View Full Version : Why March 1 such a popular start date for at thru hike?
Hi,
I posted this question first on trailplace..and out of 24 views only wingfoot responded!
Question is: Why do so many people start on or around March 1 for an AT thru NB thru hike? That basically guarentees three weeks of winter conditions and probably a month. Wood seem to me to be more challenging and not necessarily a time saver than starting in late march.
Wingoot's oppinion is that as folks started to leave earlier to avoid the April 1 rush the rush just got backed up till now it is early or mid march.
Any additional perspective on this? Starting March 21..am I perhaps already aftter the crowds? Do so many folks REALLY want to hike in feet of snow?
DavidNH
Jack Tarlin
12-08-2005, 22:26
David--
While it's true that you have a greater chance of hitting rough weather with a 1 March start, this isn't always the case; sometimes early March can be quite mild.
You never really know what you're going to get. Sometimes Spring comes very early; sometimes people get nailed in the Smokies in mid-April. I've been snowed on in the Mt. Rogers area as late as 22 May.
If you want to start with fewer folks, I think around the 15th of March would be fine, as the 20th/21st still draws a lot fo folks who want to set off on or near the first day osf spring.
fiddlehead
12-08-2005, 22:31
I haven't done a northbound in 10 years now, but it seems to me that April 1st would be the ideal time to start. However, i believe people start earlier because they are anxious and want to take extra time to rest and start slowly. if you are in shape, and know how to hike, you are right. It would be wiser to start later and miss a lot of cold temps and almost guaranteed snow. Of course many northerners are not afraid of the snow conditions.
I started my first nobo on april 1st., my 2nd on may 1st (had spent april in south america and was in great shape so had no problem finishing by oct 10) my 3rd was a southbound.
I have driven friends down to springer as early as feb 10 and they got a lot of cold, snowy weather. but they were geared for it.
so, you ask about march 21. I think it would be in the middle of the bubble now days. But i don't know the latest trends. I really don't think it matters when you start. Just hike. and enjoy
I suspect that perhaps the "rush" has not changed so much but the date people THINK they need to start gets earlier as they try to beat the perceived beat the rush date.
I started Mar 20th and the crowds were not too bad. If I wanted in a shelter there was almost always room.
What I found was an even more important predictor of crowds was weekends. Start on a weekday and you are likely to see fewer people, both because of weekend hikers and because thruhikers getting off a job or whatever tend to start on weekends.
If you are looking to avoid the rush factor, just don't start on a weekend, or, start after April 15. As long as you maintain a reasonable pace, and don't take an excessive amount of time off, there is ample time to complete the AT before cold weather sets in, and you will avoid much of the severe weather in the south.
mattydt20
12-10-2005, 10:46
What's so bad about the spring rush? If you want to stay in shelters the whole way, I understand they can be already full when you arrive. If you're seeking five months of isolation, I can understand that as well.
There are going to be some amazing people out on the trail and I look forward to meeting them. Fellow hikers will be a great support team as you attempt to accomplish a task that so few have achieved. Some people are going to rub you the wrong way, but I maintain strong friendships with people I met while I was bicycling across the country two summers ago.
So why is the spring rush so bad?
i am guessing many start earlier (ie March 1st) simply because they have had it up to here with anticipation and the call of the wild, or something like that.
in 04 we counted 42 people camped at hawk mt shelter on march 2nd....loads of folks who were already experienced hikers, 30-30, wildcat, bramble, and many more hiked past to gooch gap, where on day 3 we had less than 40 folks camped.
it was and still is a great memory...thing is, just cause you start with a crowd or alone doesn't matter on the AT. So many people hike it, they'll be passing you all day long, every single day. It became a joke at one point when someone said at about mile 500 or 600 that there would be people starting the AT in GA that would pass us all up before PA.
Flyin bryan past me at watauga lake doing 3+ mph and really never said a word....i think he started 2 weeks before that day and i had been out nearly a month and a half. what's so funny is, when i was in stride, all my hikin buds thought i could fly....and all i felt was bryan's dust.
I remember my first night at Hawk Mountain there had to be thirty or more, yet so many were keen to try out their tents that there was space to spare at the shelter. The mob thinned very quickly. On the trail I saw little trace of them. My second night I tented with only three others, and only when I hit the weekenders at the Smokys did things really get tight. It did pay to start and finish early to be assured a spot inside the shelters and hostels but I always found it possible.
I think more and more people have wanted to get ahead of the perceived crowd over the years to the point where March 1 is as popular as the 21st or April 1st. Its common to see a dozen or 2 start in febuary. Another reason is many have school or new plans that start at the end of summer and this gives them a good 6 months to enjoy the trail.
i can remember folks sleeping under hawk mountain shelter and there being absolutely no tent space at the shelter on March 21st 2000. plenty of room where the shelter trail intersects the AT however. that may have been a banner year on a banner day too. i wouldn't think that you would encounter more than a foot of snow on the trail at one time starting as early as march 1st. in georgia, at that time of the year, snow or ice is usually followed by warmer temps so it hangs around only for a few days. i have encountered drifts deeper than that, but nothing to slow you down much. hiked from springer to neel gap last february with a couple of guys hiking in trail runners, in 6-8 inches of snow. they said that it didn't bother them, but i gotta say, i was happy to be in boots and gaiters. i , as well, have had sleet/snow in the Grayson Highlands in the middle of may a couple of years ago, and then the weather was beautiful for several days after that. it starts warming up here around the first of march with cold and warm spells after that so i think march 1 is an excellent start date.
