April Start

[Complicated]

It's looking like I'm going to be able to start my NOBO in early April. I'm a pretty strong hiker, I'll be solo and I like to hike with a lot of people around. So my question is... for grouping up would I be better off starting April 3 on a Tuesday but closer to the March 15th peak, or waiting until April 7th, a Saturday? I will have a preliminary goal of hitting Damascus right around trail days, which appears doable from either start date. Will there still be lots of people starting this late or will it have dwindled a bit?

While I'm on the topic, my cold weather clothes for this start includes:

Long underwear top (capilene1) and bottoms (capilene 4)
Montbell UL Thermawrap jacket
Frogg Togg rain jacket
3 oz. Wind shirt
Light nylon Columbia fishing pants
Capilene 1 gloves
Thick smartwool socks for mittens or sleeping
Thin warm hat
Lower face balaclava
20 degree Western Mountaineering sleeping bag

Too little? Overkill? Just right? When should I plan to send home the warm stuff?

[rafe]

It's looking like I'm going to be able to start my NOBO in early April. I'm a pretty strong hiker, I'll be solo and I like to hike with a lot of people around. So my question is... for grouping up would I be better off starting April 3 on a Tuesday but closer to the March 15th peak, or waiting until April 7th, a Saturday? I will have a preliminary goal of hitting Damascus right around trail days, which appears doable from either start date. Will there still be lots of people starting this late or will it have dwindled a bit?

Still lots of folks on the trail. For me it was a "perfect" start date for getting to Damascus for TDZ. But I was a bit on the slow side, averaging 11 miles per day overall.

[mountain squid]

A weekend start will likely be busier, but either way there will be plenty of hikers out there. Even if you start off by yourself, by the end of the day you will meet others at the shelter (if you stay at one).

Cold weather gear looks OK. Not sure if you need three jackets though.

See you on the trail,
mt squid

[Kerosene]

Looks pretty good to me. This is very close to what I brought for an early April hike of Georgia when the temperatures fell below freezing, with the exception that I had 100-wt fleece instead of the down jacket.

You could probably eliminate the wind shirt and rely solely on the rain jacket to cut the wind, but the wind shirt is a better alternative if you need it while hiking.

[Complicated]

I love the way I can start with the wind shirt, hat and gloves on in the morning and stick them in my vapor trail's side pocket after I warm up. I try to only open my pack once during the day to refill my pockets with snacks... the wind shirt lets me do that, while the frogg toggs is more of a production. I also moved to a single tee shirt and one long sleeved shirt configuration, so I am low on combinations otherwise. For the weight it has been resilient to my trimming sweeps so far....

[hopefulhiker]

clothing list sounds good, you could probably start either date and it wouldn't make much difference...

[the_iceman]

My start has been delayed from March 5th to April 5th. My daughter is hiking with me the first few days and we need to be at Neels Gap by Sunday. If you want to stay in shelters I would not start on the weekend.

[Ewker]

as of right now a friend and I are section hiking Ga. We are planning on starting April 7th. Nothing like throwing in 2 section hikers with the final mad rush of thru-hikers

[Fannypack]

start April 3 and that will give extra time to hike to traildays...

if u get to Damascus before traildays, u can easily get a ride north & hike back to Damascus....

if u know u will be early to Damascus then start posting to WB, looking for a ride north to hike back to Damascus or u can always hitch north & hike back
or hike north & hitch back...

plenlty of people will be coming to Traildays during the week before it starts

hopefully u will have so good weather & then it will not be such a hassle to tent away from the shelters...

good luck

[Jester2000]

Gear looks good, and it sounds like you've used them in combination before. Don't know if the balaclava is absolutely necessary, but you should take it if you want it -- you can always send it home if it turns out not to be necessary.

Fannypack is dead on about Damascus. I started April 1st and was slowed up by weather & injury, and I made it to town the Thursday of that week. If you have no problems & get there early, you won't have a problem

a) hiking out of town and getting a lift back or
b)slacking backwards into town

Either way I know a lot of people like getting past Damascus so they get ahead of the post-Trail Days glut.

Good hiking!