View Full Version : January Start Date?
acousticmonk
03-10-2010, 00:50
:-?Hey everyone, 2 friends and I are going to be thru-hiking in 2011 and currently plan to start on Feb 10th, but we are considering pushing the start date back to Jan 10th because of work concerns. We work for a horse drawn carriage company on Mackinac Island in Michigan, and need to be back as early in the season as possible if we hope to keep our jobs for the rest of the season! So, any early starting tips or advice would be useful and greatly appreciated! Thanks everybody!
People here seem to give mixed opinions on early starts. Several threads regarding it.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=59628
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=57597&highlight=January
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=38092&highlight=January
By the way, I really like the horse drawn carriages and horse drawn tours on Mackinac Island. Stayed at the Lake View on Mackinac Island in 2008. May come back to the island this summer or next.
acousticmonk
03-10-2010, 01:34
nice, the lake view is a pretty nice place, well if you come back to the island take the private livery tour! thats what I do...
SGT Rock
03-10-2010, 08:21
Be ready for brutal cold some nights. Come ready to spend a day or few off trail for weather hold up at some motel.
Lone Wolf
03-10-2010, 08:24
:-?Hey everyone, 2 friends and I are going to be thru-hiking in 2011 and currently plan to start on Feb 10th, but we are considering pushing the start date back to Jan 10th because of work concerns. We work for a horse drawn carriage company on Mackinac Island in Michigan, and need to be back as early in the season as possible if we hope to keep our jobs for the rest of the season! So, any early starting tips or advice would be useful and greatly appreciated! Thanks everybody!
why rush thru a trip of a lifetime just to get back to a job?
:-?Hey everyone, 2 friends and I are going to be thru-hiking in 2011 and currently plan to start on Feb 10th, but we are considering pushing the start date back to Jan 10th because of work concerns. We work for a horse drawn carriage company on Mackinac Island in Michigan, and need to be back as early in the season as possible if we hope to keep our jobs for the rest of the season! So, any early starting tips or advice would be useful and greatly appreciated! Thanks everybody!
aoucisticmonk,
First, I would strongly suggest that you read very carefully Lone Wolf's post many, many, many times.. write it down and post it on your fridge! Why the heck would you rush such a trip as an AT thru hike just to get back to a job?? I myself have never in my life had a job so worth getting back to. Take your time and enjoy your trip!
Now if you STILL want to start in early January from Springer Mountain, make sure you are packing a sleeping bag rated to 0 degrees F or lower, that you have adequate clothing, and have some sort of traction device. In other words either crampons or at the very least micro spikes. Also you will want a good tent for warm if nothing else. A tent built for winter conditions. I guarantee that if you start that early you will experience true winter cold, plenty of ice, rain, winds the whole bit. Doesn't sound like much fun to me.
An short, starting an AT thru hike from Springer in early January is just plain nutty in my opinion!
David
The Solemates
03-10-2010, 09:27
start in january. if you are prepared, you will be fine.
acousticmonk
03-10-2010, 10:46
Thanks guys! I probably will start in Jan, despite the naysayers.... I don't really understand why everyone is so terrified of snow and ice. I will switch out my gear when it gets warmer, and I looooovveee the snow, 2 ft or 10 ft, its all fun. I would much rather hike in 15-30 degrees as opposed to 80-90 anyways. I am a little worried about water sources being frozen, but with a little improvisation and good ol' common sense, we should do OK.
SGT Rock
03-10-2010, 11:02
Thanks guys! I probably will start in Jan, despite the naysayers.... I don't really understand why everyone is so terrified of snow and ice. I will switch out my gear when it gets warmer, and I looooovveee the snow, 2 ft or 10 ft, its all fun. I would much rather hike in 15-30 degrees as opposed to 80-90 anyways. I am a little worried about water sources being frozen, but with a little improvisation and good ol' common sense, we should do OK.
