Late start for thru-hike, where to start??

[Jelly-Bean]

I was supposed to leave for my thru-hike on April 3rd, BUT I sprained my foot. I am planning on leaving for the AT this Sunday. I don't want to be sleeping in shelters by myself just yet.

Question: Since it is later in the season, will I be okay starting at Springer or should I flip-flop and start somewhere around the Smokies or just past the Smokies about where I would have been anyway? I just think I will be more comfortable to be surrounded by people at shelters at the start of my hike.

[map man]

There will be a decent number of people leaving Springer on a thru-hike in the first week of May, especially if you start on a weekend. Not as many as were leaving four weeks ago, no. But I suspect you will not be alone at the shelters.

The middle of the NOBO thru-hiker pack will be just past Damascus on May 1, if you would prefer to be in the midst of that. They will be more trail-hardy than you after a few weeks on the trail, though, and you may have a hard time keeping up with them. Same thing would be true, to a lesser degree, if you start around Hot Springs.

If you start part way along and do make it all the way to Katahdin, you might find it psychologically difficult to go back and make up the miles in the very south, if a complete thru-hike is important to you.

[Kaptain Kangaroo]

There will be a decent number of people leaving Springer on a thru-hike in the first week of May, especially if you start on a weekend. Not as many as were leaving four weeks ago, no. But I suspect you will not be alone at the shelters.

If you start part way along and do make it all the way to Katahdin, you might find it psychologically difficult to go back and make up the miles in the very south, if a complete thru-hike is important to you.

+1 on both points. There will be plenty of people out hiking. Thru hikers are the minority of people on the trail. You will have plenty of company.

I hiked from PA to Katahdin with a guy who started in Damascus as he couldn't get on the trail earlier. After summitting Katahdin he felt like he had finished his hike & couldn't raise the motivation to go all the way back south to do those last 450 miles. Although he had an awesome hike, he was kind of sad he didn't start at Springer.

[stranger]

Agreed, while the overwhelming majority of thru-hikers leave Springer between March 1st and April 15th, there are still people leaving right up to about mid-May, obviously less people, but to be honest being in the middle of the thru-hiker pack is more negative than postive in my opinion.

One option would be to contact the hiker hostel in Dahlongea and ask about this years trends, I would imagine almost 80% of hikers probably get shuttled by them, if not more...they should have a good idea of how many hikers are still heading out in early May.

If you are really concerned about it, perhaps head to Franklin or Fontana Dam, this way you will definately be around other hikers without being in the mass horde of early April starters, which will be right around Hot Springs.

Most AT thru-hikers have a slow start and won't be up to the 100 mile/week standard to after Erwin, so while the masses may have a month jump on you, they won't be much beyond Hot Springs in all likelyhood.

I think you are leaving at the perfect time, almost guaranteed no snow, and no cold weather, and like others have said you will not be alone in shelters on most nights.

[Jelly-Bean]

Thanks to all of you for your wonderful imput and insight. I was just torn on this and wanted to make my decision by today. I will be starting at Springer. Each of you said something positive that helped me with my last but very important detail.

[max patch]

I started my thru 5/1 and finished the first week in October. You mentioned sleeping alone...even with that late start I remember the first shelter after Gatlinburg was full with 20+ others tenting nearby.