Are ticks a problem on the NC section (Fontana to Georgia line) in April and May?
Nicks
Ticks bad in NC April/May?
system
#2
I wouldn’t say the ticks were as bad as the ticks are in the Indiana woods during July but I did have my first tick 11 days into my northbound AT thru-hike on April 21st just past Winding Stair Gap in Georgia. Also had another tick around May 1st as well as having several ticks on me in Virginia.
Further north on the Trail you’ll be hiking through reeded fields where the reeds will rub your shoulders while you’re hiking. You won’t be able to mistake the areas so you should definitely do a tick check right after the reeded areas since it was a tick fest there.
Best to do a tick check regularly while you’re waiting for your chow to heat up at night. If you end up hiking with someone else, you can check each other for ticks on a regular basis. If the other person you’re hiking with is your mate, it might turn into, well, foreplay. Ha.
As sickening as stuff about ticks sounds, I wouldn’t sweat it. Just part of being in the woods for an extended period of time.
Datto
Datto