Good AT Section for Mid-March till Mid-May ???????? (Better place to post this?)

[Strummystick]

Need some advice ...... (1st time post of new member)
[Is there a better place to post this question??]

I'm looking for a good starting point and direction on the AT for a section from Mid-March till Mid-May.

Some considerations ......
1. Good weather - I have generally hiked New England in the summer. I would really like to stay away from cold weather. I also don't like bugs, of course. (I know ...... I want the world, but if I have these two months, I figure that there must be an optimum spot.)
2. Manageable Crowds - I'll be soloing, but I don't really like hiking completely alone. However, being in the middle of the AT Northbound bubble would probably be a bad idea, both for myself and for overall trail wear.

Several options have been going through my mind.
Option A: Would weather be warm enough if I started just North of the Smokies and moved up through Virginia?
Option B: Should I just join the crowds at Springer because that is the only way that I won't freeze in Mid-March. (Perhaps it will be more fun anyway to experience the bubble - I tend to like seeing people at shelters ....etc.)

Is there a better area of the forum for me to post this thread. and if so ..... how do I move this thread over to that area?
(Remember, I'm new here.)

[hubcap]

Springer will be cold in mid March, and wet. Southern VA has experienced sub-freezing temps into April in the past. No guarantees you'll find a section that will be "warm" until after mid-April. With the odd weather patterns over the past few years, you'll have to be ready for cold weather until mid-April no matter where on the trail you are.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Weather wise, mid-March through mid-May likely means experiencing some snow and finishing in spring rain pretty much wherever you start. It's going to be somewhat cold in March wherever you hike - the higher elevations of the southern mountains kind of make up for the differences in latitude, and weather systems tend to flow along the Appalachian ridge from south to north. GSMNP (Great Smoky Mountain National Park) would be the coldest and probably serve up the most winter like conditions due to the elevation. Spring comes late to the Smokies. Springer NOBO will be very crowded in mid-late March. NOBO from VA would be much less crowded, esp. midweek, where you may not see many other hikers. But SNP (Shenandoah Nat. Park) tends to see hikers throughout the year - most on weekends. Hiker services (shuttles, hostels, etc) that are readily available with a NOBO Springer start will be very limited the further up north you go until the weather warms up toward the end of your hike.

The worst part about hiking that time of year is cold rain IMO. If it's an option, another possibility is that you follow the weather and move around if you have transportation available and hike sections based upon where the least chance of rain will be any given week/two week period. I'd rather be hiking in the sun even as far north as CT/NY/PA than through cold early spring rain in southern VA, or vice-versa, regardless of temperature.

[full conditions]

If it were me (and I wish it were), I'd start in Damascus and go north. You'll be way ahead of the of the bubble and most of the serious storms are done by mid-March. Once you are north of Grayson Highlands, you'll be hiking at much lower elevations which will help a bit with nighttime temps. By mid-April, you'll likely be somewhere up around Shenandoah or Harpers Ferry which will start giving you spring wild flowers and migrating birds. With two months worth of time, you will likely make it thru Pennsylvania which is at its best in early spring and fall and the water situation will be at its best during the spring. I've hiked PA twice now, once during my thru during mid-summer and the second time during April. April was better.

[Strummystick]

Is there a specific bus accessible town at the North end of the Grayson Highlands where the altitude drops? Perhaps I could start there Mid-March and experience substantially higher temperatures than the Grayson Highlands? If I'm doing that, then is it all just a wash - and I should just go back to Damascus ..... or even Springer, because Mid March temps will be lower there because of season change.
This all became a concern of mine because I watched the TNT videos of some 2013 March 1st Springer NOBOs who had to bring all kinds of warm weather gear because they pretty much froze all the way to Damascus and beyond. They really had to bundle up clothes-wise, and I'm trying to avoid that.

[full conditions]

As long as you're in the Southern Appalachians, elevation matters more than latitude. Yes, The Grayson Highlands portion is fairly high and could be a couple of chilly nights but a). It's a brief section - you're only talking about a couple of nights and b) if you are willing to hang out in Damascus a couple of days, you could time it so you hit those miles during a warm spell (there are lots of those in March). Once you are north of I-81, you'll be a couple thousand feet lower all the way to Roanoke. It does take some flexibility this time of year and if you have that, you can dodge the occasional bit of bad weather down in civilization.

[Cookerhiker]

I'd start at the southern terminus of Shenandoah NP (Waynesboro) and hike north. In case of the worst conditions (cold rain as Buzzard stated), the shelters are sufficiently frequent to at least camp in dry conditions and at that time of year, you won't have crowds - thruhikers or other. Road crossings and bailout points are never far. Your highest elevations occur in your first week - after SNP, you don't reach 3,000' again until Greylock in Massachussetts.

