SOBO hundred mile wilderness

[MJN]

What can i expect for starting SOBO? From accounts ive read, alot of people are completly worn out and questioning their hike while going NOBO within the first week, so how difficult will it be in the hundred mile wilderness sobo? Ill be doing alot of 3 night hikes beforehand and a couple 1 weeks to get in better shape.

[YoungMoose]

im just guessing but i think that youll want to kill yourself becuase of how tired you are.

[MJN]

im just guessing but i think that youll want to kill yourself becuase of how tired you are.

i am completly expecting that

[RITBlake]

i am completly expecting that

Consider the age of the person who responded to your original question.

The answer to your question depends on how much backpacking experience you have. If this is your first night in the woods you could find the 100 mile wilderness pretty overwhelming. If you've hiked overnight before you will love it.

With the extra food you will be carrying your pack will pretty heavy so make an effort in your pre hike stage to get your pack as light as possible.

Be prepared for the black flies, carry Deet.

Take it one day at time w/ the knowledge that every step forward is one closer to Monson.

[Doughnut]

The wilderness is beautiful, northern part is boggy and low, southern 70 miles or so is mountians. I swan almost every night in the streams and lakes. It's a great time, but YES it is tough, roots and rocks, bugs and bog. Enjoy, I suggest you carry a tent to escape the bugs,

doughNut

[MJN]

thanks, that let most of my worries go. and i forgot to mention i am doing a SOBO in 2010 and this summer i will be hiking atleast 200 miles from PA to VA on top of many more hikes i will be doing from now until 2010, so i should be pretty well prepared by next summer

[Shutterbug]

What can i expect for starting SOBO? From accounts ive read, alot of people are completly worn out and questioning their hike while going NOBO within the first week, so how difficult will it be in the hundred mile wilderness sobo? Ill be doing alot of 3 night hikes beforehand and a couple 1 weeks to get in better shape.

Bill, at Whitehouse Landing, says that he can instantly spot a SOBO because they are all so tired when they reach Whitehouse Landing -- usually the third night of their hike. Many of them leave about 10 lbs of extra food in the hiker box.

The main issue in the 100 Mile Wilderness is knowing how much distance you can hike in a day. People who regularly hike 15 miles in their warm up hikes find it hard to make more than 10 miles a day in the 100 Mile Wilderness. In 2005, I met a SOBO who was only half way through the Wilderness and was already low on food. Fortunately for her, Baltimore Jack came along and shared some of his food. Jack was more gracious than I. (To be honest, I shared too.)

My own exprience in the 100 Mile Wilderness is that the weather makes a big difference. One year, I planned to hike the entire 100 miles. It rained a hard, steady rain for 3 days. I left the trail at Gulf Hagas (Katahdin Iron Works).

[naturejunkie]

If you're out of shape like I was, the Wilderness is a pretty rough introduction. Last year it was very wet. I didn't see the sun until I got to Whitehouse Landing and then only saw it a few times more until Monson.

It's not brutally tough physically, but it's tough enough that it can be challenging to those not in top hiking form. I think mentally is where the wilderness gets you when going Sobo. Much like the rest of the trail I suppose. But, day after day of rain, clouds, mud, roots, rocks and bugs can wear on you. I certainly was not very happy about it when I was slogging through.

But, the cool thing is when you get to Monson, all that crap bonds you together with your fellow SOBOS. Everybody talks and laughs about the crappy parts, while appreciating the cool parts, and after a while it just morphs into a great memory.

That being said, out of a group of roughly 11-12 SOBOS that happened to bunch up at the shelter after Whitehouse (can't remember the name), I think only six continued South. Either way though, everyone came out of the wilderness with great stories to tell.

Good luck and hope to see ya out there.

[peakbagger]

The Sobos that seemed to have the most problems that I ran into over a two year period tended to be using the 100 mile section as a shakedown hike rather than the start of a thru hike. Unlike starting at Springer, the area is more remote and there isnt an equivalent to Mountain Crossings to get their gear in shape. If they have too much gear, there isnt a convienient way to get rid of it, and a third party to suggest that they dont really need all the gear they are carrying so they tend to lug it along with them. Adrenaline is also a factor, the first few days are fairly flat and many folks try to start doing excessive mileage before they really are in shape. About the time they hit White Cap, they slow down and fatigue kicks in and by Chairback Gap they are starting to wonder what happened to the great pace they had established the first few days.

