SOBO planning 2005

imported
#1

Hey all

I am starting to think about thru hiking the trail next summer SOBO. I have a few questions.

  1. Is 3-4 months (July to Sept-Oct.) really long enough to plan for the hike? I’m not sure I can get more time off of my job.

  2. How much should I be planning to save? I’ve suggestions ranging from $1500 to $4000. Does anybody have a sample budget breaking things down into categories (i.e. food, equipment, emergency, misc.) or know what a good resource for that is?

  3. Just how bad ARE the bugs in Maine in July?

  4. Any other tips and thoughts?

Thanks

SwatCat

#2

Will it be lonely in starting in July?

SwatCat

#3

swatcat: 3-4 months will be a really fast pace. I will be leaving from Maine in late May or early June and am planning on taking about 5 1/2 to 6 months. However, I am not a fast hiker and usually average about 2 miles per hour. As far as being lonely… it seems like more and more hikers are thinking about a sobo… there are already over 40 people here on trail jourals that are talking about a sobo hike next year. Backtracker

stan johnson

#4

hey, count us in , We are starting in Cape gaspe though… end of May or so and hope to be on K first week in July. It would be cool to have company !! 3 to 4 months is fast…I took about 5 months on the nobo hike. It does cost some $. You can go very cheap but ya don’t spend much time in town. That can be a drag esp. if your buddies are going in for pizza etc. 4000 is about right these days… for a fairly comfy hike. Just depends how mant towns ya visit… hotels vs hostels etc.As afr as starting in Jly i think there may be quite a few doing that these days. I like an early start myslef though. That 4 grand incldes pretty much everything except the cost of getting to and from the trail. Good luck !

yappy

#5

I’ll touch upon the bug question briefly for you. Yes, the bugs will be bad, when the black flies disipate around the end of june/early july, the mozzies kick in wityh a vengance. They’ll hang around until mid to late august. I hiked through a small portion of the hundred mile wilderness in june, the bugs were bad. Not something you can escape in Maine I’m afraid, just take some good repellent with you, keep moving and include your no see-um bug netting in your kit list.

I think most people begin their sobo’s between may 31st and june 14th, that gives you a good chance of catching the smokies in the fall and avoiding to much cold weather down south.

Good luck with your preperations!!

Ross aka Cheers :cheers

Ross

#6

Thanks all for the input. Info from actual people is more valuable than any website.

SwatCat :boy

SwatCat

#7

The black flys were not an issue this year. I woul djust brinh a bug net or hat for sleeping. dont worry about bugs. SOBO is a very different hike than NOBO. I found it to be too lonely. When you do start meeting people its only for one night or a few minutes. As a first AT trip I say go NOBO you’ll have a lot more fun unless you want to be alone.
I’ll finish my SOBO now that I’m in Vermont but I’ll always cherish my NOBO hike as being the best.

bamboo bob

#8

Bamboo Bob, you can’t get off the trail !!..I am enjoying your journal too much…:slight_smile: Please, say it ain’t so. I agree, sobo VERY different from the nobo. But, for me, nobo is just TOO much. I get crazy with all those people around …lol.For a first time hike you are probably right. Nobo might the best. I am looking forward to hiking sobo though. I have a partner and he is very funny… which, I am sure will help. But, after the Pct ,Colorado trail and even the LT in Oct… I have come to appreciate the solitude. I guess I am spoiled When we did 1000 miles of the Pct sobo I loved that we didn’t anyone … literally for days . it was kinda amazing. There were 4 other sobo’ers. I could pee anywhere I wanted… and camp anywhere…:)Even on our nobo thru hike in 96… lots of space and solitude for everyone. Anyhow,see you guys out there …:slight_smile:

yappy