View Full Version : Northbound, January 1st start date?
I am thinking about starting in Georgia in early to mid january. I am not too experienced in backpacking. I have been outdoors all of my life in the everglades, i have been hunting in the everglades since i could walk. I attend the university of florida and i am planning on taking off the spring semester of school so i can walk the trail. i am planning on a thru hike, i think i can do it in about 4 1/2 to 5 months. i wanna do it before i get to into school. i feel as if i can only learn so much in school, i think that along the journey i can search my soul, learn about myself. i think it may make me see things diffently, i think it will be a very spiritual trip. im sure that at time i will hate it but i want to perservere and make it all the way. i love the outdoors and am really looking forward to my adventure. just wondering if i need to know if i should be worried about starting to early or anything other challenges i may run into, starting the trail so early?
Lone Wolf
08-14-2008, 20:34
I am thinking about starting in Georgia in early to mid january. I am not too experienced in backpacking. I have been outdoors all of my life in the everglades, i have been hunting in the everglades since i could walk. I attend the university of florida and i am planning on taking off the spring semester of school so i can walk the trail. i am planning on a thru hike, i think i can do it in about 4 1/2 to 5 months. i wanna do it before i get to into school. i feel as if i can only learn so much in school, i think that along the journey i can search my soul, learn about myself. i think it may make me see things diffently, i think it will be a very spiritual trip. im sure that at time i will hate it but i want to perservere and make it all the way. i love the outdoors and am really looking forward to my adventure. just wondering if i need to know if i should be worried about starting to early or anything other challenges i may run into, starting the trail so early?
just have the proper clothing and equipment for winter conditions and be willing to take days off for weather. go for it. the doomsdayers will be along soon :cool:
Slo-go'en
08-14-2008, 20:36
You'll run into pleanty of challenges starting that early. First, it's going to be cold, real cold. Second, there will be snow and ice, maybe a lot of snow and ice. Third, the days are short so you can't go far unless you want to hike a lot in the dark.
Finally, because of the cold and snow, you will have a heavy pack with all that mid winter gear. People do it, but it ain't easy. I strongly suspect many of those who start Jan 1st just go out for a few days so they can say they started on New Years day, but then go home for 2-3 months! (Before I get flamed, that was in jest!)
You would have a much easier time and better chance of success starting at a more traditional time of late March or early April. But then, if you don't mind the cold and have experiance at winter camping, you might want to go for it. Just don't expect to make much forward progress at first and expect to spend lots of time in towns.
Any experience with real winter camping?
If not, I would make it a very serious point to study up on techniques and what to expect. Then, as soon and often as possible, head north to try at least one four or five night winter hike. Somewhere with snow, cold, wind but that also offers a relatively easy bail-out. Northern Michigan, Vermont, Upper NY state. Pick somewhere not too remote, in other words, don't make the Whites your first winter experience. Absolutely no amount of reading or watching videos will prepare you for Dead of Winter hiking, let alone Dead of Winter Mountain hiking! It is not a forgiving environment for stupid mistakes, the kind we all make while learning new skills.
Not saying it can't be done, but being "not too experienced in backpacking" and being from Florida, you are biting off a big chunk by starting out in the dead of winter. My advice would be to find someone here on Whiteblaze, or in your real life to adopt as a mentor. Someone with lots of cold weather/mountain experience and pick their brain. Many folks will help you out if your are serious about learning. Ideally you could maybe arrange a hike or two with this mentor so that you can really discuss your gear and techniques.
By the way, Welcome to WhiteBlaze. :welcome
Blissful
08-14-2008, 20:46
It will be COOOLD.
If you are from FL , you need to be prepared for that. Like a zero degree bag. SNow. and Isolation. Read up on winter backpacking.
Also being from Florida your blood is thin so you will be twice as cold.
