05 nobos - Appalachian Trail

imported
#1

In case anyone was wondering; 10 nobo thru hikers have come thru neels so far this year. The bulk of them started on january 1st.

heald

#2

And the bulk of them have been holed up hotels and towns or dropped off the trail. Stupid thing to start on Jan 1st unless you enjoy throwing countless amounts of money into hotel rooms.

A-Hole

#3

easy there, A-Hole. everyone makes their own choices. our southern Appalachian weather is unpredictable and sometimes not fully appreciated for its’ potential, but none of us know what the other hikers were looking for when they started on 1/1. even if they are temporarily off the trail, i suspect they had some memorable moments to share.

Gene Roll

#4

Jaws is one of the few NOBOs still out there (of the early starters). Give him some positive support!

Hydro

#5

Gene Roll right, you ain’t in their shoes, A-hole. None of us are. I agree with Hydro, some positive support is in order.

Susan,retired

#6

We all know what to expect when you start on Jan 1st. These hikers this year got teased by a really out of the normal warm early Jan then got suckered when the weather turned more normal after the 15th. Jaws has spent more time off the trail than on it and I think all the others who were keeping journals online have dropped off like Bluevist. Folks, the point is, Jan 1st is a horrible time to start unless you plan on spending a bundle of money in hotels off the trail like Jaws has had to. And he is averaging about 6 miles a day. Now, if that is what they planned on doing by starting on Jan 1st, more power to them.

A-Hole

#7

I have a journal online and I’m still hiking. I did take two weeks off and stay with my brother in Atlanta. That didn’t cost me anything though. Starting this early I have the luxury of taking lots of zeros. I’ve enjoyed the last two days hiking through the snow as much as hiking in the warm weather in Georgia. I have no regrets about starting early.

Andy

#8

I commend hikers that start at nontraditional times. Those who start early/late or do flip-flops are helping AT overuse problems. Campsites get hammered in the spring in the south as one example. Too many hikers are out at the same time. If people have the right gear and skills, we should support them. As the population in general grows, and interest in the AT grows, we need to figure out how to do things differently. These people are helping.

Bent

#9

Hydro, did you bout freeze your buns off in the Smokies? I’d say you did. I’d say you outhiked your immune system and got sick as a result of it. Did you ever get any confirmation as to what it was? Giardia or what?

More power to the winter hikers. They are a tough breed. I respect them a lot.

See you out there.

Maintain

#10

Andy, The year is only five weeks old and you spent two weeks off the trail way down in Atlanta. Which makes my point that if you plan on starting on Jan 1st, you will spend a huge amount of time off the trail. Now Andy, you got lucky having a brother come all the way from Atlanta to help you off the trail for two weeks. Now, if you prepared to spend weeks off the trail by starting on Jan 1st, more power to you. But it is just that, YOU WILL HAVE TO SPEND A TON OF TIME OFF THE TRAIL HOLED UP SOMEWHERE by starting on Jan 1st. Either you will spend a huge amount of money on hotels or like Andy, have a relative to stay with 100 miles away. Hiking beginning on Jan 1st will cost you a lot more money. If that isn’t an issue, then again, more power to you. Now, if you willing to face that realility along with at times life threatening cold, then go for a Jan 1st start. All I am saying is that they should be prepared to spend a lot more money on town visits and hotels, heavier gear, and the fact you have to eat much more when hiking in cold weather. Hiker stoves don’t like cold weather. Your daylight hours are about 4 hours shorter than in June.

A-Hole

#11

Hey, if that is how they want to hike their own hike, so be it. Maybe those are just your issues, not thiers.

Calvin

#12

I’m chuckling at the folks who are critical about us 05 NOBOs who are spending time in towns. Guess what, folks? The time in towns is primarily to keep Trail Journals up-to-date with entries/photos that might just assist others who start later in March/April.

The weather has got nothing to do with it. None of us Jan starters knew the weather was going to moderate until we had actually started the trail. We are equipped for the snow and ice and cold. It is what we expected.

So cut the griping about not handling the winter. I thru-hiked SOBO in 2003 and finished in early January. This isn’t some “best luck, give it a shot” attempt. This is an attempt to try and keep others informed.

I’m about as purist as they come - last year I started from Springer in March on a thru-hike and went to Franklin, NC. When I got off the trail for a month and then returned - I returned not to Franklin - but started the trail from Springer - at the beginning, again.

I have met/spoke with Hydro and Andy and Fal & Hercules and BlueVist - they are of a similiar vain. Of course I guess if I wasn’t responding to these comments, I’d be hiking instead.

Hang in there 2005 NOBOs!!!

JAWS

#13

Just a final few thoughts about this topic:

  1. If I didn’t know better (and I don’t) I’d guess A-Hole is primarily “stirring the pot” on this subject - and doing a respectible job at that.

  2. The normal time frame to get from Springer to Hot Springs (without zero days) is about three weeks. It took me four weeks with my town stops along the way. The point? Everyone Hike Your Own Hike.

  3. Most of my hiking days thus far have been 10+ per day. I know my average pace is around 2.5 mph - and that drops down to around 2 mph in the Smokeys and about 1 mph in six inches of snow. So what? I know what my 49 year old body can do and can’t do.

  4. Hydro chose her rapid pace for her own reasons. She hiked her own hike.

  5. ANY winter hiker has a self-responsibility to be prepared mentally, physically, and gear-wise for possible conditions. The NOBOS I have met that are on Trail Journals appear to me to be more prepared than some of the other winter hikers who are out here right now - but that A-Hole and others at TJ know little/nothing about. For example, “Mountain Man” and his 13-year old daughter “Mountain Dew” who are catching and eating mice at the shelters as a source of food during their hike. Maybe someone should talk about them.

  6. I can’t speak to the motivation of the other 05 NOBO thru-hikers, but I can say that I don’t give a hoot in hell about being the 1st or 2nd or whatever hiker for the year. I’m hiking now because of the lack of shelter crowds; the love for winter backpacking; a “feel” of a thru-hike similiar to my SOBO thru-hike in 2003. Andy, yes, because of the opportunity to take days off, go into towns, hit the libraries, and update Trail Journals. If that benefits or helps any of the March/April starters - that’s great.

JAWS