View Full Version : NOBO or SOBO with a May18th start date?
wexler_a
11-15-2009, 12:18
Hey if anyone could give some advice that would be great. I will be graduating college and am taking a year off before getting tied down with a job. For that reason, I can't start until May 18th. Is it possible to do the whole trail with this start date and would it be wiser to go north or south? Once again thanks for any advice
The Solemates
11-15-2009, 15:40
easy going sobo. in fact, you may even have to hold off starting even later if its a high snow year.
you could also almost just as easily go nobo as well, but your chances of running into bad weather in the north (and perhaps not being to climb katahdin if you slumber) increase.
Black fly season is June, and I wouldn't count on Katadin being ice free before Memorial Day.
white_russian
11-15-2009, 18:20
I would just hang around home for a month and then start mid June from Katahdin. That would be way too late to start a NOBO.
bigcranky
11-15-2009, 18:45
You could easily start a NOBO hike in late May; we met several thru-hikers when we did Gerogia in early June. You either need to hike very fast (which is what those hikers were planning), or plan to flip to Katahdin in late July. That way you get the best weather to be in New England, and decent weather in the South. That's actually a pretty good itinerary for a hike.
Not Sunshine
11-15-2009, 19:23
do a week-long section (just to get your trail legs on and break the gear in) then go SOBO - you'll have 100-mile wilderness to conquer.
this, of course, is the advice of someone who has never thru-hiked. i'm a corporate world monkey.
The Solemates
11-16-2009, 10:32
I would just hang around home for a month and then start mid June from Katahdin. That would be way too late to start a NOBO.
You could easily start a NOBO hike in late May; we met several thru-hikers when we did Gerogia in early June. You either need to hike very fast (which is what those hikers were planning), or plan to flip to Katahdin in late July. That way you get the best weather to be in New England, and decent weather in the South. That's actually a pretty good itinerary for a hike.
mid may is not too late to start a nobo thru-hike. that gives you 5 months to hike the trail before katahdin 'unofficially' closes in mid-Oct. this is plenty of time if you dont get sucked into the town vortex. we did our hike in 5 mos, had significant snow slowing us down, and did not feel rushed at all.
the only thing i would be worried about taking this nobo route is the heat, and because of that I would at least consider going sobo.
buff_jeff
11-16-2009, 11:51
I sectioned Springer to Harpers Ferry starting May 10 last year, and met plenty of other thru-hikers; many of whom went on to finish. For me, it was the perfect time. I had no heat issues, the bugs were all but gone, and obviously no cold or snow. You'll also be away from the huge NOBO herd.
The best way to be certifiably miserable while hiking is to start a SOBO hike in early June in Maine.
If I were to thru again, I would start right around May 18th going NOBO. You will have no problem getting to K in time. Not even a concern. The rush to start early is foreign to me. The Smokies are nasty cold in March and April. You will have fun catching up to the rest of the pack.
Go NOBO. You will have a blast. The hikers at the back of the pack are the most fun!
CrumbSnatcher
11-20-2009, 16:44
Nobo.............................................. .................................
TJ aka Teej
11-20-2009, 18:26
Counting on Katahin's Hunt Trail being open by the 18th is a long shot.
wexler_a
11-22-2009, 14:29
thanks for all of the good advice "the hikers at the back of the pack are the most fun". :)It looks like I'll be going NOBO
The Solemates
11-24-2009, 20:59
The best way to be certifiably miserable while hiking is to start a SOBO hike in early June in Maine.
we hit maine early june. bugs just werent a problem for us. either it was a low bug year or people make a big deal out of nothing. usually, in life, we have found the latter to be the case.
white_russian
11-24-2009, 21:08
we hit maine early june. bugs just werent a problem for us. either it was a low bug year or people make a big deal out of nothing. usually, in life, we have found the latter to be the case.
I have had bad bugs in late July and then came back in late June a couple of years later and the bugs weren't near as bad. It really depends on the year. You may have just hit a good year.
stranger
11-29-2009, 22:09
May 18th sounds late but when you think about it heaps of hikers leave Springer towards the end of April, so you are only talking about 3 weeks later than that.
Many hikers end up taking alot of time off in places like Hiawassee, Franklin and Gatlinburg as well, so if you were to leave May 18thish and average 15-17 right from Springer (which is not all that difficult if you get in shape) you might find you catch up to many hikers who leave earlier, but are doing shorter days, and taking unexpected zero days. Plus, leaving in mid-May will mean much warmer weather, and longer daylight, both are great for making miles.
Worst case scenario, you have to flip
CrumbSnatcher
11-29-2009, 22:13
i think you'd meet and pass Nobo thruhikers all along the way.
Crawbear
11-30-2009, 22:46
You can most certainly go either way. If you think you can avg. 16-20 miles a day and you want to be done by mid-September, go for a NOBO. If you want to take a more leisurely pace, start mid-June and go SOBO.
Crawbear
11-30-2009, 22:50
Also, stories of bugs in ME are exaggerated, particularly in recent years. Mosquitoes have been way worse than black flies.
Spirit Walker
11-30-2009, 23:28
Alternatively - start in Damascus or Harpers Ferry, hike north to Katahdin, then return to your starting point and hike south. No time pressure that way. You're hiking with spring (mountain laurel and azaleas are beautiful in Virginia in May) and will meet a lot of other thruhikers then you can enjoy autumn in the Smokies.
CrumbSnatcher
12-03-2009, 02:00
Alternatively - start in Damascus or Harpers Ferry, hike north to Katahdin, then return to your starting point and hike south. No time pressure that way. You're hiking with spring (mountain laurel and azaleas are beautiful in Virginia in May) and will meet a lot of other thruhikers then you can enjoy autumn in the Smokies.nothing wrong with this plan either! i like it!:cool: as long as you don't mind flipflopping, some hikers want to walk one way/ direction.
If you want to do a NOBO starting in mid-May, it will really all come down to two issues: 1) Your physical conditioning and... 2) Whether you are on the AT for the hiking or if you are there for the social aspects of the hike.
If you are willing to start hiking early each day and hike until "late" (and limit the number of trips to town and "Zero Days") you will do just fine with a mid-May NOBO start.
However, if you want to start your hiking at mid morning (or later) and want to be setting up camp by 4:00 or 5:00 pm--you better do a SOBO. A SOBO hike would also be better if you want to enjoy a lot of trips into town and/or "Zero Days".