Who's leaving Springer on Jan 1st?

imported
#1

Anybody out there leaving Jan 1?

Matthew

#2

Feb 1 Does that count? Not exacly New Years. But that’s the first date after I retire and earlies I can start.

Jersey Jane

#3

Posibly. I’ve always wanted to. Should have done it this year weather was perfect. If the World pisses me off alittle more I’m going.

Anyone else???

Sub

Subman

#4

One aspect I don’t understand about starting a thru hike on January 1: the long, long nightime hours. Nearly 15 hours of dark…and cold.

I know there are alot of hikers that enjoy winter conditions. I get that. But what about the dark?

At Cosby Knob Shelter in the Smokies two months ago, I met an old (1970s) thru hiker from Wisconsin. He did SOBO and ended up in the southern Appalachians. By late October, he said the nights were so long that he eventually had to bail out. It just creeped him out dealing with so much darkness.

Does that daunt you folks planning a January start? If not, why not?

Dan

#5

If this January is as warm as last January its a good possibly I’ll head out…

Chairman

#6

Dan, I love winter hiking but like you I think the long nights would bother me. I started my hike on April 3rd and I thought the nights were too long then. On the good side you will not over heat during the day and you get to Maine without hitting too much hot weather.

Big B

#7

I’m only a section hiker, so my experience is limited. But I have noticed the obvious trend of thru hikers starting earlier and earlier. The average starting time probably used to be early April, but now I bet it’s early March. I understand the benefit of avoiding some of the heat in the Middle Atlantic States in high summer, but that means missing fall foliage in New England. Many of the epic thru hike accounts I’ve read (“Walking with Spring” and “As Far as the Eye can Sea”) started in late April. Were I able to do a thru hike, I think I’d shoot for starting in mid or late April.

Sorry for hijacking the thread. Did so only because the topic seems very interesting. How do early starters cope with long, long, long nights?

Dan

#8

I actually like the 14 hours of dark in the winter. I always get the best rest of my life when I winter hike. I usually end up sleeping about 12 hours and feel excellent the next day. I could never get that much quality rest any other time. I have an excellent winter bag that keeps me toasty which is important for a good night sleep for me that time of year.

Dan, I started May 1st one year and it got so hot in VA that I ended up flipping to ME and walking back.

My ideal hike would be starting late August for a sobo walk.

Stumpknocker

#9

Dan I agree that seeing the fall in the north east is ideal, but as Stumpknocker said, the summer hike through the rest is just too brutal–though I’ve done it before.

But what I like most about the AT is the green tunnel effect (I live in western vistas and I think the dense foliage of the AT IS a vista worth every bit as others), so Jan-March’s brown leafless trees don’t do it for me either.

Hell, I sound like the Goldilocks of Hiking!

Jason

#10

Plan on leaving April 1st 2016 and I say Bring On The Heat! Would much rather be hot than cold. Guess its just the way the body runs.

Dan Paradise

#11

We started Jan 1st in 2009. (see TJ) 9 degrees on Springer at start. Generally cold miserable weather. Had to get off AT in NC at Burningtown Gap. Zero degrees was more than we could take. Funny thing is, Stumpknocker, we used your journal for information on weather. The moral of the story is that the weather is so variable. We had some glorious days also during the 20 days we were on the trail. Never do it again, however.

rocky and swamp fox

#12

I started in February in 05 and did not like the long nights. I would read a book after dinner to kill time but still wake up when it was still dark out. I would fall back to sleep and then wake up very groggy.

Apple Pie

#13

I would agree about the better sleep opportunities available on the dark side of the equinoxes, at least up to a point. Extremely cold nights would negate any benefit, though, unless you’re the type who sleeps warm and soundly under those conditions.

Having thru-hiked the AT as a traditional early April nobo, and also sobo during the usual fall window, I would do it northbound again in a heartbeat. Yes, there are crowds to deal with early on, but it’s worth it in order to experience the unfolding of spring in the south, which is intensely beautiful. You may or may not finish at Katahdin in time for the peak of fall foliage, but at least you won’t endure Maine’s blackfly season as you might if starting very early. Summer in the mid-Atlantic is hot and muggy, of course, but it’s nothing Earl Schaffer and Grandma Gatewood couldn’t hack, and in all likelihood you’ll adapt to it as you shed both body and pack weight as the miles progress.

blisterfree

#14

I had descended Springer summit and spent the nite at Three Forks on 1-1-09. I needed to experience a “winter hike”, and after that winter… alas, never again! I needed all of those 14 hrs. of winter nite rest for the extreme fatigue of “postholing” most of the GA & TN ridges and getting lost a myriad of times because of the snow plastered on the sides of the trees covering up the white blazes (had to follow the coyote footprints as they used the path to mark their territory or I would still be out there wandering around). Also, winter hiking is too lonely hiking by oneself. I honestly don’t know how Trek does it every year. I did complete the hike tho and summited Katahdin on Aug. 8th (less than 4 months of actual hike time but did work for stays at hostels for example 3 wks at Twelve Tribes in Rutland VT). It would have to be a very mild winter before I would ever attempt a winter hike again! And without snowshoes or at least crampons.

BTW - I would like to use this time to apologize to all those '09 hikers who started after me and bared to look at my shelter one liner of the May 21st 2011 “end of the world” debacle. We all make mistakes and the Lord has humbled me. Predicting the “last day” is another endeavor I will never do again! (still keeping my trail name Watchman tho).

I have a Raleigh Sojourn all decked out and would like to circumnavigate the U.S. but have been putting it off the past couple of years because actually I’m a little scared to do it alone. Maybe I could hook up with Stumpknocker someday and get some pointers.

My blessing to all of you attempting your hike this coming year… especially if you start on January 1st!

Watchman

#15

does anyone have link to a good site with historical climatalogical data (temp max/mins, snow amounts, rain,) for the trail? i’d like to start mid feb, but…

sgteasy

#16

I’m currently on the trail doing a SOBO hike. the long hours are not to bad. i’m usually in bed by 8 and up by 6 getting a solid ten hours. bring a book and make a fire. thats how i’ve dealt with it the past two months. look forward to seeing you, i should be finishing my hike shortly after you start. good luck and dont let the nay sayers put you down.

Caboose