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  1. #21

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    Your dog would be in better shape if you left him at the pound. If you want to be an idiot that is fine, but don't put your dog through this.

    Why can't you leave earlier?

  2. #22

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    this whole idea is like a sequel to" into the wild"

  3. #23
    AT NOBO2010 / SOBO2011 Maddog's Avatar
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    "You do more hiking with your head than your feet!" Emma "Grandma" Gatewood...HYOY!!!
    http://www.hammockforums.net/?

  4. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by Old Hillwalker View Post
    Also, don't count on the White Mountain AMC Huts as an emergency respite. Madison, Lakes of the Clouds, Mizpah, Lonesome Lake and Greenleaf will all be closed and boarded up tight. Carter Notch and Zealand huts will be open, but for self service only.
    FWIW, in addition to Zealand and Carter, Lonesome Lake also remains open year-round. Not that this changes the fact this whole idea is ill-advised.

  5. #25
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    I wouldn't go out w/o some kind of decent traction devices for the higher peaks, they are usually white ,crusty and icy come mid-october. Slipping around on trails is no fun and suicidal
    if you haven't tried it before . Microspikes would be my 1st choice, could save your arse. The trails ice up before everything else usually does.
    Prepare yourself for much darkness, 10 hrs of daylight in Nov at best. Probably be hard/slow going with the dog and ice on the trail .
    The Kennebec can run too high to ford many times of the year, varies w/rainfall, could be a hit or miss.
    WALK ON

  6. #26

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    Guys: The fellow here is asking for help and advice. I just read the whole thread. If you want to give him some suggestions or counsel, that's great, but calling him an "idiot" or "clueless" does not seem to be very helpful. I continually hear from hikers that Whiteblaze is not a particularly friendly place for new people seeking help or advice, and that people are loathe to ask questions for fear of being jumped on or personally attacked. This thread, regrettably, would seem to corroborate this perception.

  7. #27

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    Living in the back of your truck is not sufficient preperation for a winter hike in the whites. Please leave your dog home with a friend. He cant make a choice not to go so be a responsible pet owner.

  8. #28
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    UPDATE:

    Please only offer concerns and suggestions how to address said concerns, as I am still on track to Hike this. If you feel so inclined to prevent me form hiking, take a look at my resume here [ specialorange.org/resume ] and hire me. I'm available immediately, no relocation assistance needed. Why am I unemployed you ask? Because I did the right thing and notified my employer of a large security hole in the HR website. Here's the story. What happened? I got terminated. Why won't people hire me? Because most people can't believe that if you do the "right" thing, that you would get terminate, and think there is more to the story. So what have I been doing for two years? Well I immediately started living extremely simply, and then after 6 months I started living in my vehicle. Been doing that and going around and learning more computer development code to get a job, but 'm a Jr skill level, and those with a CS degree get the job before me. In my previous role as Project management, in case you haven't heard, the economy is still doing poorly, and I'm up against people with more tenure in the field, so I lose those. I have a passion for cooking, but I can't get a line cook at any place I have tried applying despite my skills, because of no previous experience, and Charlotte has a culinary schools that college grads get for those positions too. What else have I been up to. Well my goal has been for several years to go to seminary and become a pastor. That is what kept me in undergrad to get a degree, a requirement to seminary. I then worked to finish paying off all my private school loans (why private you ask, because my parents have considered me a failure ever since I was 12, and you need your guardians signature to apply for federal loans, subsidized or not, and they wouldn't sign their name) in 2.5 years after graduating and becoming 100% debt free, as a pastor, money is less, and I felt I shouldn't be in debt while being a pastor. I got accepted, but the seminaries don't have full scholarships to cover anymore. Also, I took a temp for the DNC in Charlotte, only to have my book bag run over by a truck with my computer in it, and the culprit wont pay, and my insurance deductible is 3000, so Im now without a computer to learn more coding, and can't afford another). So the way I see it is that no matter what I've done, or how I've tried, or whose suggestions I've taken, I can NOT get a solid step or accomplish something since I was terminated. What can I do? Hike. And then Ill get to check off the AT as an accomplishment. So Im taking my remaining fixed amount of my own money, as I do not want to take governmental assistance and can not on the trail, and Hiking.

    My background is/was provided to provide you a sense of why I am doing this. I need encouragement and planning help to do the hike, not jeers or mocking my intelligence. The dog and hiking partner are still potentials, I will let you know what I end up doing.

    As far as why I am hiking this late, is that I am giving a full out bust to get a job, taking the GRE, applying to Grad school, and A friends wedding on the 20th, leaving directly from there to hike.

    Please dont forget to check out my constantly updated gear info here. My guess-timations would mean my pack will weigh around 60-70 lbs with water and food.

    Questions I still feel need addressing:
    1 - When I make it past the White, and maybe also the greens, is there other concern for extreme conditions similar to what I will have faced on the greens/whites, or would it just be like normal cold weather camping(10-30F) with snow. It seems much of the feedback is concerned with just the Whites/greens, and wanted to know what lies beyond this, as I will be hiking in the winter predominately.