I don't have my mileage chart handy, but I believe it's 100 miles in SNP, 50 in Northern VA, 40 in MD, 240 in PA. By mid-April, things will warm up, you'll be a lower elevations, you'll get through the mid-Atlantic region before the onset of hot, humid weather. You should reach Vermont by or before mid-May and at that point, you'll be glad you chose to do this stretch at that time.

Oh transportation-wise, you can get AMTRAK to Charlottesville and arrange for a shuttle to Rockfish Gap.

Good luck!

[Slo-go'en]

Is there a specific bus accessible town at the North end of the Grayson Highlands where the altitude drops? Perhaps I could start there Mid-March and experience substantially higher temperatures than the Grayson Highlands?

Marion, VA has the closest bus station to the trail in that area. I have started/ended many hikes there for that reason. March and early April is still winter, although this year it will probably be fairly mild. Heck, it's hardly winter here in the mountains of NH this season. There is still a good chance of periods of cold rain though. If you want to avoid cold weather and rain, you have to wait until at least mid April or May.

[Strummystick]

I'm now starting on April 1st. I would love to see other hikers, so I'm considering a Damascus start. I don't hike big miles, so I figure that the NOBOS will be catching me quite soon. Does anybody know the easiest way to reach Damascus from CT?

[bigcranky]

Drive down I-95 to I-78 to I-81 through PA and Virginia, get off at the exit for Damascus (around milepost 30). Easy :)

Or fly to Tri-Cities airport TN and get a shuttle.

[postholer.com]

Here are a few tools that may help you make a decision.

First for temps/climate check out the AT OnLine Data Book (http://www.postholer.com/databook/Appalachian-Trail/3). It has high/low temps for every trail section, for every month of the year. You can visualize all this with the AT google map (http://www.postholer.com/google-map/Appalachian-Trail/3).

You might find the AT trail planner (http://www.postholer.com/planner/Appalachian-Trail/3) useful as well. It's great for northbound hikes of any length.

We've also recently added an AT snow chart (http://www.postholer.com/snow/Appalachian-Trail/3). Though it's not as relevant as the PCT or CDT snow charts.

-postholer

[Strummystick]

Just for everybody's information . As of now the plan is to take an overnight Greyhound bus to Marion VA from Hartford CT ($77), stay overnight at a local motel within walking distance with Breakfast ($49), Take the local Transit Bus ($.50) [276.782-9300] to where the AT crosses Rte 11 beyond Atkins VA (in Groseclose) and hike North through VA and beyond, from April 1st until May 19th, when I'll get picked up by my wife (and my suit) on her way to a family wedding in Alexandria VA. The AT at Rte 11 is just North of the Grayson Highlands, so I won't start at high altitudes and things should be warmer. My theory is that someday in the future (maybe even early this Fall?), I may take the trip down to Marion again and join the trail in the same spot ..... hiking south through the higher elevations down to the Southern terminus in Georgia, when the Grayson Highlands, The Smokies, and beyond will be warmer and less rainy.
Any thoughts about this plan? Many thanks to all for the info above!

[ratfaceraines]

I shuttle out of pearisburg, va. I have suggestions/options that may meet your needs. I'm a very slow typist. Feel free to call anytime @540-921-7433(RIDE)

Need some advice ...... (1st time post of new member)
[Is there a better place to post this question??]
KO

I'm looking for a good starting point and direction on the AT for a section from Mid-March till Mid-May.

Some considerations ......
1. Good weather - I have generally hiked New England in the summer. I would really like to stay away from cold weather. I also don't like bugs, of course. (I know ...... I want the world, but if I have these two months, I figure that there must be an optimum spot.)
2. Manageable Crowds - I'll be soloing, but I don't really like hiking completely alone. However, being in the middle of the AT Northbound bubble would probably be a bad idea, both for myself and for overall trail wear.

Several options have been going through my mind.
Option A: Would weather be warm enough if I started just North of the Smokies and moved up through Virginia?
Option B: Should I just join the crowds at Springer because that is the only way that I won't freeze in Mid-March. (Perhaps it will be more fun anyway to experience the bubble - I tend to like seeing people at shelters ....etc.)

Is there a better area of the forum for me to post this thread. and if so ..... how do I move this thread over to that area?
(Remember, I'm new here.)

[HogFan]

Some friends and I are going to do a short section in late April/early May from Sam's Gap sobo to Hot Springs NC.
Enjoy!