2017 Sobo thru hike- do I try to find a partner or take it on myself?

[aeroo3]

I'm young (I'll be 19 at the time of my departure) and I've been meticulously planning this undertaking for about a year now. That includes short section hikes with my sisters and a few patient friends. The thing is, none of these people want to take on the whole trail, yet still insist on me going with someone. Should I try to make a friend with the same goal now or attempt going solo? Is it plausible for a 19 hiker with about four years of experience to go sobo alone?


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[4eyedbuzzard]

Okay, while there may be some additional security concerns due to gender, your biggest issue is that you will start on the toughest part of the AT. That you are even asking means that you have some reservations regarding the possibility of hiking alone. First, it would probably be helpful to have a hiking partner for several reasons. Number one is peace of mind, and the general rule "don't hike alone." Number two is the physical help in crossing streams, going up rocks, ledges, roots, etc. If you've never hiked in Maine, it is more rugged than what you may have experienced in NC or other parts of the AT. Number three is the company of someone you know/trust, especially in camp. But you will rarely be alone if you start at a normal time (late June through July). A distant four would be the concerns regarding criminal assault of a young woman hiking alone. Even if you start alone, there will be other people on the trail, and hikers tend to wind up making friends and traveling together for parts of their hikes.

[Pajj]

I was 18 and started the trail solo last march. 5 months later I was at katahdin with plenty of friends who I had met along the way. The people who started with someone actually had it harder and I'd say more of them dropped out due to disagreements and whatnot. Go for it and don't be one of those people who think they can't do anything by themselves.

[Grampie]

When I thru-hiked NOBO I felt it was safe for a woman, young or old, to be on the trail alone. My thoughts of you going SOBO are totally different. Being a SOBO you will be traveling with far less hikers in a most difficult environment. You will have less of a chance to partner up with other hikers. The AT down south is well used and is well maintained. Maine has very rough terrain and fewer hikers at the start of the season. Unless you feel comfortable spending a lot of time alone , I would advise you to go NOBO.

[MuddyWaters]

I'm young (I'll be 19 at the time of my departure) and I've been meticulously planning this undertaking for about a year now. That includes short section hikes with my sisters and a few patient friends. The thing is, none of these people want to take on the whole trail, yet still insist on me going with someone. Should I try to make a friend with the same goal now or attempt going solo? Is it plausible for a 19 hiker with about four years of experience to go sobo alone?


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Not only is it plausible, its common.
Long distance hiking is primarily a solitary endeavor.
You make friends, you hike with them, you leave them behind, or they leave you, etc.


The only cause for concern, is that sobo isnt as easy as nobo.
However, there will be lots of sobos starting. Its not 40 per day like in Ga, but theres enough . you arent out there all alone at all . theres plenty of section hikers about as well.

You will likely find someone to start with just by asking here.
Find a starting partner if you can, but dont let lack of one deter you.

[Water Rat]

to White Blaze!

To chime-in as a female (most often solo) hiker... Yes, you should absolutely just go for it. Do not let the fears of others control your hike. Maine is tough, but it is not insurmountable and you will find there are many people on the trail when you want to start SoBo. You will find there are lots of people (thru-hikers starting, section hikers, day hikers) in the 100 Mile Wilderness, as well as throughout Maine. They might not be thru-hikers, but they will be out there and will lend a hand if you need it.

The trail is a far safer place for any female to be, than say a college campus, or city. I would actually recommend a SoBo start for any female - There are fewer distractions and less chance that some guy will want to chase you down the trail (not in a psycho way, just a normal hormonal way). You are already on your way to gaining the knowledge you will need to have fun on the trail - And you have time yet to hone your skills. Don't let anyone talk you out of backpacking, if that is what you want to do. There are far too many negative voices who want to tell you that you NEED a hiking partner so that you will be safe. That is simply not true. You are learning skills to keep you safe, carry maps (and know how to read them), and carry a list of phone numbers for shuttles should you need to bail on a section.

