View Full Version : Start date at Springer
MtnRider1981
07-12-2009, 08:31
Does anyone have suggestions for a start date for a thru hike? I will begin my day-by-day journey in '10. Setting a date now rather than later will enable me to better plan for finances and fitness. Whats the word?
bloodmountainman
07-12-2009, 08:36
April 15. Pay tax....go for a hike!
kayak karl
07-12-2009, 08:39
Does anyone have suggestions for a start date for a thru hike? I will begin my day-by-day journey in '10. Setting a date now rather than later will enable me to better plan for finances and fitness. Whats the word?
March 15th is the only day to start:D
Ox97GaMe
07-12-2009, 13:21
anytime between March 1 and April 15 will work. There will be LOTS of hikers out during that window. The real question is whether to start on a weekend and contend with crowded shelters the first couple nights or start during the week and have a bit more solitude.
downes911
07-12-2009, 14:11
starting my thru on Mar 11 or 12 2010.
see ya out there
Blissful
07-12-2009, 20:25
First week in March, like early in the week.
Lone Wolf
07-12-2009, 20:27
Does anyone have suggestions for a start date for a thru hike? I will begin my day-by-day journey in '10. Setting a date now rather than later will enable me to better plan for finances and fitness. Whats the word?
April 5th.....
kayak karl
07-12-2009, 20:29
April 5th.....
jack said 3/15:rolleyes:
Lone Wolf
07-12-2009, 20:30
jack said 3/15:rolleyes:
jack who and it means what?
ShelterLeopard
07-12-2009, 21:17
I'm starting February 25, after a nice night's sleep at the Hiker Hostel! (I might possibly start a week or a couple days earlier- I LOVE the cold)
March 15th is the only day to start:D
I agree totally. That is the day if you dont start then you will miss the???????????????????
March 20. First day of Spring.
every start date has advantages and disadvantages.
Panzer
stranger
07-13-2009, 04:28
The big start dates are:
- March 1
- March 15
- March 21
- April 1
- April 15
I left April 9 last year and the trail was fairly crowded, next year I will be leaving towards the end of April. I left March 2nd years ago and the trail was fairly crowded as well, as mentioned, anytime between 1 March and 15 April will be busy.
Starting mid-week won't mean much, you end up running into so many hikers doing short days, taking zeros, etc... Just accept shelters and hostels will be full until Virginia in some cases. So what happens is that you are hiking with one group of people and end up pulling a 20 to get ahead, then do a 23 into town the following day and town is full of hikers who are taking days off (who were 2 days ahead just a few days before). Kinda hard to avoid hikers in the beginning.
And watch the Trail Days bottleneck, that crowd can be worse than the starting crowds - it's better to be 100 miles (or more) on either side of Damascus during trail days, you can hitch easily if you want to go.
What about May 1st? Why is that less common of a time to start?
ShelterLeopard
07-14-2009, 15:01
It's a lot less common- because you have to beast it to get to Katahdin by October 15. I'm starting February 23 so I can take it nice and slow- I'm sure the March 1 crowd will catch up with me, but I'll have a pretty solitary week 1!!!
ShelterLeopard
07-14-2009, 15:02
On second thought, you'd have five months to get to Katahdin by early October! (It's still more common for people to start in March/April and try in vain to avoid the mid Atlantic states heat)
jersey joe
07-14-2009, 15:43
March 17th...and I'm not even Irish!
Plodderman
07-14-2009, 15:53
Middle of March is best.
r1butler
07-16-2009, 01:05
if i wanted to be finished by mid august, so i can be back before school, when would be a good start date?
ShelterLeopard
07-16-2009, 09:07
if i wanted to be finished by mid august, so i can be back before school, when would be a good start date?
Early-Mid March (depends on how fast you hike).
Ladytrekker
07-16-2009, 09:18
It's a lot less common- because you have to beast it to get to Katahdin by October 15. I'm starting February 23 so I can take it nice and slow- I'm sure the March 1 crowd will catch up with me, but I'll have a pretty solitary week 1!!!
I have read a few books about hikes on the AT and then have talked to some people that have done thru hikes. The consensus was to enjoy the hike and not just run thru to say you did it. One thru hiker told me that when she got to the shelters at night she would say wow did you see this or that and people would look at her like what...they were in such a hurry that they missed waterfalls, views, and just time to enjoy the surroundings, they were in such a hurry that heads were down and the march was on, that has stuck with me. If you have the time I would take the time.
ShelterLeopard
07-16-2009, 09:23
I have read a few books about hikes on the AT and then have talked to some people that have done thru hikes. The consensus was to enjoy the hike and not just run thru to say you did it. One thru hiker told me that when she got to the shelters at night she would say wow did you see this or that and people would look at her like what...they were in such a hurry that they missed waterfalls, views, and just time to enjoy the surroundings, they were in such a hurry that heads were down and the march was on, that has stuck with me. If you have the time I would take the time.
