Early starters

[Slo-go'en]

I was poking around trailjournals last night and found journals for four people who started Jan 1st at Springer. Of those 4, 3 have gotten off the trail. Two of them plan to come back in March once it warms up!

Good luck to those of you who plan to head out in a week or two, looks like its going to stay seriously cold for awhile!

[Cabin Fever]

Is Kayak Karl the one still out?

I saw two male middle aged hikers that could have been thru hikers close to Kincora yesterday in Laurel Fork Gorge. Their gear and such could have passed for thru hiking or long section hiking.

[No Belay]

Slo, Thanks for the good wishes. I hope to be starting Sunday or Monday and my base is up almost 7lbs but I plan on being comfortable. I got one of Henry Shires new 4 season design tarptents and from the shakedowns I've done around here it looks like it's going to be the berries. I've gotten almost totally away from down and gone to the newest synthetics and I'll never look back. The few ounces I picked up far out weigh the fickleness of down and gives me alot less to worry about on soaker days. The cold weather is expected and the solitude helps you appreciate the company once the "wave" hits the trail.

TaTonka

[Slo-go'en]

Cabin Fever - Kayak Karl's journal didn't come up, but his photos did and the latest one was of Fontana dam shelter. He's the one I assume is still out there. Looked like a lot of snow up in the hills though.

No Belay - I agree on you with the synthetics, less worries. Its dropped down to -20 up here in the north country again the last few nights. Coldest winter in recent memory. Stay dry and keep warm!

[max patch]

http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=260689

[Blissful]

He'll get snow for sure in the Smokies... Hope he can get off and go to Gatlinburg.

[Hikerwannabe]

Karl just called me to let me know he has already passed the Gatinburg Rangers Station and is doing fine. He is Looking for his next Stop to be Indian Bear Stand?? Does anyone know where thats located? But He is doing well...with no problems

[Slo-go'en]

You mean Standing Bear hostel, which is just a stones throw north of the GSNP. Good to hear he's still going strong.

[Hikerwannabe]

Thank You so much for what it's really called when he calls I get really broken up talk so where is that located from the rangers office? Do you know?

[Chaco Taco]

WOW he is movin right along

[emerald]

Early-starters, hang tough, for when red-eyed vireos return from South America to their Appalachian haunts, they will rally northbound A.T. hikers by repeating in a loud, clear, encouraging voice "You can do it. Go for it!" Through these efforts, they have converted some of the most timid doubters into the strongest, most capable believers.

[Hikerwannabe]

Yeah He is a real go getter...I will give him that!!!

[Kanati]

Thank You so much for what it's really called when he calls I get really broken up talk so where is that located from the rangers office? Do you know?

The Rangers station would be Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg, TN, which is about 10 miles west of the A.T. at Newfound Gap on hwy 441. NF Gap is about 1/2 thru the GSMNP. NF Gap is also about 3 days form Standing Bear hostel for average hikers. Two days for faster ones.

[Jack Tarlin]

Interesting thread.

Every year is different.

Some years, you get mild weather in early March or even February, and the early folks sail right along and do just fine.

Other years, it's a different story, and the weather is so severe that it drives some folks home, many of who might have gutted it out if they'd started just a few weeks later.

Don't forget, also, that if you start early, you'll have more bad weather days; more late starts due to cold or bad weather; more abbreviated hiking days (like you'll get to a shelter at 1:30 and you'll stop for the day cuz you don't wanna hike anymore!!). You'll have more town days; you'll have unplanned town stops; you'll wake up in town when the weather is bad and you'll decide to stay and take an unplanned zero day because you don't want to hike, etc.

I'm not trying to discourage anyone, but the folks who start early because they think it'll help them "beat the crowds" are often in for a really big surprise. I've never left Springer before 15 March but I've frequently caught up with folks who started many days, if not weeks before me, and I'm not that fast a hiker. Thes people didn't beat any crowds. The crowds caught up with them. All they got for their trouble was a lot of slow days, a lot of short days, a lot of days hiking in miserable weather, a lot of unplanned town days, and a lot of town time that resulted in a $500.00 hit to their trip budget that could've been avoided if they started in better weather.

