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View Full Version : Best Time for starting...NOBO



Trippin
06-06-2007, 01:25
I have been researching and reading every piece of info about the AT as possible...and I've read that if you start early you'll have to trekk thru sno and all that...and im trying to get everything lined out...is that the case???

Frosty
06-06-2007, 02:31
I have been researching and reading every piece of info about the AT as possible...and I've read that if you start early you'll have to trekk thru sno and all that...and im trying to get everything lined out...is that the case???Tinker sez you should march forth on March 4th.

Read some trail journals of early 2007 starters and read about the difficulties with a January or early February start:

Hobbit
Mr Happy
Santas Helper
Zero

and get an idea of what it is like to start before Feb 15.

Also check out these Whiteblaze threads on the subject:

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=22135

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=21515

stranger
06-06-2007, 03:58
In 1995 I left Springer on March 2nd and we had no snow until Virginia! However on our 5-6th night it hit about 12 degrees on Tray Mountain in GA and a very slight dusting of frost, but no accumulation.

In 1996 I left on 1 March and it snowed at Hawk Mountain our first night, but wasn't all that cold, maybe upper 20's. I only did a few days with my friend and I got off the trail so I don't know if it was cold for weeks to come.

I'm going to leave in April next year, not sure when, and hopefully avoid most of the cold weather (I consider cold to be under 25 degrees without wind). I think whenever you start you risk cold weather, but generally the later you start the warmer it will be.

Lone Wolf
06-06-2007, 07:20
I have been researching and reading every piece of info about the AT as possible...and I've read that if you start early you'll have to trekk thru sno and all that...and im trying to get everything lined out...is that the case???

first week of april

rafe
06-06-2007, 07:59
I have been researching and reading every piece of info about the AT as possible...and I've read that if you start early you'll have to trekk thru sno and all that...and im trying to get everything lined out...is that the case???

Umm, yes. The earlier you start, the better your chances of dealing with snow and cold. You have to carry more clothing and a heavier sleeping bag, etc. (but you can leave the DEET at home.) So it's a case of diminishing returns. OTOH, even with an early April start you'll probably encounter a bit of wintry weather in the first few weeks. I saw daytime temps from 40 to 75, night temps from 25 to 55 in the first week, with an April 4 start.

Johnny Swank
06-06-2007, 08:29
I wouldn't start until at least the first week of April, and would easily consider moving that to April 15th. You'll probably catch a bit of colder weather even at those times, but its not nearly as likely to be a long-term or severe.

10 years ago the average date was around April 1. In an effort to avoid the crowds, people started starting earlier (Early March). Now the mob is starting around March 1st-15th in colder, crappier weather. Goofy, I know, but it is what it is.

DavidNH
06-06-2007, 08:48
why wait till April?

If you start say last week of March the temp is already up to the 60's and 70's for highs in Georgia. Sure you may get a night or two down in the teens maybe some light snow here and there, but so what? Tis nothing an AT hker shouldn't be able to handle. By mid March the worst of winter is done. There may be some residual cold but it won't be long lasting.

The thing to bear in mind is that you can hike for weeks with temps in the 80's and still hit snow in the Smokies even in mid April (because you will be hiking at 5000-6000 feet of elevation). You can even hit classic hypothermia weather on Mt Rogers north of Damascas, VA in May. Many hikers seem to send warm gear home in Damascus, contrary to whiteblaze advice and end up regretting it.

Now there is such a thing as leaving too early. For example your chances of hitting significant snow and/or ice are increased if you leave in February.


Leave in March and hit Katahdin in September in the crisp fall weather. Also that way you wont have the pressure of time and you can enjoy yourself unless of course you NEED to finish by a certain date.

David

Miu
06-06-2007, 15:53
I'm from South Texas.....What the heck is snow?

rusty075
06-06-2007, 17:59
No such thing as a "best time". Start early and you up the chances of hiking through snow in the first month. Start late and you might be hiking in snow during the last month.

One advantage of starting early is that it gives you more flexibility at the end. The "end date" for the thruhiking season is basically fixed, so if you have to either go slow or interrupt your hike for some reason giving yourself an extra month or so at the beginning might be the difference between finishing your hike or not. It is something to bear in mind.

SoonerTex
06-06-2007, 18:29
I'm from South Texas.....What the heck is snow?

I think it was that cold wet white stuff they got in Corpus Christi and the Valley 2 Christmas's ago. Not sure, but that is what I was told.:-?

Johnny Swank
06-06-2007, 18:34
One advantage of starting early is that it gives you more flexibility at the end. The "end date" for the thruhiking season is basically fixed

Balderdash! Go southbound as the Good Lord intended and begone with these so-called fixed deadlines! It's all downhill from Maine!

maxNcathy
06-07-2007, 08:59
This year I started March 19th...85F in Georgia,knats aplenty...11F near NOC light dusting of snow super cold winds...lots of perfect weather...cold rain two days...30+ mph winds,fog,4inches of snow, very very crowded shelter(I tented in snowstorm), for a day+ in Smokys..excellent temps up to Hot Springs...I had to come home after 6 weeks of excellent adventure.
I had Big Agnes Seedhouse SL1 tent and 10F Moonstone down sleeping bag which did the job very well.
I will be going hiking again next spring maybe over same trail.May leave about the same time of year, March 15-March 25.
PM me if you have any questions.
Sandalwood

sparky2000
06-07-2007, 09:07
The big problem is not the cold of March in Ga it's the hot weather in PA if u start late. The HOT does one in fast.

