View Full Version : What's the Earliest Date to Start a NOBO?
I'd like to start early this next year from GA, and was just curious how early others have started and lived to tell about it? Deep snow would be the biggest problem I imagine.
Just Bill
10-14-2013, 22:55
January 1st is the earliest day in a calendar year, so that's the earliest day. There are folks who have started SOBO, they live in Maine, you live in AZ. You can live through many things, but do you want to? If you are forced to start really early, I would start at harper's and head south. Feb starts aren't unheard of as the earliest halfway reasonable dates.
CrumbSnatcher
10-15-2013, 00:03
I started once in April
once in March
and twice in Feb.
i think mid march to early April would be A pretty good start :-)
In 2013 the North bound hikers who started in February and early March had a very rough time with snow and cold. They had snow all the way to Virginia. I suspect that the completion rate will be the worst in years. Those who started early in 2012 had a huge warm spell in February that made for a period of good hiking. I consider it a early start if you go before the 15th of March. If you are serious about completing a thru-hike, don't start early. Why fight the math. Go when the odds are best. Nothing drains your will to keep going like a 2 week blizzard.
Teacher & Snacktime
10-15-2013, 08:52
yesterday ...
Many people have started Jan 1 and lived to tell about it. Probably not what I would do though.
HooKooDooKu
10-15-2013, 11:22
Totally depends upon your abilities and preparedness. I would say "early" would be anything before perhaps mid March.
I had a relative that only had until about June 16th to get his hike in and therefore started in GA immediately after Christmas. The start was so early that he got snow-bound for a few days by the time he reached the New England state. But then again this guy grew up with his father teaching him to camp in the GSMNP back country during winter. So he was prepared for the cold weather he would face starting so early.
On all three of my Thru-Hikes i started in mid Feburary, When i started my Flip-Flop in 96 it was 26 degrees with sleet and light snow on Springer it did that for the first couple of days, then it warmed up a bit and rained for 4 straight days, then turned colder much colder then it started snowing, snowed from the NC border all through TN and into VA, i had 2-3 ft snow in the Smokies, the snow drifts was about 4 ft, then at double springs shelter another hiker took a picture of me standing in chest deep snow.
Then on my 2006 GA-ME, it was alot like 96 with a little less snow except in the Smokies, thats where i encountered Frozen snow with about a ft of Ice on top of the snow, with some of the coldest night temps i've ever encountered on the AT.
Then on my 2012 GA-ME it was a totally different story, it was 60 degrees with sunshine when i started on Springer, no rain, no snow, i had just a little bit of snow in the Smokies ( Couple of inches ), and it stayed warm, i experienced some of the best wheather i have ever seen that early on the AT.
The wheather Varies from year to year, one year you might have alot of snow and rain and the next you might not have any, so my advice to you is if you are not used to colder temps, being from AZ i assume you not, start later like the first of april, but if you do start early, be prepared the worst wheather but hope for the best
yesterday ...
... or today. Nope, a little late for today. Tomorrow.
Every year is different. 2013 had miserable weather of various types until July. Snow through late April. Then it rained for much of May, June & July.
Be prepared.
Wayne
MuddyWaters
10-15-2013, 20:57
1st reply said it all. The earliest you can start next year is Jan. 1.
Whether or not you are up to it is a totally different question.
You will need more than the usual 3-season gear obviously.
Spirit Walker
10-16-2013, 00:08
Early starts mean heavy packs, very long nights, solitude, dealing with nasty weather and icy/snowy trail (greater chance of injury), and usually more time and money spent in towns to avoid the weather/trail conditions. The trail won't be cleared until spring so more blowdowns. So between the heavy pack, time in towns, shelters or tents waiting out storms, treacherous trail conditions, and short daylight hours, expect to be doing fairly low mileage.
