Katahdin south to New Jersey possible starting this week? (October 5th ish)

[boy_w0nder_]

So I was a late Nobo thru hiker this year (may 16th) that got to New Jersey before I had to deal with doctors and blood tests etc. because of Lyme disease. Now that I feel better, I have this crazy idea to try and finish my hike this year instead of waiting on another.

I understand it is going to be cold and I will have the gear to combat such weather.

I guess what I am asking is, is this possible? Is this a bad idea? I understand the whites can be dangerous even in summer months but if I get to southern Vermont before November am I just dealing with cold and snow possibilities?

Before everyone weighs in here is a little summary of my thought process on either side:

Finish it another year:
this is rushed, I had completely given up on hiking this year until a few days ago,
if you come back in nice weather you still hiked the whole trail despite it being more than one hiking season, You are going to get out there in the cold and be alone and immediately regret the decision to go this year.
You are already flat broke, make money and finish it another year.

Finish it now:
Once you get out there all this anxiety will go away and you will be done with the trail in seven weeks.
After completing the trail with this adversity you can accomplish anything in life.
You can also say you thru hiked along with all your friends who just finished.
You are already flat broke, might as well make going into debt worth it and finish it this year.

I am sure I am forgetting a bunch but that is a good start. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

[peakbagger]

Unless you are willing to skip the whites, its not a great idea. You will be carrying extra gear which could slow you down. You will be on the tail end of leaf season in Maine and the byproduct of leaf season is a layer of fresh inevitably wet leaves which makes things slippery. Optimistically you will hit the whites in early to mid November. There have already been rescues due to hypothermia last week and there has been snow on the summits a week ago. Only the low elevation AMC huts will be open so doing the run from Pinkham to Crawford and Crawford to Lonesome lake is almost totally without services (RMC Gray Knob cabin is the exception). On the other hand starting south of the Whites and to NJ is nice compromise. Save Maine and the whites for a later date. The other option for the whites is find someone that will slack you through them. It adds some elevation at the start and end of each day but not having to haul winter gear and avoiding the summits if the weather is bad means you can go with lighter day pack and take advantage of the warmer hours of the day.

[Dogwood]

OK, you feel better, maybe symptoms have subsided, but what do your Healthcare providers say about resuming this stressful endeavor? ME, NH, VT ...area already challenging, add to that your timing(snow/cold/sleet, goods and services being less available, etc), now add to that the further stresses of being more alone on the AT at that time of the yr,...

There is debate about Lyme's Disease symptoms reoccurring or being implicated in further susceptibility of infections after a period of recovery. Stress, physical, mental, emotional. dietary habits, etc etc etc play significant roles in the strength of our immune systems.

https://www.lymedisease.org/lyme-basics/lyme-disease/chronic-lyme/

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/15/health/new-infection-not-relapse-brings-back-symptoms-of-lyme-disease-study-finds.html?_r=0

[Slo-go'en]

Not a good idea. In fact, a very bad idea. It's been a mild fall so far, but that is starting to change. Plus we might have the remnants of a hurricane to deal with this weekend. Days are getting short, it's dark by 7 pm. In the woods it's dark by 6. There is no way you'd get to Vermont by November. You'd have to average about 18 miles a day which would be really hard to pull off given the terrain and short hours of daylight.

You might be able to pull off starting at Hanover and just doing Vermont to NJ.

[The Solemates]

Unlike others I will chime in and say go for it. that it all depends on you. I would not hesitate doing this if I had the free time, but I'd do it with significant winter experience and also wouldn't care about skipping ahead if needed. just be smart and prepared and always keep your calm. dont be a statistic.

[nsherry61]

Wow, except for Solemates, what a bunch of mamby pambies!!

What Solemates said: "I would not hesitate doing this if I had the free time, but I'd do it with significant winter experience . . ."

