the idea of being out on the trail with just my dog for company.
I am planning on taking a cell phone, GPS and maybe my laptop. I have been on the trail I was planning on using before. It is by Gettysburg PA and I think I catch the trail at a place called Pine Grove Furnace State park. I had planned on hitting the park on a Friday afternoon, spending the night there, hiking up the trail for maybe 10 miles, camping the night and hiking back to the camp Sunday.
If I am crazy, I would appreciate it if someone would tell me now before I try this.
In the meantime, I am heading over to the over the hill section to see what the old people do on the trail.

You are not crazy. My wife and I are about the same age, and we've backpacked around 100-150 miles each of the last few years. Just take it easy, enjoy yourself, and you'll keep coming back for more.

WE sure do.

Welcome to the forums. You're not crazy; I'll be 63 in a couple of months, too. I don't intend to stop any time soon.

You will want to talk to your cardiologist before you get started, and see what he thinks of your plan. Start slow in easy country, and work your way up.

You may want to carry as light a pack as possible. There are a lot of good threads on that - the main strategy seems to be to define "necessity" pretty narrowly, and only take what is necessary to be warm, dry, hydrated, and well-fed on the trail. A supporting tactic is outfitting yourself with good, lightweight gear. If you want to start a feeding frenzy, just post your gear list here and ask for advice about it.

It's great to add another hiker to the fold. Good luck, and good hiking.

Hey, you're all just kids! I'm 77 and trying to knock back a bout of leukemia so I can through hike the AT again at 80 (did it at 60 and 70).

Glenn's advice is good. Keep the weight way down. That will reduce the strain on your heart. You're only going out for one night, so you don't need a lot of stuff. The weather forecast is likely to be right for that length of time so you don't need what-ifs. I can't imagine taking a lap top, especially for just one night out. The area you are talking about skirts semi urban area and is well marked and well used. If you have the regular trail map or a quad, you don't need a GPS. You will have cell service, and I would take that for safety. Again, you will be in an area where rescue would be reasonably quick (because access to the trail is good and serious resources close by), but it would not be good enough for a major heart attack. You may want to think about having a buddy along rather than solo.

By the way, you can stay at the hostel at the Furnace (though I think not your dog), just don't overdo on the ice cream next door.

Take care, enjoy, jcp

Hey, I believe that's three of us who are 77! Pika is about that age, too!

There's a branch here ("Almost Over the Hill") for discussing problems special to us old-timers. You'll probably find stories similar to yours if you browse those posts.

As Glenn says, talk to your cardiologist, then start slow and work up gradually.

There are lots of good articles on lightening your pack on the home page of this site, left-hand column. This will reduce the strain on your heart and, if you've had bypass surgery, the old incisions. The 27-pound, 7-day gear list there is the one I used for my model 8 years ago. Actually, I'm now about 3 pounds lighter than that for a 7-day trip.