May 10 NOBO start date

[rjhouser]

I graduate college around this time (2012) and plan to head straight to Springer. I know others who have started on this date and finished in Sept. Any pros or cons to this start date? Obviously the time frame is an issue, getting to Baxter before the cut-off. Anybody else doing or done something similar?

Thx

-Ryan

[TNjed]

those guys who made trek did it by october and they started around May 1

[swjohnsey]

Lotsa folks have made it in four months including Shaffer. You won't have much/any cold weather to deal with at the start or crowds so you ought to be able to go pretty fast if you are up to it. Or go southbound and be with the crowd.

[Cookerhiker]

I graduate college around this time (2012) and plan to head straight to Springer. I know others who have started on this date and finished in Sept. Any pros or cons to this start date? Obviously the time frame is an issue, getting to Baxter before the cut-off. Anybody else doing or done something similar?

Thx

-Ryan

Here's a recent thread started by another May hiker which you might find helpful.

[runnergirl]

i think it's definitely possible to make it in that time frame. My brother and I, however, decided to do a flip flop to allow for any unforeseen delays (injury, etc). We are starting on May 4th from Buchanan Va and will return mid-August to finish the southern portion. But I think a May 10 start from Springer is still very doable!

[fiddlehead]

I started my thru in '95 on May 9th.
I remember it being a bit warmer than my other thrus.
Also, I remember a bunch of small groups of thru-hikers who had decided that running for Maine wasn't their idea of a good time and they were doing 8-10 miles a day and partying their brains out.
Some of these groups were tempting to hang out with but, I had ambitions of making it to Maine in that year so, except for hanging with one or two of them for a night or two, I kept to my goal and climbed Katahdin that year on Oct 10th I believe.
I did take a week off when I get near my home in PA.
I usually try to do 20's once I'm in shape just for your own figuring.
I still had my zero's like everyone else.
I had to hitchike from the Smokies and back to hit trail days. (I have great memories of that year's trail daze too)
There were a lot of those party'ers doing the same, in that regard.

Have fun.
Take it day by day.
Don't stay in town more than a night or two and you'll be ok.