Why You May Want To Reconsider an Early Start

[NICKTHEGREEK]

The thing about the AT in the South is that it's not very hard to bail out, go to town, and wait for the 60-degree days to return. Especially if you're carrying a light pack and wearing trail runners, you can be at a road crossing in a few hours.

Marta/Five-Leaf

I wonder if MRHAPPY would have had a "few hours" to get to a road crossing with -63 degree windchills. Just getting to pavement is no guarantee either.

[Marta]

I wonder if MRHAPPY would have had a "few hours" to get to a road crossing with -63 degree windchills. Just getting to pavement is no guarantee either.

My point is that you can hit a town or hostel about every other day. While there, you can check long-term weather forecasts. Big snow storms and severe cold weather are not usually a total surprise. If in doubt about either your gear, clothing, or skills, hang out in town until the weather changes.

Marta/Five-Leaf

[DavidNH]

I will add myself here to the list of folks who would not think of starting early (January to mid March).

Besides the high likely hood of experiencing bad weather and even snow,

starting early could cause one to:

1) miss most of the southern spring (that has got to be one of the highlights of an AT trip

2) miss the northern fall (another trip highlight) as you may well finish in mid summer.

3) No matter when you will start..the heat waves of summer will get you at some point!

4) The AT is so well travelled, I don't see anyway to avoid crowds. Well, I guess you could avoid shelters. But there are always plenty of people out on the trail during the hiking season.


David

[rafe]

4) The AT is so well travelled, I don't see anyway to avoid crowds.

Sure there is. Section hike. Hike only on weekdays. Walk southbound, off-season.

I hiked from the Hudson River to Lehigh Gap last September. Ten nights in the woods, one night at the hostel in DWG.

I tented on two of those nights. Of the remaining eight, I had the shelter to myself, except for Highpoint, where I shared the space with one other hiker. I was so happy for the company...

Between the NY State Thruway and Rte 94 (Vernon) I met exactly two other hikers, and had nearly two full days without seeing one other human.

[Alligator]

Sssshhhh TT .

Everyone should start on the same day, maybe 4/1 with a big kickoff party. Please leave lots of progress notes so we know where the main pack is .

[Footslogger]

Sssshhhh TT .

Everyone should start on the same day, maybe 4/1 with a big kickoff party. Please leave lots of progress notes so we know where the main pack is .

============================

We could call it the ADZATKO

(Annual Day Zero Appalachain Trail Kick Off)

'Slogger

[emerald]

Sssshhhh TT .

Everyone should start on the same day, maybe 4/1 with a big kickoff party. Please leave lots of progress notes so we know where the main pack is .

Yeah, anyway, Terrapin. Of course, I keep promoting alternative itineraries. I ought to shut up too!

[Alligator]

We need to work together and keep the thruhiker pack as a

Thus allowing greater solitude for the rest of us.
readily locatable unit confined both spatially and temporally.

[rafe]

We need to work together and keep the thruhiker pack as a readily locatable unit confined both spatially and temporally.

Git along, little doggies....

[Bohican]

Git along, little doggies....

For some reason, this commercial comes to mind....

http://www.ifilm.com/video/2666557

[MrHappy]

My point is that you can hit a town or hostel about every other day. While there, you can check long-term weather forecasts. Big snow storms and severe cold weather are not usually a total surprise. If in doubt about either your gear, clothing, or skills, hang out in town until the weather changes.

Marta/Five-Leaf

Yep. Ron Haven tried to talk me out of leaving Frankling, because he knew it would be cold. The forecast was for 15 degrees in town. It ended up reaching -3. Stubborn Mr. Happy chose to ignore all of that. Luckily, the next morning I was only a few miles from a road crossing, and I happened to have a cell phone that worked, so the entire evening wasn't life threatening (though it could have been if I hadn't been properly prepared and experienced in cold weather camping).

[The Solemates]

-3? that's all? we would've never made it if we stopped hiking every time it got below 0F on our thru.

