How busy is a Nobo thru hike?

[colorado_rob]

You should consider starting NOBO after April 15. You will still have a full 6 months complete your thru hike, you will have missed much of the bad winter/early spring weather, and the hiker bubble will be in front of you. You still will meet a good amount of late starting thru hikers, but you won't have to worry about overcrowded shelters, hostels, etc. Good luck.

I'm starting to think this might be your best plan. I do think though that even starting this late, you will have a lot of crowds in shelters/hotels/hotels, but a heck of a lot better than with a March start.

[Venchka]

I don’t get no respect.
Wayne

[colorado_rob]

I don’t get no respect.
Wayne

??? Sure ya do buddy. But really, this is an AT forum and this pal from across the pond wants to hike the AT, and I think (respectfully!) that one's first big hike in the USA should be the AT, so I endorse his/her choice. PLUS, think of all the cool monuments and historical places he/she gets to see about where we kicked their butt over 200 years ago!

[Venchka]

May 1 to October 1. 5 months.
Several posts back up the list.
Y’all missed it.
Truth be known, the AT isn’t worth putting up with what it has become during the Bubble.
Unfortunately, if everyone figures that out then the PCT & CDT will become the new AT in short order.
End of rant.
Have fun Y’all!
Wayne

[Slo-go'en]

Last year I did Georgia starting April 29th. There were still lots of people starting a thru hike and lots of section hikers like me. It also happened to rain most of that week which filled up shelters and hostels. Just finding a decent tent site was difficult.

There no longer seems to be a time when you can avoid large numbers of hikers. Your just going to be part of the problem.

It's probably better to just pick a time when you'll have better weather then trying to avoid crowds. Although finding better weather is getting hard too. This year the early starters got hammered by some real cold weather and a couple of big snow storms in March. Late starters got hammered by all the rain, the heat and the humidity. I have a feeling the number of complete thru hikes this year will be way down.

[colorado_rob]

May 1 to October 1. 5 months.
Several posts back up the list.
Y’all missed it.
Truth be known, the AT isn’t worth putting up with what it has become during the Bubble.
Unfortunately, if everyone figures that out then the PCT & CDT will become the new AT in short order.
End of rant.
Have fun Y’all!
Wayne

I saw it, didn't comment because I think May 1 is a bit late, whereas April 15 is a bit better. And a flip-flop is the best yet, but the OP made it clear he/she wants to go traditional, and that's cool. And again, this is an AT thread, not PCT or otherwise, and really, the AT is an outstanding trail, one just has to deal with the popularity. It ain't that bad out there, even in the bubble. AND, I definitely hear ya on those other trails!

[Hikingjim]

I agree that Feb or May are best if you're experienced hikers at all, and I think with a May start you get more of the best of the AT (eg: new england near fall, vermont AFTER bug season, nice flowers in the south in June, etc). If you start May and you get behind, you could flip to katahdin and do the rest sobo (ie... eliminate katahdin and the whites faster, and clear vermont).
Some risk that you wouldn't finish, especially if injury, but so much better with less people and more near-fall or fall hiking

[swisscross]

Is SOBO an option?

[Crushed Grapes]

You should consider starting NOBO after April 15..

This seems like it would be really.....hot

[BobTheBuilder]

https://www.wherearethehikers.com/heatmap/

Wow - very cool site! Thanks for the link.

[Venchka]

This seems like it would be really.....hot

Hot is relative. The OP is from the UK. Folks from the UK travel world wide looking for places to live and work where it’s WARM!
Wayne

[lonehiker]

Thanks guys, this is some great info.

So a mid feb start might be better. I'm trying to avoid a flip flop if possible.

I'm planning on tenting it where possible. I know some sections require you to use the shelters if they aren't full. Planning to use a zpacks triplex tent for our tent. 3 man tent will reduce arguements and smell! Is the tents footprint likely to be an issue around shelters? I'd give a hammock a go but my partner isn't keen on it.

If you are planning on tenting it, then tent away from the shelters and you will have more privacy than you think. There are almost always good tent sites just past the shelters. Use the privy, maybe the picnic table for dinner, then simply move on.

