View Full Version : head start may hike
Megapixel
10-10-2010, 20:47
We are doing what is known as a Head Start hike, termed by the ATC on their website. This is harpers ferry to Katahdin, then harpers to springer. Has anyone done this and can talk some about their hike or has anyone encountered a trail journal from someone who has done this?
I've searched a good bit on tj.com and can't find a thing. Thanks.
met several people this year that started at HF.One piece of advice for you, you will be meeting people who have hiked 1,000 miles by the time that you meet them. Do not feel pressure to do the miles that you will hear them talk about at the shelters. Start slow and build up to your miles on your schedule. The nice thing for you is that you reference "we" - so you will have someone to share the initial experience with. Several of the hikers I met who started "in the middle" discussed regret in the fact that they missed out on the initial bonding with other hikers that happens when starting from Springer so having a hiking partner with you will help. Hope this helps - I didn't hike the trail like you are planning to do (went NOBO) but did meet and talk to several who started in HF. Don't know if/when they finished.
I didn't do exactly what you're talking about, but I started NOBO out of Damascus this past spring. Having already hiked Springer to Damascus, I didn't feel the need to do that section just to say I thru hiked. I like to hike solo, so by the time I started most people had already found hiking partners, so I felt little pressure to tag along with a group. Not that I would have felt the need to hike with others if I started in Springer, but my pace was quite a bit slower, so I usually got to meet new people almost every day for my first few weeks. For me Virginia was one of my favorite parts of the trail, because I was constantly around new people and I was in no hurry to start hikng 20 mile days. I took 7 weeks through Va. I think this had a lasting effect up the trail because at no point did I feel like I had to do do what others were doing just because I had hiked with them since Georgia, and if I didn't stay with them in a certain town, then I might not get to see them again. Conversely, few people pressured me to what they were doing. I think there was an understanding amongst my fellow hikers that I had my own agenda, which was basically no agenda, and because I didn't alter my plans to hike with them didn't mean I didn't like them or didn't enjoy their company. Consequently, it made it easier to get away from others when they started to annoy me. Don't take this as me being anti-social, I enjoy being around others, but it was more important for me to do the trail on my terms. A lot of folks talk about HYOH, but in my observation very few actually do it.
It should be noted that some hikers may percieve you differently, especially early in your hike. Nobody ever told me that they didn't think I would make it, but there were definitely things said that made me believe they felt this way. "Man, your pack looks really heavy", "why do you carry a pair of pajama pants?" "Everytime I see you you, you're taking a break", "Are you going to sit around camp and drink coffee all day?", "You only hiked six miles today, and you're already setting up camp?... but it's only four o'clock", and so on and so on. I carry an external frame pack, so my favorite was "how do like that external frame?", which loosely translated means your pack looks really heavy. I never let this bother me much, and as time went by, I began to take pride in the fact that I did things differently and yet was still on the trail, even after some of the people more critical of me had dropped off. By the time I was up north, most people considered me a thru hiker, and at times my fellow hikers scolded me when I refered to myself as a section hiker.
Well, I'm starting to ramble, but I think the bottom line is that there is no correct way to hike the trail. If you're the kind of person that doesn't feel like they need to belong to a group, then I think this will work out well for you. I wouldn't change a thing about my hike.
Megapixel
10-11-2010, 15:06
thanks Pony and 4Shot. Lots of good stuff to take from your writings here. Any one else out there who has seen a trail journal of this type of hike?
Pedaling Fool
10-11-2010, 16:44
It should be noted that some hikers may percieve you differently, especially early in your hike. Nobody ever told me that they didn't think I would make it, but there were definitely things said that made me believe they felt this way. "Man, your pack looks really heavy", "why do you carry a pair of pajama pants?" "Everytime I see you you, you're taking a break", "Are you going to sit around camp and drink coffee all day?", "You only hiked six miles today, and you're already setting up camp?... but it's only four o'clock", and so on and so on. I carry an external frame pack, so my favorite was "how do like that external frame?", which loosely translated means your pack looks really heavy. I never let this bother me much, and as time went by, I began to take pride in the fact that I did things differently and yet was still on the trail, even after some of the people more critical of me had dropped off. By the time I was up north, most people considered me a thru hiker, and at times my fellow hikers scolded me when I refered to myself as a section hiker.
They probably did perceive you diffently since you were just starting out and they'd already have done over 500 miles. However, the things said is the same; I've heard all those thing when I started out at Springer. I also carry an external frame pack, so maybe that's the common denominator:D
But seriously, I don't know what the deal is, but that just seems to be a big interest with many hikers -- I don't get it.
It's like there's some competition out there of who can hike the furthest in the shortest period of time with the fewest zeros and NO low mileage days and then you gotta do all this with the lightest possible pack or you're a nobody.:rolleyes:
Megapixel
10-12-2010, 20:27
how about this, anyone have a journal out there that hit harpers in mid may or so?
Blissful
10-13-2010, 09:41
how about this, anyone have a journal out there that hit harpers in mid may or so?
Check trailjournals.com for journals. My son and I were in HF Memorial Day weekend in '07 and heading north. But again, as someone mentioned, you are reading journals from those who are hiker hardy. You'd be better reading journals of flip floppers. I know of a few out here this year, not sure they are keeping journals though
Megapixel
10-13-2010, 14:51
Check trailjournals.com for journals. My son and I were in HF Memorial Day weekend in '07 and heading north. But again, as someone mentioned, you are reading journals from those who are hiker hardy. You'd be better reading journals of flip floppers. I know of a few out here this year, not sure they are keeping journals though
Good point. I just can't seem to locate any that have started from HF... oh well.
We are doing what is known as a Head Start hike, termed by the ATC on their website. This is harpers ferry to Katahdin, then harpers to springer. Has anyone done this and can talk some about their hike or has anyone encountered a trail journal from someone who has done this?
I've searched a good bit on tj.com and can't find a thing. Thanks.
I hiked with Super Dave for a lot of the northern portion. He started in Harpers going NOBO and finished by starting in Harpers and going SOBO. He didn't write a TJ about the AT in 2006 but did for the Colorado Trail in 2007 which is here: http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=6107
You should be able to contact him via TJ and ask him for advice. As most past AT hikers, I'm sure he'd be more than willing to talk about his experience.
More information about when you're planning on starting from Harpers would help. Are you starting in April/May or June/July?
I know Dave met a great group of people he stayed tight with but was quite lonely once he started his SOBO. He experienced a lot of cold weather. He started from Harpers NOBO in the summer and summited Big K in mid October when he then went back to Harpers and went SOBO.
Good luck and have fun.
less,
Just wondering why? Is it a "time of year" thing or does your schedule prohibit you from doing a traditional NOBO start?
Megapixel
10-13-2010, 18:29
less,
Just wondering why? Is it a "time of year" thing or does your schedule prohibit you from doing a traditional NOBO start?
it's a may hike, and there is a wedding to attend in harpers in May so it just makes sense to avoid the hot south and start from there in May.... we have gone round and round about a NOBO or SOBO but this just seems to work out.