Lone Wolf
08-14-2008, 20:52
I am thinking about starting in Georgia in early to mid january. I am not too experienced in backpacking. I have been outdoors all of my life in the everglades, i have been hunting in the everglades since i could walk. I attend the university of florida and i am planning on taking off the spring semester of school so i can walk the trail. i am planning on a thru hike, i think i can do it in about 4 1/2 to 5 months. i wanna do it before i get to into school. i feel as if i can only learn so much in school, i think that along the journey i can search my soul, learn about myself. i think it may make me see things diffently, i think it will be a very spiritual trip. im sure that at time i will hate it but i want to perservere and make it all the way. i love the outdoors and am really looking forward to my adventure. just wondering if i need to know if i should be worried about starting to early or anything other challenges i may run into, starting the trail so early?
read stumpy's journal starting 1 January http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=6589
year before last, Ghost left on New Years or thereabout. He flat boogied through the thing. He was hurrying to get married in June. Made it.
The same year, Happy left at about the same time, froze his ass off and finally injured a foot and retired from the race.
If you're fit and equipped, you can do it. Reading the journals, it doesn't sound like much fun, though.
Grinder
A couple of hikers rather older than yourself, Rock and Swamp Fox, are planning to start Jan. 1 next year. (Swamp Fox will already be, or will turn, 70 during the hike.)
Besides the problems of cold and darkness, loneliness is often a huge problem for early starters. You might want to check out Mr. Happy's TJ:
http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=5282
Another thing is that, if you really think it will take you 4 1/2 or five months (which seems quite realistic), you should think about when you want to arrive in Maine. Trying to thrash your way through northern New England in March and April would be a real winter mountaineering adventure. If you aren't interested in that, you should probably aim for a late-June/early July finish, which would argue for a late-Feb. to early March start.
PS--Welcome to Whiteblaze! And good luck with the hike, whatever you decide!
Thank you for all of the great advice
Christus Cowboy
08-15-2008, 23:13
If you decide to do this will you be keeping a trail journal on www.trailjournals.com (http://www.trailjournals.com)? It would interesting to follow an 18 year old Florida boy on such an adventure!
boarstone
08-16-2008, 19:21
Igoner: You might want to think about what you'll do if you get too early of a start, and what you'll do when you get to the Kennebec River before the canoe shuttle is open for buisness! providing you do...
OregonHiker
08-16-2008, 19:32
just have the proper clothing and equipment for winter conditions and be willing to take days off for weather. go for it. the doomsdayers will be along soon :cool:
Having lived and worked outdoors in NE, I prefered the winter cold to the summer heat and humidity
budforester
08-16-2008, 19:39
Probably won't have trouble with mosquitoes, snakes, and bears.... purchase those supplies farther up the trail.
Do you have any experience hiking in snow and camping in cold weather? doesn't sound like it from your post. You say you have spend much of your life in the outdoors in the Everglades and in Florida.
If you start early January you can expect to camp out in near zero degree temps. Ice storms possible if not probable. You may well run into snow several feet deep at the crests of the smokies!
Are you ready for this? have you considered these conditions?
I'd strongly suggest some winter hiking in the mountains before you try winter trek in the applachians.
DavidNH
Ron Haven
08-16-2008, 20:37
Do you have any experience hiking in snow and camping in cold weather? doesn't sound like it from your post. You say you have spend much of your life in the outdoors in the Everglades and in Florida.
If you start early January you can expect to camp out in near zero degree temps. Ice storms possible if not probable. You may well run into snow several feet deep at the crests of the smokies!
Are you ready for this? have you considered these conditions?
I'd strongly suggest some winter hiking in the mountains before you try winter trek in the applachians.
DavidNHDavid,This is good advise,also the others have given good advise also.Well planning day by day is really important.I have been on a stand by to try to help hikers in my area as much as possible if bad weather is moving in or what ever.
This isn't a task of who is tough enough.It is a person with plenty of knowledge and ones who keep well informed.
Jim Adams
08-17-2008, 00:42
Try winter hiking and see if you like it. I LOVE winter hiking and camping. I hate heat...July in Pa.,N.J., N.Y., Conn. KILLS me but I start in March because I like the friendships I make on the trail and all of the social interaction.
If you like winter, it can be alot of fun but lonely and alot of hiker amenities such as hostels not open yet. You will still have cold times if you start in March.
