Winter Thru-Hike

[usmcpayne]

So is it a bad idea to do a thru hike in the winter time? Im looking at doing a thru hike and was planning on April next year but im not sure I will be able to make it for that date. Im really considering starting it in September but keep reading forums on how bad it is. So is this a bad idea or can it be done? Any help would be appreciated.

-Dustin

[fiddlehead]

Starting in Sept in Maine and doing a SOBO would be the way to go.
Sept and Oct in Maine can be very enjoyable.
YOu will probably hit some snow somewhere in NH and maybe even Maine but it won't be something you need snowshoes for.
Then by the time the real winter comes, you'll be south of VT and the mountains are smaller.
Some winters can be mild although lately they haven't been.
Just be prepared to bail if you have to, and spend a lot of time in the sleeping bag (you will have to), and it can be enjoyable.

You will get used to finding the trail if it's snow covered. You learn to look for where blowdowns have been cut more than white blazes and you will get good at it.
A GPS with the AT route on there will help tremendously also.
I would also recommend that you carry a state highway map if you don't take a GPS as the bailout points will be easier to find.
Or the Delorme Gazetteer for each state although that would be expensive. (GPS will do)

Most important things: good sleeping bag, good light, keep a set of clothes dry at all costs.
When in trouble, sit down and think it out, don't just plod blindly if you are not sure where you are.
Have fun.

[usmcpayne]

what degree bag would you recommend? I have a Kelty 20* down bag right now and I know thats just not going to work.

[fiddlehead]

That depends on your age, how much fat you have on you (the more the better, like a walrus), do you sleep cold or warm? (are you OK with a 20 deg bag when it's 15? 20? 25?
Now that I see that you are from AL, I have a feeling you are not sure what a below zero temp night is like.
Personally, I would take a 0 or -10 deg bag or even bigger ($400+) but, I sleep cold (in other words, I'm cold in a 20deg bag when it's 25 deg)

Also, I would carry a zipp stove so that I can heat water to fill a nalgene bottle with many nights ( to throw into the bag and keep me warm) and to drink lots of hot tea, cocoa, etc.

How much experience do you have at sub zero temps in the woods?

[usmcpayne]

Ive actually got some experience. I spent several days doing mountain warfare training(cold weather training) while in the Marines. Im pretty comfortable in a 20 degree bag but leaning towards getting a 0 degree or even negative 5 or so. I have a bag that is good to -15 but weighs 5 1/2 lbs. Although it compresses small that extra pound or so can kill you on a long hike. Thank you for your help.

[wornoutboots]

it will depend on your sleeping pad as well. You could start out with a 15-20 Degree bag then send yourself a colder wether one a month or two down the trail. Sounds like a Great Adventure!!

[usmcpayne]

Thanks... great idea. I have a therma-rest insulated pad. That is definitely something I will be doing. I actually have plans to hike from Fontana to the approach trail in GA from SEP 25 through some of October with some friends but then myself and another buddy is thinking of going up to Maine and hiking down to Fontana to finsh it. With the flying and everything I figure we will be done with the first part mid Oct and get to Maine around Oct 15th (give or take a day or so). We are currently in Afghanistan and this is what we are doing for our vacation. Go figure....

[fiddlehead]

Oct 15 can be a good time to start.
Depends on the year.
I started Oct 14 one year at Katahdin and the weather was great through December, but we didn't go slow.
We were worried about the whites and glad when we got through them without any major storms. (had one storm of about 2-3 feet) near the southern end of them.
It melted quickly however as it was one of the first storms of the year.
But, I belive times have changed and the present cycle seems to be a cold, and snowy starting sometime in November.
Good luck

[Ktaadn]

I'm surprised that no one seems to mention problems with resupplying when a winter thru hike come up. I've only done a couple of weeks of winter hiking on the AT in MD and VA and I've noticed that many stores/restaurants are "closed for the season". This is especially true in Harpers Ferry. Does anyone else think this would be an issue on a thru hike? I would think that the problem would be even more noticable in the northern half of the trail.

[usmcpayne]

im glad you brought that up because I was wondering how the resupply would go. Does anyone else think this would be a problem?

[fiddlehead]

Some hotels were closed. Many hostels were closed. Some places like the veggie stand in NY, some state parks, were closed.
Yes, it is going to be a concern. Doesn't mean it can't be done.
No one said it would be easy.
I think the Sept start is a better idea myself.

[The Solemates]

it will be more of a problem if you rely on grocer re-supply the whole time. consider sending yourself packages in more remote areas where the grocer and/or other services may be closed.

[The Solemates]

shoot many things were closed for us because we were early and we started in the south!

[kyhipo]

well I am not a thru hiker but if you plan on being out that long the south really isnt that bad in the winter,personally love the cold weather.You will have alot of planning to do but I believe it can be done.

[Tom Murphy]

You will probably be alone most of the time.
You will have a much heavier pack than traditional March/April NOBO thru-hiker would have..
You may hit snow down south which may delay you and/or cause you to spend more money.
The amount of daylight get shorter each day.
Re-supply may be more difficult.
Hostels may be closed.
Trail magic may be none existent.
Hitching rides or arrnaging ridea may be more difficult.