The hardest part will be the 100 Mile Wilderness. I say that because you will be adjusting to being on the trail full-time and you will be just starting out. Once you get past that, you will have more confidence in your abilities and will have a better idea of what Maine is all about. Just take it one step at a time and you will be just fine.

Depending on the time you have for your hike, I would suggest not starting in June - The rivers will be flowing higher then, it will be cooler, and the bugs (black flies and mosquitoes) are still out and pestering). A July start will be more gentle with you and will still allow plenty of time to get to Springer.

There are lots of great trail journals and blogs out there. In addition, you might want to check out some great blogs by women who tend to hike solo.

Wired's blog (http://www.walkingwithwired.com/p/home-page.html) is probably the best source of information. While she didn't do the AT SoBo, she is a triple-crowner who tends to hike solo. Plus, she is willing to talk to those who have fears, but still want to get out there.

Since it looks like you are from NC, you might also consider talking to the amazing resource you have in Jennifer Pharr Davis! She is always eager to have women get out on the trail. She has hiked the AT 3 times - All of them (mostly) solo. Her fastest known time (FKT) record was set on a SoBo hike and I am sure she would be happy to address any questions you may have. She now owns and operates the Blue Ridge Hiking Company (http://blueridgehikingco.com/)

Ask questions. Do research. Don't listen to the people who tell you that YOU have to have someone hike with you so that you can alleviate the fears of others. Those are their fears to own, not yours. The trail is a wonderful place and there are good people out there who will give ya a hand if you need it. Most of all - Have an amazing hike!

[aimeekg97]

I am starting my planning of a 2017 sobo thru hike. I have been backpacking for years but am looking for a partner at least to get through the 100 mile wilderness as I just would like to have someone there in case the water levels are high, etc. If you are interested in partnering with someone for at least the beginning, please let me know.
[email protected]

[bigcranky]

The solo part will be fine, seriously. There will be other hikers on the trail, and you'll find people to hike with.

I have been thinking about a sobo hike for awhile, and trying to figure out how to be in shape to tackle the toughest part first. What I would do is drive to Damascus, VA, and get on the AT southbound and hike for two weeks or so, then come home, repack, and fly to Maine. The two weeks on the AT south of Damascus gives me a smooth, low-impact way to get my trail legs back before hiking Maine, and for me it's only a couple of hours from home. With this plan, I get to start fairly level for 50 miles, then ramp up to big climbs, then hit Katahdin. I won't be in thru-hiker shape, but I'll be way better off than just starting at Katahdin right from my couch.

Good luck.

[bigcranky]

The solo part will be fine, seriously. There will be other hikers on the trail, and you'll find people to hike with.

I have been thinking about a sobo hike for awhile, and trying to figure out how to be in shape to tackle the toughest part first. What I would do is drive to Damascus, VA, and get on the AT southbound and hike for two weeks or so, then come home, repack, and fly to Maine. The two weeks on the AT south of Damascus gives me a smooth, low-impact way to get my trail legs back before hiking Maine, and for me it's only a couple of hours from home. With this plan, I get to start fairly level for 50 miles, then ramp up to big climbs, then hit Katahdin. I won't be in thru-hiker shape, but I'll be way better off than just starting at Katahdin right from my couch.

Good luck.

[Marta]

As I was preparing for my solo SOBO, another woman contacted me through WhiteBlaze and asked to join me. I said yes, although with the stipulation that we not really be partners--that we each carry our own gear and vow to carry on, even if the other person dropped out.

Good thing I did. My "partner" only made it half way up Katahdin before quitting. Besides that, she provided stress and drama that I would have preferred to do without.

As everyone else has said, you will meet other people along the way, starting on Day 1, you will enjoy hiking with.

Best wishes for a good hike!

