I’ve been considering a late start date for a thru-hike. I’m wondering if I start northbound in early May, and I’m moving kind of slow, at what point on the trail do I need to decide if I’m going to make it to Katahdin by Oct. 15?
Thanks for any advice,
Rob M.
Rob Motz
If you can’t end at Katahdin, then how about Mt. Greylock? It’s the highest point in Mass., and is a very inspirational summit.
nobody
If you are leaving in May and moving slow, I’d say that at this point you can be sure you will not make it by October 15th. So Flip north after the spring flowers end somewhere in Viginia, or Harpers Ferry, or the Water Gap it does not matter. It’s all good.
Blue Jay
I think if it were me, I would figure that if I haven’t made it close to Hanover by the first week in September, I would flip. That way you have time to do Maine and get bck through the Whites by mid-October. One thing you might consider doing is starting in Virginia in mid-May and hiking north with the other thruhikers, then heading back to your starting point after Katahdin and hiking the southern trail in late fall. The Smokies are lovely in the fall. That way there would be fewer time pressures and you would meet many of both the northbound and southbound thruhikers.
Ginny
Rob,I hiked a section out of the Smokies to Hot Springs in June of 2001.You don’t want to leave much later than you planned,especially if you are going slower.I found that when I left in June,water sources became a factor.At one point I had to back track because a water source was dried up.I would follow Blue Jay’s suggestion,and flip north somewhere in SW Va or further north.I’m from SW Va close to Bastion, and there is an ideal place close by to grab a Greyhound north bound.
If you like contact me at my email,and will fill you in.
Enjoy your hike…:cheers
Bill Harris
Your pace is going to tell you when you need to flip. Theoretically, it could be October 14, but you probably should plan on having both Maine and New Hampshire done by mid October. So, if Maine and New Hampshire take 5 to 6 weeks, that would put you flip date around Labor Day.
However, I suggest that you consider a leap frog rather than a flip. That way, you can have all the excitement of getting to Katahdin with the other northbounders. So, if you are not in New Hampsire by early September, then leap frog ahead to Hanover, and then go back after Katahdin and hike from Hanover south.
Peaks
is to start on April 27/28 and this should give me plenty of time to reach my preferred destination of Katahdin. I’m looking forward to a blooming Southern Appalachian spring and a spectacular New England fall, but if I start a little later or get slowed down for a couple weeks I know I’ll be pushing it close.
Thanks for the ideas, now I’ve more to ponder.
Rob Motz
Rob, I started my 1990 thu-hike on May 5. Shelters were not crowded. Only 3 mornings below 32 degrees in the south. Got to see the leaves change in late Sept.and early Oct. I Started off at about 10-15 miles a day for the first month and after that was easily able to do 15 -25 miles a day until the Whites where I slowed down to 10-15 miles a day for the rest of the hike. I think the first week in May is a great time to start your hike. I would recomend not to start your hike to fast. No more then 15 miles for the first month. Once your body gets trail hard after about a month then you can start putting in more miles. If you fall behind don’t try to make up all the time in a week. Just add a couple more miles a day and you will be suprised after about a month that you will be ahead of people you were hiking with before. On my hike I took off about 20 days in town. If you fall behind to far or feel to pressed about miles you can always flip flop if your afraid about not finishing before bad weather moves in to Maine. I started my hike on May 5 as did about 5 others. I know that out of the 5 people I met on May 5, 3 OF them finished there hike . Jim “Scaper” Ga-Me May5-Oct9
Scaper
WHy dont you just wait another month and hike a southbound hike … why do use SOBO’s get lost in the crowd???
ME-GA '03
Waldo
Good question. But, conventional wisdom is don’t start a SOBO until early July. So, that’s more than a one month delay to your start.
Second, for many thru-hikers, the people are the best part of their thru-hike experience. Part of this is traveling with a community of other hikers. I suspect that there is not enough mass going SOBO to get the same feeling.
Third, Katahdin is a kick a$$ goal that builds all the way through Maine. If people were #1 with me, the goal of Katahdin would be #2. It would be anti-climatic to hike away from Katahdin. And it’s certainly not as climatic to finish the trail anywhere else, including Springer.
Peaks
I can’t go southbound, I’ve got to be out of my apartment by the first week in May.
I’ll leave from Springer the last week of April / first week of May and see how it goes.
Thanks.
Rob Motz