GAME - How late is too late?

[Penner]

I'm committed to a program in Washington D.C. until May 25 and have always wanted to complete a NOBO hike. I imagine I could get on the trail a couple of days before June 1, which seem way way too late to me,judging by everything I've read.

What do you think? Should I just suck it up and do a flipflop or go south? Or should I set out late and burn up the miles whenever I can?

[corialice81]

If you really REALLY want to do a NOBO, can you wait until 2013?

[max patch]

Only you can decide if a NOBO or SOBO makes the most sense.

If you go NOBO you can pretty much expect that you're going to have to do a flip. I'd have the flip logistics figured out before I left.

[Miner]

If you really want to go NOBO that late, it should be doable as you have about 4.5months before climbing Katadyn is closed. But you should get yourself in good trail shape ahead of time so you can do higher mileage to start with and be careful not to hang out in towns for multiple days along the way. You should still meet plenty of people on the trail, but most thru-hikers will be far ahead.

That said, many people on their first thru-hike take longer such as 5 to 6 months. I think some of that is due to stopping early in the afternoon to camp at a shelter instead of continuing until its dark and campinng along the trail or to stay with other thru-hikers for extra days in town. For me, the secret for doing big mile days back to back involves getting up early and hiking until the evening, camping at the first decent spot when you feel the day is done. Be aware that if you find your pace too slow, at some point you may have to flip-flop if you intend to finish. Or you could just wait 3 weeks and do a SOBO trip at whatever pace you desire.

[fiddlehead]

I agree with Miner (above) and would think a SOBO hike would be preferable here UNLESS you do what he says and get in great shape and do more hiking than camping.
I was explaining to someone the other day about long distance hiking and explained how it isn't really camping, it's hiking and most of the time is spent on the trail.

That said, I started a NOBO in '95 on May 9th and climbed Katahdin on Oct 10th that year (I believe).
I took a week off in the middle but pretty much limited my town time and hiked pretty efficiently and quickly that year.
I was in shape when I started though.
What you propose is possible but tough, I really think a SOBO would be more fun and less stressful with the finishing time.

[Sterling]

Don't wait for 2013, nows your chance and it has left you for an opportunity to complete something less common than summiting everest-a SOBO trek. Sac up and go for it, early june is best. You will have more time than going north.

[MuddyWaters]

I no expert.

Go for it. Know you pace needed and stick to it. Plan your hike, and hike your plan.

Worst that happens is you figure out you wont make it, and then flip flop.

[Cookerhiker]

Here's another option if you're in the DC area for a reasonable length of time: use your off-days (weekends, whatever) to section hike the parts of the Trail closest to DC. You could start at Rockfish Gap and work your way north through Shenandoah NP and beyond. Or start further north e.g. Front Royal or Harpers Ferry. Where you start and how many of the Trail miles you hike will obviously depend on how long you're in DC.

You start your NOBO thruhike around June 1 and bypass the sections you've hiked from your DC tenure. This will take some pressure off the 4 1/2 months needed to reach Katahdin before it closes in mid-October. You'll still have completed a thruhike and get to end it all atop the Mighty K.

[LIhikers]

Or, start in Harper's Ferry and hike north. Once you summit, then come back to Harper's Ferry and hike south.
I know it's not a traditional NOBO hike but better than not hiking at all.

[Tinker]

How late could you go could also be rephrased to how fast are you able to travel?
Another option is to start in the middle of the trail, hike north to Katahdin, then return to your start point and hike south. You'll still hit some cold weather, but at least it won't be ice on the rocky New England mountains (of course, there are rocky stretches down south but not as many or as long). Hiking on ice slick rocks is the worst (unless you have crampons, then you can play Spider Man on the ice ;)).

[George]

I will go with with most of the advice sobo or start in the middle, damn hot starting in june and could be very dry

[stranger]

I wonder if your desire to go Nobo is also in line with the 'traditional' nobo idea of starting in the frosty, chill of the southern Appalachians, walking north with spring, migrating if you will, the classic notion of the nobo hike as the 'traditional way', or it's simply the way the trail was meant to be done, summiting on Katahdin, etc... Now if you do start in very late May ALL nobo thru-hikes will be well ahead of you, by hundreds of miles. You won't have that typical experience of moving north with the pack, walking with spring, etc... You will start in fairly warm weather (which has it's benefits don't get me wrong!), alone, and will have to deal with warm/hot weather for a solid 3 months. I guess what I'm exploring is that notion that your 'actual' hike will be nothing like the typical reasons most people want to do a nobo hike. However, if you have other reasons, again...only you can decide if they are worth the trade-offs.

I believe a late May start is tight, but not unlikely. 2180 miles in 4.5 months = 16 miles per day, not exactly rushing. I averaged 17 miles per day through GA in 2008, and increased that in NC (not a thru, 540 miles section hike). I also hit up alot of towns and had plenty of motels, showers and restaurant meals, I would just plan to hike a full day into town, instead of the 3-7 mile 'nero' thing. You will have longer daylight, have a lighter pack due to warmer weather, but water could be an issue. Worst case scenario you flip. You can always change your mind once you start walking. Once you get out there alot changes, unless you have long-distance experience already and know your 'quirks' already, I wouldn't stress over it. Being flexible and willing to adapt and changes is paramount to long-distance hiking in my view. If it were me...I would start at Pearisburg, hike to Katahdin, flip back to Pearisburg, and finish in the beautiful south in the cooler weather.

[SCRUB HIKER]

It's entirely possible, but only if you know you're in shape to hike 20 miles a day at the start, and you're comfortable being alone and having to self-motivate on a regular basis. A friend of a friend started June 8 and reached Katahdin at the beginning of October. He said he had a great time bombing through the South and Mid-Atlantic more or less by himself, and by the time he started to get lonely, he was catching up with thru-hiker crowds in the Northeast. It's definitely possible, but takes a certain type of person (note: I'm not that person. You may very well be.)

[stranger]

I think alot of people take 6 months to hike the trail because of things like:
- wanting to stay with other hikers
- hanging in towns
- Trail Days
- Hangovers
- Afraid of hiking in the rain, etc...
If one were to simply focus on the trail, a 'typical' thru-hike would be quicker, one only needs to look at the PCT, it's about 480 miles longer, and the average PCT hike is one month less thant the AT. Less people, less towns, less BS, more hiking.

You can do it for sure, just gotta watch the heat.