View Full Version : SOBO In Winter... Nice Article
http://redoubtreporter.wordpress.com/2011/03/02/feat-of-feet-%E2%80%94-alaska-hikers-conquer-lows-highs-of-winter-trail/
They started in Maine in September(that's not winter) hiked thru New England by the end of October(that's not winter), made it past the halfway marker in November(still not winter), The were well into Virginia in December when winter started. I don't see the big deal here.
They started in Maine in September(that's not winter) hiked thru New England by the end of October(that's not winter), made it past the halfway marker in November(still not winter), The were well into Virginia in December when winter started. I don't see the big deal here.
You live up to your handle.
BradMT-
Thanks for posting that article. I've saved it to read later. I've thought for awhile now that hiking in other than summer season may be an interesting way to go.
Thanks T-Dubs... wasn't saying it was "a big deal", just saying I thought it was a nice article.
Some people, sheesh...
Wolf - 23000
03-13-2011, 20:27
They started in Maine in September(that's not winter) hiked thru New England by the end of October(that's not winter), made it past the halfway marker in November(still not winter), The were well into Virginia in December when winter started. I don't see the big deal here.
Moldy,
I'm with you. He really didn't do a thru-winter hike and winter hiking VA in December is not anything difficult.
I'm not going to take anything away from him because he did a thru-hike. I just get a kick out of all these people that need their name in the paper because they thru-hike the AT. Instead of doing the trail to be in the paper shouldn't hikers do it because they enjoy being out there?
Wolf
How do you know they "needed their name" in the paper... lot's of pious pontificating here.
Sad...
takethisbread
03-14-2011, 10:01
It would be something if someone left Katahdin at Thanksgiving.
Wolf - 23000
03-14-2011, 14:12
How do you know they "needed their name" in the paper... lot's of pious pontificating here.
Sad...
BradMT,
Most people get their name in the paper after they call the paper themselves or a friend/relative. And few if any papers would publish anything like hiking the Appalachian Trail if the hiker simple said no thank you.
Wolf
the goat
03-14-2011, 14:21
BradMT,
Most people get their name in the paper after they call the paper themselves or a friend/relative. And few if any papers would publish anything like hiking the Appalachian Trail if the hiker simple said no thank you.
Wolf
how is that any different than advertising how many times you've hiked each trail?
or better yet, using your user name to show people exactly how many miles you have walked?
eh, i'd say it's pretty similar......
BradMT,
Most people get their name in the paper after they call the paper themselves or a friend/relative. And few if any papers would publish anything like hiking the Appalachian Trail if the hiker simple said no thank you.
Wolf
How do you know they called it in? Perhaps a well-meaing relative or friend did.
Aside, your assumptions are just that... further, reference this. Seems to fit perfectly:
how is that any different than advertising how many times you've hiked each trail?
or better yet, using your user name to show people exactly how many miles you have walked?
eh, i'd say it's pretty similar......
Looks like an interesting experience. More than the cold, it is the short hiking days I'd find difficult. Though, with a partner, those long nights may not seems as long.. (Depends on how many times the same story is told I guess! :D)
This look cold to me anyway.. :)
http://redoubtreporter.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/at-hike-ice-trail.jpg
...but also quite magical.
Good on them for doing something different. And what a way to have more of wilderness experience on the trail!
kayak karl
03-14-2011, 19:34
It would be something if someone left Katahdin at Thanksgiving.
what is the latest you can leave Baxter??
I could not find a record of someone thru-hiking the AT through to whole of the winter. I think the distance is too long. There have been people who can carry enough equipment to make it hundreds of miles. There have been people who braved part of the winter. If you attempted a NOBO starting in December and hiked to March your miles per day average would be pretty low on a normal winter. I can't imagine how you could make a SOBO starting in December even if you skipped Baxter State Park because it's closed. It would be a death defying fete if you got out of New England. I don't think it's ever been done.
It would be a death defying fete if you got out of New England.
Well, that is nonsense.
More than a few of us have the skills and endurance to do it... the question becomes "why" when the spring/summer/fall is more relaxed and enjoyable.
Winter backpacking/skiing/snowshoeing is simply a matter of great gear, skills and the mental toughness to put your head down and do it every day...
Wolf - 23000
03-17-2011, 02:53
how is that any different than advertising how many times you've hiked each trail?
or better yet, using your user name to show people exactly how many miles you have walked?
eh, i'd say it's pretty similar......
It depends on the reasoning. In this form for example it serves a purpose. Let be honest. There are some posts on this form that you have to scratch your head and wonder. Then you look at their experience level and it explains a lot.
If you are implying is towards my name, well the name "Wolf" was already taken when I sign up on this form. So I needed something easy to remember and having some random number just doesn't do it. That why I came up with the 23000.
Wolf
Wolf - 23000
03-17-2011, 03:00
How do you know they called it in? Perhaps a well-meaing relative or friend did.
Aside, your assumptions are just that... further, reference this. Seems to fit perfectly:
BradMT,
I believe I said relative or friend but lets be honest, none of friends would dare call the papers. Some of my friends have seen me come back pretty beat up from some of my harder hikes. The last thing I would want is everyone saying, "Your that crazy hiker that walk all over the place".
