Did I read in an earlier post by heald that 45 nobos have already started thier trek? That seems to be a large number, but I wonder how many are still left?
Mattitude
45 nobos already?
system
#2
I saw the same post, “Spring Fever.” Is that a big number? Wonder if that will mean a comparable increase as the weather warms. Sobos may have the right idea. Nice to see folks, but you can get crowds at the mall.
Jim2
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#3
45 seems about right, But wait for the next 10 days, that # is going to explode. There are atleast that many leaving on the first.
BearKat
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#4
Hence one of the main reasons I’m a SOBO!! 
But who knows… maybe next time I’ll do it the other way!
LarsyParsy
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#5
I just returned from the trail a few minutes ago and 45 is very low, I would estimate double that number since
December 28th. I met 7 new ones today.
I plan to leave Springer on March 1ST and estimate no less that 40 new starts on that day!
Happyhiker
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#6
By what I’ve seen just on the internet alone, seems about 50 or so people starting on 3/1/03, myself being one of them. There are a bunch on every site with more popping up everyday. There are about 15 trailjournalists starting on the 1st for cryin out loud. We should all just do one group journal lol. Anyway, when you factor in all the people who havent discovered these sites or dont use computers, the starting number has got to be between 75-100 which is kinda scary. That will thin out quick though.
Good luck to all A-Train
A-Train
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#7
Better learn to love mud and a tent. Tent good, over used privy, baaad. A-Train; Peep and I will be watching, good luck and don’t spare the shoe tread.
Bushwhack Feb 18th '01
system
#9
Even though we started early the popular areas had more than a few people. We ate at the picnic tables and then set up camp nearby or a mile down trail when the “perfect” tent site came along. One shelter on the Blue Ridge was full and the only tent site was in a pile of horse crap. It also had a nasty cold breeze so we went back up to the ridge and sleep under the meteor shower. Nice and warm. Around 11 a big doe walked within twenty feet of us munching on trees. Raindog was half asleep and I had him convinced that the Boogie Man was out there.
Bushwhack
system
#10
Is to start off in another place like Waynesboro in March. Hike NORTH to Maine. Return to Waynesboro (greyhound has service) go SOUTH and finish. You avoid the crowds except on weekends with day hikers. I am going to go north from Harpers Ferry in March and depending on family circumstances I will either section hike to make it all the way to Maine. The only disadvantage is running into black fly season in New England. The big advantage is there is no super rush to finish as Springer doesn’t close in mid October. Doing it this way also gives you two major goals, one making it to Katchidin, the other making it to Springer.
Another way is to start off at Springer after the rush, like in late May, go up north for two months, bus to Maine, go south until finish. The SOBO crowds are much lesser.
The reason I don’t like crowds during the rush (besides the crowds themselves) and I have seen this, the ultra-lights insisting they deserve to stay in the shelters or demanding that people with tents leave to give them space. That’s BS, if they made the choice to hike ultra-light and the shelters are full, too bad, that’s part of the tradeoff they get for going UL.
schikerbiker
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#12
Is the crush at the shelters the same whether you walk north or south? I wonder what the long term solution is as better gear, more publicity, more B-Bers seeking the last great adventure result in increased pressure on trail resources? And let’s pray that there is no reality TV (isn’t that an oxymoron)show about the AT.
Fair skies and flat trails everybody!
Jim2
system
#13
SOBO is much more relaxed and not crowded at all. Plenty of shelter space if you’re into shelters but there’s great camping all through Maine.
Lone Wolf
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#14
I’ve never seen 100 thru hikers a day coming off big k. I have seen 100 thru hikers in one day coming off springer. When you consider that one weekend on springer can see the volume equal to the entire sobo season’s worth of thru hikers it’s hard to see the north maine woods as crowded. The 100 mile can always serve up some solitude even at the highth of the season.
heald
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#15
The Stones had it right, but a true hiker doesn’t need a shelter, they will tent and live off the land by eating roots and rocks 
Gimmie-shelter