View Full Version : Why/How is SOBO better?
In another thread, someone said:
SOBO is much better but there was no explanation why or how SOBO is better (in that person's opinion.)
So.... why or how is SOBO better? :-?
Anyone care to elaborate? :confused:
Thanks :)
JoshStover
12-22-2009, 04:31
Some people say that since there is less of a crowd hiking with you....
You have the possibility of having prime seasons on your whole hike--summer on the north end of the trail; peak color season through the middle part; relatively mild winter weather (no bugs! no leaves on the trees, so you have continuous views!) through the southern section. And if solitude is one of the things you're looking for, you can find it.
modiyooch
12-22-2009, 08:32
Someone mentioned that there isn't the time crunch to get finished whereas Springer doesn't close.
I would agree that ME and NH are the toughest states and it might be better to knock them out first. I met NOBOs this year in NH that were considering quitting as they entered the Whites.
warraghiyagey
12-22-2009, 08:54
As about everyone has mentioned. . . if you are hoping for a little solitude, SOBO offers such. . . that and the seasons set up nicely so that you could probably do most if not all of the trail with one set of gear. . . :sun
mweinstone
12-22-2009, 09:03
me and my girlfriend(imaginary) like to do it sobo cause its just better. she likes it.and i do too. we do it nobo lots dont get me wrong. but sobo is hot.
warraghiyagey
12-22-2009, 09:09
That's probly the most complete answer. . . :):p
Lone Wolf
12-22-2009, 09:10
In another thread, someone said:
but there was no explanation why or how SOBO is better (in that person's opinion.)
So.... why or how is SOBO better? :-?
Anyone care to elaborate? :confused:
Thanks :)
just do it and find out for yourself. doesn't matter what someone says
mweinstone
12-22-2009, 09:15
damm lwolf. your posts are like getting yelled at by dad.
southbound is cooler by billions cause its harder to be alone so much more and its harder and its sucky to miss the class and so all in all if you do it your like a peirced hippy.superfreakycool
ShelterLeopard
12-22-2009, 11:55
In another thread, someone said:
but there was no explanation why or how SOBO is better (in that person's opinion.)
So.... why or how is SOBO better? :-?
Anyone care to elaborate? :confused:
Thanks :)
That's a Lone Wolf quote, isn't it?
SoBo you hike with fewer people, but run into plenty. You start later. You are doing the reverse of the "norm", to which more people and hostels cater to, but unless you start really late, they'll probably all still be open and waiting with tired, yet open arms. (Maybe they get their second wind for SoBos?)
ShelterLeopard
12-22-2009, 11:56
But I've never done a SoBo thru, and my NoBo thru has not yet taken place either (two months!!!!)
Fatman Running
12-22-2009, 11:59
I live in Maine and have worked as a Volunteer Trail maintainer for over thirty years. I have seen a lot of hikers over the years. I have also done two thru-hikes, both of them northbound ('77 & '82). I would say that northbound is easier, both physically and the advantage of having "easier" Trail to start out on. Maine hiking begins around mid-May. Even then, there is still deep snow in the higher mountains. Add in the dangerous stream crossings from the winter runnoff (Maine has a no bridging policy, so most river/stream crossings are fords), the hordes of biting black flies, the mosquitoes, the mud, the spring rains the wet rocks and tangles of roots and you have a much more difficult beginning. This doesn't even account for the steep climbs utilizing New England style switchbacks (straight up and straight down). Maine is tough and then there is New Hampshire that soon follows! By the time you hit NH, the crowds are arriving, the camp and scout groups are too and the Trail is much more crowded as you also start running into the Northbound hikers. Forget about staying in a shelter. You'll be lucky if there is room. I see a lot of southbound hikers dropping out by the time they reach Monson; many bailing out even before they get there. The advantages of heading North are many, despite the crowds beginning at Springer. Would I ever consider a Southbound thru-hike?...Absolutely! Any time spent on the Trail is better than time spent elsewhere.
Where bouts is the 2,000 mile destination headed sobo?
warraghiyagey
12-22-2009, 12:59
Where bouts is the 2,000 mile destination headed sobo?
About 175 miles from springer. . .
Many Walks
12-22-2009, 13:11
But I've never done a SoBo thru, and my NoBo thru has not yet taken place either (two months!!!!)
