Hi! I am planning a thru-hike starting this March 2003 and I am looking for a hiking partner. I recently graduated from college and I am just looking for some easy going companionship on the trail. Please send me an email if you are also looking for a partner (mary_ackley@hotmail.com) I hope to hear from someone soon!
Mary
Having done 4 thru-hikes plus on the AT I can safely say that MOST pre-planned hiking partnerships rarely work out. You’re better off going to Springer alone and meet folks that first day. I guarantee you’ll meet at least 10 people attempting a thru-hike. You’ll never be alone for the first 1000 miles. You don’t want to be tied down to someone else’s pace or schedule.
Lone Wolf
Lone Wolf is right on. Most pre-planned partnerships don’t work out.
If a partnership is going to work out, it will be someone who you find along the way who shares the same means and methods of achieving the goal as you. Last summer, I never found that person. This year, I meet Pace-O, and we hiked for nearly 600 miles together, until I got off the trail.
What are your reasons for seeking a partner? Maybe there is another solution.
Peaks
Thanks for your advice! I am definately still considering a solo hike, but I would at least like to try to find a hiking partner. I guess since I am mainly looking for a companion (I am a little concerned about safety since I am a young woman, but I’m too adventurous to get very worried about something like that)you are right. I am definately looking forward to meeting new friends on the trail, but hey- maybe I’ll find some people to share planning ideas etc. even if I don’t find a partner…
Mary
WHy not start with a hiking partner? Yes, most partnerships will not work, but it may work long enough to get you comfortable for the first few weeks. If you recently graduated college, look up an old friend to start off the first week or two with expecting them to leave. Very few partnerships worked all the way, but many lasted into VA. Get comfortable backpacking alone for the 4 nights of the entire trail you will sleep alone, though.
TurkeyBacon
TurkeyBacon
hey y’all,
like mary, i’m also planning on doing the trail. however my schedule has changed and i now hope to be hiking Kahtadin to Springer starting in the summer. Earlier, I was planning for a south to north hike and therefore, i really know nothing about best times to start for north to south… the other new twist is that I’ve bailed on a good friend to hike with in the spring (gotta finish school first), so i’m now looking for one or two good folks to start with in the summer heading south. any information on when to start, and leads as to who else is planning to hike this summer would be great. thanks!
tidi
The “recommended” start date for southbound is early July. That allows for the streams in Maine to receed, and for the worst of the black flies and other bugs to go away.
However, my advice is still to go north to Katahdin. Katahdin is such a kick a$$ goal. You can’t describe the group effort that goes into achieving this goal. Finishing elsewhere does not even come close. If you can’t get an early start, then start some place along the trail (maybe Harpers Ferry, Water Gap, or Bear Mountain) and hike north, then do a flip flop.
I have done short back packing trips (less than a week) for decades. I never realized that tremendous people connection that you get when you do a long distance hike with others. If you go southbound, you will miss it, and that will be a shame, because that was the best part of my thru-hike.
Peaks
You’re wrong about southbound hikes, Peaks. I did it one year starting late June. Met a bunch southbounders. Nobody felt cheated finishing at Springer and there was great comraderie. It ain’t about the goal. Katahdin is just a mountain. I highly suggest you go southbound, Tidi.
Lone Wolf
this is the total extent of my planning:1)plan to start in Ga in march(approx. 10th), 2)plan to finish!!
no scheduling, no mail drops, no ground support.
would appreciate advice on what worked as far as water was concerned:carrying, pump filtering, in line filters, etc.
weight vs time vs hassles vs availability. thanx. jt
jt
Carrying water: How much depends on how far it is to your next water source, and how much you plan to drink, which is a function of how hot it is. I discovered that my general pattern was to drink one quart (liter) during the morning, one about lunch time, and one in the afternoon. For this, I seldom carried more than a liter with me. Read the data book and figure out how far it is to the next water, and then estimate how long it will take to get there.
Filter: There are several ways to treat water. Like all gear, there is no clear consentous on what is best. Some don’t treat water at all. Many go the chemical route. The main appeal of this method is weight savings. Polar Pure is one product that is popular. The down side is that you need to wait for the chemicals to work before drinking. Filters are also popular because you don’t need to wait to use. The Pur Hiker is very popular because it pumps faster than others. Some people have problems with filters plugging up, but I suspect that mainly due to not being careful when you pump so it sucks up sediments. I didn’t have this problem.
Peaks
Hey I started March 10… its a good day,
If you are not worring about anything else, why worry about the water. Aquamaria was quite popular this year, as were filters and anything else that worked. Bladders or bottles, they were all on Katahdin. Nalgenes are a little heavy though, so keep your Gatoraide bottle after you drink the stuff. If you like simplicity, go with chemicals, if you prefer perfect tasting water, go with a filter.
TB
TurkeyBacon
Hey Tidi,
I’m planning a sobo trip, starting on Katahdin on May 15th (or later in May, depending on the weather). Like Peaks mentioned, that’ll mean dealing with black flies–but then there’s always special challenges depending on the timing of any start date.
Starting later (say, in July) means not finishing until mid or late December, and facing the possibility of extreme cold and some snowfall.
It’s almost impossible to start any earlier from Katahdin than mid-May due to snowcover and extreme weather.
In the past, it was an anomaly to make a through-hike headed south, and you could count on seeing very few other through-hikers on your trip. Nowadays, you’ll run into several others, so you don’t have to worry about hiking in isolation. In fact, it’s becoming more and more popular because so many nobos are finding the first 100-150 miles are overcrowded, and you won’t have to worry about the stampede from Springer.
Like most potential through-hikers, I’m not planning to stick with a partner the whole way, but am looking forward to hiking with several fellow southbounders for a couple of days or weeks at a time. Let me know if you decide on a mid- or late-May start and maybe we can work something out as far as transportation, etc.
Good luck, and “hike your own hike” even if others try to tell you it’s better to start at Springer. Doesn’t matter WHERE you start or HOW you do it–the important thing is to HIKE!
–TR
Teddy Roosevelt
thanx for the input–i have all manner of water treatment but have yet to decide on which route to go without the redundancy weight…
my only main concerns are water when it is hot…and finding some boots that will keep me going(it’s only about 4-6 hours from here to the nearest hiker oriented outfitter)
and i have hard to fit feets. jt
jt
For me it's about doing the miles that I like to do. Most of the time I'll hike 12 to 20 miles in a day, but it's nice to have the freedom to do a shelter "0" or a 1 mile day every once in a while. The slower I hike I tend to find people pokin' around in the woods like me. Can't wait till Feb!!
Mongoose
Mongoose