View Full Version : How early is too early to head NOBO?
Tim Hudson
07-15-2012, 01:10
Hi all! I'm in graduate school to be a teacher and that means next year, 2013, I start student teaching August 1st. That being said this next year is also the last reasonable chance I have to hike the AT as I'm married and in a small mountain of school debt so the likelihood of me being to take off for a school year and hike is a little...unlikely in the future. That and I'd have to quit my job to do it, not smart in this economy.
So my plan is to leave very early in January and hopefully finish up by the end of July; madness or total madness? I'm also planing on making Uncle Sam foot the bill for my hike by staying in school and taking online classes during my hike. I'm going to be completing my school work with a Kindle Keyboard as I can put all of my scaned textbooks on it and with the 3g I can email my professors my responses. This will allow me to pull out some student loan money for 'living expenses which I suppose this hike will fall under.
Anyone else head off so early and have advice, or has anyone attempted to stay in school while on the trail?
I think the craziest part of your idea is to take online classes while on your hike...especially graduate studies. Starting in January you will be hiking from dawn til dusk. I started the end of February and thinking back on what my first month was like, I wouldn't want to add the additional headache of school on top of it...and the year I hiked the weather was pretty mild as far as snow. You won't have as much free time as you might think, and especially in the beginning you won't want to spend the down time you do have studying...you'll want to spend it staying warm and dry (and you won't always be...you'll probably only be both for brief periods of time), cleaning and organizing your gear and resting...the stress of trying to juggle all of it will make the hike a lot less fun.
maw here)......paw and i LOVE starting early for a thruhike.....(although, january????....hmmmmm)......DEFINITELY plan for COLD!...(which means a little bit heavier pack)....and plan to be okay with some zero days at hostels at first, to wait out cases of extremely bad weather).....there are some advantages to heading out early (like plenty of water....fewer bugs, snakes, poison ivy, mice, crowded shelters.....not sure where demorest is, but if you're not too far from the trail, you might do some of your first sections on weekends (using your own vehicle and shuttles)....that way you can pretty much "pick" your weather and be slowly moving on up the trail......
....also.....if the weather "complies" (as it did for us this year), you'll be in new england and more than likely finishing up in may (or mid june...not july)...and so you may deal with LOTS of black flies....(and perhaps a good deal more cold weather....sketchier stream fords in maine?....summit of katahdin?).....
....don't get me wrong...(i'm not trying to be negative).....just "do your homework" and be prepared for less than perfect conditions (although i personally think hiking in winter is often more "perfect" conditions).....
....i am really intrigued by your desire to "study" as you go....i agree with another poster here, though, that it won't be easy.....most thruhikers do find it difficult enough just getting in the miles before nightfall when all you can sometimes think of doing is somehow using your numb, unfunctioning fingers to try and cook a hot supper fast enough to be done and down in your sleeping bag with nothing but your nose exposed! (whew!...long sentence!).....it was sometimes an effort for me to even jot a few journal notes! (....be aware that keyboards are difficult with gloves!....hah ha!)......
.....and kindles?.....haven't tried one, but have heard (and seen at least once) of troubles with them....i think it's the moisture that finally "does them in"...(the AT is WET!......all the time!)......so, if you do plan to use one, keep it protected!.....
....i highly recommend a thruhike any time of year or at any season of life!.....one of the best "educations" i know of anywhere!...but be aware it "changes" you....(maybe you'll even reconsider your vocation?...as many others have actually done after their hikes?).....maybe you want to wait and save up for a hike that can be accomplished in more "normal" conditions?......our country needs good teachers, however, and i applaud your endeavors in that field......i wish you the best in whatever you choose! :-)
I'm in my 50's, left in late Feb in 2010 and I finished by late July. And I was off trail for over two weeks getting over Giardia, plus a friend and I rented a car and took a few days off to drive back to attend Trail Days. So it seems to me that if you're okay finishing in late July for a job that starts August 1st (?), then an early Jan start would leave you dealing with more weather punishment than you need to endure.
If I were you I might be inclining towards an early or mid-February start. And hope for a relatively mild winter with few blow-downs in the south.
On a separate note, I hope you have some decent cold weather backpacking experience, as you might be spending a lot of the first month or more hiking solo out there. No bad thing if your comfort and experience level are up to that, but a tough training ground if not.
Double Wide
07-15-2012, 13:31
I guess it's never too early if you have the right gear.
That being said, a whole lotta people take a full six months to do the trail in better weather, and they aren't taking classes at night, either.