Don't think that by starting late in March you'll avoid winter conditions! The two worst snow days were April 2nd and April 24th last year! It was truly "always winter, but never Christmas" as Gypsy Lulu said (quoting from Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe). There were plenty of cold days until June!
I started March 13th, hoping to have time to get to Katahdin before October. The weather was beautiful most of the time until the blizzard on April 2nd. I think the real reason folks start so soon is they want to be sure to have time to finish.
jackiebolen
12-15-2005, 20:53
March 1 seems kind of ideal to me. You miss a lot of the blizzards and such that you would get starting in Jan or early Feb. You also get to hike a long way in the bug-free zone. It's also not hot when you're down South and the heat won't really hit for a couple of months. You have tons of time to get to Katadihn without about it closing.
Plus, it's probably only really crowded for a couple weeks or so and then people start dropping out and thinning out.
I used to think that getting an early start on the trail would be an asset. Now I see it as possibly a liability. As you stated, starting early necessitates winter gear, which adds weight and slows you down, making it necessary to resupply more often as you run out of food. I've pretty much decided that, when I do my thru, I'll start between April 1 and 15, with a lighter pack and some interesting budding plants to look at. Starting even later and doing more miles/day is beginning to look more attractive as I consider it.
I used to think that getting an early start on the trail would be an asset. Now I see it as possibly a liability. As you stated, starting early necessitates winter gear, which adds weight and slows you down, making it necessary to resupply more often as you run out of food. I've pretty much decided that, when I do my thru, I'll start between April 1 and 15, with a lighter pack and some interesting budding plants to look at. Starting even later and doing more miles/day is beginning to look more attractive as I consider it.Hey, Tinker! You the Tinker from the Vermont section last Fourth of July?
I felt the same as you this past April, and left April 11. had a 45* bag, not nearly enough even if April. Spent a night on Mt Blue wearing all my clothes in my bag, and still shivering. This year I'm taking a WM 30* bag (Megalite) and a ThermoLite bivy for those nights where the temp drops below freezing.
The problem with a late start was that an injury left no time to recover and get back on the trail with enough time to finsih (I didn't want to flip flop).
This year I'm starting march 1 and you are right about the weight. Looks like my starting pack weight (before food/water) will be about 25 pounds vs. 18 pounds last April.
I don't think it will make much of a difference in mileage, though, or necessitate more frequent resupply. I may carry one additional day's worth of food, but probably not, at least the way I've been looking at it.
Our reason? Heat. We have a hard time hiking in the heat. In the cold, you only really get cold when you stop. You can't get away from heat, and it saps your energy. Ice is a concern, though.
gravityman
12-16-2005, 19:12
I personally think that it has a lot to do with personality. I have the personality type, that if I am even close to Oct. 15th finish, I'm going to freak out. I need extra time to KNOW I can make it without hurrying. And we had that. We did feel some time pressure in southern VA when we were averaging in the low 10 mile range, but by the time we made it to Mass we knew we had all the time in the world, and didn't really push ourselves at all. That was really nice...
Gravity (and Danger)
Not sure anyone has mentioned this, but a major reason people start march 1, is the deadline of returning to college/grad school. The majority of the folks I started with on 3/1 and the next few days were students returning to school or starting at the beginning of september. We all had to be done by the end of August, and many people seeked buffer time to relax before rushing back to school. As we all hiked August 1st became a goal, allowing most a month to relax and wind down from the adventure.
For a 5-5.5 month hike, march 1st was a perfect start time. Some folks were even able to stretch it to six months, having to head right back to school. March 1st was about the earliest most people felt comfortable starting, after the worst of the weather was over. So much is made over starting early, but as Jack said, sometimes March isn't so bad. The fist 2 weeks were exceptional, 60 degrees during the day and mostly sunny, with cold nights. We didn't hit snow until Erwin and again at Damascus, debunking the theory that bad weather is correlated to an early start. That year we endured so much rain, but the march 15th starters most likely endured even worse weather. As Jackie mentioned too, march 1st is a nice time to start when you dont wanna deal with bugs and heat. I was able to virtually avoid it the whole trip, besides small isolated sections. March 1st has become a routine day of sorts the past 3 yrs and is a cool tradition. That being said, I don't see why anyone who didn't have a deadline would start this early unless they were really worried they needed 7.5 months. I would start much later next time, knowing how fast I can hike.
Jack Tarlin
12-17-2005, 22:36
A-Train raised an excellent point about academic schedules.
That being said, every year we see people killing themselves in late August or early September because they have a deadline for travel/school/etc. They'll be flying thru the Northern states, doing bigger miles than they want; skipping time off that they really want or on occasion, really need; breaking away from close friends they've had for months, all because of time pressure.