OTOH, I lived on an island in the Gulf for 5 years and some of the coldest chills that I had trouble getting thru was 40*F on water in Florida. The 'glades can be harsh in winter. Have you been out there when it was "bad"?
geek
Starting in the middle of winter and hiking for 4-5 months has one in the New England area in May/June. When do the black flies and other bugs come out (in New England area)? I keep hearing so much about them and have read they start/peak from middle of May to June. Is this correct?
Pokey2006
08-31-2008, 23:18
Yes, NE is very buggy in May and June, first the black flies, then the mosquitoes. Sometimes there's even still some snow lingering -- this past spring there was snow on the higher peaks well into June!
But that's not as much of a concern as the winter conditions he'd get starting out. If he can do OK with that, he'd probably do OK with the bugs.
It is a day to day thing to hike during January and February in the southern Appalachians. Dress warmly and have a way to be securely warm at night. Always have a set of dry warm clothes to change into. Be annal about keeping things dry. Also, be aware of your bail points every day so you can get off trail, if you have to, and get to a main road or town for safety. Eat regularly during the day to keep your body engine going and warming you from its core. The days are short so you will need to hunker down for 12 hours a day. After a while you will learn to get up and start at dawn or earlier and stop at dusk. Bring a radio. And never go without a map and a data book of some kind.
Have fun and be prepared.
Kirby
I am thinking about starting in Georgia in early to mid january. I am not too experienced in backpacking. I have been outdoors all of my life in the everglades, i have been hunting in the everglades since i could walk. I attend the university of florida and i am planning on taking off the spring semester of school so i can walk the trail. i am planning on a thru hike, i think i can do it in about 4 1/2 to 5 months. i wanna do it before i get to into school. i feel as if i can only learn so much in school, i think that along the journey i can search my soul, learn about myself. i think it may make me see things diffently, i think it will be a very spiritual trip. im sure that at time i will hate it but i want to perservere and make it all the way. i love the outdoors and am really looking forward to my adventure. just wondering if i need to know if i should be worried about starting to early or anything other challenges i may run into, starting the trail so early?
I want to start by saying good luck with your hike, whenever you decide to start. I am in the same boat as you, not being too experienced with backpacking, but developing a recent interest in the Appalachian Trail. However, you are lucky that you have developed this interest before you completed college, unlike myself. I must say that you are absolutely correct in your idea that you can only learn so much in school. I graduated 2 years ago, and in those 2 years, I realized that college didn't teach me anything that I now consider to be important in life. In fact, I realized after I graduated that in my field (criminal justice), I wouldn't be able to get a job unless I went back for more education of some kind (police academy, NPS law enforcement course). At least thats how it is where I live. So I say, hike now, and maybe you will realize what is really important to you in life before you have tons of student loans to pay, etc. Good luck on your hike, again.
stranger
09-08-2008, 21:18
I've done alot of winter hiking in northern New York and it's probably one of the most rewarding things I've done with a pack on, saying that, the cold is the one thing that really can't be messed with, and it can be pretty rough on you.
You will have to deal with freezing water at night, and perhaps during the day while you hike, you might need crampons and snowshoes in sections, a long sleeping bag so you can store gear in the bag while you sleep, good ground insulation, carrying much more fuel. You might also need a VBL so your moisture doesn't freeze halfway through your sleeping bag during the night.
One piece of advice - do not spill white gas on your bare hands in extreme cold, you will get instant frostbite, it's not fun I assure you.
kayak karl
09-09-2008, 02:56
You might also need a VBL so your moisture doesn't freeze halfway through your sleeping bag during the night.
what is a VBL :confused:
gonewalkabout
09-09-2008, 22:00
Heed the point about good ground insulation. A z-rest, ridge rest, prolite 3 etc. are great from the high 30's and up but not adaquit below that. They provide an R value of about 2.3-2.5. I use my short prolite 3 and a full length 3/8" thick ensolite or other foam under it. This results in an R value of about 5 under my upper body and the 2.5 for my feet and part of my calf. Even a minus 20 degree bag will be cold on a 20 degree night if you don't have enougth ground insulation. I plan to use extra insulation for March and leave the foam in a hikers box some time in April.
Good Luck and stay warm.