All of this issues lessen the chance of a full thru-hike but increase the chances of a unique expereince.

How does that sound to you? exciting or scary?

[Ironbelly]

A winter thru hike is definitely a challenging adventure, I myself have done a 3 month stent and a 1.5 month stent on the AT in winter. I would recommend a 0 degree bag at least. You also need a solid shelter system, sometimes at elevation you can get wholloped by a freak snow storm and need to take shelter, and you could still be a long ways from the next actual shelter. I also recommend bringing along a traction aid such as kahtoola microspikes, snowshoes are optional. Tall gaiters are nice to have.

I never found resupplying to be too hard, it just involves a little more advance planning, or going a little further between resupply. One solid option if you do fbc style cooking is to mail ahead meals. Always carry 2-3 days more food in winter, for one you need more to stay warm, but it can be really slow going at times so always plan for it taking an extra few days to get to the next spot.

If you have any other questions feel free to ask! Oh, and dress warm!

[10-K]

Some hotels were closed. Many hostels were closed. Some places like the veggie stand in NY, some state parks, were closed.
Yes, it is going to be a concern. Doesn't mean it can't be done.
No one said it would be easy.
I think the Sept start is a better idea myself.

Everything in SNP will be closed as well.

[10-K]

One item you want to have handy access to if you don't have them on you are some crampons. Especially up north where there's a lot of rock.

Snow is manageable. Ice ... well.. that's another story.

[Tipi Walter]

Everything in SNP will be closed as well.

Thanks God for that. The last time I thruhiked the SNP was in March of '87, and everything was closed, a blessing. Otherwise it would've been a long trek along the interstate sound garden of roaring and racing motorcyclists and forty foot RV's.

[usmcpayne]

Thank you for all of your responses. This honestly sounds like it could be a great time. Im aware of the horrible things that could go wrong but hiking in general has its great and bad things. Of course that chanch of something bad happening increases in the winter time. I think it will be a great time. If we don't get to do a thru hike this winter we are at least hiking Fontana to the approach trail and then going to Helen Ga for 3 days for Oktoberfest then back to Fontana to hike NOBO to Damascus. Once again thank you all for your time. Have any of you ever been to Oktoberfest in Helen Ga (right outside of Unicoi)?

[10-K]

Well, let me just say that the most important thing to take with you is your brain.

The worse thing that could go wrong is for you to lose it and do something dumb like try to take a shortcut or take an unnecessary risk to keep going when you really should stop (that's what would get me...)

[wornoutboots]

I may pass ya usmcpayne, I'm hiking the section from Springer to the NOC into the NOCtoberfest this year, so I'll be starting somewhere @ October 5th or 6th.

[stranger]

Starting a southbound thru-hike in September would be interesting. As others have said, you are going to have to deal with some weather somewhere, and I would expect to see snow in the Whites, just not anything that's going to bury you, but you never know. I would have some type of crampons waiting for me before going into the White Mountain National Forest personally.

When you get down south, remember you're hitting 5,000 feet peaks from Mt. Rogers all that way to Standing Indian, a section of 400 miles, and although the Smokies are not the Whites, I've always felt they do get quite cold compared to other areas of the south, despite not being much higher than say the Nantahalas or Roan Highlands.

I have alot of winter backpacking experience, and I'm talking about upstate New York in January, -10 without the wind chill, streams frozen, melting snow for water, no exposed skin, etc... There are complexities that come with colder weather that a 3 season hiker would never really know about. Using crampons and snowshoes, sometimes even an ice-axe, how to guy a tent in the snow, priming stoves, breaking teeth biting into frozen Power Bars, etc...

In terms of gear, you would need to look into a good bag for the south, I think you could probably use your 20 down for a while then switch to something substanital down south. Cooking in the cold sucks! Cleaning pots in the cold is even worse, everything is just so much more taxing in the cold, this needs to be considered.

I think the main challenges would certainly be the cold, but to be honest I would just worry about September, worry about October when you get there, etc...but also the daylight is going to be a challenge. Winter hiking usually means spending alot of time in your shelter and sleeping bag, instead of hiking. I might even say it means spending more time in your bag than actual hiking - this does have it's merits at times!

Yes - there will be less services around, but usually a motel is a motel, they don't close cause it's cold, a hostel is a different story. You will be in the off season so things will probably be cheaper in some places and I don't know if hitching would be affected, I would think it would be easier cause people would feel bad for you ha. Your pack would be substantial due to a warm bag, warm camp clothes, extra fuel, more water due to cold dry air, etc...but pack weight isn't a big deal, people hiked for years with 40lbs and were fine.

I would bring plenty of money, because you are going to need plenty of motel nights with a hot shower, heater and warm bed in my view.

The thing I used to love about winter was the ability to carry meats for 4-5 days on end, turkey, salami, etc...just much away at real food, sandwiches!!!!

Good Luck!