Throw in a batch of black flies and skitters and it can bother some folks.

[Tinker]

The Sobos that seemed to have the most problems that I ran into over a two year period tended to be using the 100 mile section as a shakedown hike rather than the start of a thru hike. Unlike starting at Springer, the area is more remote and there isnt an equivalent to Mountain Crossings to get their gear in shape. If they have too much gear, there isnt a convienient way to get rid of it, and a third party to suggest that they dont really need all the gear they are carrying so they tend to lug it along with them. Adrenaline is also a factor, the first few days are fairly flat and many folks try to start doing excessive mileage before they really are in shape. About the time they hit White Cap, they slow down and fatigue kicks in and by Chairback Gap they are starting to wonder what happened to the great pace they had established the first few days.

Throw in a batch of black flies and skitters and it can bother some folks.

Skitters?

[peakbagger]

Oops! Skitters = Skeeters= Mosquitoes

[Engine]

Oops! Skitters = Skeeters= Mosquitoes

I wondered about that, where I'm from skitters are caused by Giardia...

[stranger]

Personally I think the wilderness section of trail is a great introduction to hiking for the average hiker. Northbounders can hit up a town or hostel every 2-3 days if they want do, and it's quite possible (if you have the money) to hike all the way to Pearisburg (620) miles never having to spend more than 2-3 consecutive nights on the trail. The Wilderness atleast means you need to get comfortable in the woods fairly quick, that's a good thing.

But saying that, the wilderness isn't that tough and you don't have to lug 8 days of food to get through unless you want to. I've only done it once, and wasn't in great shape, and it took about 7.5 days. The difference is that if you are unprepared in Georgia, Neels Gap is just up the trail, not the case in Maine.

[garlic08]

I won't lie, I've seen it be really rough for a SOBO.

In my two NOBO hikes into the HMW, both times I ran into one or two semi-deranged SOBOs on their last day out, just barely able to finish. One guy was out of food, totally soaked with a soaked pack (must've weighed 100 pounds) from a failed stream crossing, nearly raving, telling me to turn around. He was a few miles from Monson and at least knew where he was. Another near-crazed, scratched-up and bloody guy got belligerent when I ignored his advice to not continue; it was horrible in there, with hills and mud and water and bugs and all.

But others I met did fine and had a great experience. (But only one I met really loved it.) The more prepared you are for a 100-mile section (or 70 miles if you want) without resupply, the smoother and more enjoyable it'll go for you. Best of luck.

[Puppy]

When is the best time to do this section....if you are just going to do that area, not a whole SOBO thru ??

[George]

just bring plenty of booze to keep up moral

[boarstone]

When is the best time to do this section....if you are just going to do that area, not a whole SOBO thru ??

In the fall...no bugs, low water, great cool days/cooler nights, more moose sightings...

[hikingsailor]

I did it sobo and what I did to get in shape was worked out my shoulders, back and leg muscles. It did help. Pack light and don't try to do killer miles at first, get use to the trail. I don't know your experience on long distance hikes but if not alot, back everything you think you need then have somebody experienced do a shake down for you. your body will thank you later.

hikingsailor

[stranger]

I'm sure there are plenty of sobo's who struggle through the wilderness, but there are alot more who struggle through Georgia. I don't think it's bad advice to make sure you are competent and have some miles under your belt before heading out from Katahdin, the same for Springer Mountain.

I'm sure if there was a convenient bail out point for sobo's on day 3-4 many would take that up, but the very fact that you pretty much need to keep going to Monson is probably a good thing, because you might be ready to quit on day 3, and if in Georgia might do so at Neels Gap, but in Maine you keep going (or turn around which is probably rare) and things may turn around.

I guess the main difference is that in GA many hikers do quite short days to get up to speed initially, where as in Maine you couldn't really afford to do 8 mile days unless you plan on carrying 12 days worth of food, which could make any stronger hiker quit!

In any case, if you are prepared and can deal with rain, plus walk 12-15 miles per day, the wilderness shouldn't prove too difficult, especially when most hikers going sobo would do so in the height of summer, when you have 12-13 hours of daylight, even walking at 1.5 miles per hour you could easily cover that distance.

[robertbrowder]

just bring plenty of booze to keep up moral

hahahaha yes