Now that there's funny! Don't take it wrong, it's nothing against you as I believe you're a hiker. This statement just REALLY reminded me of my Brother-in-Law who hasn't done anything, but is an expert in everything and is the first to tell you about it! LOL Enjoy your hike!
ShelterLeopard
12-22-2009, 13:13
Well, I'll get back to you in September, then you can tell your bro to suck it!
Many Walks
12-22-2009, 13:14
Deal! I believe you're going to make it. Have fun!!!
Lone Wolf
12-22-2009, 13:35
50/50 chance
Daydream Believer
12-22-2009, 14:02
If I can ever manage a thru hike...and I hope to someday, I will have to SoBo also. We have a very busy Spring season here on our farm with mares foaling and such. Generally they are done by June so that leaves the rest of the year much more open. I also like the idea of not having to worry about not making it to Katahdin in time for snow as well as managing to hike in cooler weather a bit more...fewer insects...etc...
Many Walks
12-22-2009, 14:09
50/50 chance
You're right, well maybe 20% chance based on statistics, but who's counting. Guess well see, huh.
jersey joe
12-22-2009, 14:09
It is completely a personal opinion as to which is better a SoBo or NoBo. Each has their pros and cons.
ARambler
12-22-2009, 14:23
50/50 chance
LW,
Is that the best odds you have ever given on WB??? It sure beats 1 in 25 you gave MN Smith.
Based on her posts I would have given her more than 50/50, although in some of the recent posts, she seems to be shining her triple crown.
Others,
Don't do a sobo. Nobody likes them because of their positive attitude. (Look at LW) If you want to avoid the crowds, start early and stay ahead of the pack. Sobos have a shorter window: June thru December is 6 months, March thru Oct 15 is 7.5 months.
Rambler
ShelterLeopard
12-22-2009, 14:43
Deal! I believe you're going to make it. Have fun!!!
Thanks!
50/50 chance
Luckily, I'm in the half that'll make it- don't you worry.
warraghiyagey
12-22-2009, 14:45
It is completely a personal opinion as to which is better a SoBo or NoBo. Each has their pros and cons.
There's really no better way to say it than that. . . .
Thanks!
Luckily, I'm in the half that'll make it- don't you worry.
I doubt he (or anyone) is. . . ;)
sheepdog
12-22-2009, 16:14
sobo is all down hill good on the heart bad on the knees
warraghiyagey
12-22-2009, 16:49
sobo is all down hill good on the heart bad on the knees
It's good to go down. . .
Lumberpat73
12-22-2009, 17:15
Im planning SOBO bc I get laid off from work in June... and if I continue through to florida maybe ill have enough money left over to celebrate spring break with a few college chicks haha
LW,
Sobos have a shorter window: June thru December is 6 months, March thru Oct 15 is 7.5 months.
Rambler
Springer doesn't "close"; so a sobo can last however long you want it to last...you don't have to stop in December!:-?
We left Katahdin in late July. We had only one black fly bite and very little mud to contend with. Fall is my favorite season, and a sobo hike extends this fantastic season (saw fall colors all the way from Vermont to Virginia). The late fall skies in the South are much crisper, and the fall snows are usually much fluffier than the wet snows of spring. The hiker services that are still open are very happy to see you. There are other hikers if you want to hike with a group, but you can easily find solitude (30% of our nights were spent in shelters that we had all to ourselves!). And of course, Springer doesn't close; so you don't have to be pressured to flip anywhere.
My husband's done two nobos and one sobo...he tells everyone the sobo hike was his favorite. I loved it, too!:sun
Lone Wolf
12-22-2009, 22:05
i did 4 nobos and 1 sobo. sobo was my favorite. 10 times better than the other way
Wolf - 23000
12-22-2009, 22:24
SoBo you hike with fewer people, but run into plenty. You start later. You are doing the reverse of the "norm", to which more people and hostels cater to, but unless you start really late, they'll probably all still be open and waiting with tired, yet open arms. (Maybe they get their second wind for SoBos?)
Many hostels will close up for the season after 1 Sept. So the open arms part are folded shut about half way into the trip.
Wolf
ShelterLeopard
12-23-2009, 00:02
Yeah, you're right- it all depends. And the open ones may be a bit tired of dealing with people. But, I don't hike to stay in hostels (I love 'em though). Motels will still be open.
