View Full Version : If you had to start Sept 1st.?
FiftyNine
08-26-2016, 12:05
My daughter just asked me if she were to take off and start hiking the trail next week, would she be able to do a thru hike or flip flop hike. -- I told her it would be hard but if I had to start tomorrow I would do a flip flop and start around PenMar or Harpers Ferry and go South to follow the weather. The problem would be she would have to take time off and start the north bound part of the flip flop in April. On the up side she would see some beautiful fall colors . Any other suggestions?
hikeandbike5
08-26-2016, 12:23
start at kathadin, hike south. bring warm clothes. hopefully you can get south of the whites by columbus day.
Or start in NH, get the Whites and Maine out of the way before Oct. 15, then head south from where you started.
I started at Springer in late February and met two separate southbound hikers who were finishing up. They started in September. You can do it in the winter.
I would start at the northern terminus and hike south. Sounds great actually.
peakbagger
08-26-2016, 16:45
Great time of year to hike through Maine and NH but its pushing it for the whites. Weather can vary widely on the summits. I live just north and had 41 degrees on my household thermometer last week. Lot to be said for slacking sections of the whites so maybe you need to visit her in five or six weeks and offer to shuttle her over the whites.
The tough part is that first climb up Katahdin, its one of the steepest sustained climbs on the entire AT. Even with a daypack that she can borrow from the ranger station its a long day for folks not used to boulder climbing.
I plan to be up at Katahdin on the 8th.
bigcranky
08-26-2016, 17:32
I would start in New Hampshire and hike to Katahdin, then flip back to the starting point and head south. She won't be able to take her time... :)
colorado_rob
08-26-2016, 17:39
I would start at the northern terminus and hike south. Sounds great actually. Yep, agree, sounds great! September is awesome up there.
I would start in New Hampshire and hike to Katahdin, then flip back to the starting point and head south. She won't be able to take her time... :) What is the advantage of this over simply starting at Katahdin and heading south? She should be in the Whites by late September, through the high stuff by early October.
Slo-go'en
08-26-2016, 21:30
Yep, agree, sounds great! September is awesome up there.
What is the advantage of this over simply starting at Katahdin and heading south? She should be in the Whites by late September, through the high stuff by early October.
Maine can be pretty slow going for a newbie for all kinds of reasons. Difficulty of terrain, daylight getting shorter everyday, possible weather issues. You really have to be well into Vermont before the middle of October and that is not easy to pull off in the fall.
But if she's experienced, all packed up and ready to go, I'd say "sure, head to Katahdin" and see how far you get. It's not easy to pull off a thru hike starting in Sept, but it would be a decent section hike before the weather turned nasty.
saltysack
08-26-2016, 22:41
Shoot I've always thought when I get a chance for a AT thu it would be a late Aug to early sept start sobo..no crowds or bugs but I'm sure it would also have its challenges......shoot to finish by xmas...
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
colorado_rob
08-27-2016, 08:01
Maine can be pretty slow going for a newbie for all kinds of reasons. Difficulty of terrain, daylight getting shorter everyday, possible weather issues. You really have to be well into Vermont before the middle of October and that is not easy to pull off in the fall.
But if she's experienced, all packed up and ready to go, I'd say "sure, head to Katahdin" and see how far you get. It's not easy to pull off a thru hike starting in Sept, but it would be a decent section hike before the weather turned nasty. We agree on one thing, getting this done and into Vermont before the higher chances of lousy weather will be a challenge, to be sure!
But with due respect, after Katahdin, the terrain in Maine is pretty gentle for the 1st half of the 100-mile wilderness, whereas going north, she would have Moosilauke soon into her hike (Moosilauke as tough as Katahdin, IIRC, plus easier to do southbound, IMHO) then the Whites, so heading south from Katahdin seems like a decent warmup, plus before the autumnal equinox, there is actually more daylight in Maine than further south, though we're talking a couple minutes (seconds?), tops. Overall, I really don't see much advantage/disadvantage going either way, just seems simpler starting at Katahdin and heading in one single direction.
Feral Bill
08-27-2016, 11:00
It seems to me that the success of a SOBO starting 9/1 depends a lot on the hikers speed and winter hiking experience/tolerance. No?
Slo-go'en
08-27-2016, 16:21
It seems to me that the success of a SOBO starting 9/1 depends a lot on the hikers speed and winter hiking experience/tolerance. No?
Yes. Even if you make it though New England without any problems, the mid Atlantic can get really pounded by winter storms. In fact, they seem to get hit more then we do up north in recent years.
Spirit Walker
08-28-2016, 12:06
Winter hiking on the AT is a very different experience. Nights are very long. Shelters will be empty, except for the mice, except on weekends. Cold is inescapable. Weather is problematic. That said, if she enjoys winter hiking and camping, she should try it. At the least, she might enjoy a two month hike in New England in the fall, then decide that that's all she wants for this year. That is still likely to be an incredible journey.
I would start at the northern terminus and hike south. Sounds great actually.
This ^^^^^^^^
saltysack
08-28-2016, 16:28
Great fast AT sobo....amazing series...did AT after CDT same year....
https://youtu.be/XuJoKbQrUjA
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
FiftyNine
08-28-2016, 21:20
Thanks flor the input. She is not an experienced backpacker so I had real concerns about her starting in Maine. She decided to wait and start with me next year if she is able to. I am planning a flip flop starting in April.
Slo-go'en
08-28-2016, 21:32
Thanks flor the input. She is not an experienced backpacker so I had real concerns about her starting in Maine. She decided to wait and start with me next year if she is able to. I am planning a flip flop starting in April.
That sounds like a much better plan. Good luck.
TJ aka Teej
08-28-2016, 21:32
Starting at Katahdin? Think about Monson instead. The rule of thumb is to be over Mt. Washington by Oct 1st. for sobos. Short days of sunlight will cut your mileage way down. You'll still have the Kennebec Ferry running when you get there, but other services will be shutting down as you progress south. Wear safety orange - it's hunting season!