I wasn't one of those folks but I can't say as I blame them. Let's just say, 99.9% of the time, it would be "inadvisable" to start a thru on that date. Anyone who doesn't know you personally would be excused for urging extreme caution... and being skeptical of your odds.
Please excuse our lack of clairvoyance. More apropos to your situation, I just watched "Long Start to the Journey", a great new thru-hiking documentary (highly recommended.) One of the characters ends up having to leave the trail in the Smokies due to severely frostbitten fingertips. (This is in February.) Didn't look like much fun in any case.
Yes, this February was very bad. We were just south of Damascus and encountered a couple nights that were -17. Luckily we were off the trail for those nights, due to the extreme weather. Starting around 2/12 is when it started getting bad, and this weather ran through the end of the month. We were off the trail from 2/12 until 2/28 due to not being able to get back to the trail head. I'm going to have to find that documentary though.
AT15
OT15
So you had to take more than two weeks off due to lack of access to the trailhead -- and you still wanna argue it's a good idea?
Yeah, but I get. Because the roads were bad we shouldn't have been out there hiking. There's a difference between trail conditions not allowing to move, and road conditions not allowing you to move. Had we not been stuck up a .6 mile driveway that was covered in ice we would have been hiking. Road topography and routes play a key role in knowing what you're talking about when it comes to trail access in some sections. There was no safe way to get a car or even a 4wd vehicle on some of the roads. This was due to snow melting during the day, and freezing over the roads at night. Thus, causing pure ice on the road in the mornings. If I had to do it over again, I'd start at the exact same time. Nothing better than not seeing a single person on the trail for 45 days. To each their own, and hike your own hike.
Anyway, back on topic about 100 Mile Wilderness.
AT15
OT15
somehow related- LW has many many times in other contexts complained about how much he dislikes modern thru hikers and only likes to help section hikers.
some people just like to chime in with a complaint whether it even makes any sense relative to the all the other complaining they usually do.
Teej
"[ATers] represent three percent of our use and about twenty percent of our effort," retired Baxter Park Director Jensen Bissell.
Perhaps somewhat answering your question, did anyone else on WB run into a guy named "pringles" in this year's hiking? He started at Springer and completed the AT up to well into Maine (last time I saw him, I assume he did finish), slackpacking himself using two vehicles. For someone who wants to see the entire trail without carrying overnight gear this is simply Brilliant! I had never heard of this before. Of course he had to use a start-up shuttle and he would wind up with two vehicles when he finished... he could always get help from a fellow hiker getting both vehicles home (NY maybe? I cannot remember), or just use another shuttle (back to 2nd car).
He did a NOBO, always walking SOBO... he'd drive to a road crossing/trailhead and park his vehicle, them hike SOBO back to his other vehicle, one day south, then he'd drive to a trailhead one day north of the other vehicle, then hike south, repeat, repeat. He either slept in his vehicle or a nearby hostel. There were a few sections that he had to make into two days and carry overnight gear and food/fuel.
I mention this in this thread because he had the HMW mapped out as a complete self-slack-pack. I talked to him a lot and he never mentioned any vehicle vandalism in his 4+ months parking not one, but two vehicles.
Extremely nice guy, he offered pringles to all hikers he'd pass (until he ran out, of course). He was also a great wealth of info to us NOBO's on trail conditions (water sources, primarily) just ahead. I personally was right in phase with him for about 10+ days or so, meaning our paths crossed every day.
Thanks Teej and CRob! Just what I was hoping to hear.
Another woman this year, Warm and Toasty, took the same approach. I didn't see her after Shenandoah but I was moving quickly so it wasn't too surprising. Hopefully she finished. It sounded like a great way to do the trail to me, especially on those cold, rainy nights!
I, like many who have posted on this thread, are disappointed in the ramifications, not only of the continued abuse of 'trail culture,' 'TRAIL entitlement,' and most importantly accessibility to civilization in the Hundred Mile Wilderness. I have hiked thru the HMW many times, however, this last monson-BigK traverse in September, although extremely gratifying with an emphasis on non-resupply and overall time, was disturbing. Monson to Abol in five days, which was a HUGE accomplishment for this section hiker. I hiked this section with a great friend who was NOBO thru, and his mentality after having made it 2000+ miles into ME was great, however it was a real eye-opener to me in terms of what it means/takes to hike the trail in 2015. I don't carry a cell phone on LDH's. He did. I was aghast to see that he had service daily thru the HMW. I was shocked, had no idea. He actually set up a bucket drop with Rebekah from LSH from the top of Barren Chairback. She was willing to shop for him, and drive the bucket to the road crossing. This was not something that was arranged in Monson. It was all arranged on the trail. This arrangement didn't stop this thru hiker from hitching a ride from pleasant river/gulf hagas into greenville, for more food. My NOBO friend carried a tiny pack, no stove, and ate peanut butter, cheese and torts all day.. no stove. I am in no way saying that he was wrong for the way he chose to rock the trail.. He did it fast, and light. However, even in the purported Hundred Mile Wilderness, where the warning signs used to mean something, it is extremely disappointing, disheartening and discouraging to know that this stretch can be fully supported by outside commercial, slackpacked, car-spotted ect. ect. ect. Far from the reality of my first time thru SOBO when I did carry 10 day's supply, and needed every bit of it. HYOH, but something has been lost in the last few years. It's a shame in my opinion. I'll never say it on trail to hikers, but I will anonymously on the internet. HIKERS WITH CELL PHONES PISS ME OFF... there I said it.. -DT
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.
Henry David Thoreau
Is white house landing not still available for food and resupply? assuming it is,then resupply in the 100 mile wilderness is not a problem. If it isn't you can still make it through by taking say six days rather than 10 days (I took 10 days on my trip).
Years ago we use to have long conversations here on the evils of cell phones and hiking sticks.
I carry a cell phone, in fact I carry a smart phone (the horrors!). I downloaded Baltimore Jack's resupply articles from here.
Bet if you had an emergency on the trail you'd be praying for a cell phone and service.
"Chainsaw" GA-ME 2011
Don,
Your right, I bet if I had an emergency on the AT I would be praying for a cell phone and service. What ever did hikers do pre-2000!! They must have died by the thousands!! I choose not to carry a phone for many reasons. Most thru's that I've met refuse to carry adequate first aid and foodstuffs. But they do carry their smartphone and charging accessories! Help! come get me! I'm cold and hungry! I'm not trying to rehash old loaded topics. I'm just observing how the wilderness is changing, and not for the better imo.
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.
Henry David Thoreau
I definitely get that.
For me, the "holy ****, I am really doing this" feeling when passing the HMW warning sign near Abol Bridge, and the satisfaction of making to Shaws about a week later was even more special than sharing Pat's table eating fried chicken with all the fixings, with pie and whole milk.
Which is to say, perfect.