ARambler
12-23-2009, 01:28
Springer doesn't "close"; so a sobo can last however long you want it to last...you don't have to stop in December!:-?
We left Katahdin in late July. We had only one black fly bite and very little mud to contend with. Fall is my favorite season, and a sobo hike extends this fantastic season (saw fall colors all the way from Vermont to Virginia). The late fall skies in the South are much crisper, and the fall snows are usually much fluffier than the wet snows of spring. The hiker services that are still open are very happy to see you. There are other hikers if you want to hike with a group, but you can easily find solitude (30% of our nights were spent in shelters that we had all to ourselves!). And of course, Springer doesn't close; so you don't have to be pressured to flip anywhere.
My husband's done two nobos and one sobo...he tells everyone the sobo hike was his favorite. I loved it, too!:sun
I have only seen 4 sobos finish, 2 of them finished on March 26th. However, if you are willing to walk into late January, why not party new years eve and start hiking New Years day?? Then you have 9.5 months for a nobo. "pressure to flip" sounds horrible.
JoshStover
12-23-2009, 01:37
I have only seen 4 sobos finish, 2 of them finished on March 26th. However, if you are willing to walk into late January, why not party new years eve and start hiking New Years day?? Then you have 9.5 months for a nobo. "pressure to flip" sounds horrible.
Arambler, are you saying that Sobos are less likely to finish?
just do it and find out for yourself. doesn't matter what someone says
Then what's the point of this forum?
modiyooch
12-23-2009, 08:35
Arambler, are you saying that Sobos are less likely to finish?What I recall from the stats, the % of finishing is the same. Check the ATC website.
warraghiyagey
12-23-2009, 10:25
Then what's the point of this forum?
For folks to talk about it and take what they want/need from it. . . that's all any forum or thread is about. . .
ARambler
12-23-2009, 11:38
Arambler, are you saying that Sobos are less likely to finish?
Some say the completion rate is slightly higher for sobos. Since it is so hard to count, I'm not sure you can say for sure. I would guess that the drop out rate is higher for sobos in the first month and less after that, but who knows.
I agree with those that say sobos hike faster than nobos. I think the average sobo sees more black flies than the average nobo.
I agree with LW that sobo is more fun.:o
Rambler
For the life of me I can't figure out why anyone would want to hike NOBO, that's the wrong direction!
ShelterLeopard
12-23-2009, 11:41
Then what's the point of this forum?
Good comeback. I applaud you.
I live in Maine and have worked as a Volunteer Trail maintainer for over thirty years. I have seen a lot of hikers over the years. I have also done two thru-hikes, both of them northbound ('77 & '82). I would say that northbound is easier, both physically and the advantage of having "easier" Trail to start out on. Maine hiking begins around mid-May. Even then, there is still deep snow in the higher mountains. Add in the dangerous stream crossings from the winter runnoff (Maine has a no bridging policy, so most river/stream crossings are fords), the hordes of biting black flies, the mosquitoes, the mud, the spring rains the wet rocks and tangles of roots and you have a much more difficult beginning. This doesn't even account for the steep climbs utilizing New England style switchbacks (straight up and straight down). Maine is tough and then there is New Hampshire that soon follows! By the time you hit NH, the crowds are arriving, the camp and scout groups are too and the Trail is much more crowded as you also start running into the Northbound hikers. Forget about staying in a shelter. You'll be lucky if there is room. I see a lot of southbound hikers dropping out by the time they reach Monson; many bailing out even before they get there. The advantages of heading North are many, despite the crowds beginning at Springer. Would I ever consider a Southbound thru-hike?...Absolutely! Any time spent on the Trail is better than time spent elsewhere.
Fatman you said it all. When I did my thru I flipped and did my second half as a SOBO. All I could imagine was how tough this must be in the spring starting a thru-hike going SOBO. I would imagine that a thru-hiker going SOBO has a higher rate of quiting early and not finishing because of the hard hiking.
It's interestin' to me that SOBO is talked about as if the hike is attempted at a point in time when most SOBO folks would "normally" start their SOBO hike. When is that exactly? I truly don't know.
Me, well, I'm a-thinkin' about startin' in mid-September and walkin' through Fall and Winter. I'll be somewhere on the trail for Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Year's, finishing when most people are just starting to head NOBO.