I definitely agree- that's why I'm starting in February- no time constrictions, including Katahdin's close date! And you're right. One time, I was section hiking, and I was watching these beavers in their dam, and this other girl buzzed past. Whatever floats your boat though- if you like it fast or slow, HYOH.
kayak karl
07-16-2009, 09:33
I definitely agree- that's why I'm starting in February- no time constrictions, including Katahdin's close date! And you're right. One time, I was section hiking, and I was watching these beavers in their dam, and this other girl buzzed past. Whatever floats your boat though- if you like it fast or slow, HYOH.
then start 1/1/10. there is a send off party 12/31/09, and every year. you won't regret it.
jersey joe
07-16-2009, 09:40
I have read a few books about hikes on the AT and then have talked to some people that have done thru hikes. The consensus was to enjoy the hike and not just run thru to say you did it. One thru hiker told me that when she got to the shelters at night she would say wow did you see this or that and people would look at her like what...they were in such a hurry that they missed waterfalls, views, and just time to enjoy the surroundings, they were in such a hurry that heads were down and the march was on, that has stuck with me. If you have the time I would take the time.
For some people, a three or four month thru hike is MORE enjoyable than a longer hike. Also, it is possible that MORE can bee seen in the same amount of time by a hiker that covers more distance.
ShelterLeopard
07-16-2009, 10:05
then start 1/1/10. there is a send off party 12/31/09, and every year. you won't regret it.
I would really like that, but I won't have quite enough money until February. :(
Johnny Swank
07-16-2009, 10:14
June 15, starting in Maine (got to put a plug in for going Southbound!)
-less crowds
-no time limits
-hike in the south during fall
-50's at night through Maine and New Hampshire
Ideally I wouldn't want to start May 1st but the way life is going I might need to push it back to that. I never really considered A SOBO hike for some reason. I wanted to know If any one else did a may 1st start date and what it was like I mean its 15 mile days with 15 0 days so its not booking it too hard....
David@whiteblaze
07-25-2009, 23:18
I dont know, arriving on springer doesnt really seem like as rewarding as katadin, i see all these pics of katadin and that old sign, but its like just an arbor on springer w/o much of a view (from my observances.)
ShelterLeopard
07-27-2009, 23:37
I dont know, arriving on springer doesnt really seem like as rewarding as katadin, i see all these pics of katadin and that old sign, but its like just an arbor on springer w/o much of a view (from my observances.)
That's definitely part of why a lot of people go NoBo- Springer seems so anti-climactic. Besides, I like going north.
(Though for some reason, going south does feel like going down hill. Like treebeard says!)
ShelterLeopard
07-27-2009, 23:41
Ideally I wouldn't want to start May 1st but the way life is going I might need to push it back to that. I never really considered A SOBO hike for some reason. I wanted to know If any one else did a may 1st start date and what it was like I mean its 15 mile days with 15 0 days so its not booking it too hard....
It all depends. I'm not figuring on starting with 15 mile days (though most thru hikers do usually average 16-18 miles a day, so you're probably right in your figures), and if you get sick and need to stay in town for a week or whatnot, you never know. It all depends on what you want. If you're going NoBo, you should think about whether or not you really want the constraint of Katahdin's closing date hanging over you. I don't like the idea of needing to meet a deadline like that. I think I would always feel rushed.
Ideally I wouldn't want to start May 1st but the way life is going I might need to push it back to that. I never really considered A SOBO hike for some reason. I wanted to know If any one else did a may 1st start date and what it was like I mean its 15 mile days with 15 0 days so its not booking it too hard....If you want to understand what it would be like, buy the excellent AT documentary "Trek", as the 4 guys who star in it set out on May 1st from Springer Mountain, and 3 of them complete their thru-hikes. Being you are young, if you are in decent shape, you most likely can too.
Scooby99
07-28-2009, 08:38
May 1st wouldn't be too bad, just be hiking in some hot weather in the summer. If you aim for Sept 15 to summit its 138 days, I took 142 on my hike with 8 days in a row off at one point to go home for my sisters high school graduation. For 138 days that's an average of 15.7 miles per day, easily done, as you wont be carrying winter gear at the beginning of the hike. If you leave in any kind of shape, there is no reason to not start with 15-17 miles per day. I sectioned this Feburary from Springer to Newfound gap with winter gear and was doing 14-17 miles per day with my 57 year old father, with only about 100 miles of training hikes on the AT in NY. You will have some nice long hours of daylight in May, even averaging only 1.5 miles per hour, its 10 hrs of hiking, less than 8hrs for 2mph. If you can do some training hikes with gear beforehand, it shouldnt be a problem, if you can hike 10 miles during a training hike, you can hike 15 once you start, its just a couple extra hours at the end of the day.