Something to think about, maybe, for those of you determined to "beat the crowds" ..............

[No Belay]

Hey Jack that was sure an encouraging major pile of BS.

I guess Karl didn't read that before he left. Some folks thrive on the rawness and challenge of the winter experience, the power of nature and the pureness of a fresh fallen snow blown by a clean clear wind. The almost deafening swish of the wind that in a second can fall to the quietest moment where you can hear the snow fall and the noise of your own breath almost seems to be an unwelcome intruder. I'd rather spend 3 days on a trail making 10 miles in the snow with unlimited vistas then I would three days in the green tunnel making 20 miles a day with 50 other hikers comparing mileage stats and elevation changes.

Winter hikers are a different breed than the norm and a lot of the negatives you projected are actually the reason we do it. If I want to take an extra day in town because of bad weather, awesome. I'll know more of the culture and the inhabitants. Short hiking days? The weather didn't decide that, I did. A $500 dollar hit on my budget? Have you spent a week in the Bahamas lately. etc. etc.

The folks that winter hike are normally very mature, self sufficient, experienced hikers with varied multi trail histories. They hike to absorb the nature aspect of the trail without much concern for the social experience that most fair weather hikers are motivated by. Most have more wander lust and spirit of adventure than they do inflated egos. What motivates a hiker to spend their whole life thru hiking the AT over and over again is as mysterious to me as it appears a winter hikers motivation is to you. But that's why God coined the expression "HYOH". It should be the 11th commandment.

TaTonka

[mudcap]

Wow,That is superb! I can not add a thing,you hit the nail on the head !

Hey Jack that was sure an encouraging major pile of BS.

I guess Karl didn't read that before he left. Some folks thrive on the rawness and challenge of the winter experience, the power of nature and the pureness of a fresh fallen snow blown by a clean clear wind. The almost deafening swish of the wind that in a second can fall to the quietest moment where you can hear the snow fall and the noise of your own breath almost seems to be an unwelcome intruder. I'd rather spend 3 days on a trail making 10 miles in the snow with unlimited vistas then I would three days in the green tunnel making 20 miles a day with 50 other hikers comparing mileage stats and elevation changes.

Winter hikers are a different breed than the norm and a lot of the negatives you projected are actually the reason we do it. If I want to take an extra day in town because of bad weather, awesome. I'll know more of the culture and the inhabitants. Short hiking days? The weather didn't decide that, I did. A $500 dollar hit on my budget? Have you spent a week in the Bahamas lately. etc. etc.

The folks that winter hike are normally very mature, self sufficient, experienced hikers with varied multi trail histories. They hike to absorb the nature aspect of the trail without much concern for the social experience that most fair weather hikers are motivated by. Most have more wander lust and spirit of adventure than they do inflated egos. What motivates a hiker to spend their whole life thru hiking the AT over and over again is as mysterious to me as it appears a winter hikers motivation is to you. But that's why God coined the expression "HYOH". It should be the 11th commandment.

TaTonka

[Hikerwannabe]

Thank-You So Much!!!! You just Kinda Summed it all up in a Nutshell....

[Hikerwannabe]

A totally different Breed ....I will atest to that...LOL

[Panzer1]

Winter hikers are a different breed than the norm and a lot of the negatives you projected are actually the reason we do it.

If winter hikers are a different breed than why did 3 of the 4 who started Jan 1st get off the trail.. 2 of them reportly are coming back when "it warms up"..


Panzer

[Hikerwannabe]

OK Panzer ...You got me there.. BUT Kayak Karl is deffinately A DiFFERENT Breed... He Can do this Winter Thing...I hopeeeee...because he so wants to do the trail...from start to finish..please just wish him luck....