That would be anti-social to some people, completely unthunked, right? The way I see it is it's more of a challenge. Yes, the AT in it's entiretly is a challenge to a great many hikers... but I'm not your average hiker. While living in Alaska I got to seriously challenge myself in the wilds of The Last Frontier, as well as far eastern Siberia, completely without a net (or a trail town or road a few miles nearby, if you will.)
So, I guess, the point to this post is to ask something I think I already know the answer to -- with the exception of September and March, I'll see a LOT less hikers than if I was setting out NOBO in Feb or March?
Do you think I'll maybe have a lot of shelters to myself? That would be sweet.
I'll surely have to face some potentially serious weather conditions... but I'll be prepared.
I suppose Springer isn't a seriously monumental climax after starting at Katahdin but that won't be so important to me. Just walking the distance through Fall and Winter while raising money for charity will be :)
ShelterLeopard
12-27-2009, 23:41
Me, well, I'm a-thinkin' about startin' in mid-September and walkin' through Fall and Winter. I'll be somewhere on the trail for Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Year's, finishing when most people are just starting to head NOBO.
That would be anti-social to some people, completely unthunked, right? The way I see it is it's more of a challenge. Yes, the AT in it's entiretly is a challenge to a great many hikers... but I'm not your average hiker. While living in Alaska I got to seriously challenge myself in the wilds of The Last Frontier, as well as far eastern Siberia, completely without a net (or a trail town or road a few miles nearby, if you will.)
Do you think I'll maybe have a lot of shelters to myself? That would be sweet.
I'll surely have to face some potentially serious weather conditions... but I'll be prepared.
I suppose Springer isn't a seriously monumental climax after starting at Katahdin but that won't be so important to me. Just walking the distance through Fall and Winter while raising money for charity will be :)
Sweet- I'd love to do it this way, but I have to apply to college after the trail (already taken a year off, now another), so I'm going NoBo in two months. I think it'll be reallyh cool. You will have a lot of shelters, and people have done it. Let me know when you'll be in Delaware Water Gap- I'll bring you good food.
fredmugs
12-28-2009, 10:16
As a SOBO section hiker I like that I can get good intel from all the NOBO hikers. It's great knowing where water can be easily obtained and the non shelter campsites are.
mweinstone
12-28-2009, 10:36
southbound is modest humble quiet
nortbound is loud smokey pushing
eastbound just aint right
westbound is okay.
Wouldn't you start the southbound trail in summer rather than spring?
I went sobo I saw lots of old,frozen, turds in Tenn. I remember thinking I wouldn't have wanted to be there when it was hot out.
Both have pluses and minuses.
The major down side to SoBo is you are walking with increasingly less daylight. By the time a SoBo finishes in Nov (or even Dec), it is going to be dark early. Some long bag nights.
I did not realize how much of a difference this really meant until I went SoBo on the CDT and finished Nov 1st. The days were definitely short by then.... Can only imagine how short by the time it gets close to December. And though the winters are not as harsh as northern New England, it can get pretty cold (and snowy) in the southern Appalachians at times.
If you are on a typical AT hiker pace (less hiking and more camping than the Western trails typically), then this may not be an issue.
For sentimental reasons, finishing at the Big K is perhaps the most dramatic finish of all the big three trails...
As an aside, the most thru-hikers I saw at once on my AT hike was in Maine. 13 SoBos in one shelter! :D I think many SoBos clump together..so if you hike ahead of the pack and stay consistent, you should have more solitude.
Having said all this, I'd love to hike SoBo on the AT for something different. The Smokeys in the Fall sounds killer....
Jack Tarlin
12-28-2009, 16:52
An early poster to this thread said that SOBO's have the possibility of enjoying "prime" seasons and weather for most of their hike.
Have to disagree.
*I live in Northern New England and June/July is a really horrible time to be hiking in Maine most years and can't compare to doing this section in August or September as NOBO's do. Unless you like getting eaten, June in Maine is not"prime" backpacking. In fact, it usually sucks.
*Most SOBO's are doing NH and Vermont in July, or early August. In both
cases, it's usually much nicer there in August in terms of bugs, weather,
etc.
*SOBO's are doing Southern New England in later summer. It's still buggy and
awful, hardly "prime" weather."
*SOBO's are in the mid-Atlantic states in late summer. In terms of heat,
poor water, bugs, etc., this is not markedly different or better than what
NOBO's go thru here.