The AT has be done many times by many people in the winter. Most people that succeed will hike out and be off trail for several days at various times if bad storms are present or looming on the horizon. Thus, your cost in $$ per mile might go up. And, there are pretty good weather forecasts for several days into the future, even for the mountains, so most times a hiker will have a pretty good idea what they are heading into after each resupply if they don't already have phone signal on the trail. So, your schedule needs to be flexible. Of course you'll need cooler weather gear and traction devices. If you have the winter backpacking chops to pull it off, I think the idea of an October SOBO start sounds delightful, if a bit lonely as the fall turns to winter and you go days without seeing anyone on the trail.

Make sure to share with the rest of us so we can enjoy your adventure vicariously.

Have fun!

[1azarus]

it is interesting that the mamby pambies mostly have NH addresses... so we do need to heed their advice I suppose, although I do mostly agree with nsherry and solemates -- your dates just make the hike a bigger adventure as long as you are smart enough to bail if appropriate. I did the hundred mile wilderness around November 1st and loved it, but was partly lucky on weather and mostly a bit scared much of the time. no harm in carefully trying, as long as you are ready to adjust your plans based on encountered weather. you going or not? surely let us know or we'll discuss your trip well beyond your departure date.

[Dogwood]

Unlike others I will chime in and say go for it. that it all depends on you. I would not hesitate doing this if I had the free time, but I'd do it with significant winter experience and also wouldn't care about skipping ahead if needed. just be smart and prepared and always keep your calm. dont be a statistic.


Wow, except for Solemates, what a bunch of mamby pambies!!

What Solemates said: "I would not hesitate doing this if I had the free time, but I'd do it with significant winter experience . . ."

The AT has be done many times by many people in the winter. Most people that succeed will hike out and be off trail for several days at various times if bad storms are present or looming on the horizon. Thus, your cost in $$ per mile might go up. And, there are pretty good weather forecasts for several days into the future, even for the mountains, so most times a hiker will have a pretty good idea what they are heading into after each resupply if they don't already have phone signal on the trail. So, your schedule needs to be flexible. Of course you'll need cooler weather gear and traction devices. If you have the winter backpacking chops to pull it off, I think the idea of an October SOBO start sounds delightful, if a bit lonely as the fall turns to winter and you go days without seeing anyone on the trail.

Make sure to share with the rest of us so we can enjoy your adventure vicariously.

Have fun!

Seems both of you are ignoring factoring in his diagnosed Lyme Disease and that symptoms recently took him off the trail and possible nature of Lyme Disease. Severe fatigue, joint and muscle pain, and nausea are just some of the possible symptoms that can possibly reoccur or linger possibly even after "feeling better." Perhaps, were not privy to the OP's entire medical situation? Could these Lyme Disease symptoms be revisited upon the OP as result of this stressful time to be on the AT and these particularly stressful AT states? I don't know. I'm no M.D. or Health Care Practioner but I'd surely consult one before heading out on this proposed completion of the AT.

[Water Rat]

I am not trying to talk you out of hiking - Anything is possible... Only you can answer your question because it will depend on how bad you want to finish this year. As you say you are already flat broke, this might not be the best time to try and finish. My answers are simply to give you a better understanding of what the northern end of the trail can look like this time of year. It is your decision to make, but you do need to be able to make an informed decision. Backpacking this time of year also calls for plans that are a little more flexible in case of weather.

So I was a late Nobo thru hiker this year (may 16th) that got to New Jersey before I had to deal with doctors and blood tests etc. because of Lyme disease. Now that I feel better, I have this crazy idea to try and finish my hike this year instead of waiting on another.

I understand it is going to be cold and I will have the gear to combat such weather. It's not just about having the gear... How much winter camping/climbing experience have you had? A lot of the battle will be the mental aspects of colder temps, longer nights, ice, snow, getting wet, and not having as much company on the trail. Though, we were seriously gifted a warm winter last season. I doubt we will be let off the hook two years in a row. The weather has begun the change and it has been pretty quick to do so. While there is such a thing as a weather forecast, they aren't always 100% correct. Mt. Washington can absolutely make its own weather whenever it wants.

