I've pretty much decided to do a NOBO start from Georgia, probably starting on 2/18/2021. I'll be 55 years old. I've done relatively little hiking in recent years, but I'm not in horrible condition, I was running marathons five years ago, and I still run some. I've lived in New England my entire life, nearly half of that in NH. I can deal with cold weather, I hate the heat. So, that's part of the reason for an early start. I also have an event in Appomattox, VA that I want to attend from 4/22-4/25, and another event that I want to attend toward the end of August in Newfoundland, so that start date seems good to fit in with that.

I plan on doing some multi-day hikes this fall and maybe this winter in the White Mountains. I've never done anything longer than an overnight hike previously. It may sound naive, but I'm really not worried about my relative lack of backcountry experience, other than how it relates to ice and snow. I took the NOLS Wilderness First Aid class two years ago. I think that having been a somewhat serious runner and dealing with some runner injuries, going to PT, helps prepare me mentally for what the trail may do to me in that regard. I plan on doing some strengthening exercises between now and then, and if I fail to do enough, well, shame on me.

I don't have specific questions about my gear, but more about how different the weather and ground conditions typically are in February/March when comparing Georgia, or the Great Smoky Mountains, to what I'm used to in the White Mountains. I've watched so many Youtube videos, where there's no snow or ice on the ground down south in February, but I realize that isn't always the case.

I own a pair of 30" Tubbs snowshoes. Do I just check on what the ground conditions are several days out from flying to Georgia, and make a decision then on what to bring as far as snowshoes, microspikes, etc.? Nobody wants to lug around a 4.5 pound pair of snowshoes for no reason, but I feel like I would rather have them through GSMNP and not need them, than to have my trip derailed, because I wasn't prepared for winter conditions. February weather and ground conditions in Georgia/North Carolina/Tennessee seem radically different than what I would encounter in the White Mountains of NH. Down south, it certainly gets cold, but my impression is that even the Great Smoky Mountains don't get anything like the snow I'm used to in NH. What are everyone's thoughts on that, and how to be prepared?

I have fairly light gear, but I won't have an ultralight pack, so carrying extra winter gear isn't a problem. I'm thinking that I will shed some of my winter gear once I get past GSMNP. By the time I'm in Glasgow/Appomattox, I'll probably be carrying just what I would carry until Katahdin.

-Pete