Heather Anderson

[Venchka]

Evaluate snow levels on all three trails when she is close to the NYC airports. A Calendar Year Triple Crown is as much about transportation budget and weather as it is about hiking.
She finished a CDT SOBO last year.
Wayne

[Venchka]

Snow. Snow. And, oh yes, SNOW.
She appears to be nearing Virginia. Possibly in Virginia.
Go Anish!
Wayne

[Tennessee Viking]

Hopefully CDT and PCT sections are open or without major detours.

[Dogwood]

Armchair hiking analysts.

[Venchka]

Armchair hiking analysts.

Maybe. But based on quite a few inquiries around here I know more than a thing or three about the neighborhood.
Here's a tidbit I picked up today: Boone, NC averages 35 inches of snow per year.
I wasn't aware that I was analyzing. Just reporting progress per Anish's posts on Instagram.
Y'all have fun.
Wayne

[fiddlehead]

The 2 biggest problems are CO (pretty much all of it, as the average elevation over it's 600 miles, is 11,000') and the Sierras (can be 500 miles of road closures and very limited resupply in the winter)
Best of luck to her.
Seems an awful late start for a calender Triple to me.
But she (of course) is exceptional.

[Malto]

The 2 biggest problems are CO (pretty much all of it, as the average elevation over it's 600 miles, is 11,000') and the Sierras (can be 500 miles of road closures and very limited resupply in the winter)
Best of luck to her.
Seems an awful late start for a calender Triple to me.
But she (of course) is exceptional.

SWami started in May, different trail order but it gives her plenty of time unless there is major snow in the NE.

[Venchka]

Per her custom of anonymity on these hikes, she isn’t saying where she actually is in the posts at Instagram.
Wayne

[Venchka]

Given the reams of talk about micro nano spikes traction devices etc. around here, there seems to be zero talk about snowshoes when and where they would absolutely be beneficial.
Heather posted today about knee deep and waist deep snow conditions on the AT. Snowshoes would have been beneficial in those conditions.
Standing by for the SUL Flame Brigade.
Wayne

[Dogwood]

Don't do Faceback, Twatter, Instagrabbag, ... Does anyone know if she's planning to do one TC Tr completely before starting the next TC trail? If this has been mentioned I missed it.

[Dogwood]

Don't do Faceback, Twatter, Instagrabbag, ... Does anyone know if she's planning to do one TC Tr completely before starting the next TC trail? If this has been mentioned I missed it.

[Venchka]

Don't know. I don't do that stuff either. Except for her cryptic tid bits on Instagram.
What difference does it make? We'll know when she's done.
I'm still scratching my head about the absence of snowshoes when they are desperately needed.
OK, drop the snowshoes.
Wayne

[putts]

Is it taboo to wonder how she will approach the finish of the AT with Katahdin trails being closed? Pull a Legend and "poach" the summit?

[Venchka]

There is that. The north end of all 3 trails have similar physical restrictions.
The southern end of the CDT and PCT get very inhospitable in the summer as well.
If it was easy we could all do it.
Wayne

[Slo-go'en]

She likely wasn't expecting to need snowshoes. Who'd have thought we'd have this much snow, that far south in the middle of March? Western Mass got as much or more snow as we did up here northern NH. And Western Maine hit the jackpot for snow. There is no way she's going to get anywhere close to Baxter until all this melts and when that happens is anyone's guess. She's going to have to bump over to another trail if she wants to keep going.

[Deadeye]

The last three Nor'Easters dropped 18, 30, and 44 inches respectively on Southern Vermont. Almost 8 feet of snow on top of what was already there, and with temps in the single digits, it's not going anywhere soon. She'll have to split the trails up somehow.

[Coffee]

I'm amazed when I read about calendar year triple crowns. I've quit Facebook, Twitter, instagram, etc but it looks like this thread will be a good one to follow. Hope she makes it!

[James GAME2009]

Is it taboo to wonder how she will approach the finish of the AT with Katahdin trails being closed? Pull a Legend and "poach" the summit?

Baxter rules were changed a number of years ago. It is possible to receive a winter permit (it always has been). The big change is that it is now possible to receive a solo winter permit. In the past, one always had to be part of a group. On Baxter's winter page it says "Very fit skiers/hikers traveling in ideal conditions may be able to ascend Katahdin via the Abol Trail in a single day, but this is generally impractical." Anish certainly fits into the "very fit" category. https://baxterstatepark.org/winter-basics/

However, Anish will not reach Baxter until after winter has "officially" ended (March 31st for the park). There will be no camping within the park at the time she gets there, but she can camp at Abol Bridge. This will make her last AT day ~30 miles in difficult conditions, but I'm sure she will be up to it. Baxter may close the trails - I believe this depends on conditions. At worse, she could do some creative flying and come back to summit Katahdin at a later date.

[putts]

Baxter rules were changed a number of years ago. It is possible to receive a winter permit (it always has been). The big change is that it is now possible to receive a solo winter permit. In the past, one always had to be part of a group. On Baxter's winter page it says "Very fit skiers/hikers traveling in ideal conditions may be able to ascend Katahdin via the Abol Trail in a single day, but this is generally impractical." Anish certainly fits into the "very fit" category. https://baxterstatepark.org/winter-basics/

However, Anish will not reach Baxter until after winter has "officially" ended (March 31st for the park). There will be no camping within the park at the time she gets there, but she can camp at Abol Bridge. This will make her last AT day ~30 miles in difficult conditions, but I'm sure she will be up to it. Baxter may close the trails - I believe this depends on conditions. At worse, she could do some creative flying and come back to summit Katahdin at a later date.

I was under the impression that no permits are issued to climb Katahdin after March 31. I could be wrong. I know Anish is very capable and I am routing for her.

[Dogwood]

Don't do Faceback, Twatter, Instagrabbag, ... Does anyone know if she's planning to do one TC Tr completely before starting the next TC trail? If this has been mentioned I missed it.

Don't know. I don't do that stuff either. Except for her cryptic tid bits on Instagram.
What difference does it make? We'll know when she's done...

What kind of reply is that? Let me answer my own question...an armchair CY TC analyst answer.


It makes a potentially huge difference to amt of snow travel, fitting a TC into a CY, going for a CY TC FKT(I'd be surprised if that hasn't crossed Heather's mind), water logistics, amt of time lost bouncing around to different TC Trails, goods and services convenient to thru hiking logistics and TC CY time management, eventual $ cost for the endeavor,....


Enough with my armchair CY TC analysis. Wish her all my best.