[at-l] Cold weather camping

[Mara Factor]

Hi Carole,

I second the suggestion that you read the ATC article on where to start your
thruhike.

Other ideas suggested by the article but not specifically spelled out would
be to start at a typical time (later March) but only a month or so up the
trail and go south then flip back up to where you had started and continue
north.  Benefits of this would include less cold weather hiking, plenty of
information about the trail in the south as you pass northbounders, and
fewer hikers as the big crowds weed themselves out rather quickly.

Also, while there are definitely times when you would encounter a crowd at a
shelter, I've found the trail is remarkably uncrowded most of the time.
Certainly when you're hiking, there's never a crowd unless you encounter a
group hiking together or stop at a popular natural feature.  It's only at
shelters when you might encounter a crowd but even then, it's not a
certainty.  This year, there were four people on top of Springer when I was
there on March 14, six the next night at Hawk Mountain, etc.  And even with
those numbers, some choose to camp so shelters can be empty when you most
expect a crowd.  That's not to say that a day earlier or later may have
resulted in a crowd of 20 at the same shelter.  Regardless of how many
people start each day on average, people walk at different paces and spread
themselves out quite a bit along the trail.  And, if you ever get to a place
that is just too crowded, in the south, it's easy to walk a bit further and
find a place to camp in solitude.  Oh yeah, one other time when you're more
likely to encounter a crowd is after a time when hikers hole up in town
waiting out bad weather.  The next day on the trail, the build up of hikers
all moves out together and there may be crowding for that first day or so.

As for cold weather, while you must be prepared for cold weather when
starting in Georgia, don't forget that you also must be prepared for warm
weather.  There are certainly times when it will snow, but there are more
days in the 70s than days in the 40s.  In any case, rather than carry a lot
of winter weight clothes for those few days when the temperatures do drop,
you may just want to be prepared to take an extra day or two off during cold
snaps.

This year, many of us had to take this to an extreme.  We had a week-long
record (ie. definitely not typical) cold snap in the south.  I was halfway
through the Smokies and visiting friends when it hit in early April.  I
tried to get back on the trail one day but with highs in the teens, I knew I
wasn't prepared for that and turned around and went back home with my
friend.  I ended up taking nearly a week off to avoid the cold weather.  Oh
yeah, for what it's worth, this record cold snap occurred just a week after
we encountered record high temperatures.  Sigh.

Best of luck with your decision,

Mara
Stitches, AT99



On Nov 10, 2007 5:51 AM, Carole Warner <carewarner at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Hi Ya'll,
>
> I'm in the process of creating my itinerary for my
> 2008 AT thru-hike, and I'd love some input from all
> you experienced folk who've not only thru-hiked the
> AT, but have also hiked in colder weather.
>
> I know things can get pretty lonely on any kind of
> extended journey (I went on a 6 month bicycle tour
> once).  However, I'm definitely NOT interested in
> starting out on the AT when there are crouds of twenty
> somethings starting out (50/day by some accounts) and
> the shelters and trail are PACKED, etc.  I prefer a
> start with more peace, solitude and space.  So,
> although I am planning a March 1st start date, I'm
> seriously considering starting somewhere close to
> Ashville, NC (perhaps even as far north as Damascus.
>
> In this way, I'll be at least a month ahead of the
> throngs, and by the time some start to catch me
> they'll be fewer in number I'm pretty sure.  This
> would put me in Maine in July, and I'd finish up on
> Springer in August or early September.  Ideally I
> wanted to start in Georgia and end in Maine, but I
> don't see a way to do so without starting in February!
>
> So, #1 does March 1st seem too early to start (in
> terms of weather, enjoyment of the hike, etc.)?  Any
> other feedback on the weather thing on the AT?
>
> #2 what thoughts, feedback, input do ya'll have about
> my idea?  Any suggestions for other itineraries or
> other ways to meet my "needs/desires" for my trip?
>
> Any input (based on experience, not just opinion
> please) you can give me would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Many thanks.
>
> Carole
>
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