Feb Thur Hikers

[tawa]

I'm interested in connecting with thru hikers leaving in Feb. and comparing notes/schedules.
I had the opportunity to go down to Georgia over the holidays and hiked from the Approach Trail to Dicks Creek Gap before catching my ride back home. So will resume at that point and plan to resupply at Franklin--NOC and Fontana Dam.
At this time it looks like my wife will drive me down --stay a few days together somewhere around the Smokies --drop off food resupply boxes at the three locations mentioned above and then get back on the trail at Dicks Creek Gap. Will watch weather forcasts but would like to start again between Feb 17th and 22 nd.
Tawa

[Luddite]

I'm starting between Feb 25th and 28th.

[Figgsy13126]

I'm starting between Feb 25th and 28th.

Looks like i'll be seein you on the trail!! Deff staying at Hiker Hostel on the 24th! Happy Trails!!! I'll have some Jack Daniels!! i'll have a shot for ya!

[double d]

If your leaving in Feb., learn how to army crawl!!!

[Figgsy13126]

If your leaving in Feb., learn how to army crawl!!!

I dont like being on my knees

why crawl?

[Luddite]

If your leaving in Feb., learn how to army crawl!!!

I'm bringing my ice skates.

Looks like i'll be seein you on the trail!! Deff staying at Hiker Hostel on the 24th! Happy Trails!!! I'll have some Jack Daniels!! i'll have a shot for ya!

Great! See ya on the trail.

[Awol1970]

If your leaving in Feb., learn how to army crawl!!!

Rangers....

[PuddleDuck]

My boyfriend and I are leaving Feb 21st!

[Renaissance]

I'll be leaving after the 15th, it all depends on the 10 day forecast

[mikecordes]

Mike and "Nobody"...we are starting Feb 14

[walrus5757]

Starting Feb. 22
See ya on the trail.

[Jim Adams]

Cold starts!

geek

[Tinker]

Cold starts!

geek

I see many zeros in their future.

[Jim Adams]

I see many zeros in their future.

Exactly!...take lots of "town" money.

geek

[Jim Adams]

In March you go to town to restock.
In April you go to town for restock and shower / laundry.
In May you go to town for restock, shower / laundry and beer.
In June you go to town for restock, shower / laundry, beer and AYCE.
In July you go to town for restock, shower / laundry, beer, AYCE and people contact.
In August you go to town to restock, shower / laundry, beer, AYCE, people contact and entertainment.
In September you go to town to restock, shower / laundry, beer, AYCE, people contact, entertainment and to arrange a ride home.

BUT IN FEBRUARY YOU GO TO TOWN TO BUY HEAT!

geek

[walrus5757]

Thats funny geek.....And may be very true.

[takethisbread]

I dont like being on my knees

why crawl?

Cuz Blowdowns are all over from those cursed Rhody's and Mountain Laurel, you will be on your belly crawling up Blood Mtn. (it takes longer than walking),

Figgsy you are from my hometown, here we have big strong Pine Trees, Oak's and Maple's. In Georgia and NC, they have these weak ass things everywhere called Mountain Laurel, pretty as hell in season, but they have the constitution of a wet napkin. they topple over from the many snow and ice storms.

Secondly, people in the south dont really like the cold, so trail maintainers are a little slow from what i noticed to get out and clear the trail. In the north AT Trail maintainers, seem to get out with more frequency in poor weather times.

dress warm and be prepared for the cold and the hassle. its colder than home, believe it or not, and snows much more at elevation. have fun!

[play_outside]

I'm leaving Feb. 3rd with a party of three. See ya'll out there!

[Mountain_Goat]

starting march 1st.Glad to see there will be a herd ahead of me.Blaze a good path for all your followers

[BrianLe]

takethisbread suggested a person might have to crawl a lot on the trail because:

"Cuz Blowdowns are all over from those cursed Rhody's and Mountain Laurel, you will be on your belly crawling up Blood Mtn. (it takes longer than walking),
Figgsy you are from my hometown, here we have big strong Pine Trees, Oak's and Maple's. In Georgia and NC, they have these weak ass things everywhere called Mountain Laurel, pretty as hell in season, but they have the constitution of a wet napkin. they topple over from the many snow and ice storms.
Secondly, people in the south dont really like the cold, so trail maintainers are a little slow from what i noticed to get out and clear the trail. In the north AT Trail maintainers, seem to get out with more frequency in poor weather times. "

I started in late Feb last year, and the south was hammered pretty hard by snow. Indeed the blowdowns added to the challenge, but there was very little actual "crawling". You do whatever various maneuvers you must to get over, around, or under the vegetation, but it was most often some combination of "over" or "around".

Really I was surprised at how benign the blowdowns were overall. There were lots of them, and when often combined with some snow they definitely slowed a person down somewhat, and made my initial poncho raingear choice seem like a poor one. But no one blowdown was particularly bad. On the PCT in Oregon in 2008 I ran into a "large area, big tree" blowdown that was like an abatis. Lost the trail for a good while navigating wide around that. And in northern WA an area of nominally closed trail had a virtual playground of huge tree blowdowns --- think of all the fun of the Mahoosic Notch but with big downed trees instead of rock.

There was nothing like that in the blowdowns on the AT. It's just that there are a lot of them, and not just trees, but rhododendrons (perhaps the Mt. Laurel that's referenced) and downed branches. The only suggestions I have for blowdowns on the AT this year are (a) patience, (b) not a lot of loose clothing (like my poncho) or in general stuff that will tend to catch when pushing through branches, and (c) hope that the hard snow year of 2010 knocked down a high percentage of what is likely to fall so that you have a lot less this year.

There was some trail maintenance early on, but it was spotty. There would be a lot of blowdowns and then a stretch of the happy sight of "sawdust on snow", where someone had walked through and sort of triaged to cut out some subset of what was there. Last year we were done with the majority of blowdowns by the time we hit the Smokies (really no blowdowns there, perhaps stuff gets knocked down there then can go down every year). OTOH, in late July I was running into blowdowns in Maine, so of course it's going to vary by what the local trail clubs can get out and do (and many many thanks to the volunteers that do so).

Best wishes with your trip, however the conditions turn out to be for you!