AT November/December Thru-Hike

[Emerson Bigills]

It's a bad idea. Too many long, cold nights and lots and lots of opportunities to get caught in the backwoods in lots of snow. Mother Nature is indifferent about outcomes. Bad stuff can happen in cold weather and there are not a lot of folks on the AT in many sections in the winter to help. I started NOBO on Feb 20 and don't think I would want to start much earlier. I experienced about 35 warm days on the entire hike.

[George]

some people like bad ideas - keeps life interesting

if an 87 yo can do it in season, us young guys should be able to do it off season

[fiddlehead]

We did it in 2001 starting October 14th @ Katahdin and finishing Feb 14 @ Springer
But we had van support most of the time.
It was a mild winter and the only problems we really had were in the whites we had a fairly big snowstorm and had to hike in about 18" of snow one day.
Then in southern VA we had some cold cold weather (below zero) for a day or 3.
The smokies turned out to be unbelievably mild that year and we had ice at a few spots but it wasn't a big problem.
We were lucky.
And like I said, we had van support so were able to be hiking by first light and usually finishing within an hour of dark because we could cook in the van.
But it was great.
Because we saw almost no people except for a few hunters (we followed the latter part of deer season as we went south) and on weekends we'd see some day hikers.
Problem of course is long nights.
And most of the places and even many of the hotels near the trail are closed.
Hostels were closed, hotels in New England were closed.
So, it would be tough and lonely without the vehicle support AND if you are going alone, very lonely.
I doubt you'll see any other hikers except perhaps in the first 2 weeks.
But that being said, it is nice to hike the AT and have a wilderness experience.
You'll need: Big sleeping bag, extra batteries for your headlamp, boots for snow, gaiters, and be prepared to bail out for snow or you could get in a lot of trouble. And where are you going to go when you do bail out if all the hotels are closed?
I was a lot younger then and quite adventurous but there's no way I'd try it again.
We were lucky.
Finding the trail was usually OK, when it snowed it was very difficult to see the white blazes, but I guess the apps out now-a-days would make that not as much of a problem but you'd have to charge your phone somewhere and THAT could be a problem.
I think I'd take a Garmin GPS with the trail on it instead just because of the battery problem.
Keep the phone for emergencies and weather reports.

[George]

all you nay sayers, come on out with me and be converted - it's not all that bad - unless all the keyboard time has made you too soft??

yeah, I guess you are right - it is too hard for you, might want to get another blankie for your lap while you spend the best 5 months of the year cyber hiking

[Another Kevin]

all you nay sayers, come on out with me and be converted - it's not all that bad - unless all the keyboard time has made you too soft??
yeah, I guess you are right - it is too hard for you, might want to get another blankie for your lap while you spend the best 5 months of the year cyber hiking

A lot of us don't spend those 5 months cyber-hiking. We just don't spend them long-distance backpacking. We switch to peak bagging.