Earliest Date But Still Avoid Crowds
Whats the earliest date to leave Springer but stillavoid the initial rush
I believe the rush is from mid-March through the end of April. Do you want to be in front or behind the rush?
Yellow Jacket -- Words of Wisdom (tm) go here.
march 1st would be good
wanna be behind the rush
I guess he's saying he wants to leave as soon as the rush is over
oh. april 10th thenOriginally Posted by wilconow
I wish I had day by day numbers from Winton/Mountain Crossings. Not 100% complete, but probably the best numbers available.
To answer your question about start date, I suspect that the majority of hikers have left by April 15. I started April 22, and shared the first shelter with one other hiker.
i'd start 1 may
Feb. 15th....too hot by April 15th. Make them catch you!
geek
late april and early may 2008 were not crowded at all in georgia. 1-2 at shelters/ good sites, if that. pass 3-5 folks a day.
The 2nd half of April is a fine time to start. It can still get below freezing on the mountains, but you don't have to carry so much extra cold weather gear. You get to see lot's of wildflowers in the south. The biggest crowds are ahead of you.
There's benefits to starting early and benefits to starting late. A lot of considerations depend on your pace, conditioning, budget, etc.
I don't blame you for wanting to avoid the crowds. IMO, starting Feb 1 is tougher than starting May 1.
Back in the old days, the first week of April was still close to prime-time for starts. But I get the impression that prime-time has moved forward a couple of weeks, to mid-March or so.
Yep, the start times have gotten earlier. A good thread would be- what are the pros and cons of starting before the crowd and after the crowd.
i dont see any cons. if i do it again, i'll start before feb 1 or after may 1.
what would be the earliest you guys would leave and be ok w/ a +20 bag? i'm probably going for it in 2010 and would like to leave sooner rather than later
weather varies so much, it's hard to say.
+20 could be good at Springer on Jan. 1 and not warm enough in the Grayson Highlands in mid May.
as an average IMO a +20 bag can get you thru from March 1 with a set of good underware to sleep in.
geek
That's where the bag liners come in handy. A couple I hiked with this year started March 5, and carried 32* bags. They just carried a coolmax and a silk liner each to get down to the colder temps. It's a lot cheaper than buying two bags, a summer and winter one.
Pro's and Con's regarding the pack
Staying ahead of the crowds would be beneficial IMO, as opposed to being behind them. If you are in front, you're more likely to be accepted into a town with open arms. I think by the end of the hiker season, many towns, locals and hiker establishments are burned out-it's natural. Sometimes the actions of a few have people fed up with the hiker community. Maybe you just arrived after a few drunken A holes pissed people off and ruined it for others. This is much less likely to happen to folks in the early season.
On the flip side of the coin, being really early has its drawbacks. Some services may not be open or expecting hikers. Trail magic will obviously be much less. You're not likely to arrive to any feeds or gatherings (which can be good OR bad depending how you view them).
I guess I'd rather be part of the early crowd, as I was on the AT. I was generally treated really well and had great experiences.
Anything's within walking distance if you've got the time.
GA-ME 03, LT 04/06, PCT 07'
Earlier to miss the shelter snakes, less mice, more firewood. Just gear for it.
before the rush is easy. last week in Feb. if you want to be behind the rush you may as well wait until after trail days. even then you'll see quite a few section hikers and weekenders.
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