Thru-hiking timeline for a college student?

[Cool Hands]

First post, WHOO!!

Anyways ... I am a high school senior at the moment, but I plan to hike the AT after I get my bachelors. The problem is, when?

Ideally, between getting my bachelors and getting my masters (I plan on becoming an atmospheric scientist), I would spend half a year thru-hiking and half a year doing internships, menial jobs, etc. If I hike immediately after I get my degree in mid-May, I would be starting extremely late. If I wait for winter and start early in the next year, I'd have to start extremely early.

Ending with the most beautiful states in northern New England seems like a given, so whether a flip-flop south to come back north or a general NOBO thru, I know I at least have to end with them.

So, which way would you guys suggest? Head north in May and haul ass, suffer the heat in the middle, enjoy the foliage in the north, and worry about reaching Katahdin too late? Or, head north after winter in early March when everything's barren, end in late August, and suffer the real world only a week or two after? Or... something more creative .

If you're wondering why I'm thinking about something four years before it'll happen, I'm a sadistic over-planner by nature

[Blissful]

Welcome to WB!

If you plan to end in NE you'll have a bit of an issue with timing. I mean you might make it starting in mid May, but like you said, youll have to move it, And it would be a shame to rush

In May, you could start at Harpers Ferry to Katahdin. Flip to HF and head to Springer. Then be ready for whatever in January. I met several hikers that accomplished this last year and had a blast.

I need to show you my fall foliage photos of the south in the fall. It's superb. I do have them up on my Facebook.

Or wait a bit and do a SOBO in early June.

[buff_jeff]

Why not section hike during your time off? That's what I did, and it was a great experience. You can pretty conservatively get half the trail in one summer break. Hell, if you're fast, you can finish the trail in a summer break that's just under 4 months.

Conversely, starting in May is NOT too late, and I know several people who started at that time and finished well in advance of the October 15 "deadline". I sectioned Springer to Maryland starting May 10 and hiked with plenty of thrus. The weather during that time, for those sections, was nothing short of optimal.

[Amanita]

Well I don't know how you feel about the section hike idea, but I'll let you in on my plan for an "adjusted though hike." I'm currently in college and will be for a few more years, while facing the reality that 4 months just won't be enough for a full through hike. My concept is to do a couple 1 week section hikes during school breaks, and do the Vermont Long Trail and section hike CT, Mass, and NY this summer (fitting these around a seasonal job). Then next year I can start at springer in may, hike up until I hit wherever my section hikes left off, then be comfortable yellow blazing around the parts I've already done. I'll pick the trail back up somewhere in NH "jumping ahead" by about a month of hiking giving me time to finish by mid august. This will put a big hole in the middle of my "through" but given I'll be starting at springer, ending at Kathadin, and getting my 2000 miler once I walk off that final peak, I'm comfortable with my personal definition. HYOH, right?

If you really want to wait so you can do the whole trail at once I'd at least suggest hiking the long trail during a summer break. It'll give you something to focus on in the shorter term, and is a lot less investment than the AT. Also might help work out any kinks in your gear (I hope it will for me).

[runnergirl]

I am planning a thru this spring, but it's been a little different than most because I don't graduate with my degree until April 30. Our start date is May 4, and my brother and I are doing a flip-flop. It took me a long time to adjust to this idea because I always pictured myself finishing in Maine. But once I realized that it was more important for us to have time and have an experience, I realized that finishing at Springer will be just as rewarding (and there will be blue berries in Maine as we hike through!). So we are starting in Central Virginia, hiking north by August 10, and then returning to VA August 21 after a family vacation to finish the southern part. It turns out, we're going to get the best of both worlds!

[jersey joe]

Given your two timelines, I would opt to start in March. Jumping right back into the "real world" when you finish isn't the worst thing in the world.

[warpzilla]

I thru-hiked between my Sophomore and Junior years of college with a start date of May 21st. Everyone will tell you May is a late start date, but you can still make it to Katahdin with plenty of time. It does take dedication, but I don't feel I lost any "experience of the trail" by going faster. It's all about however you want to do it. As far as the flip-flop goes Finishing at Katahdin is incredible, but just hiking it is freakin awesome as well. Flip-floppers are cool cause you see people again that you met earlier.

[map man]

Use summers during college for a couple multi-week hikes (more than just a Spring Break hike) to find out if you really want to hike for many weeks, much less many months. I can't tell you how many trail journals I have read at trailjournals.com where even successful thru-hikers experience a lot of misery (physical and psychological), especially after about three months, and it's only pure stubbornness, not enjoyment, that keeps them going. If you do a multi-week hike, and find you still look forward to more hiking, then you are more likely to be a candidate for an enjoyable, rewarding thru-hike.

I speak from experience. I did a couple 15 day hikes first on the Superior Hiking Trail, and I learned that I love hiking in the back country, but that the 10 to 15 day time period is more optimal for me than a hike that goes for months.

[Uncas10]

If it were me, I would just do a SOBO. If you graduate on time, you will get out of school in May. That gives you a month to screw around, hang out with your friends and get your stuff together before you start hiking. I know it sounds rather anti-climactic to finish at Springer. But that is just one day of a very long hike and when you look back on it, you probably won't care even a little.

Plus, most of the SOBOs will be your age. It will probably be a good crew for you to hike with. The NOBOs are an eclectic group of people ranging in age from about 8 to 80. They are a great group of people, but having a band of hikers that are almost all in their early 20s might be worth something. I bet it's a real party. Just a thought. (What I remember about the SOBOs last year is that every time I ran into one he would say "Right on, right on" about three times in a 2 minute conversation.)

[Cool Hands]

Thanks for the input, you guys. One thing I had considered doing was hiking the flattest/most uneventful part of the trail during the summer prior, probably Harpers Ferry to the New Jersey state line, and then thru-hiking with several weeks of the trail already under my belt the next year, immediately after graduation -- similar to what Amanita suggested. I figure the most uninteresting part of the trail would then be taken care of.

I may become comfortable with the idea of a SOBO in the near future, but right now a climactic ending feels like a must. I had actually thought of doing a rather short flip-flop, just to catch Baxter State Park before it closes in mid-October, in which I would hike up to Mount Washington, take the auto-road down, pick up the trail in Baxter, and hike back south for two or three weeks to Mount Washington. What do you think? It leaves a hell of an awesome ending!