*SOBO's are finishing up in late Novemember and early December, hardly the
best time to be in the NC/NC mountains. The Smokies in December are
often cold, wet, and miserable.
In short, there are good reasons to head South, just as there are good reasons to head North. But to suggest that one has optimum or "prime" weather most of the time if you head south is simply false. Anyone that thinks that June is the best time of the year to hike Maine and Northern New England is just wrong. In some years, it's a nightmare.
Jack Tarlin
12-28-2009, 16:55
Oh, and as to the "solitude" thing:
Nobody is compelled to camp or stay with others on the A.T., except in a VERY few places (where the camping rules apply to SOBO's as well). People that want to camp, stay, or spend time by themselves have countless opportunities to do so. Except in the Smokies, nobody is ever forced to endure crowded conditions, campsites, etc. The trail is as social as you make it.
And for people seeking true solitude, unless you wanna hike in wintertime, you should probably be looking at a Trail other than the A.T. :rolleyes:
wcgornto
12-28-2009, 17:14
By the time you hit NH, the crowds are arriving, the camp and scout groups are too and the Trail is much more crowded as you also start running into the Northbound hikers. Forget about staying in a shelter. You'll be lucky if there is room.
I had no problem finding room in shelters in NH going south. Of course, I start hiking with daylight and usually arrive at my destination long before most other hikers. I did, however, stay in a number of shelters in both Maine and New Hampshire that were full to overcapacity owing to the convergence of the various groups that you mentioned along with the non-stop rain.
Walking Thunderbird
12-28-2009, 18:46
I did a (very fast) SOBO hike this year, starting July 31 and finishing Oct. 13. I'll address a few points that have come up:
1) Bugs -- I didn't see any blackflies and only had a handful of nights with bad mosquitoes.
2) Weather -- I think this is the great advantage of going SOBO. The weather was great, for the most part. I got hit with some pretty serious rain in ME and VT (3-4 days at a time), but other than that, things were nice. Nights in ME and NH in August were in the low 40s at their coldest, and I had a few nights in the 30s or so south of VA. I managed to avoid hiking in really hot/humid weather that hits PA and VA. It was pretty cool once I got down south, but not too cold. I did the whole trip with a 40-degree bag, although I was a little cold a few nights.
3) Social -- I have to disagree with the previous poster about how you can make the trail as social as you want to. I saw lots of people just about every day on the trail until I got past the bulk of the NOBOs. However, south of that, there were days when I didn't see anybody (especially in the middle of VA). There were people EVERYWHERE in the Whites and the Hundred Mile Wilderness. If you want to be social, a simple "where's the next water" or "how's the downside of this hill" is a great conversation starter for the stream of NOBOs going the other way. I was hiking really fast, so I didn't really make a lot of friends whom I saw multiple times along the trail (I would often joke that I only saw people once).
4) Shelters -- I didn't carry a tent, so staying in shelters was pretty key. I only had one night in which I got to a full shelter (and keep in mind that I rarely stopped hiking before 6 and often arrived a little after dark). Starting in VA, I spent a lot of nights alone in the shelter.
5) Mental -- I think this is a big plus about going SOBO. I think it was easier getting the hardest stuff out of the way first. The first couple weeks, thru hikers are all gung-ho about the adventure and less likely to be deterred by the ridiculous grades of ME and NH (at least this was the case with me). Let's face it, a thru-hike isn't fun every day, and I think that it's easier to persevere through the more boring parts (PA and VA) when you know that you have the hardest parts behind you.
6) Services -- I didn't really have any problems with hostels and such being closed once I got south. I don't remember any hostels that I wanted to stay in being closed. Down south, I think I was treated better than the average NOBO because I'd already made it that far (compared to NOBOs just starting out) and because they see fewer of you. I think you get better service because you're more unique to them.
Well, those are my impressions, although they may be atypical, given the speed at which I hiked. Feel free to ask questions about anything else.
Jester2000
12-28-2009, 19:13
. . . 3) Social -- I have to disagree with the previous poster about how you can make the trail as social as you want to. I saw lots of people just about every day on the trail until I got past the bulk of the NOBOs. However, south of that, there were days when I didn't see anybody (especially in the middle of VA). There were people EVERYWHERE in the Whites and the Hundred Mile Wilderness. If you want to be social, a simple "where's the next water" or "how's the downside of this hill" is a great conversation starter for the stream of NOBOs going the other way. I was hiking really fast, so I didn't really make a lot of friends whom I saw multiple times along the trail (I would often joke that I only saw people once). . .