[ed bell]

-3? that's all? we would've never made it if we stopped hiking every time it got below 0F on our thru.

That's because you two are the modern day Wonder Twins. :wonder twin powers, activate. Form of boiling water, shape of a grizzly bear.:

[Egads]

Welcome to the Dark Side of White Blaze, where the stronger backpackers (in their own eyes) eat their own.

The same community which goes out of it's way to help a hiker in need on the trail has no mercy from the safety of their living rooms and offices.

Compare the posts on this thread to the affirmations and encouragement in SugarGrits' (Mindi) "This is it" thread.

MrHappy bit off more than he can chew on. The good news is he is safe and will have another opportunity to try again. I personally do not fault him for coming off the trail after experiencing -63* wind chill. We learn much more from our mistakes than our successes.

MrHappy, Get it together & get back out there.

Hike for the enjoyment, not so you can put a feather in your cap.

HYOFH

Egads

[SGT Rock]

You can still start after St Patrick's Day and beat the crowds - Take the BMT off Springer. By the time you get back on the AT at Davenport Gap half the crowd will be gone. On the other hand winter camping is a whole nother world and shouldn't be missed. If you can hack it, then do it. As to weather. If you plan to hike in winter, don't try to skimp on gear to stay light. That is just crazy.

[MrHappy]

Read the whole thread. It was -3* in Franklin. At 5000 feet on Silers Bald, it was -15. Like I said -- survivable, but miserable.

It wasn't this particular night that made me decide to take a break and come home. It wasn't until 2 weeks later that I finally made that decision. After 2 weeks of 0 degree weather, I'd just had enough. I did come back to the trail on March 5th, but by March 8th I had pulled my groin muscle. I Spent a long time at Standing Bear Farm, Elmer's, and Miss Janet's, refusing to give in, before finally coming home yesterday. I'll be back out there, if not next year, certainly in the next 4.

[Appalachian Tater]

Read the whole thread. It was -3* in Franklin. At 5000 feet on Silers Bald, it was -15. Like I said -- survivable, but miserable.

If that's Celsius, you're a wimp!

Just kidding. No way you'd catch me out there in those temps. I hope you consider continuing your hike this year, or if not, as soon as you can. Good luck!

[MrHappy]

I would love to come back to the trail this year, but my doctors orders are to "avoid hills" until at least June. Since I have to be at school in August, that puts a slight damper on my thru-hike.

[Cookerhiker]

It seems to me another reason against a January/February start is that your reward for enduring all the cold and snow in the south is maximizing your time exposed to black flies and mosquitoes in the north. Unless, I guess, you start January 1 and finish in 5 months.

[TomScanlan]

So... as a guy who used to hike a bit ( though no super star) I'm getting back into it. I've never been a winter hiker, and have really not enjoyed most of the last couple of months of hiking, just in the NY area. If I do this next year, I'll invest in crampons (gosh, should I as a sobo starting in june?)!

I'm planning on starting in ME on june 1 and realize that I'm not going to have too much fun in the cold to begin with. Probably even less fun in the cold to end with! In any case, I can understand Mr. Happy for bailing in the short term on the cold. I can also understand Just Jim for being frustrated that folks don't prepare for the cold.


As one that does prepare for the cold (though not for ice or snow travel!) ( and I think mr. happy probably didn't miss full prep by much ), I still don't enjoy it. I'm really starting to doubt my own chances for a all-at-once-thru just because I don't want to deal with too much cold at the beginning or end of the trip.

As prepared as I can be, I just don't enjoy it as much as spring time temps through out I'll give it a good try, and then consider sectioning if I realy can't stand it.

So.. I can understand the original post... sometimes it may be best to find a good temperature (start date) to start at, but keep in mind that cold will still be a factor at some point, unless you are quick all the way through and nature plays friendly the whole way. Keep in mind, I'm speaking as a potential sobo... nobos may be able to go all the way without severe cold... I really haven't done too much research into that... gosh really of track now!