Wolf
Wolf - 23000
03-17-2011, 03:34
I could not find a record of someone thru-hiking the AT through to whole of the winter. I think the distance is too long. There have been people who can carry enough equipment to make it hundreds of miles. There have been people who braved part of the winter. If you attempted a NOBO starting in December and hiked to March your miles per day average would be pretty low on a normal winter. I can't imagine how you could make a SOBO starting in December even if you skipped Baxter State Park because it's closed. It would be a death defying fete if you got out of New England. I don't think it's ever been done.
moldy,
The distance is too long to do a true winter thru-hike but I for one have completed a full section hike of the entire AT. There are only 3 true winter months - Dec, Jan and Feb. Doing a southbound trip from Baxter is do able. Hiking Maine I've completed in the months of January mostly southbound. It wasn't easy solely but it is do able. Going off of their picture, for someone who knows what they are doing the snow there looks more like it would be annoying than anything difficult.
Wolf
In my opinion, it would take a huge team type effort, with the support of ground and air equipment to hike the AT's northern third in the dead of winter. I base this on living in the deep snow of northern Michigan on the flat and from the times I was caught on the AT in the snow. The Whites in February? For a regular hiker dude like me and you with limited resources? It would be far more difficult than other famous treks like the big dog race in Alaska. More like Scott taking on Antarctica.
Blissful
03-17-2011, 09:37
My kudos goes to those last year plodding through 3 feet of snow. Now there was winter hiking in Feb and March!
Baxter is really only closed to overnight camping for a month or two, October 15 to around mid December, when the winter season begins and continues untill at least March.
Maine has been done in winter, but always in a series of short hikes, not in one continuous walk, as far as I know. People are backpacking the trail in Maine all winter long every winter. The diificulty as the article points out is breaking trail. When I was actively winter backpacking, I liked groups of at least four, swapping in rotation to break trail.
I've found the climate along the high ridges of the south is remarkably similar to the climate of coastal Maine, which I can attest is not an easy time to backpack or to just snowshoe on day hikes.
These were powerful hikers, hiking 2,180 miles in less than five months in winter conditions.
BTW, there may be people who have thru hiked that didn't like to talk about their walk afterwards, but I've never personally met such a person. No reporter called me after my long walk, but the word spread and I talked and showed slides to a couple of dozen groups or more -- including two appearances before an entranced local senior citizens club. I enjoyed them all.
Wolf - 23000
03-17-2011, 20:57
In my opinion, it would take a huge team type effort, with the support of ground and air equipment to hike the AT's northern third in the dead of winter. I base this on living in the deep snow of northern Michigan on the flat and from the times I was caught on the AT in the snow. The Whites in February? For a regular hiker dude like me and you with limited resources? It would be far more difficult than other famous treks like the big dog race in Alaska. More like Scott taking on Antarctica.
Moldy,
After I winter hiked pass Mount Greylock, MASS it was an entire different ball game. It was tough but you don't need ground or air equipment. You just need to have the right frame of mind, some good gear, and know the hell you are doing.
Wolf
Wolf - 23000
03-17-2011, 21:04
Baxter is really only closed to overnight camping for a month or two, October 15 to around mid December, when the winter season begins and continues untill at least March.
Maine has been done in winter, but always in a series of short hikes, not in one continuous walk, as far as I know. People are backpacking the trail in Maine all winter long every winter. The diificulty as the article points out is breaking trail. When I was actively winter backpacking, I liked groups of at least four, swapping in rotation to break trail.
I've found the climate along the high ridges of the south is remarkably similar to the climate of coastal Maine, which I can attest is not an easy time to backpack or to just snowshoe on day hikes.
These were powerful hikers, hiking 2,180 miles in less than five months in winter conditions.
BTW, there may be people who have thru hiked that didn't like to talk about their walk afterwards, but I've never personally met such a person. No reporter called me after my long walk, but the word spread and I talked and showed slides to a couple of dozen groups or more -- including two appearances before an entranced local senior citizens club. I enjoyed them all.
Weary,
I've done Maine in one shot. What you said about breaking snow the whole way make it difficult but not the hardest part. The hardest part for me was to remember to stop and stay put to melt water around noon. I didn't always want to because well it was very cold and stopping didn't seem like a smart idea but if I didn't I became to weaker and weaker as the days pass by.
Wolf
Weary,
I've done Maine in one shot. What you said about breaking snow the whole way make it difficult but not the hardest part. The hardest part for me was to remember to stop and stay put to melt water around noon. I didn't always want to because well it was very cold and stopping didn't seem like a smart idea but if I didn't I became to weaker and weaker as the days pass by.
Wolf
In my 3 decades of winter hiking in Maine I've always been able to find a stream with running water that supplied my water needs. I've yet to melt significant amounts of snow.
Wolf - 23000
03-18-2011, 03:17
In my 3 decades of winter hiking in Maine I've always been able to find a stream with running water that supplied my water needs. I've yet to melt significant amounts of snow.
Maine had more running water than any other state but even then there were some days that I didn't find run into flowing water. Consider this, I walked across the Kennebec River. Also for short hikes, I didn't notice it as much either but over time I became weaker and weaker. It took several hikes before I put the pieces together to rely to keep up my strength I had to stop to make water. NH on the other hand, I only found one running water source. VT was total frozen.
Wolf
More like Scott taking on Antarctica.
Well, Scott's problem was that he was incompetent... Amundsen on the other hand...
In my 3 decades of winter hiking in Maine I've always been able to find a stream with running water that supplied my water needs. I've yet to melt significant amounts of snow.
Exactly...
Wolf - 23000
03-19-2011, 03:08
BradMT, Weary,
Would you tell me where you found water south of Harrison Pond? The Pond was frozen but yes the stream was still flowing. When I did it in 2005, heading south everything was complete frozen going south.
Wolf