While I believe that the poster you mentioned was referring to NOBOs making the trail as social or as solitary as one wants to, I think that even for SOBOs the trail can be a social thing if that's what they want. It doesn't necessarily refer to the number of people -- the White's have tons of people, but that doesn't mean you have to socialize with any of them.
For the hike you describe, it seems like being social was less important than going fast, but I've met many Southbounders who knew where other SOBOs were in relation to themselves, and when they felt like making it a more social experience they slowed down or sped up so as to hike with others.
A comment I often hear when SOBOs describe why they chose to go Southbound has to do with wanting a more solitary experience, but I agree with Jack here -- regardless of direction, you can choose to make it more or less social depending on your tastes.
Jack Tarlin
12-28-2009, 20:40
Quick comments:
*Yeah, if you start 31 July you'll most likely miss most of bug season,
in Northern New England. No argument there. Only problem here is that
most SOBO's are out there way before 31 July (i.e around two months
before) and they're travelling a lot slower, i.e. they'll be spending time in
bug central way before W.T. was hiking there, , and they'll be hiking thru
this neck of the woods a lot longer and later than he did. Therefore, his
experience with bugs is not typical of the normal Southbound hike.
*If there were lots of folks in the Whites, that's because this place gets
millions of visitors a year, most of them between Memorial Day and Labor
Day. If the White Mts. were a National Park, it'd be the most visitied one in
the nation.
*While I have no doubt that W.T. had a wonderful trip, a 75 day thru-hike, in
any direction, is not a typical one, in fact, it's very unusual.
I don't want my comments mis-interpreted here, as they so frequently are. I'm glad W.T. had a great hike and I'm glad he told us about it, but his was not a normal or regular hike and shouldn't be viewed as one. For most folks, their Southbound experience is a very different one, i.e. especially if they're starting two months earlier in the year and aren't hiking 25-plus miles a day.
Chaco Taco
12-28-2009, 20:46
An early poster to this thread said that SOBO's have the possibility of enjoying "prime" seasons and weather for most of their hike.
Have to disagree.
*I live in Northern New England and June/July is a really horrible time to be hiking in Maine most years and can't compare to doing this section in August or September as NOBO's do. Unless you like getting eaten, June in Maine is not"prime" backpacking. In fact, it usually sucks.
*Most SOBO's are doing NH and Vermont in July, or early August. In both
cases, it's usually much nicer there in August in terms of bugs, weather,
etc.
*SOBO's are doing Southern New England in later summer. It's still buggy and
awful, hardly "prime" weather."
*SOBO's are in the mid-Atlantic states in late summer. In terms of heat,
poor water, bugs, etc., this is not markedly different or better than what
NOBO's go thru here.
*SOBO's are finishing up in late Novemember and early December, hardly the
best time to be in the NC/NC mountains. The Smokies in December are
often cold, wet, and miserable.
In short, there are good reasons to head South, just as there are good reasons to head North. But to suggest that one has optimum or "prime" weather most of the time if you head south is simply false. Anyone that thinks that June is the best time of the year to hike Maine and Northern New England is just wrong. In some years, it's a nightmare.
HAve you SOBO'd?????
Jack Tarlin
12-28-2009, 20:54
Nope. And neither have you, Chaco.
I have, however, hiked over a thousand miles southbound, tho, and I know plenty of Southbounders.
And I have several thousand more miles (and about 40 years) more experience with Northern New England than you do, OK? Or to put it another way, Taco, if you know more about hiking in New England than I do, or if you think you know more about this neck of the woods than I do, feel free to tell us why this is so. This should be inter4esting to hear about.
Chaco, you've recently turned into one of those people who like to jump on ANYTHING I say, regardless of subject.
Why is that?
Other than wondering whether I've Southbounded (and I just answered you), do you want to question or dispute anything I've said in my posts here? If you think I've mis-spoken or said something un-true or inaccurate, please enlighten us.
Or do just want to criticize a comment because it was made by me?
Meaning, do your comments have ANY substance tonight other than calling ,me out because I made them? :D
Take a walk, youngster. Visit New England more than once in your life. You wanna call people out for their hiking or their experience, I suggest you do some more yourself.
For the life of me I can't figure out why anyone would want to hike NOBO, that's the wrong direction!