Finishing a trip this way is really not a lot of fun. I hope folks who're hiking next year keep this in mind. Most, (but certainly not all) thru-hikes take between 24 and 27 weeks to complete, and for Northbounders, it's usually very hard to "bump up" your daily mileage after you get to New Hampshire. Even if one HAD to, it's hard to significantly increase your mileage after a certain point; the terrain simply won't permit it.
Give yourselves enough time to enjoy your entire trip without time pressure ruining the end of it. Consider taking fall term off and returning to school in January. (Plus, you'll have some decompression time.....going from Baxter to a classroom in 48 hours very often doesn't work out!)
Excepting folks who're planing a very speedy hike, if you need to be done by Labor Day, you should be thinking about a March start, and preferably, an EARLY March start. High-mileage hiking days should be achieved when you WANT to get 'em and not because you HAVE to get 'em.
Thanks A-Train, Jack. Baltimore is right too about rushing to finish. Unless you're Squeaky, better to slow down at the end. BTW, w/ proper gear and a little sense (and this is from a guy who signs his name N.Bacile :) ), you can enjoy the AT all year.:jump
Adding on to Jack's post, I'd recommend that people plan on decreasing their daily/weekly mileage in upstate New England if at all possible. Try to allow at least 5 weeks to go from Hanover to Katahdin.
Jack Tarlin
12-18-2005, 11:38
I'd say five weeks is actually a little short; in my experience, most folks get to Katahdin 37 to 42 days after leaving Hanover, depending on weather conditions and how much time off they take.
I would start much later next time, knowing how fast I can hike.
Often said that statement myself. If I was to go NoBo on the AT again, suspect would start in late April/Early May. I did the AT in 5 mos with heavier gear (and starting in worse shape) than now. Suspect without much effort could do a 4 - 4.5 month thru-hike.
The weather would be nice to start and would get to experience the wildflowers and blossomig trees down south. Would end at the cusp of the leaves changing in New England. The only downside would be the hot and sticky weather in the mid-Atlantic.
Of course, if (when? See the addiction thread earlier! :) ) I did the AT again, would go SoBo next time. I hear the Smokies in the Fall are simply gorgeous.
I'd say five weeks is actually a little short; in my experience, most folks get to Katahdin 37 to 42 days after leaving Hanover, depending on weather conditions and how much time off they take.
I'm not going to debate you Jack. But, I think that both of us agree that New Hampshire and Maine are not states to rush though. So, our advice is to allow ample time.
Hey, Frosty! Yes, it's Tinker from Vt. How are your legs holding out since the hike? I guess you have a point as far as injury or other factors forcing zero days on you. If you leave later, you can't make it up. I guess I've been lucky as far as injuries go, but I haven't spent more than a week at a time on the trail, so I haven't had those nasty overuse injuries that often end a thruhike bid. I wish you the best of luck on your '06 bid. I may start with Lilmountaingirl later in the season. I'm itching to get some southern miles under my belt.
Hey, Frosty! Yes, it's Tinker from Vt. How are your legs holding out since the hike? I guess you have a point as far as injury or other factors forcing zero days on you. If you leave later, you can't make it up. I guess I've been lucky as far as injuries go, but I haven't spent more than a week at a time on the trail, so I haven't had those nasty overuse injuries that often end a thruhike bid. I wish you the best of luck on your '06 bid. I may start with Lilmountaingirl later in the season. I'm itching to get some southern miles under my belt.When I saw she was leaving in April I thought briefly of delaying, but given my history of injury and stupidity, I think an early start is advised. I have to take some time o in the middle of my hike anuyway, , so I may meet up with her later in the hike.
Have a good time. Consider starting at Josh and Leigh's hiker hostel. They're great and will bring you to Amicalola or Forest Service Road 42 as you prefer.
I started March 1st and I did it for a number of reasons. I graduated that december and I was working odd jobs and wanted to get on the trail as soon as possible. I had to race some of the nordic marathon circuit and the largest race of the season was the weekend before.
Starting March 1st allowed me to do the type of hike that I liked. I got to participate in many of the social aspects of the trail and while having the opportunity to escape it at any time. I was very social in the south and hiked out of it in the north. It was the best of both worlds.
The weather in March was not nearly as bad as April. If you survive the weather in the south early in the season, your chances of making it all the way greatly increase. I found the success rate of the hikers that started March 1st was probably more like 50% instead of the 25%.
bosborne
06-02-2006, 21:12
David,
I haven't perused all the replies but my reasoning is simple: the extraordinary beauty of the mountains in the ice and snow. I've spent plenty of time in Maine, hiking throughout the year. The memories that stay with me are those around Saddleback, in winter. It's true that hiking in snow has particular difficulties and the packs are heavier but the sights that you see are extraordinary, you'll always remember them.
I started March 2nd to give myself 5 1/2 months to play with, but enjoyed this:
Early April is when you get the crowds. March 1st is a popular early start, so you get quite a few hikers, but they are a smaller, more closely knit group. That was my experience, anyway.
I believe I heard that the first half of 2006 was one of the warmest years on record. With that said, if the pattern continues, anytime in February would be ideal, or at least equal to weather conditions during the month of March of previous years.