Johnny Swank
06-07-2007, 09:40
After paddling down the Mississippi River and hitting Louisiana in July, I'll never complain about heat on the AT again. It was mind-numbingly hot on the water about 2pm everyday. We got to the point of getting on the river right at dawn, paddling till 1-2, find some shade for a few hours and eat dinner, then paddle till dark. Worked out much better that way.

FWIW - we do the same thing when hiking in the summer and still cover about 20 miles a day without killing ourselves.

www.sourcetosea.net

rafe
06-07-2007, 10:47
After paddling down the Mississippi River and hitting Louisiana in July, I'll never complain about heat on the AT again. It was mind-numbingly hot on the water about 2pm everyday. We got to the point of getting on the river right at dawn, paddling till 1-2, find some shade for a few hours and eat dinner, then paddle till dark. Worked out much better that way.

FWIW - we do the same thing when hiking in the summer and still cover about 20 miles a day without killing ourselves.

I believe in certain parts of the world that concept is refered to as "siesta." Whatever, I've been using this approach to hot-weather hiking as well. Works for me. Mid-summer you've got 14 hours of daylight. I don't mind allocating the hottest two hours to some R&R, preferably in the shade.

josiblue
06-07-2007, 12:22
exactly, up with the sun, down with sun during summer so you can hide from the sun at its mid-day peak (great time for swimming, no?)
~josi

Johnny Swank
06-07-2007, 12:30
Swimmin', sleepin', luvin'... it's kind of an all-purpose time. We get bored as hell at camp anyway and would rather just hike all day. Our pace isn't all that quick, but the slow-pace miles add up pretty quickly if you don't stop at 4pm.

The Solemates
06-07-2007, 17:58
February 1st or May 1st...only two start dates we would consider.

Mags
06-07-2007, 18:01
10 years ago the average date was around April 1. In an effort to avoid the crowds, people started starting earlier (Early March). Now the mob is starting around March 1st-15th in colder, crappier weather. Goofy, I know, but it is what it is.

Sounds a bit like the Yogi Berra chestnut "No one goes there anymore; it's too crowded!"i

:)

johnny quest
06-11-2007, 18:48
im looking at a late feb or early march start because i dont want to be in the crowds....if i dont make good time at first that is cool.

oldbear
06-11-2007, 19:36
I have been researching and reading every piece of info about the AT as possible...and I've read that if you start early you'll have to trekk thru sno and all that...and im trying to get everything lined out...is that the case???
Yeah , I'm in the same position that you are concerning my starting date. I have arbitrarily decided to be on top of Springer for the Vernal Equinox[ 3/20/08 ]. To me it just makes some kind of cosmic sense; Start on the first day of Spring and plan to end by the first day of Fall
The reason that I don't want to start earlier is that I think that starting much earlier will have a cascade effect
Starting earlier will result in carrying a heavier pack in order to be properly prepared for cold & snow .
Personally if properly equiped, I enjoy hiking in snow and cold I just don't want to add the extra weight at the begining of the hike.
Starting earlier will result in less hours in a day to hike so your miles per day day will be less.
Hiking in cold weather also increases your need for food - more weight.
Lastly this may be the only chance I get to hike the entire Trail and I want to take the time to enjoy it.
I want to follow Spring through the mountains and be a participant in some of the social insanity of it all.

Time To Fly 97
06-12-2007, 10:11
Consider Easter Sunday for all the right reasons.

Happy hiking!

TTF

gravityman
06-12-2007, 13:18
We started March 1st in 2001 and 2005. In 2001 (to Harpers Ferry) we have what we considered excellent weather and medicore weather in 2005. You will get unbearable heat and extreme cold whether you start early March or early April. We got 1+ feet of snow on April 2nd in Tennesee at Flint Mountain Shelter, so an April 1 start won't stop that. And we kept all, and I mean all of our winter gear until May 1st (pearisburg) and wished we had kept our warmer bags for another 2 weeks (-5 degree WM versalite switched to a 30 degree shared WM highlite). On the other end of the trail we finished Sept 3rd and only had to get some warm clothes but kept the summer bag. So you will still have to carry signicant winter gear for about the same time, either 2 months down south or 1 month down south and 1 month up north.

We got killer hot 100+ temps starting the 2nd week of June, and lasting most of the way through VT with only short breaks.

It was the coldest May in 10 years for VA that year, and the hotest summer on record ever for the east coast.

We wanted to start March 1st because we HAD to finish this trail and check it off. It was a major goal for us to do it in one season. So, we wanted that extra month 1 and 1/2 months if we need to lay up to heal or take a break. Turns out we didn't need it, and finished in the 6 months we had planned. But a lot of luck goes in to that (accidently injury, overuse injury, sickness, disease, etc).

If I knew we would make it to Maine, we should have started April 1st ish... maybe a week earlier. The heat and the cold you get no matter what, but hopefully few cold days and some great spring weather down south...

Plus, we actually felt that by the time we passed Harpers Ferry there really wasn't that many thru hikers around. We actually felt fairly lonely in that respect from about HF through the rest of the hike. It picked up a bit from VT north as we were hiking the the crowd that needed to finished the end of August for school, but still pretty slim.

Gravity and Danger
Ga-Me 2005
GA-WV 2001

sixhusbands
06-12-2007, 14:24
If you need to start later, you might think a bout going at it from Maine as your starting point. The SOBO way can be started in June and you will finish by Halloween and there will be no cold nights!