Hello to all! This is my first post here and I have been reading a lot of the older threads with great interest. However, I would like to get some preliminary guidance because I want to do something a bit different than what others may want to do. I want to do a late half-thru (or a really long 'section hike'? I don't even know what to call it!) in spring/summer 2016.
About me: 35, female, solo. I'm six feet tall and around 220 with PCOS/PCOD. I know I am heavy, but I am also strong and big-framed. I smoke cigarettes. Other than that, I am very healthy. I don't take any medications and my joints are Excellent compared to others my age that I know.
My experience: Starting when I was 23, I got interested in day hikes. Reading around here, I have been 'doing it wrong' for many years. I understand HYOH, but I was wearing nothing but cotton (oops) and carrying a big old bookbag-style Adidas pack with no frame in it. I have gear to buy and other types of clothing to try out, as I had no idea how dumb/unsafe these things are considered. I'm planning to do some shorter overnight trips around my home (I live south of Pittsburgh, PA) with correct gear to get ready, and need all the help I can get.
What I want to do: I have always been something of a leisurely hiker. Going on side trails so I can see and photograph the beautiful sights off to the sides is what I do. While I have covered huge stretches of miles before (my ex-husband and I once pulled off over 50 miles in a weekend), hurrying and pushing isn't my style. I also only hike when it's warm (as in, above freezing). No judgment on anyone else, but hiking through snow isn't even remotely something I've considered or done. For these reasons, I figure a full thru-hike is a bad idea.
So, I want to do a half-thru from Springer Mountain to either Harper's Ferry or somewhere farther north where transportation to Pittsburgh is feasible. I do not drive, so I have to rely on public transpo or ride sharing. I am extremely flexible and free-- I am not constrained by outside responsibilities and, as a freelancer, can stop and start working at my own whims.
Questions:
When should I leave? I know thru-hikers leave in March or April, but that is going to be Way too cold. Frozen water bottles and shoes? Hiking through snow and ice? Mercy, no, not for me. The heat doesn't bother me-- I am quite accustomed to being soaked in sweat, bugspray and being grubby while hiking. When is good? Early June? This is a concern for me. I don't want to freeze, but I also don't want to be SO far behind the pack that I run into resupply problems or similar.
Does anyone else do this? Yes, I know that anything that can be done has been done, but has anyone here done a leisurely half-thru from GA to somewhere around the middle?
How lonely is it going to be? I am a person happy with my own company, but the idea of going days between seeing people in towns makes me nervous. I know the AT is generally safe, but I don't want to be completely isolated.
Any other suggestions are welcome. I am looking for feedback about alternatives I maybe haven't thought of or other issues I haven't considered. It just seems that, no matter where or when I start, I am going to miss the vast majority of people hiking because I want to avoid cold weather. If there is another forum section for long section hikers or half-thrus, I couldn't find it.
Sorry this is so long, and thanks in advance for any advice you can offer. Also sorry if I sound clueless or naive. I am just so excited to find a community of people who like to hike!