View Full Version : Howdy from California
I say howdy because my fiance and I are both from Texas, but we met here in so-cal at school.
I didn't see an introductions thread in the forum, so I'm just posting it here.
Quick info: We are getting married in August, and I will be working and she will be finishing up school. She graduates in December, and we are looking to thru-hike the AT next year.
I am honestly leaning towards a New Years Start, though our initial plans were to start towards the end of January or sometime in February (we are kind of wanting to play it by ear to see if it's another "icepocalypse")
I'll be posting with questions and asking for advice every now and then but I usually just enjoy reading up on articles.
Cheers!
flemdawg1
03-31-2014, 16:25
Welcome.
If you start in January, bring lots of $. You two could be spending alot of days in hotels, waiting for snow to melt.
Prime Time
03-31-2014, 17:13
Are you starting that early because of some deadline? Otherwise, you will likely be fighting a lot of bad weather for much of your hike, unless you are looking for cold, wet, icy and snowey conditions.
I know this winter has been crazy but it's true what the others have said... we just got more snow here the other day in the smokies. A couple friends of mine are thru hiking and said they are still waking up to a couple feet of snow in the higher elevations. I don't know what y'all's experience levels are but prepare as best you can and hope for a mild winter.
johnnybgood
03-31-2014, 17:55
Starting in January guarntees shorter days for hiking which makes for longer downtime huddled in sleeping bags trying to stay warm.
The winters in higher elevation are unpredictable at best . When the weather turns bad many hiker hostels in winter are closed . Then you must stay in motels and eat in town , therefore wasting time and money instead of hiking.
I appreciate the feedback thus far,
No, we don't have a deadline to meet - we just like the idea of hiking through a winter wonderland. We've got the gear for a normal thru-hike now, so in terms of accumulating pairs of snow shoes / crampons (if need be) or an extra sleeping bag and some clothes won't be too tolling on us.
I stumbled upon this article and in terms of what I've enjoyed in my backpacking experience the pros tend to outweigh the cons.
http://ramkitten.squidoo.com/starting-appalachian-trail-thru-hike-new-years-day
Hiking in snow hasn't bothered us in the past, it's much more favorable to rain in my opinion - however we've got much less backpacking experience with snow than just day hikes.
One of the questions I do have is if we were to start in January, we'd hopefully be in the northern states around may - and I'm wondering what the weather will be like in New York / Hampshire / Maine in May/June? I've heard that new years starts are 'walking with winter', but I'm guessing it will be a little bit warmer than January in Georgia?
New England is typically buggy in May. Bring lots of DEET and a head-net. This year here in MA it's been unusually cold. Winter refuses to go away.
Prime Time
03-31-2014, 19:53
I don't know how much hiking you've done out east and maybe with a Jan 1 start you'll get just what you are looking for but I just want you to know what to likely expect. You are thinking winter wonderland but you'll probably get cold, raw, wet, miserable for most of January and February with snow, maybe, at only the brief treks over the very highest elevations. You'll get some nice stretches too, no doubt. Also, if you are in New England in May/June you will definitely not see it at the best time. Again, very wet, cold, muddy, and buggy (black flies are a plague unlike any other) will likely be the norm especially in the higher terrain.
Now, now.... by June in most of New England it's liable to get mighty hot. Probably "just right" in the Whites, except for the bugs and some lingering pockets of snow. Still and all, early summer isn't my favorite time for hiking.
I remember a late-May hike on the MidState Trail in central MA. A warm muggy late afternoon. After a brief downpour. I stopped for a moment and my legs were practically covered in a fur of lively fresh-hatched mosquitoes. Freaked me out.