What’s the earliest and latest date one can reasonably start an AT SouthBound Throughhike?
The primary issue, I’m sure, is when one can climb Katahdin and then how much time the hiker needs to clear through the Presidential Range and get through New England and into New York before snow and cold interfere.
Assume a 60 year old man, older and heavier now, but once an endurance athlete who knows his body, thinking 8-10 miles per day to start.
Nunam
Nunam
I think that while August would be superb for a SB start for a fast hiker; September would be the latest one could possibly start; although you might not make it home for Christmas; so definitely start by early August!!! September would be ok if you just want to hike New England & see some fall foliage… maybe you could pull a u & head up the Long Trail to finish at Canada border!
gingerbreadman
Most SOBOs start as early as the beginning of June and as late as the end of August.
Those who begin in June average about 15 miles per day to finish in about 5 months (June, July, August, September, October into November)
Those who begin at the end of August average about 25 miles per day to finish in about 3 months (August, September, October, November into December)
Both start dates and averages include about 10 rest days.
Katahdin opens when the weather permits, as early as May and as late as mid-October. The issue with a SOBO hike is that you won’t have your trail legs when you hit the southern part of Maine and the Presidential, which are equally challenging, so your average will go down significantly and the risk of injury is high. Also, it can snow and get icy on Mt. Washington and the other high peaks in the range anytime of the year, so you’ll have to bring additional gear you won’t need (heavier pack).
While age is an issue and recovery time will be longer, I have hiked with men as old as 65 and they are able to do 20 to 25 miles after a few weeks on trail.
Hopefully that helps.
Martin
Thank you both for your input. The lack of trail legs early on in Maine and the Presidentials, is an issue in itself, beyond the weather. Maybe you would both advise me as to exactly how much of an issue.
Nunam
Nunam
…my husband and i did a nobo thruhike in '03 when he was 60…we had no troubles in maine or the whites (as we’d been “practicing” for 5 months! ha ha)…last year, however, we went up to maine for some day hiking in september (after having spent the summer hiking 1600 miles on the PCT and considering ourselves to be in fairly good hiking condition)…we hiked/climbed up katahdin and made it okay…but the next day!..wow!..were we ever SORE!..we realized that NOT hiking every single day over terrain such as the AT (that tends to build muscles), made a HUGE difference in our abilities on that mountain that day!..fortunately we were able to rest up over the next week!..but the thought occurred to me then, “what if i had to get up and hike the next day?”…i think i would have been putting myself in serious risk of injury!..
a lot of folks recommend doing your ‘training’ on the trail…and i think for a nobo, that’s possible…(in a few weeks, you’ll have your trail legs!..no problem!)…but southbound, i think i’d recommend some training before your hike…trying to take in some exercises that build strength in your legs, feet and ankles, as well as plenty of hiking over varied terrain with some hand over hand climbing, too, if possible, should really benefit your aptitude for getting over that extremely rugged terrain!..we’ve always tried to train some before our hikes and have always been glad we did!..
also keep in mind that it’s gonna be more difficult to keep your pack weight down if you have to carry winter gear…
maw-ee
Nunum…doing 8 to 10 miles a day is a good figure to have in your head. You’ll know pretty quickly how that is going to work out once you actually get on the Trail.
You are starting with the biggest climb on the entire AT, so as a sobo you’ll know the hard part is done. 
You’ll have a few easier days after that first climb before you start hitting bigger hills again.
For me personally…and if the timing worked out, if I every do another southbound thru hike, I’ll start late August or very early September…but that would be for me and the way I like to hike. Staring May, June or July means you’ll get to swat at biting bugs much more than August or September.
Pay no attention to Maw-ee…she still thinks '03 was the “wet year”. You can’t take seriously anything the hikers from that year say. 
Stumpknocker
Trail Legs are a relative term, in regards to hiker fitness and endurance, in describing a long distance hiker’s ability to hike for extended periods of time without stopping or with quick breaks. It is relative to pace and how many miles a hiker plans to hike per day.
For example, some hikers will eventually aim to hike 3 miles per hour and stop every 3 hours, or some have even been know to keep a 3 mile pace over 6 hours, then 3, etc. Others will attempt to keep a 2 miles per hour pace over a set time.