[Khaul]

Loving the continuing flow of info.

I'm an experienced hiker (ex-Royal Marines) but not a thru hiker. I don't mind either the heat/humidity (aslong as it's not 90+F and 100%) and the cold doesn't bother me either really. My girl friend is a pretty resilient girl once she faces facts and she needs to walk through a blizzard to get off a mountain for example. She's done 2 Caminos already and one was in January where she had 3 blizzards in 10 days and came out fine (with a bit of moaning but us Brits love to moan). My uncle lives 5 miles off the trail in NY so I can just mail ahead cold weather gear after the smokies.

Funny enough, the AT doesn't daunt either one of us. We know we can do it. The Feb start sounds the safest but the late April start does sound appealing to catch New England in the fall but a bad injury would suck if Baxter closes. I know I would feel a bit cheated if I had to buss ahead 200 miles to get there before it closes.

I am actually weighing up CDT or PCT but while I know my partner can do it, it might be easier to break her in with the AT due to more frequent water and resupplies (less weight). Even though after 1 month on the AT, you could plop her down on either of the other two and she wouldn't care about the extra weight. Baby steps! The goal is to do the triple crown within 10 years. There's also the fact that the AT is annually getting busier and doing it in say 8-10 years time could be carnage.

[Lone Wolf]

Baxter doesn't close. just the campgrounds do

[Slo-go'en]

Baxter doesn't close. just the campgrounds do

Eventually it effectively does. Once there is significant snow you need the special winter climber permits.

This summer has had lots of 90+ and 60% to 100% humidity days. Weeks and weeks of them. And it looks like it's just going to get worse. It may get to the point that summers are so oppressive that a winter/spring hike will be the only way to do a AT thru hike. That point may not be far off if this summer is any indication. Those who started in late February and suffered through the cold and snow in March were the smart ones this season.

[D2maine]

Baxter doesn't close. just the campgrounds do

but to be clear the trails on katahdin can and do close in the shoulder seasons and in winter depending on weather and on trail conditions. Katahdin is most definitely not open for hiking 365 days a year.

[colorado_rob]

but to be clear the trails on katahdin can and do close in the shoulder seasons and in winter depending on weather and on trail conditions. Katahdin is most definitely not open for hiking 365 days a year.

But it IS open all year, just closed some days. Nothing magic about early October except that's when the some-days-it's-closed season typically begins.

[Venchka]

But it IS open all year, just closed some days. Nothing magic about early October except that's when the some-days-it's-closed season typically begins.

You can bet that “I’m a Thru Hiker. I need to climb Katahdin.” won’t get you a Winter Climbing Permit.
Wayne

[colorado_rob]

You can bet that “I’m a Thru Hiker. I need to climb Katahdin.” won’t get you a Winter Climbing Permit.
Wayne

Winter climbing permits are more applicable in December and on, and are in fact not that difficult to get anyway. You're in a fiesty mood today....

Here's all you need, not that this is applicable to AT thru hikers that get there a bit "late" (again, this is for true winter ascents, which could occur in October)

https://www.baxterstatepark.org/wp-c...seTreeline.pdf

[Venchka]

From Map Man:

Traditionally Baxter State Park closes to overnight camping on October 15, but in 2014 and 2015 they are experimenting with making a few camping spots available for a few days after the 15th. See their web site for details. Park officials, due to weather, can close trails, including the Hunt Trail, to the top of Katahdin any day of the year. But the frequency with which they have to do this increases as October goes along and varies from year to year. Some years there are several days after the 15th when the Hunt Trail is open and some years the trail is closed for many days even in early October. (And during the winter season climbing Katahdin is only allowed to expereinced mountaineers by special permit.)

There is one common misconception. The Hunt Trail does not automatically close when overnight camping stops within the park. Hikers who want to hike the AT within Baxter State Park can be dropped by vehicle within the park and hike (as long as trails have not been closed) as long as they leave the park later in the day. People can get shuttled by vehicle in and out of the park as long as roads remain open, as I understand it. Maybe Teej can correct me if any of this is wrong.

Wayne