NJ mild winter?

imported
#1

Due to ‘whatervers’ in my life, I cannot start my northbound thruhike any later than January. Lucky me:) Anyhow, replies in threads (on this site) concerning early winter hiking carry strong warnings about the weather, especially the Smokies and Mt Rogers area. Now of course, I wouldn’t be at Mt Rogers until probably Valentine’s Day, but it may still be just as bad-or worse.

So then I had a thought.

What If I began my hike from the mid Atlantic and went south (a flip-flop)?

Just how much more mild is the weather in-or-around Pennsylvania during early winter?

Kineo Kid

#2

I hike all over the AT during every season. Personally when it’s cold here it’s cold in the south. I have been lucker in the south as far as the weather. But the Smokeys are tough during the winter. You also have to think about hitting the Whites and VT earlier in the spring or late winter. I would rather be hiking VA during that time.

hippie long stockings

#3

You could luck out and have a mild winter, but it likely would
be widespread, not isolated to the mid-Atlantic.

When I attepmted my thru-hike in '02 we had a very mild winter
in NJ, but last winter was just the opposite.

The elevation of the mountains along the AT would make the winter
weather there more severe than at lower elevations.

Valentine’s Day IS in the middle of WINTER. It snowed on
Cheoah Bald(AT in NC) this year on April 7 or 8.

IMO, winter hiking is no bargain. But I hate cold weather,
anyway.

Scamp

Scamp

#4

My crystal ball is pretty cloudy, but the rock in PA can get quite icy and dangerous from November/December on. It could snow prodigiously. On the other hand, it could be cold with little precip. Or it could be warmish, or rainy. As Scamp noted, we’ve had the whole gamut in the past 2 years. So. PA and MD might be the most doable, but who can tell? Good luck!

CeCe

#5

You should read the journals of Rocket and/or Flying Scottsman from this year. It will give you a ggod idea of the conditions you will face. If you jump in at the middle its still hiking in winter. Even though you will be at relatively lower elevations PA still gets a pretty good winter. You also will have almost no chance of running into other thru hikers or any section hikers in PA. Leaving from GA at least gives you a small chance of hooking up with some other hearty souls. If you can stand the loneliness and cold, hiking in the winter is unbelievably beautiful. Good luck, it should be an amazing adventure.

Big B

#6

How about going north from Springer and if the weather looks real bad for the Smokies or Mt Rogers skip them and go back and do them when it gets better. I’m from Pa and it would be hit or miss. You would most likley be safer here because there are alot of roads and stores along the way. But I have been on the trail when its Ice and you can only do a mile or 2 without crimpons. Not to mention falling on all those $#$@*&(&^ rocks when there Iced over but thats part of winter hiking. Flip a coin

use to be YANG