Whatever the pace to mile ratio/combination, most hikers, unless they have trained prior to a thru-hike, will take about 500 miles (or two or so months) to achieve this level of endurance. Yes, age and prior fitness does play a huge roll in this, and the 500 miles is a good benchmark when estimating when a hiker will achieve his/her “trail legs”.
With this said, the issue again heading SOBO is that you’ll be starting off as another has posted with one of the most difficult climbs on the AT, and then hiking part of the Mahoosuc Range in Maine (which is tougher than most estimate) and then the Presidential Range which borders on bouldering (rock climbing that is not technical) in some stretches … all without having built up the endurance or fitness … your trail legs.
What this means is that it will take you much longer to get through Maine and N.H.
For further reference, I have hiked both NOBO ('05) and SOBO on the AT('09), and I noticed when I headed SOBO it took me a few weeks longer to get out of Maine and N.H.
Hope that helps!
Martin
…uh…and which years were you out there stumpy?..(heh heh!)…dang!..unfortunately, he’s right, nunam!..take everything i say with a grain of salt! (because,i think my brain is actually still a little ‘soggy’ from ‘03)!..but speakin’ of rain…(for your particular hike anyway), august is supposedly one of the drier months, i think, for those northern sections…in '03, THAT’s when it actually STOPPED raining for us!..it made for much easier maneuvering through the whites! (although we did have a few sprinkles through mahoosac notch!)…watch your step if you start in september rain (and/or ice!)…hey, stump!..how was that hike this summer?..where you headed next?
maw-ee
Well, good morning Maw-ee,
How are you this fine morning?? I’m good, thank you.
In response to your inquiry above…my hike this summer was mahvelous, simply mahhhvelous. Got to see lots of critters and beautiful scenery everywhere. Met lots of friendly people too.
As to where I’m headed next, well, it’s early morning and I have just now finished my coffee, so I don’t want to talk about where I’m headed next.
This has been nice talking to you, but I have things to do, so I’ll say goodbye for now.
Merry Christmas and hope you and Paw-ee and a wonderful 2011!! Maybe I’ll see you at The Gathering again next year.
Stumpknocker
…(looks like we just hijacked your thread here!..i reckon us hikers just can’t resist a friendly chat!..merry christmas to you, too mr. stump!)…
…so let’s see if i can get this back on track, nunam…when we had barely begun our hike in feb '03 (i think we were in NC)…we met two british guys hiking south…they had started their hike from katahdin the previous august (meeting us at the end of february)…so they had apparently ‘enjoyed’ 6+ months of a true winter hike!..in fact, i remember one of them saying that that was the first day he had changed out of his long pants into shorts!..anyway…perhaps a later sobo start would mean a longer trek? (because of weather related difficulties?)…
maw-ee
A year ago, at a young age of 64, I did extended section hikes from NJ to Katahdin. Conditioning was a 5-mile walk through the neighborhood, flat, paved roads, with full pack, about 4 times a week for a month in advance. In ME and NH I found regular 8-10 mile days with an occasional 12-14 mile day to be do-able, but was definitely ready to call it a day at that. There is a good bit of rough trail that cuts the pace way down for old knees and ankles. A zero day every 6-8 days was most helpful. VT & south a 12-mile day was comfortable.
Dioko
Thank your all for your responses. It’s clear that a SB start is a tough one. First Katahdin, then the 100 Mile Wilderness, then the White Mountains/President Range. Beyond that, it’s a tough place to take an off day, due to camping restrictions up high.
Let me ponder this a little bit.
Thanks again.
Nunam
Nunam
The degree of intelligence, and helpfulness, exhibited in this thread was exceptional. You were all right on the money all the way through. Thank you for those things as well.
Nunam
Nunam
57 years old. 27 July 2007 start, 14 January 2008 end. Recommend in preference to doing it NOBO.
10 miles per day to start with then be the time we got to southern Virginia, we were doing 20 miles plus; even in the snow. The biggest problem was the lack of daylight (we were slow). We often started before dawn by torch-light.
Kea