View Full Version : crowds and people??
skyhiker2
01-01-2007, 22:39
I plan to start my thru-hike on March 15th (give or take a day or two).
How packed is the trail at springer and shortly there after?
And How often do you not see people on the trail. (As in fellow thru-hikers)?
max patch
01-01-2007, 22:58
I left on 5/1 and there were only 2 days that I didn't see someone else on the trail. However, there were many, many nights that I camped alone.
I was at Springer on a mid-March Sunday morning last year and counted over 20 tents scattered around the tent sites and the summit. Plus a full (double decker) shelter. The hiking isn't nearly as bad as that sounds, though. You'll be able to hike by yourself if that is what you want to do.
terrapin_too
01-01-2007, 23:00
And How often do you not see people on the trail. (As in fellow thru-hikers)?
Not very often. I think the first time I had a day with zero hiker encounters was in the Smokies. That was with an April 4 start. This summer I had a rare stretch of nearly 48 hours without seeing another human. I was traveling SOBO, early September, near the NY/NJ border.
Jim Adams
01-01-2007, 23:12
2002 I hiked all the way to Fontana before any shelter had room for me but that was not a problem as I do camp most of the time. Same year while in the 100 mile wilderness I spent 3 nights alone at shelters but saw hikers everyday. It can be as much solitude as you want to make it. As Max Patch stated its not as bad as it sounds.
Spirit Walker
01-01-2007, 23:21
According to Laurie at ATC, March 15 is one of the most popular starting dates. (It used to be April 1, but everyone wanted to beat the crowd and created a new crowd.) If you can push the date a day or two in either direction (but not starting on the weekend) you would have fewer crowds.
terrapin_too
01-01-2007, 23:30
If you can push the date a day or two in either direction (but not starting on the weekend) you would have fewer crowds.
Do you really think a day or two either way is going to change the numbers by much? I kinda doubt it.
Jim Adams
01-01-2007, 23:35
If you leave Springer on a thursday morning, you will not see alot of people your first week but that time of year you will be catching people and will be caught by others within the end of the first week.
it is a rare day in March or April that you won't see hikers... sometimes lots of them. For me it didn't start to thin out til the Shennies....at least in 05... earlier yrs were much quieter.... but this trail is busy ...these days.
hammock engineer
01-02-2007, 01:13
I can't answer you question. But I will be starting sometime around then.
JimSproul
01-02-2007, 08:57
"Crowd" is a bit misleading. You may see dozens at popular locations like the Shelters but I would not say that is gets "crowded" in the real sense. I have been on the AT in Georgia in March and April and had lots of time without human contact.
As Jim posted, "crowds" is a relative term. I wish Winton would send me a day by day account of the actual numbers that sign in at Mountain Crossings. That way we could get a better idea of just how many.
That being said, mid March to mid April is the popular time to start a thru-hike. So, it's as crowded as it's ever going to be at that time. People will congretate at the shelters during the late afternoon and evening.
And, you will almost always meet other hikers during the day every day, no matter when you start, except maybe weekdays during the winter.
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There was a quote about crowsd from Yogi Berra. Did not seem off topic..ahem. C'est la vie.
Do you really think a day or two either way is going to change the numbers by much? I kinda doubt it.
You can doubt it all you want. It's well known many start on weekends and such dates as 3/1, 3/15, 3/21, and 4//1 with less people starting during the week.
terrapin_too
01-02-2007, 16:20
You can doubt it all you want. It's well known many start on weekends and such dates as 3/1, 3/15, 3/21, and 4//1 with less people starting during the week.
Sly, I didn't check the calendar when I posted. Regardless of the effect on Day One, it's all going to even out within a week or less.
The "weekend" effect is well known to anyone who's done any long hikes at all. You lose track of time and day-of-the-week. Many times I've been reminded that, "Oh, it must be the weekend" simply by noticing the number and the nature of the hikers I meet on the trail.
Sly, I didn't check the calendar when I posted. Regardless of the effect on Day One, it's all going to even out within a week or less.
The "weekend" effect is well known to anyone who's done any long hikes at all. You lose track of time and day-of-the-week. Many times I've been reminded that, "Oh, it must be the weekend" simply by noticing the number and the nature of the hikers I meet on the trail.
True, no matter where you are on the trail, there were always more people at shelters on Friday and Saturday night, and on the trail on Saturday and Sunday.
fiddlehead
01-02-2007, 23:38
Expect to see 20-30 people a day, perhaps more if you are really slow.
It's a circus.
enjoy
Jack Tarlin
01-02-2007, 23:58
You'll see lots of folks during the day, both on the Trail and when you take breaks at shelters. And the shelters themselves will be packed at night, but the best way to avoid this is simply not to stay at shelters! There's no need, really, and down south, you're very free to find an alternative campsite if you'd prefer some peace and quiet.
Keep in mind that some folks enjoy company at night, so if you want some camaraderie, or want to sit around a campfire and meet other folks, or if you want the convenience of good water and picnic table, etc., keep in mind that while shelters and the area immediately surrounding them can be quite crowded early in the season, if you go North down the Trail just fifty to a hundred yards, there are usually excellent campsites to be found. This will enable you to enjoy the benefits of shelters/established campsites without feeling overcrowded or having to pitch or sleep just a few feet away from someone else. As someone else said earlier, the Trail is as social and crowded as you want it to be. There will indeed be lots of people around you, but you'll certainly have plenty of time to yourself if you want it.
Pokey2006
01-03-2007, 01:53
I agree with Jack -- shelters are great resources, but you'll feel a lot less crowded if you camp near them, but a little ways away. Close enough to enjoy the benefits (a visit with other hikers, a good water source, privy, bear cables, etc.), but far enough away to have some privacy and solitude. It can be done, even if the trail seems "crowded."