Birds fly both ways.:-?:)
warraghiyagey
12-28-2009, 20:57
It's tough to tolerate or believe any response on any site that takes so much space to make their point/s. . . . repeatedly.
Holy hell Jack you need an editor. . . . ;)
Jack Tarlin
12-28-2009, 20:59
It's also fun to see people who threaten to leave here keep coming back. :D
I thought a late July start was perfect...very few bugs! We did a 5 month thru-hike, which had us finishing late December. If you have adequate winter gear, November/December offer fantastic hiking in the Southern Appalachians. Although it can (and often will) get very cold, I definitely prefer hiking down here in the late fall/early winter to being out in the much messier/wetter and equally cold March/April time period.
I've camped, backpacked, etc. year-round in the Southern Appalachians for my job for over ten years. My worst weather experiences have all occurred between Feburary and April...WET and cold can equal danger (especially when with juvenile delinquents who are often oppositional and defiant!):eek: I've had way fewer "weather related epics" in November or December...
[QUOTE=NotYet;940647] My worst weather experiences have all occurred between Feburary and April...QUOTE]
To clarify, my worst weather experiences in the Sothern Appalachians have all occurred between Febuary and April.:) I've experienced much worse conditions elsewhere!
warraghiyagey
12-28-2009, 21:28
It's also fun to see people who threaten to leave here keep coming back. :D
I know! . . . I hate when they do that. . . . :D
http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-happy070.gif
We were super happy with our Sobo hike. Less people, got to go through some of the BEST terrain (ME, NH) in the beginning while we were still fresh and didn't want to "just get to the finish line" so to speak. Once we hit VT we knew we would make it and it gave us a ton of confidence for the rest of the hike......Sobo isn't for everyone though, definitely missed out on Trail Days :(
It's good to go down. . .
This is a hiker's forum Warrgy:D
so if I could only do it one time - one way.....:-?
welcome to the southbound nation baby!;)
p.s. northbound is a blast :banana
warraghiyagey
12-28-2009, 22:57
This is a hiker's forum Warrgy:D
oh. . . . . skirts?
It's interestin' to me that SOBO is talked about as if the hike is attempted at a point in time when most SOBO folks would "normally" start their SOBO hike. When is that exactly? I truly don't know.
Me, well, I'm a-thinkin' about startin' in mid-September and walkin' through Fall and Winter. I'll be somewhere on the trail for Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Year's, finishing when most people are just starting to head NOBO.
That would be anti-social to some people, completely unthunked, right? The way I see it is it's more of a challenge. Yes, the AT in it's entiretly is a challenge to a great many hikers... but I'm not your average hiker. While living in Alaska I got to seriously challenge myself in the wilds of The Last Frontier, as well as far eastern Siberia, completely without a net (or a trail town or road a few miles nearby, if you will.)
So, I guess, the point to this post is to ask something I think I already know the answer to -- with the exception of September and March, I'll see a LOT less hikers than if I was setting out NOBO in Feb or March?
Do you think I'll maybe have a lot of shelters to myself? That would be sweet.
I'll surely have to face some potentially serious weather conditions... but I'll be prepared.
I suppose Springer isn't a seriously monumental climax after starting at Katahdin but that won't be so important to me. Just walking the distance through Fall and Winter while raising money for charity will be :)
If you have the time (you do) and don't mind (and have a strong mind) being flexible you will have a great time (.) ;)
I might never do a NOBO and a SOBO to compare which, in my opinion, is better, but starting on the First Day of Fall sounds amazing to me. I'll be in the Whites in mid-October and I'll be through Massachusetts in mid-November before Thanksgiving, and that's as far as my tentative "planning" as taken me so far. While I'm out there, I won't be on a real schedule, I'm just seein' approximately what it'll be like between September 22 and March 22, finishing on the first full day of Spring. I hate the heat of summer and I'd rather carry a few extra pounds on my back in the Fall & Winter. Solitude in Alaska is easy to find... finding solitude on the A.T. during my hike will be so nice considering how populated the East Coast is and how many NOBOs there are at shelters and hostels during the "normal" hiking season. As many people know, life can be screwy sometimes and things could change between now and September and I might not even go... but right now I'm makin' my plans as if I will be. It's pretty excitin' plannin' this! Sure I could go without ever reading from this website but I'm glad it's here!