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  1. #1
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    Default Doing NOBO instead of SOBO in September

    I've been going cross-eyed trying to figure out how to make my SOBO on September 3rd work. I have a wedding in Philadelphia the night before, so it would be at least 8 hours (!) driving to get the the northern trailhead. I've love to start my hike strong and get to Laura Woodward shelter but I don't think that's realistic. That's problem number one. Problem two is the spacing between the shelters in the roughest part of the trail, so I can't at all predict where I'll end up each night. Problem three is the lack of cell phone reception up there, so possibly no way to tell my husband where I'll be for him to meet me with resupplies. I'm picturing myself standing on top of Mt. Mansfield, looking for cell reception, frantically trying to send him screenshots from Guthooks and telling him "I'll be coming down one of these six sidetrails! Just drive around between them for a few hours until I show up!"

    So now I think NOBO might make more sense. Only a 5-hour drive to the trailhead, easier and more familiar trails when I'm getting acclimated, I can better arrange my resupplies, and hopefully I can gradually shed some pack weight. I have a hammock and 4-season tarp, so crowds and temps shouldn't be a problem. Plus I like the idea of stopping at "Journey's End."

    TL;DR - I needed to talk through this, but I think NOBO will work!

  2. #2
    Registered User somers515's Avatar
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    05-02-2014
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    Millstone Township, NJ
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    Quote Originally Posted by lumba View Post
    I've been going cross-eyed trying to figure out how to make my SOBO on September 3rd work. I have a wedding in Philadelphia the night before, so it would be at least 8 hours (!) driving to get the the northern trailhead. I've love to start my hike strong and get to Laura Woodward shelter but I don't think that's realistic. That's problem number one. Problem two is the spacing between the shelters in the roughest part of the trail, so I can't at all predict where I'll end up each night. Problem three is the lack of cell phone reception up there, so possibly no way to tell my husband where I'll be for him to meet me with resupplies. I'm picturing myself standing on top of Mt. Mansfield, looking for cell reception, frantically trying to send him screenshots from Guthooks and telling him "I'll be coming down one of these six sidetrails! Just drive around between them for a few hours until I show up!"

    So now I think NOBO might make more sense. Only a 5-hour drive to the trailhead, easier and more familiar trails when I'm getting acclimated, I can better arrange my resupplies, and hopefully I can gradually shed some pack weight. I have a hammock and 4-season tarp, so crowds and temps shouldn't be a problem. Plus I like the idea of stopping at "Journey's End."

    TL;DR - I needed to talk through this, but I think NOBO will work!
    Just something to consider, some of my best cell reception was at Jay and Mt. Mansfield. Those two mountains must have cell towers or something that gave me cell service even without Verizon. Also while it's true the northern half of the LT is tougher than the southern half, it doesn't start right out of the gate with the absolute toughest stuff. That's essentially Whiteface to App. Gap. Good luck with whatever direction you choose! Don't forget to report back how it went!
    AT Flip Flop (HF to ME, HF to GA) Thru Hike 2023; LT End-to-Ender 2017; NH 48/48 2015-2021; 21 of 159usForests.com

  3. #3

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    We're south bound in September... maybe we'll see you along the way

  4. #4
    Some days, it's not worth chewing through the restraints.
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    12-13-2004
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    Essex, Vermont
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    Default

    somers515 already pointed out that you'll get great reception on Jay and Mansfield. Heck, you can pick up a signal with your teeth on those tops. That applies to much of the trail - you can get a signal up high, not down at the road crossings.

    You're on your own for the logistics, go have fun.

  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by Deadeye View Post
    somers515 already pointed out that you'll get great reception on Jay and Mansfield. Heck, you can pick up a signal with your teeth on those tops. That applies to much of the trail - you can get a signal up high, not down at the road crossings. You're on your own for the logistics, go have fun.
    Vermonters don't like to see unsightly cell towers, so they are hidden in existing structures like church steeples or at ski resorts.

    I found an interactive map of cell towers in Vermont http://find.mapmuse.com/map/cell-towers/near/VT Most are located along the I89 corridor and clustered on RT7 down around Bennington and Burlington - the two population centers.

    The first tower actually on a mountain is at Killington. Then there is one on Mansfield and Jay peak. For most of the state, your pretty far from a cell tower and rarely line of sight. This makes for tough cell phone connections. I had to climb the fire tower at Stratton Mt to get a call into Manchester Center.

    You can pan the map and see where there are towers in NH and Maine too.
    Follow slogoen on Instagram.

  6. #6
    Registered User ldsailor's Avatar
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    02-25-2016
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    St. Petersburg, FL
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    Quote Originally Posted by lumba View Post
    Problem two is the spacing between the shelters in the roughest part of the trail, so I can't at all predict where I'll end up each night. Problem three is the lack of cell phone reception up there, so possibly no way to tell my husband where I'll be for him to meet me with resupplies. I'm picturing myself standing on top of Mt. Mansfield, looking for cell reception, frantically trying to send him screenshots from Guthooks and telling him "I'll be coming down one of these six sidetrails! Just drive around between them for a few hours until I show up!
    If you do a lot of hiking, a GPS tracker solves your problem. It will give a constant readout of where you are, or you can choose to send location updates when you please. I use Spot Messenger. It sends out an email and will post to Facebook and Twitter. There is no requirement for cell towers. It works strictly by GPS satellite, which are accessible anywhere on the trail. The Spot Messenger also has an SOS feature. If you get in trouble, you can activate it for help.

    The downside of a GPS tracker is the cost. You have to buy the device and then buy the tracking service for one year. If you don't hike a lot or don't travel where giving people frequent location updates is desired, then a GPS tracker may not be economical.

    BTW. Spot has a device sale going on at this time.
    Trail Name - Slapshot
    "One step at a time."
    Blog - www.tonysadventure.com

  7. #7
    Registered User
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    07-25-2016
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    Ashburnham MA
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    I'll be heading nobo sept 2-3 ! See yah out there


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  8. #8
    Registered User
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    05-30-2017
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    Hamden, CT
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    I'll be the one with pigtails!

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