DEC NOBO - Appalachian Trail

imported
#1

Dia duit!Ok all previous NOBO THRUs, I am looking for places that you consider a “hard hitch” as 3 months earlier might make it an impossible hitch(NOBO 12/20/08.) Looking for areas that otherwise might be best if I carried extra or drop boxed. Especially north of PA.
Thanks be ye all!
May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the hollow of his hand.

Freefall

#2

First of all why are you leaving so early? You are going to hit really bad weather. I would rethink you start date. As far as places that might be tuff to hitch I would say Fontana dam might be a place to send a box, but there is a grocery store there. I did the trail with one mail drop and did not need it. I would consider not using as many mail drops. There was one hitch that I had to walk a mile and a half in pa right by Palmerton, but that is not that bad.

youngndum

#3

I could not agree more with Youngndumb. You will freeze you xxx off if you leave at that time of the year. THe answer you hitch hiking question it is pretty simple. The more affluent the area the less likely you are to catch a ride (unless your of the female persuation). NJ-Mass can be quite dificult but who knows maybe you will get lucky. Once again, unless you are an experienced winter hiker, plan on leaving sometime after Mid-march. Otherwise it will be hard to linger in the frost biting winds at vistas and the trail will be a lonely place as most of the class of 09 will wait to hike until the weather is more pleasant. There are no prizes for racing to be the first to finish. Think about enjoying yourself on what essentially is a vacation from modern day trials and tribulations. Stealth Blew AT 02, 07

stealthblew

#4

You might want to call Fontana Dam before you rely on buying food in their grocery store. This year the grocery store was closed for almost two months: Dec. & Jan. There is a gas station/convenience store called The Pit Stop down the hill from the P.O. with ramen, canned food, & snacks that got me to Newfound Gap. Good luck.

bluevist

#5

I’ve read many hiker journals - Comer & Jean, for starters - who have thru-hiked starting in December/January. And they manage just fine.

You know that photo of Bono and Rocket that appears fairly often on the home page of trailjournals.com? Bono started in December. Read his journal if you want to get an idea of what you’ll encounter in terms of weather or resupply (And Comer & Jean’s). Better yet, email them directly.

My reason that I’ve read so much of these early season nobos is because that might be my only option to thru-hike (unless I quit my job).

Plan B would be to hike southbound, starting at Katahdin in September (about the second week) and just haulin’ ass before the Whites do their thing.

NOBODY that I’ve read has ever done this type of thru-hike. Not on an online journal. There is an old book with an account of Jim Shattuck’s sobo, though he started in late August (but he hiked a bit slow, and as far as I can figure, I’d have caught up to him).

ALSO! TDS - Totally Different Subject - went as far as Deleware Water Gap, starting at just the same time as me (September 10 - he was flip-flopping, I was lolly-gagging).

These guys who tell you not to go . . . hike your own hike. There are much more than a few hikers who have done it.

Kineo Kid

#6

As Kineo Kid points out there are some who have done winter hikes in the past. Although not as many as the kid might imply as he reads stories from his cozy chair engrossed in literature. I would suggest there are a hardy few of us that enjoy pushing the envelope of comfort and safety as part of their adventure. All the more power to them, but please bear in mind there will be times when you will be hiking though deep snow @ sub-freezing temperatures with high winds. This is not to suggest you will encounter these conditions everyday but rest assured you could be confronted with the above mentioned conditons at elevations thoughout the south and if you persevere you will arrive in New England just in time for the mud and black fly season. If you prefer to hike in these conditions rather than with the flowers of spring, the sounds of the songbirds and the comraderie of others than go for it. Just be prepared for adverse conditions. I wish you the best:boy

stealthblew

#7

of coarse they do, but not me, construction eight hours a day in New England is enough, then its in front of the fire with a warm puppy belly to rub and drink a colds one, I’ll see you in April. Peace…

fishngame