Odessa? No, I like to read "Becoming Rifle". Every Winter some hiker makes a splash on the pages of Trail journals by starting in Jan and then writes about the adventure, telling all, in the struggle to move North. There is one or more every year. They gain quite a following like "Rifle". There was a lady hiker the year before. The year before that there was "Animal". Their trials are closely followed by anxious thru's awaiting there own start date. They are even mentioned here on WB. Anyone hear from what's his name lately? By starting real early and then writing about it frequently in TJ you too can be "Becoming Rifle". The problem is that, they never make it past Damascus..........
stranger
10-17-2013, 01:15
An early start means shorter daylight, longer nights, colder temps, heavier pack, deeper snow, more time in town, more money, less people, more bugs in New England...generally speaking, sure there are exceptions.
I think the smart play is going nobo in May then flipping to Katahdin around 15 July and going south.
Just to add another data point, I started on Feb 19. Cold, rainy day but I loved every second of it.
Many Moons
10-28-2013, 23:49
The day you start is earliest date!
I'd like to start early this next year from GA, and was just curious how early others have started and lived to tell about it? Deep snow would be the biggest problem I imagine.
Son Driven
10-28-2013, 23:59
Started my 2013 through hike on 03/06/13 sufferd through hypa thermia, frost byte, and multiple falls on slick ice. However I did manage to complete my flip flopped through hike. If I had it to do over again I would wait until the 3rd or 4th week of March.
In 2013 the North bound hikers who started in February and early March had a very rough time with snow and cold. They had snow all the way to Virginia. I suspect that the completion rate will be the worst in years. Those who started early in 2012 had a huge warm spell in February that made for a period of good hiking. I consider it a early start if you go before the 15th of March. If you are serious about completing a thru-hike, don't start early. Why fight the math. Go when the odds are best. Nothing drains your will to keep going like a 2 week blizzard.
When do the bugs start to be a problem up north?
stranger
10-29-2013, 04:14
The bugs start being an issue in late May everyhwhere in my experience, New England blackfly season generally starts in late May and goes until early July, the the mosquitos will be an issue til early September...NE blackfly season is no joke.
stumpknocker
10-29-2013, 06:58
I'd like to start early this next year from GA, and was just curious how early others have started and lived to tell about it? Deep snow would be the biggest problem I imagine.
You can start any day you feel like it....but of course January 1st is the earliest in a calendar year. I know people who started in December on a nobo walk headed to Katahdin.
I started twice on January 1st. One time was a fantastic year where I played along the way and didn't climb Katahdin until the middle of October. That was one of the best years of my life.
The next time the snow was so deep that I got off at Franklin, NC and went and found something else to do. The snow was knee high coming into Winding Stair Gap and there was a prediction of a huge snow storm starting the next day that would have obliterated the trail in the Smokies.
The problem isn't really the deep snow because you could slowly snowshoe through that. The problem is finding the trail in deep snow. Some places that's not so hard, but there are places where there is no sign of the trail left....no visible path and no blazes because they are covered with snow.
It has been 10 years since my last attempt. I went out around 15 March from Springer. At that time I was in the best shape of my life and carrying a 27 lb. pack. The second day on the AT, I was confronted by an early spring blizzard that was making hiking treacherous and had to get off. In the Smoky Mountains, Rangers were going in a pulling hikers out and father South most hikers were exiting the trail. It was more than two weeks before general hiking resumed. I know a few hardy souls that hunkered down in hotels and hostels before continuing but that plays havoc with your funds and your schedule. I chose to go home and return later. Unfortunately, 2 knee replacements later, that is April 2014. I often wonder what would have happened that season if I'd just waited to start a month later.
1st reply said it all. The earliest you can start next year is Jan. 1.
Whether or not you are up to it is a totally different question.
You will need more than the usual 3-season gear obviously.
not really - dec 31 at Ammicola is a good start, sign in at the top on the 1st
or start a bit earlier farther north, at neels or so - south to springer (for a little "tune up" before the 1st)