    2 - I have crampons with much larger spikes than the Microspikes, will they be sufficient, or would the risk of self spiking myself be a reason to purchase the microspikes since they have smaller tangs.

    3 - The booties I see for the dog, will that be enough to prevent major Ice issues on the paws? I wold of course inspect at each break and yes, he will be seeping in the tent. I do plan on on stopping occasionally, but not very frequent, as the fixed budget doesn't allow for many stops. He is a service animal, so the places can not refuse his accompaniment.

    4 - extending my hiking days - Given the brevity of light, I want to hike in the light always. My question is when I hike in the dark, is it better to hike at night, or early morning? I'm sure it is coldest in the morning, so sleeping then would be a plus, but setting up camp in the last hour of light is a major plus in my mind. your feedback is appreciate in this manner.

    I will likely have a few more questions to round out the planning. Any other suggestions or information are greatly appreciated.

  9. #29

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    Bro i am not going to try and talk you out of this very BAD IDEA i only got one question for you, you mentioned that you have not worked in two years so how the Hell are you going to support yourself. RED-DOG ( Flip-Flop 96 & GA-ME 06 & GA-ME 2012 ).

  10. #30
    AT NOBO2010 / SOBO2011 Maddog's Avatar
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    "You do more hiking with your head than your feet!" Emma "Grandma" Gatewood...HYOY!!!
    http://www.hammockforums.net/?

  11. #31
    wookinpanub
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    Here's some of the helpful input I received before my thru-hike:
    1) You'll never complete it in less than 4 months
    2) You're starting too early for a southbound thru-hike (May 3rd from Katahdin)
    3) You shouldn't try this alone

    If I would have listened to any of these, I would have been denied an experience that changed my life immeasurably.
    Will there be huge obstacles? SURE.
    Can you prepare for them? YES
    Should you have a Plan B if you realize yourself to be in an unworkable situation? ABSOLUTELY

    I never hiked with a partner, walked through 8" of snow over Mt. Washington, and caught a ride with a fisherman across the Kennebec. It's doable, given the right "breaks". That doesn't mean that you don't prepare. Fact is, you have to over-prepare.
    I'd say 99% of failures occur by not showing up to the starting line in the first place.

    In regards to your concerns:

    1) Beyond the obvious concerns of the Whites and parts of the Greens, further south of them you will be at the mercy of the weather. It could be 60 degrees, or it could be 6 degrees. It could be sunny or it could be a blizzard. You just need to have the intelligence to know when to punt. Have a good weather radio (or other service) to know what's coming your way. It could very well save your life.

    2) I would invest in the Microspikes because of the weight saving, mostly. Your pack weight of 60-70 lbs needs to be addressed seriously. This is especially true because of the added level of difficulty slippery trails will bring.

    3) Booties for the dog are imperative. In order to give you my "personal green light" on this endeavor, I have to assume that you love your animal, will make sure their needs are met, and will consider their condition parallel to your own when determining whether to bail or not.

    4) Personally, I would prefer to hike during the coldest hours before the dawn, just to be moving and creating heat, not shivering in a bag. You don't want to be rushed in setting up camp in the evening. Weariness combined with waning light can lead to mistakes and in this situation you can ill afford them.

    Good luck in your endeavor and may God bless you along the way.
    By the way, I was offered 3 jobs during my thru-hike. You never know how this is going to turn out.

  12. #32

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    Special, we are not trying to talk you out of going hiking, we are trying to talk you out of doing something foolish, like starting a thru-hike in Maine as winter sets in. You have no idea how insanely difficult and unforgiving the mountains of Maine and NH are. Do yourself a big favor and listen to those of us who know about these things. Start the hike much farther south, maybe Virginia, though you might get away with NY or NJ. At least then you'd have a chance of lasting more then a couple of days and not dying. I'd like to refrane from calling you a clueless idiot, but you are.

    To answer some of your questions, which relate to all of the trail during the winter:

    1. Sever snow storms and sub zero temps can and do hit the entire length of the AT. You never know when you'll be in a blizzard with a couple feet or more of snow. Sometimes it will melt away in a few days or a week, or it might stick around until well into the spring. The chance of this being another sever winter are apparently pretty good.

    2. Microspikes are often recommended as they are reasonably light and can fit just about any type of boot, plus they go on and off pretty easy. They also work on mixed rock and ice, which is often the case. Crampons designed for ice climbing probably aren't going to be of much help and can be down right dangerous.

    3. I don't belive a dog should be taken on any long distance hike and to even think about taking one during the winter months is irresponsable. Calling your dog a service animal is probably not going to be belived.

    4. Trying to carry a 60-70 pound pack - anywhere - you are not going very far or very quickly in a day. You will be spending a lot of time in the dark, either hiking, setting up camp or cooking - most likely all three. Get used to it and have a S**t load of batteries, your gonna need them.
    Follow slogoen on Instagram.

