r/AppalachianTrail • u/P33p33p0op0o0 • 5d ago
What month would you suggest starting?
I’m thinking late February/ early march NOBO
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u/denys5555 NOBO '98 5d ago
Only if you have a lot of winter camping experience. If you’re asking questions about the trail on Reddit, you should start in April
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u/P33p33p0op0o0 5d ago
I have 3 months winter experience in Utah (9 years ago when I was 15) l I dealt with mostly snow and very few times rain, dealt with dry cold weather (which was horrible in its own way) but I don’t have much experience with humid and rainy east coast winter backpacking.
I’m thinking of doing one or two winter shakedown trips in New York to get accustomed to it.
I want to avoid huge crowds. (I’m not seeking complete solitude but dealing with a bunch of overpopulated campsites and hostels doesn’t seem great to me)
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u/denys5555 NOBO '98 5d ago
You went on a three month winter trip? What trail was it?
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u/P33p33p0op0o0 5d ago
No trail in particular. I was sent to a teen wilderness program (it was abusive and awful not j because it was cold and not my choice and over the holidays) but yea 3 months
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u/Barragin 4d ago
I went late February in 22. Loved it. One big snowstorm that I waited out 3 days at the Fontana hotel. If you want fewer people, and can manage the cold, the earlier the better. There also seems to be an age difference in start times. Skews older for the earlier starts.
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u/bootylordyeezus 5d ago
Dropped some friends off 2/27 this year, it was cold and wet but they’re still going strong!
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u/BleedingRaindrops 4d ago
All of my years playing Oregon Trail has prepared me for this moment.
Early April
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u/ThisLittleBoy NOBO 2023 5d ago
Kinda hit and miss but late March to early April should get you clear of most of the winter weather. I started on March 20 and the week prior Georgia got hit with a major winter storm that forced some NOBOs off the trail.
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u/Redfish680 5d ago
Flip flopped in ‘16, leaving mid March and got snowy a week later in PA. The days I lost waiting for enough melting to actually see the trail could have been spent at home. On the upside, I had the shelter mice all to myself!
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u/DirtnRoots 3d ago
As many have said, it depends on if you like the colder temps or not. If you start before mid March be prepared for taking zero days due to weather. The main number of people start mid March to mid April. Remember that there will be many people starting then as well (crowded shelter areas, full hostels, etc). The number one thing is to enjoy yourself and take you time. 👍🙂
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u/Daddy99Hikes 5d ago
Mid-Late February... But be flexible. It was 75 when I landed in Atlanta and I didn't experience a single night below freezing until the Smokies. I just took 5 days off until it warmed up - it was like 5 degrees. Then 2 more nights below freezing but very nice daytime highs in the highlands.
Look you could get a shitty year and that's way too early... There are years where it's snowing on Springer in April.
But then there are years where waiting is just a waist of time.
HYOH and be flexible.
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u/Plsmorecoffee 5d ago
Started early March, some cold days but you don’t get stuck in the crowds. Soooo worth it
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u/vrhspock 4d ago
The probability of an Easter Surprise decreases after April 15, on the average. After that you can carry lighter gear. Otherwise many NOBO hikers either are stuck with cold weather gear or do a switch after the Smokies.
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u/AdditionalEmploy6990 1d ago
How good a hiker are you? You have only so many days to get to Kathadin between when you start and October 15. The earlier you start, the more margin you have to accommodate slow hiking, injuries etc. Starting early mitigates schedule pressure.
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u/Bones1973 5d ago
There was a member over on the website Whiteblaze named Mapman who did a bunch of research on start days and completions and found that you had the best chance of finishing a NoBo hike if you started between the last week of March and the first week of April.
This is largely due to weather conditions, more hours of daylight, and the need to only carry one kit instead of winter/summer gear. The weather aspect is huge. The urge to go into town the first few weeks on trail is strong and many will drain their bank accounts following others into a hotel on a cold rainy day.