If being too crowded (especially on-trail but also in towns) is the issue, you can start anytime. Just avoid shelters and hostels. Camp away from the shelters, use commercial campgrounds, motels, etc. in towns, and resist using a hostel just because it's there in between towns. If you get word that a huge group is staying at a particular motel right when you'll be hitting a town, try a different motel.
Most long distance trails don't have the quantity of shelters, hostels, etc. that the AT does. Backpackers do very well in such environments. It takes a little more knowledge that quickly becomes hands-on experience—and an appreciation for solitude. If and when the solitude gets old, seek out other hikers who may also want to avoid shelters but wouldn't mind sharing a more primitive camping area.
With the excellent guidebooks available for the AT, pre-identifying decent campsites isn't that tough; but even on a day when there might not be anything in print you can be creative and find something useable 95% of the time. For that other 5%, you may need to suffer a little but IMHO suffering at a crowded shelter is worse. YMMV.
May 1st wouldn't be too bad, just be hiking in some hot weather in the summer. If you aim for Sept 15 to summit its 138 days, I took 142 on my hike with 8 days in a row off at one point to go home for my sisters high school graduation. For 138 days that's an average of 15.7 miles per day, easily done, as you wont be carrying winter gear at the beginning of the hike. If you leave in any kind of shape, there is no reason to not start with 15-17 miles per day. . .
Ouch! 15-17 MPD from the start? Hats off to you if you did this, but IMHO it's a recipe for disaster for many just starting.
Start March 21 first day of spring. If you wait till April, hords of people. If you go Mid March or earlier..expect winter conditions.
David
I was wondering if a thru hiker was wanting to start early to avoid most of the crowds but still wanted to witness the rhodendrons & azaleas blooming in NC/Tenn, what would be a good start date?
Blissful
07-28-2009, 13:31
No problem starting NOBO May 1st.
BTW - As far as Katahdin, we did summit on a great cloudless day but plenty do summit also on a cloudy overcast, can't see nutihin but the sign. So don't make the end summit and its views, etc your idea as to whether you should go NOBO or SOBO.
Blissful
07-28-2009, 13:31
Start March 21 first day of spring. If you wait till April, hords of people. If you go Mid March or earlier..expect winter conditions.
David
Winter in April too. We had 2 snowstorms then. :)
Expect anything and everything.
Blissful
07-28-2009, 13:34
I was wondering if a thru hiker was wanting to start early to avoid most of the crowds but still wanted to witness the rhodendrons & azaleas blooming in NC/Tenn, what would be a good start date?
You're better off seeing them actually on the Blue Ridge Parkway section in mid VA - of which an early March start would put you there at the right time (early to mid May). Nice displays of rhodo and tunnels of mt laurel.
Tenderheart
07-28-2009, 15:37
I started my thru on April 19, but if I did it again, God forbid, I would probably go even later. I don't like to be cold. I was 52 at the time and summited on Sep 7. Due to a good case of giardia in Waynesboro, VA, I even missed a week of hiking that I didn't plan on. I think my average was just under 16 mpd. I see nothing wrong with May 1 as a start date.
litefoot 2000
CrumbSnatcher
07-28-2009, 16:03
start dates:
1998 march 29th
1999 april 7th
2002 march 17th
2003 feb. 28th enjoyed them all!
stranger
08-06-2009, 08:36
I agree that May 1st would be a nice time to start, you would be behind the crowds, you wouldn't have to worry about towns being packed full of hikers, you could stay in shelters if you so desired, and it would be warmer out generally.
There is absolutely no reason to start out doing 8 mile days unless you are inexperienced, out of shape and carrying a heavy pack. Georgia is not that hard, there are some rough bits here and there, but that's about it. Even NC doesn't get tough until the Nantahala River, 130 miles in. Last year I averaged over 17 miles per day through GA/NC and never found it overly demanding.
And a later start means warmer weather, less gear, and longer daylight - all great for long distance hiking!
max patch
08-06-2009, 10:48
I did a 5/1 thru and it worked well for me.
A 5/1 start, however, is not compatible with a 6 month thru, which is what it seems many people take in recent years.
max patch
08-06-2009, 11:27
I agree that May 1st would be a nice time to start, you would be behind the crowds, you wouldn't have to worry about towns being packed full of hikers, you could stay in shelters if you so desired, and it would be warmer out generally.
I started 5/1 and although I passed other thru hikers starting on day 2, I didn't camp with one until Rainbow Springs in NC. Once I reached the GSMNP, however, the shelters were full every night; there were 35 thrus in and around that first shelter past Gatlinburg. The "solitude" is brief.
im planning to start a thru hike starting march 24th my 24th b-day north bound i have never trekked that far so it should be an adventure