Feb Thru Hike Starts

imported
#1

What % of North Bound AT thru hikers start in Feb?
Is the middle to end of Feb too early to start for hikers with little or no trail experience?

Slowdown

#2

I started on Feb. 14th in 2001 & I’ll start Feb. 9th this year. I like a good bit of Winter hiking. Not only will you have more views, you will get a 4 season trail experience! Of course it’s very cold at times, but that’s all part of it for me. You appreciate the spring more. Not to mention getting a head start on the throng of complaining hikers who won’t even make it out of GA.

mongoose

#3

But to answer your question, Feb. 2001 was my first real hike. I knew nothing, and did fine.

mongoose

#4

Based on a survey done by Roland Mueser, and published in his book “Long Distance Hiking”, less than 5% of thru-hikers start before March 15.

When I hiked in 2001 with thru-hikers that started in Feburary there were stories about a snow storm a week and post holeing along through the snow.

Peaks

#5

That was us doing the holeing. Four foot in the Smokes. But it was cool. We started the 18th, Bramble’s B-Day. Starting earlier also gives you a better chance of finding and sticking with a nice dedicated hard core group as no one else in thier right mind would be out there that early. Almost all of us that started that early finished in our group of about fifteen.

Bushwhack and Bramble '01