This year Achilles did the trail in 4 months. He's about your age. I am sure he would be happy to discuss his hike with you. His trailjournal can be found here:
http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=367730
House of Payne
07-15-2012, 17:10
Exactly, you can start the AT anytime and in your case you could probably estimate when a good start date will be in order to finish on time. However, you are compounding this (maybe onetime) opportunity with schoolwork. It could make up to be a mighty big mental task.
max patch
07-15-2012, 17:20
You are asking the wrong question.
You need to ask "Can I do a thru hike and take an online graduate level college course concurrently?"
And the answer to that is "no."
bigcranky
07-15-2012, 17:32
How quickly can you finish the online class? Can you start the class in mid-December, at the end of the fall semester, and maybe finish before the end of February? If you start March 1, and hike reasonably fast miles, you can be finished by early to mid July (4.5 months.) Trying to take an online class during a thru would be challenging....
Hi Tim. This may not be the right season in your life to attempt a thru hike. Finish the season you are presently in (school) first and finish it well. It will not be feasible to do posts/papers/tests on the AT. What if something happens to your Kindle or you cannot get the 3G connection you hoped to get? You're not going to have the time to complete graduate level work. BTW, I'm on online graduate school professor who is planning a thru hike and will not be teaching online courses at that time. :) Best wishes.
House of Payne
07-15-2012, 18:59
Even if you do decide to take the two challenges on at the same time, after time they may both end up making you suffer in ways you could not recover from. It might not be worth the risk. Consider your GPA and your mental well being for the course of the trip.
booney_1
07-15-2012, 19:24
There are many spots on the AT in NC where you cannot get a cell signal. I don't know if you email responses need to be timely, but you may go days without a signal. You might start a thread here asking specifically about cell coverage in other areas. But it's not something you could count on.
As far as winter hiking is concerned...one thing to pay attention to is that many (experienced) people are eager to start their hikes as early as possible, but it's really unheard of. There is a very good reason for this. THINK ABOUT THIS. Experienced people who undergo extreme physical discomfort at times wait until later before starting their hike.
If you do it you, I'd be prepared to come off the trail for a week here or there during times when the weather is very bad. In your situation, you maybe able to get a lot of school work done then during the bad weather.
By the way...the parent in me (of three) would tell you to GET A JOB this spring and pay off your "mountain of school debt". You could earn a lot of money and successfully complete your graduate coursework. A great job for a future teacher (with an undergraduate degree) would be substitute teaching. A lot of states pay up to $100 for a 6 hour day. Before taxes that would be $14,000 (before taxes). I would suggest working your butt off to get that student loan debt behind you. (work weekends somewhere else also...but pay those loans off!!!)
Another parent's question would be "if you do not pass the on-line graduate course during your hike, how does that impact you getting your teaching credentials in a timely fashion? " IF the answer is a delay of a semester, then postpone the hike.
Also, you have a mountain of student loan debt and you want to borrow more to pay "living expenses" while hiking??? Look at some of the threads about the actual cost of an AT hike. Also note that starting early costs a lot more as you WILL spend time holed up in some motel's while waiting for better weather.
Pawee...has some very good points...have you every used a laptop/tablet outside in the winter?? (the tent/shelter counts as outside) Sometimes it can be the little things that trip you up.
Emerson Bigills
07-15-2012, 20:47
Tim,
I read this journal last night from a young hiker that started in early January back in 2003. I was struck by the arduous journey that he was faced with due to the snow on the trail. It was a real eye opener for me. Enjoy.
http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=991
I am so envious of a teacher's schedule. rather than viewing this as your one chance to thruhike, why don't you view it as your first chance to hike for two or three months? I agree with the "finish the course work first" approach -- and that'll get you access to your funding. Then hike as far as you can and want to until work starts in August (congrats on getting that job....) Then you can finish the follow summer. Then keep on hiking in the summer... And during Christmas vacation. And Easter. And Thanksgiving... you have a long life ahead of you, with many opportunities to long distance hike.
I truly hate to be the one to break this to you. You are nuts to try this. Most of us manage to do one thing(sometimes badly), at a time. You want to do two. The hike alone without the school is very difficult all by itself. You will have to concentrate all of your energy on stringing together big mile days through the Winter. Winter is a big unknown. This will be a physical and mental challange. I'm thiniking that the people who are encourging you to try this here at the WB have been smoking too much trail magic. Just because you are out of school and are faced with a growing famiy and more and more responsibility does not mean that this door has closed until you retire at age 65. My opinion and that's all it is, is that you can make other opportunities to do this in the future. When there is a will there is a way.
The Solemates
07-17-2012, 09:07
I'm also planing on making Uncle Sam foot the bill for my hike by staying in school and taking online classes during my hike.
and you'll be one of the yahoos who wants uncle sam to forgive that debt in a few years too right?
what a crock...
