2009/Looking for a fellow hiker partner

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#1

I plan to hike the AT in Feb or early March 2009 and am wondering if there is a fellow hiker who may be looking for a partner. I am married, male age 60.

Mike

#2

Hey Mike,

Am planning to be out there hiking the AT some time in Feb,hit me up and lets talk .

CBK

#3

Mike, you should be able to find fellow hikers once you hit the trail. I would suggest not leaving in Feb or early March. Wait as long as you can, like April. Unless you have some strict deadline to finish early, wait until the weather gets warmer. The earlist I suggest is St. Patrick’s Day (3/17). That is still early.

The weather can be bruttle up in the mountains in Feb and most of March. It will be cold (freezing), slow moving (snow/ice), shorter days (less sun), longer nights, less people on the trail (maybe a good thing), you will need to carry more weight, more food, more time spent in towns, hostiles, hotels etc.

There are many people that have made it by leaving in Feb. but most will tell you to wait. One of the problems is you will be walking north and walking with the cold for about 3 months. Just wanted to alert you to the possibilities that hikers face when they leave early.

I don’t want to discourage you from hiking. You may be from Alaska and are very comfortable hiking day in and day out in the cold. Just keep in mind that April is a great time to start and you should be finished by September. Good Luck with your hike.

Bilko

#4

Gee, thanks, Bilko, for the good news. We still will be starting jan 1st, 2009. We expect bad news weather, but I think we are ready for it. We had snow in 2005 the last week in April in eastern TN. We also had 75 degree weather on March 13 in GA. The heat is what kills us. When it is 100 degrees with poison ivy coming at you from both sides and hanging down from the trees. I still hike then but it is rough.

swamp fox

#5

January 1st? Well good luck to you. There should be several (many) people up on Springer on New Year’s eve. Several hikers get together every year to bring in the New Year.

Heat can be a problem, good luck to you and hopefully you will keep a journal and keep us informed.

Bilko

#6

There is a lot of wisdom in what Bilko wrote above, and hiking in extreme cold temps should not be attempted, unless one is fully prepared. With that said, there is a lot to be said for starting early. For one, you get to follow Spring on your adventure, which is breath taking. Two, there will be fewer hikers using the shelters a long the way, which means you may not need a tent early on your hike, less weight. Not having to deal with the bugs is a big plus. My favorite, the solitude, the quiet, and the serenity of being totally alone, (at lease for the first few weeks). Planning, I think is the key, and always have a back-up plan. Good luck, and enjoy your adventure.

chessnut

#7

I’d still take a tent or at least a tarp because snow has a tendency to blow into certain shelters.
It is definitely a different hike in early season, very beautiful but better if you have a hiking partner. At least then you can bitch about snow storm after snow storm after snow storm… Definitely beautiful though.
I started mid Feb. in 05 and enjoyed it but didn’t like the loneliness. Be sure to bring a book or something to do after it gets dark because the nights are really long.

Apple Pie

#8

Memories! I started the same day as Swamp Fox in 2005 and remember well the gorgeous weather. However, several days later it snowed on St Paddys Day (reason to head to Helen for green beer). That was where I first met Rocky (Swamp Fox’s partner). Heavy snow in early April in the Great Smokey Mountains (remember, Rocky!) and again in late April outside Erwin. So the weather comes and goes… just be ready to honker down or head to town if it gets bad. Enjoy!

Red Hat

#9

Gee, thanks everyone for the advice and the memories. We don’t expect this to be a lark in the woods. But if it was easy, anyone could do it, so why bother?

We did some PA AT in 2007 is extreme cold (12 degrees). We set up the tent in shelters, because there was no one else. We expect some others to be starting with us. Also our friend Five Leaf Clover will be with us to Neels Gap. She is tough as nails and an experienced winter hiker in the south.

We think we will be the first Trail Journalists of the season, and it should be an experience. There are plenty of places to hole up if it gets too bad.

It will be neat experiencing all four seasons, as we expect to take 8 1/2 months. This hike will be one to savor.

Thanks everyone.

Rocky and the Fox

rocky and Swamp Fox