Welcome to the Show

[wtrenda]

It seems we finally have our own channel here, 2017. I believe it is traditional to begin with introductions.

I have no trail name yet. I will be discovering what it may become beginning June 15ish as a SOBOer. I am eager to hear from the others so that we may help each other and share our opinions and strategies. I will be hiking with my dad who will be retiring a month before we leave. I hope to hear from everyone. Feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, etc. If you are close to the Smokies, that is where my training will mostly take place. Hope to see y'all out on the trail.




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[jjozgrunt]

By looking at the previous years I think the standard questions to be answered are-

Trail name -
Direction -
Estimated start date -
Approach trail yes/no
and then anything else you want to share with everyone.

So Here goes.

Moose
Nobo
12th Mar 2017
No

Coming from Australia on the 10th, and then a day to get food/fuel and get to Springer.

[Tiggerhiker]

Tigger
NOBO
Feb 13
yes

[JEgestad]

Trail name - none yet
Direction - NOBO
Estimated start date - March 28
Approach trail yes/no - havent decided yet, by why skip under 9m

coming from the other side of the pond, so have to fly over get VISA and alot of stuff

but that is already done, and now only waiting 200 days more for getting off work, training is so and so, i play soccer 3 times a week, driving long rides on my bike once a week, as climbing mountains is kinda impossible in Denmark as the country is more flat than a pancake

[Fireplug]

Sweet!!!!! It's finally here----2017!!! Can't wait to get it started. I was planning on a thru hike last year but commitments came up so I only got 4 days in, 4-1-16/4-4-16. Then again this summer. 6-14-16/6-26-16. Springer to Neels Gap. Then Neels Gap to Fontana Dam. Loved it. So unless all heck breaks loose I'll be there 3-1-17 or 3-13-17. But either way I got two good shake down hikes under my belt and IM READY!!!
I have my videos of the hikes on youtube
www.youtube.com/kissimmeesux

[Fireplug]

Tigger
NOBO
Feb 13
yes

Feb 13. Gonna be cold.

[Fireplug]

It seems we finally have our own channel here, 2017. I believe it is traditional to begin with introductions.

I have no trail name yet. I will be discovering what it may become beginning June 15ish as a SOBOer. I am eager to hear from the others so that we may help each other and share our opinions and strategies. I will be hiking with my dad who will be retiring a month before we leave. I hope to hear from everyone. Feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, etc. If you are close to the Smokies, that is where my training will mostly take place. Hope to see y'all out on the trail.




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At some point I'm sure we will pass eachother. My Army buddy is a Knoxville police officer. I might stop in and see him while I'm up his way.

[wtrenda]

At some point I'm sure we will pass eachother. My Army buddy is a Knoxville police officer. I might stop in and see him while I'm up his way.

Just give me a shout if you're ever in town and we can do a day hike or something


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[Shrewd]

Howdy all,

at the moment the loose plan, barring foot issues, is to leave in early to mid march.

trail name - Saxon, or saxe, maybe
nobo
hiking alone unless I meet people that make me giggle in the right ways

[RoosterCogburn]

Hi all! After 2 years of waiting, I will finally be on my way to Springer Mt. in mid March! I've section hiked most of the mid Atlantic, so now it's time for the big show!!

[Martzy]

Hello 17ers, the wait is almost over!
I don't have a trail name yet.
NOBO from Springer Mt. on March 1st.
Will be graduating college here in December and cannot wait to start such a journey, and I'm looking forward to meeting a bunch of you!

[Greenlight]

That is the middle of winter in the Georgia/NC/Tennessee mountains. Not that it can't be done, but it's slower, colder, more dangerous, and did I mention slower? If you want to see how someone did it right last year, pop over to trailjournals and look up Slipknot's journal entries. He rode out a lot of storms in hostels and motels, and only hiked when it was sane to do so. Some days it isn't sane to do so. Be careful and have fun!

[la.lindsey]

[QUOTE=Greenlight;2096796]That is the middle of winter in the Georgia/NC/Tennessee mountains. Not that it can't be done, but it's slower, colder, more dangerous, and did I mention slower? If you want to see how someone did it right last year, pop over to trailjournals and look up Slipknot's journal entries. /QUOTE]

Not 100% sure who you're replying to, but I believe Slipknot started in January. That's when I ran into him in Georgia, anyways. Not that March won't still be a cold start with its own challenges, but it is a different beast from January.

(Forgive typos-I shattered my phone screen)


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[Tipi Walter]

That is the middle of winter in the Georgia/NC/Tennessee mountains. Not that it can't be done, but it's slower, colder, more dangerous, and did I mention slower? If you want to see how someone did it right last year, pop over to trailjournals and look up Slipknot's journal entries. He rode out a lot of storms in hostels and motels, and only hiked when it was sane to do so. Some days it isn't sane to do so. Be careful and have fun!

I quit trying to find winter trail journals of backpackers sticking to the trail in all conditions. Your quote "He rode out a lot of storms in hostels and motels" is in fact the very reason I dislike most AT winter trail reports. They bail too much and too often. There's nothing much more boring than reading about backpackers avoiding severe cold and deep snow by bailing to a town. It's getting predictably ridiculous.

All I can say of anyone starting on Feb 13 is to stick with the trail and camp out and hike in all conditions and do not bug out to a town, please. Pretty please. Then we know you're serious and genuine.

[Martzy]

Seeing as the most popular start date is March 15th, starting March 1st is only an extra 2 weeks on the trail. I am aware of the cold, wouldn't be starting on the first if I wasn't properly prepared. (I only say this if you were, in fact, referring to my post above)

[Gritty]

Trail Name: TBD
NOBO
First or second week of March


Originally from the Philly burbs.

Meet me on Springer and, if you would be so kind; One Provolone With .. (It's a Philly thing, folks)

[Gritty]

Howdy all,

at the moment the loose plan, barring foot issues, is to leave in early to mid march.

trail name - Saxon, or saxe, maybe
nobo
hiking alone unless I meet people that make me giggle in the right ways

Trail Name: TBD
NOBO
First or second week of March


Originally from the Philly burbs.

Meet me on Springer and, if you would be so kind; One Provolone With .. (It's a Philly thing, folks)

[Greenlight]

From my recollection, SlipKnot only bailed when the weather service basically said, "if you go up to a certain elevation, you'll probably die." He's got some leg and foot problems, too, so he started early to ensure he completed before the end of the season, knowing that he'd have some low mileage days. I hear what you are saying, but HYOH applies here. If you know your abilities and limitations, and in what circumstances you feel safe, that's one thing. If you head into town if it says it's going to rain, that's another. SlipKnot wasn't that second guy.

I quit trying to find winter trail journals of backpackers sticking to the trail in all conditions. Your quote "He rode out a lot of storms in hostels and motels" is in fact the very reason I dislike most AT winter trail reports. They bail too much and too often. There's nothing much more boring than reading about backpackers avoiding severe cold and deep snow by bailing to a town. It's getting predictably ridiculous.

All I can say of anyone starting on Feb 13 is to stick with the trail and camp out and hike in all conditions and do not bug out to a town, please. Pretty please. Then we know you're serious and genuine.

[andsoshewalks]

what happened to hike your own hike? people know their own capabilities and limits, and if they want to start early, they can!! (also they can go to town and wait out storms whenever they please!) good luck all, and happy trails!!

[Engine]

Engine & Caboose
NOBO
March 8
No approach trail
We were originally going to head SOBO in June, but after much deliberation, we decided on a more traditional approach...this time.