[The Phoenix]

I'm young (I'll be 19 at the time of my departure) and I've been meticulously planning this undertaking for about a year now. That includes short section hikes with my sisters and a few patient friends. The thing is, none of these people want to take on the whole trail, yet still insist on me going with someone. Should I try to make a friend with the same goal now or attempt going solo? Is it plausible for a 19 hiker with about four years of experience to go sobo alone?


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I was 19 when I thru-hiked and I ended up with a nice little trail family... (a dozen or so folks I came to know very well). They ranged in age from 20 to 75. I did zero meticulous planning and decided not to heed the advice of those insisting I find somebody to go with... Everyone is different, but if you are comfortable alone... it's not a bad route to go. You'll find plenty of folks you jive with! I had way less than 4 years of experience & did very little AT research prior to my trek. In my opinion, a positive attitude, stubbornness, a sense of humor, and sense of adventure are all it takes to walk 2,000- some odd miles!!


Good luck! Feel free to send me a message if you have any other questions

[Dogwood]

As typical a variety of advice some solid and some iffy.

Even solo hikers, which make up the brunt of all AT thru-hikers, whether going NOBO or SOBO, have opps to find like minded other hikers to hike with. Yes, as pointed out there are some pros and cons to going SOBO and you should take into consideration BOTH sides of that coin deciding FOR YOURSELF what is BEST FOR YOUR situation NOT BASED on the situation of someone else. There's solid condensed information of what characterizes various AT thru-hiking itineraries NOBO, ALTERNATIVE, and SOBO that can help you decide what's BEST FOR YOUR SITUATION here:http://www.appalachiantrail.org/home...il/thru-hiking * DECIDE for yourself what is right for you AFTER getting a good feel for the character of different thru-hiking itineraries and start times.

If concerned about going solo as a SOBOer you might be wise considering the ATC's thru-hiker registry for your hiking start time to coincide with other SOBOers start times who have registered here: http://www.appalachiantrail.org/home...tration-charts and http://www.appalachiantrail.org/home...r-registration NOTE: NOT all who will SOBO Thru-hike will register though as this is a voluntary registry but it does give you some general idea of what opps you will have to start with other SOBOers and possibly grouping with other SOBOers. Overall, it does overwhelmingly tend to be a more solitary or small group adventure going SOBO compared to NOBOing although with the ATC being a recent driving force in promoting more NON-NOBO AT Thru-hiking itineraries you MAY find starting a SOBO to your liking. REMEMBER, it is your hike. You can make up the itinerary as you desire even flipping down south to coincide going NOBO with the large NOBO crowd if you so desire for awhile to get a feel for that experience too. Pick up your remaining trail mileage in whatever way suits your fancy.

The AT over the course of its nearly 2200 miles in 14 states with an avg 2-3 million visitors that hike it each yr has witnessed fewer deaths over the past ten(10) yrs then at the U.S. WalMart locations on Black Friday over the same past ten(10) yrs. The rationale that might be taken from those statistics is that if you can survive shopping at WalMart on Black Friday you'll likely survive hiking the AT.

Enjoy your journey.

[elmobley]

Hey if you need someone to hike with, i'm looking for someone for 2017 as well! I'll be 24 feel free to email me if you want to talk more- [email protected]

[sshannonsimss]

I'm a few years older than you but I plan to hike in 2017 too - I'm going to NOBO however. I'm planning on going alone. I know girls who hiked the AT last year, and the PCT two years ago and they all started by themselves however they later ended up making friends and hiking with others. I know it can be off putting being so young compared to most hikers, and being a girl in today's world but no doubt you should be okay by yourself. You'll meet people and make friends soon enough into your hike. The tip I was given was to just make sure you don't hitch hike allow; yes some women have and were fine but if something bad is to happen it'll more than likely come from a random person rather than a thru hiker. Good luck! Maybe we'll cross paths

[Trance]

Id advise northbound if going solo..... there is a sort of group understanding where people watch out for people. It will be safer than going Southbound solo.