  13. #33

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    Special, your resume looks like crap. You need to clean it up if you ever want a job. Make it static instead of interactive. There is way too much info on there. You don't need to list the fact that you were a bag boy in high school, you should only list relevant job experience. The resume is a quick summary, not a full life history.

  14. #34
    Registered User Driver8's Avatar
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    To the OP: You're asking for trouble here. Try one of the the following instead, or at least think about it.

    1. Start at Harper's Ferry and work south. Continue via Pinhoti and other trails - others here can help with this - to Florida Trail. Take it to southern terminus. Then, if you like, double back north to Georgia, then when you get to Springer, which likely will be mid-spring, shuttle up to Harper's Ferry and work north. Easier on your dog and yourself - you'll hit some winter conditions, but nothing too crazy. You could continue on north from Katahdin and finish the International Appalachian Trail, which would have nice cool appeal, make you more marketable in the outdoors industry, as tour guide or the like.

    2. Do the trail in day hikes from your truck. Look at the journal of Seeks It, who has done 1900+ miles of the trail, twice, in day hikes from his car in the past year. Here's the link: http://trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=12720. Having the truck handy lets you getthehelloutta Dodge if you decide hacking through the Mahoosucs or the Carter Range in snow and ice sucks more than you want to deal with. You can say, "Hey, I did a couple hundred miles up here, enough of this fun for now, Tennessee (Virginia, wherever), here I come!"

    Unless you have some determination to punish yourself and your dog, I don't see any sense at all in working south from Katahdin through Maine and the Whites as winter's fury descends, at least without some major bail-out option planned. Be smart and plan for worst case contingencies, giving yourself alternatives.
    The more miles, the merrier!

    NH4K: 21/48; N.E.4K: 25/67; NEHH: 28/100; Northeast 4K: 27/115; AT: 124/2191

  15. #35
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    Seriously, you need to lighten your load.

    Close to a 7 lb backpack and a 6.5 lb tent? You will hate your life carrying 60-70 lbs day in and day out.

    Have you ever done any backpacking? I'm not talking about 1 or 2 nights camping, but carrying everything you have over a few days or more.

    Just asking because 60-70 lbs should jump out as FREAKIN' RIDICULOUS if you have.

  16. #36
    Registered User Monkeywrench's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by special View Post
    Please dont forget to check out my constantly updated gear info here. My guess-timations would mean my pack will weigh around 60-70 lbs with water and food.
    There are plenty of challenges to be overcome in your plan. To pick just one, I would STRONGLY advise you to work very hard at paring down your gear. Even in winter, you should be able to get it down to about 40 pounds without removing anything you actually need. Load your backpack up with 70 pounds of stuff (use bottles of water or sand bags if you need to), put it on and go outside and walk for 8 hours, and see how you feel.

    Backing up and speaking in general, the reaction I have when reading your posts is that you don't know what you're getting yourself into. Maybe it's a misperception from the way you write -- or the way I read -- but I am curious if you've ever been on an extended backpacking trip in the mountains of New England in the winter.
    ~~
    Allen "Monkeywrench" Freeman
    NOBO 3-18-09 - 9-27-09
    blog.allenf.com
    [email protected]
    www.allenf.com

  17. #37

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    My advice is to stay away from this thread and maybe WB all together, there appears to be too much risk they could talk you out of your ambitions.

    Go , give it your best.... as long as you understand the risk level GO! You may get hurt, you may die, SO WHAT... as long as you can accept that risk GO.

    As for the dog, and I'm sure to raise a few hackles here, one of the greatest things about a dog is he will follow you into the pits of hell and back, he will die for you and do it with a smile. Sounds like a great partner to me, bring the dog.

    GO!

  18. #38
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    STAY!
    Your dog needs you.
    Do what's best for your dog.

  19. #39

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    I think you're doing this for all the wrong reasons and choosing a dangerous time to do it. start in Hanover instead save New Hampshire and Maine for next year. you're no life will be there waiting for you. figure out what you wanna do with your life and do it. and if its hiking you want to do well then hike. but be safe and think this through.

  20. #40

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    Quote Originally Posted by special View Post
    I am planning on leaving October 22-24 SOBO, because thats when I can. I have some assumptions, and would like your opinion if I need to adjust my planning at all.
    Well, it is October 24th.
    10 hours of daylight on clear days.
    Ice and snow on the Tableland.
    Snow in the forecast.
    Abol Bridge store closed.
    Hunters in Baxter and the 100 Mile.
    Hypothermia lurking in every stream crossing.
    There's a reason they call it White Cap.
    Shaw's is closed. But Rebekah at Lakeshore House will take him in.
    He'll hear the ferry service is $50 this time of year.

    The back of that truck is going to look pretty good to him soon.
    Teej

    "[ATers] represent three percent of our use and about twenty percent of our effort," retired Baxter Park Director Jensen Bissell.

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