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Thread: 2021 AT hiking

  1. #1
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    Default 2021 AT hiking

    general question to the forum, multiple choice

    the question only applies to multi-day AT hikes longer then a week, section hikes or thru-hikes, NOT day hikes

    Q. What are your AT hiking plans for 2021?

    a. I'm postponing any AT hikes until I get the vaccine
    b. I'm postponing any AT hikes indefinitely until the pandemic passes
    c1. I'm done hiking the AT, too crowded
    c2. I'm not worried at all, and not letting the pandemic affect my AT hiking plans, I practice hygiene and avoid crowds
    d. I'm delaying my AT hike plans until later in the year to allow time to see if the number of cases declines significantly
    e. I'm sticking with trails closer to home, either AT or other trails
    f. I don't have time to hike, I'm working too much or don't have the money to spare

    happy trails!
    Last edited by Alligator; 01-21-2021 at 12:26. Reason: Sorta fixed it.

  2. #2

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    I would say I'm between a) and d).

    I'm planning on starting an AT thru-hike in 2021. I'm also going to sell my home this spring, which could impact my start date. I would love to do a traditional flip flop starting in Harpers Ferry in early May, but that's unlikely. I would also consider a flip flop, starting nobo from say the NY-CT border, in early June. Most likely, I will hike sobo starting around July 1st. If I don't do any of those three options, I will probably do a flip flop that spans two calendar years, sobo from Harpers Ferry after Labor Day in 2021, then nobo from Harpers Ferry around May 1st of 2022.

  3. #3
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    c) Already went out for a 2 day hike
    Be Prepared

  4. #4
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    Thanks for asking, Praha4. I am fairly an "a," hoping to be able to emerge from my hunker home by Valentines Day, 2021.

  5. #5

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    Also between a) and d). Hopefully doing SOBO this year.

  6. #6

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    All of the above.

    Never say never, but I don't see myself doing a big section of the AT again any time soon. Been there, done that, probably too many times already. But with part of it running through my backyard, no doubt I'll be hiking bits and pieces of it until I can't walk anymore.
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  7. #7
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    Well, "C-prime" here.... It's not that I'm "not worried at all", sure, I'm a little worried, but most of life involves calculated risks. My wife (who is vaccinated) and I (who is not) are planning on hitting the trail in May in Hot Springs heading north for a 500 mile LASH.

    I feel certain that by mid-May things will be much better in terms of case count and hospital use and of course I'll be careful, as we have been since this all began.

  8. #8

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    there are 2 C's
    but not basing any of my choices on fear of a disease

  9. #9
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    C.... I leave Feb 17 for the AT

    I was on the Via de la Plata route of the Camino in Spain last Feb-March, came down the 2nd week with symptomatic Covid that lasted for four days as did my travel mate. We never stopped, averaging about 20 miles a day. We did avoid others which was not hard since there was no one else. At that time the claim was that the virus was not airborn but by the time we got to Salamanca a police man told us we had 48 hours to leave the country on Friday March 13.. Spain was going into lockdown. BTW... I am 71 and my Irish travel mate is 68, both backpack about 2000 miles a year and quickly threw off the viral affects.... Also found out that flight insurance is totally worthless during a pandemic.... cost me a ton to get home.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dropdeadfred View Post
    there are 2 C's
    but not basing any of my choices on fear of a disease
    Yikes! Thanks, didn't notice that, for the record, my choice "C-prime" is a variation to the 2nd "C" listed.

  11. #11

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    Second C, but will be similar to A since I am scheduled to be vaccinated in Feburary and will not hit AT until late June (or early July). Still regret canceling my last 167 miles last summer due to this. Finishing a 10 year section hike in 2020 would have been so much neater numerically.

  12. #12
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    Default 2021 AT hiking

    I’m a combination of a) and e). I am not going to do my customary 100+ mile section of the AT in May due to risk of COVID. I am also most likely not going to be able to be vaccinated until Summer, so I am planning to do a long section hike near home on the Buckeye Trail this year.

    If I am vaccinated this Summer as I expect, I will volunteer for a week in the Fall with the Mid-Atlantic Trail Crew. (I did this in 2018 and.2019, but all crew work was canceled in 2020.)

    I am now planning to retire at the end of 2021 or early in 2022, and will most likely hike from Harpers Ferry to Katahdin starting the weekend of the Flip Flop Festival in 2022, assuming that all is back to normal by then.
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    Franconia Notch to Crawford Notch

  13. #13
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    Second c), hiked the AT for 2 weeks fall 2020 and planning to do it again in 2021. Would be nice if COVID were no longer an issue by then but I'm still going either way.
    It's all good in the woods.

  14. #14

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    Already not going well with responses. Thread is now in Straight Forward.
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  15. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by Praha4 View Post
    general question to the forum, multiple choice

    the question only applies to multi-day AT hikes longer then a week, section hikes or thru-hikes, NOT day hikes

    Q. What are your AT hiking plans for 2021?

    a. I'm postponing any AT hikes until I get the vaccine
    b. I'm postponing any AT hikes indefinitely until the pandemic passes
    c. I'm done hiking the AT, too crowded
    c. I'm not worried at all, and not letting the pandemic affect my AT hiking plans, I practice hygiene and avoid crowds
    d. I'm delaying my AT hike plans until later in the year to allow time to see if the number of cases declines significantly
    e. I'm sticking with trails closer to home, either AT or other trails
    f. I don't have time to hike, I'm working too much or don't have the money to spare

    happy trails!
    The is my scenario---backpacking trails closer to home. 2020 was a good year with 141 days out and 2021 looks to be no different god willing and the creeks don't rise.

  16. #16
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    C2. I'm planning to finish Virginia on my annual section hike this year.

  17. #17

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    I guess I fall into the 2c slot. I'm pumped! Will be leaving from Springer on 4/5 on my thru-hike. All this talk about the bubble and crowds is a bit annoying. I'm a tennis junkie (hence the "baseliner" handle)and when I go to Wimbledon, joining the queue three days before the start of the tournament is a no-brainer. The fact that there ends up being more than a thousand folks in the queue only makes for more fun! The fact that by being there somewhat early (#67 and 68) means my wife and I score center court tickets for 75 pounds each, tickets that can go for a grand from a ticket agency. The analogy here is that I'm betting on the weather by departing in April and also betting that my fellow hikers will be easy enough to get along with, in fact, hopefully some new friends. Can't believe it will be a Black Friday type throng. Gearing up both literally and figuratively daily!

  18. #18
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    Hoping to do a spring hike Dennytown Road to Kent and a fall hike Kent to Great Barrington. I’ll evaluate at the time for safety, restrictions, etc. If we are still in full bloom I’ll probably postpone.

  19. #19
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    c. I'm not worried at all, and not letting the pandemic affect my AT hiking plans, I practice hygiene and avoid crowds.

  20. #20
    Registered User Creature Feature's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Praha4 View Post
    general question to the forum, multiple choice

    the question only applies to multi-day AT hikes longer then a week, section hikes or thru-hikes, NOT day hikes

    Q. What are your AT hiking plans for 2021?

    c. I'm not worried at all, and not letting the pandemic affect my AT hiking plans, I practice hygiene and avoid crowds

    happy trails!
    I'm a solid C. I'm doing a flip-flop and hoping my trip will be a little less crowded. Not planning to stay in shelters as much as possible and, as always during this past year, practice social distancing.

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