I don't thnk it is everyone is terrified by it. It's more that we see at least a few guys every year start early and didn't count on the cold and such. I assume if you are working outdoors in the north you already know a little about it. Just occasionally we get someone from up north come down here thinking the winters in the south can't be that bad.
SGT Rock
03-10-2010, 11:20
See this thread: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=59843
white_russian
03-10-2010, 11:26
Just realize that moving one month into January does not equal your finishing date moving one month.
CrumbSnatcher
03-10-2010, 12:00
:-?Hey everyone, 2 friends and I are going to be thru-hiking in 2011 and currently plan to start on Feb 10th, but we are considering pushing the start date back to Jan 10th because of work concerns. We work for a horse drawn carriage company on Mackinac Island in Michigan, and need to be back as early in the season as possible if we hope to keep our jobs for the rest of the season! So, any early starting tips or advice would be useful and greatly appreciated! Thanks everybody!
when were you hoping to be done by?
when is horse drawn carriage season?
Just realize that moving one month into January does not equal your finishing date moving one month.It's called the diminishing milage due to the sinking into 4 ft. of snow law.:D No really, I think what a lot of experienced people on here are saying is that generally speaking, you have a better chance of running into less problems by starting your thru-hike a little later in the season. By starting earlier, you may wind up running into harsher weather, etc...putting a damper earlier on in your hike. However, and I believe this, nothing is set in stone, it could be a warmer and drier than normal winter, and you could start out earlier and have clear sailing. There really is no way to tell. One thing though would be arriving in the North early, and having to deal with worse conditions up there. I guess it really all is a gamble. If you are properly prepared for the cold, and feel it won't be much of a problem, and have the extra funds in case your plans go awry, then who is to say?
SGT Rock
03-10-2010, 12:24
It doesn't always happen. 2008 I started in January and never had to take a day off for weather.
acousticmonk
03-10-2010, 15:57
I don't thnk it is everyone is terrified by it. It's more that we see at least a few guys every year start early and didn't count on the cold and such. I assume if you are working outdoors in the north you already know a little about it. Just occasionally we get someone from up north come down here thinking the winters in the south can't be that bad.
I guess I could understand that... there are some people in the world that assume it never snows south of Ohio. I met one once, if you can believe that! I guess I have just gotten accustomed to the cold over the last 26 years in Michigan and it really doesn't worry me too much.
Slo-go'en
03-10-2010, 16:48
Much of it depends on the kind of winter you get and that can't be predicted. A year like this one and you don't get far. Even those starting now are having a rough time of it. If you happen to get a mild winter with little snow, then you have a chance.
But even if your accustommed to snow and cold, living in it 24/7 on the trail is completely different than being able to go home to a warm house every night. Its no wonder that so many people who think that they can handle these harsh winter conditions quickly find out they can't and go home or wait for warmer weather. Maybe your one of the few hardy soles who can make it through that time of year, but the odds are seriously against it.
Add in the fact the days are short and any snow or other bad weather slows you down significantly, stating in Jan or even Febuary just makes the hike longer and more expensive than it is if you waited for mid March.
If you don't think you'll have enough time to finish the trail starting in mid March, consider skipping the more mondane sections of trail like PA/NJ/NY/CT. At least this way you have much better chance of doing most of the trail than just a little bit of it.
Consider a doing part of the Appalachian Trail before "the season" on Mackinac Island and some after "the season" ends on the island. It would probably give you more time to complete your hike and place less pressure on you to complete it by a certain date.
Based on seasonal weather conditions, you may have to jump around between different sections of the trail (You can't realistically do parts of Maine after October 15th)--but you could probably get all sections of the AT hiked during the same year.
Splitting your hike would probably be the ideal answer for someone who makes the bulk of their income during the late-Spring through early Fall on Mackinac Island. You would get to hike the AT AND keep your job. Not a bad deal.
acousticmonk
03-10-2010, 18:00
Thanks for all the advice everyone, I really do appreciate it. I will seriously consider everyone's suggestions when I make my final decision.