I guess what I am asking is, is this possible? Is this a bad idea? I understand the whites can be dangerous even in summer months but if I get to southern Vermont before November am I just dealing with cold and snow possibilities? First, I have no idea what kind of mileage you were doing before, but it is doubtful you are going to get back on the trail doing that same exact mileage. Your body has been fighting Lyme Disease. Some people relapse. Sometimes people feel better, but not better enough to backpack right away... Only you can answer that question, but be sure to be honest with yourself. Your days will be shorter, your pack will weigh more, and you are still recovering from a bought of Lyme Disease. In addition, Maine and New Hampshire are not to be dismissed because they don't look that hard on paper. Your mileage will be impacted, so it would be best to plan for that and plan accordingly. It is doubtful you will reach Southern Vermont (without skipping any trail) by November if you start from Katahdin on Oct. 5th.

It's not just snow and cold.... There are wet leaves on the rocks (and there are a lot of rocks in Maine and New Hampshire!) that can make footing treacherous. This does cut into speed. Also, hiker services will begin shutting down for the winter. This means you might need to spend more money (hotels, food, shuttles) to complete your hike now, rather than waiting until hostels open back up. Some hostel owners are only hear for the traditional hiking season... You might want to do a little research now to save yourself time, money and frustration when you are out on the trail and trying to find a place to stay.

Regardless, the trail will still be there next year. Just make sure you make the decision that works best for you. Personally, I would wait (especially if I had never hiked New Hampshire and Maine) until my schedule was such that I could take my time and enjoy these gorgeous states. You might also enjoy it more when your body is fully recovered. I dunno - Only you can answer that question for yourself.

Wishing you a speedy recovery!

[rocketsocks]

Health aside, you're "dead broke" and you wanna incur more debt so you can go play?...I think you already know the answer to the question.

[Dogwood]

Oct 5th start at Mt K SOBO to Glencliff NH, out of perhaps the most treacherous hiking, while hiking towards home, it's about 400 miles. Honestly, do you think you can get here by say the second wk of Nov about 30-35 days in which is an avg of sub 100 miles per week? COLD, ice, sleet/freezing rain, some white stuff....cold morns, cold late afternoons, colder yet after the sun goes down with what sun you will get, slippery trail, are you prepared for that, possibly with a willingness to hike cold early and cold late/after dark?

I feel where you're at. I was bitten by a Brown Recluse on the elbow about 30 days ago. I had several things planned including an ADHA West - The Gathering, Rocky Top trail crew, DRT Loop, and a Ozark Highlands Tr thru all after recent west coast thrus. I was rearing to go mentally. I was so fatigued from bacterial infections it took me 4 days to mow the lawn something I do in 1.5 hrs. It sucked. Why the heck do you think I'm being a cyber hiker doing all this posting on WB for the past 30 days. After antibiotics combined with holistic treatments I'm only now beginning to feel myself again but I still don't feel 100% physically. For myself, I know if I headed out to the DRT or OHT in Arkansas I could be jeopardizing my recovery. That's me so....

[dudeijuststarted]

I'm with the "don't do it" crowd. Let your health and finances recover and finish the trail when the weather is nicer. If you're just dying to get some more miles in this year, consider a tiny NOBO section where you have lots of road crossings and "outs" if the Lyme symptoms kick back in. I flip flopped and unlike my NOBO friends I got NJ/NY in cool weather, and they are among my favorite states. Some elevation but nothing that could potentially destroy you like the Whites.

Don't let the fact that you got knocked off trail stress you out. NOBO to Jersey is an astounding accomplishment. In fact, that stretch could be a great SOBO "thru in two" for you next year. Leave Baxter in August so you get to see the mid-Atlantic in the fall. The trail completely transforms, you won't regret it.

[nsherry61]

I am not trying to talk you out of hiking - Anything is possible... Only you can answer your question. . .
I couldn't have said it better (and didn't) myself. Lot's of excellent perspective.