I left in March and it was very cold. I think leaving in January will be a mistake. The amount of snow will make the trail difficult to navigate. On a clear summer day, even the best of hikers can get confused directionally and get lost. The lack of other hikers will make for a lonely journey with less support. Unless you are a hardcore hiker with back country experience I would wait for another opening. Not to say you wont make it, but its unlikely considering.
And you're in school...
ChinMusic
07-25-2012, 13:31
If classes are self-directed, I would start in late Feb and pound the heck out of the course work in Jan/Feb. If you cannot work ahead, they better be some dang easy classes (those do exist). Guys your age should not have a problem finishing by late July even with a mid March start (a 12-year-old girl just finished the AT this week with an early APRIL start) if you didn't have to spend a significant part of the day studying.
fredmugs
07-25-2012, 13:56
and you'll be one of the yahoos who wants uncle sam to forgive that debt in a few years too right?
what a crock...
Thank you!
I would start in mid Januay to early February depending what type of winter we have. you should have started this thread in the ending of december and early January then we would have a better understanding of the weather. RED-DOG
get serious... you are thru hiking the AT and you want to take on line classes at night? from shelters? in town? Dollars to doughnuts that won't happen. Thru hiking takes everything you got. So either put 5+ months aside for you hike or shelve it till you can.
as for timing.. if you start inf February or sooner you may well have to contend with winter weather (ice and/or snow). That will slow you down and perhaps even increase your gear load.
Drybones
07-25-2012, 15:57
You are asking the wrong question.
You need to ask "Can I do a thru hike and take an online graduate level college course concurrently?"
And the answer to that is "no."
I'm guessing that with these two pokers in the fire neither will get hot. You wont enjoy the hike and you wont do well with the course. My intent was to keep a journal but after a 20+ mile day all I wanted was to crash.
atmilkman
07-25-2012, 16:20
December 31st would be too early to head NOBO if you are talking about a thru-hike, because according to the "rules" your hike would not be completed within a calendar year thus deeming it invalid.
ferdEggmont
07-27-2012, 20:42
I started this year on Feb 21st and ended July 1st- aside from a few zeroes and a total of 14 days off visiting friends I was hiking all day with a lot of night hikes toward the beginning. Can't imagine adding school work on top of that as most days I was exhausted and just wanted to eat, then sleep. Hope this helps give you an idea on time frame. Best of luck!
get serious... you are thru hiking the AT and you want to take on line classes at night? from shelters? in town? Dollars to doughnuts that won't happen. Thru hiking takes everything you got. So either put 5+ months aside for you hike or shelve it till you can.
as for timing.. if you start inf February or sooner you may well have to contend with winter weather (ice and/or snow). That will slow you down and perhaps even increase your gear load.
I'd say that this pretty much sums it up but I would respectfully disagree about February -- it is a transitional month and cold and snowy in the mountains for sure but if you are willing to make a go of it in February (even if you have to stay a few extra nights in hostels) you will be rewarded with a mostly uncrowded trail in NC, TN and northbound from there - - you may be able to clear the mid-Atlantic states before it gets too hot and finish in perfect summer style in July in Maine.
theinfamousj
07-28-2012, 19:09
Hi there, newly aspiring teacher. I am an old salt teacher. I would like to point out that you will have, by virtue of your job, an excellent opportunity to section hike. And by this, I mean one week a year (spring break) and two months of summer since it is forced furlough anyway (you cannot work those two months AND they don't pay you for it). Within three years, you'll finish the trail.
Then, if after section hiking it, you like it a lot, you will be tenured and at the point where you can take a sabbatical and hike the trail with a job to come back to.
Just remember: section hikers are hiking the exact same trail as through hikers, but just decided to take a bunch of smaller vacations to do so. No one really gets status from having taken all their vacation at once vs someone who breaks it up into little bits over time. Anyone who tells you that while thumping his/her chest is trying to validate him/herself because s/he needs to believe it to feel good about him/herself, and that is not your problem.
Well i can tell you that starting in January is no easy decision. A heavier pack, more zero days, more caloric intake and isolation just to start. I'm starting Jan. 1st only because i plan to be on the CDT in July.
Otherwise i would start in March or April. Either way i wish you good luck....maybe see on the trail. PS. Bring your snowshoes.......
The National Weather Service has already issued an El Nino watch, saying odds are high El Nino will develop by next winter.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/06/07/154524481/u-s-issues-el-ni-o-watch-which-could-mean-fewer-hurricanes-colder-winter
El Nino's return will mean the return of colder, wetter winter weather for the south and mid-Atlantic.... this would be similar to winter/spring 2010 when Feb-March on the AT was very tough with colder temps, more snow and ice. Those that tried starting in Feb 2010 had a very different experience than those that started in Feb 2012. Just getting thru the Smokies was a major job with the snow and blowdowns blocking the trail til spring.