AT in a single calendar winter

[Raven]

And far beyond the skill set of almost all but a few AT backpackers.

Seriously. I can't imagine how hard that would be.

I was on an AMC Maine chapter hike of Adams a few winter's back and a woman in the group had hiked the AT in Maine in winter with her husband...day trips combined with overnights in sections and I don't recall it being one winter season, but that in itself was a huge accomplishment.

5 miles would be a huge day.

 

[hikerbrian]

A calendar winter thru-hike would be an amazing accomplishment, although I'm not sure I believe it's possible without a trail breaking crew through the northeast.

Exactly! That's why I think it's such an intriguing idea: it may actually be impossible. It is the farthest thing from a foregone conclusion. There aren't that many things for us to do in the Appalachians that aren't basically forgone conclusions.

Think about it, you could be right on schedule, then get stuck at the base of Eisenhower for a week. Then what would you have to average for the remainder? When do you throw in the towel? You could get right to Baxter Peak with a 3 day buffer and STILL get shut out. Think of the anticipation! You'd have to commit so much, with absolutely no certainty right up until the end.

The other reason I like it is because it requires such disparate skill sets: the worlds of winter mountaineering and thru-hiking have amazingly little overlap. Anyone who could put the two together would have to be truly impressive, in my opinion.

 

[RoySwkr]

Just gave a lift to Pinkham Notch to a southbounder, he is only making 10 miles per day in the Whites but even so should be out of NH & VT before serious snow

He is from SC but is looking forward to the cold in NC/TN

 

[GBKDalton]

I ran into southbounders in Vermont the weekend of the Halloween snowstorm last October. We were doing trail maitenence north of Mad Tom Notch and one of the workers took them home for the night (it had snowed six inches and was forecast for the larger storm that night). I remember thinking at the time they were screwed but of course it didn't snow much after that last winter. So they may have done okay. They were pretty wet at the time from the snow falling on them and walking through the snow in their summer boots.

 

[Raven]

The other reason I like it is because it requires such disparate skill sets: the worlds of winter mountaineering and thru-hiking have amazingly little overlap. Anyone who could put the two together would have to be truly impressive, in my opinion.

I agree. Bordering superhuman.

It's definitely a really compelling idea to think about - regardless of speed, the idea of winter backpacking the AT even in "just" ME and NH as was mentioned earlier, just to be out there in that kind of cold, breaking miles and miles of trail, burning massive amounts of calories, and camping out for days at a stretch...I love the cold and a few good winter bag nights a year as much as the next but yeah, to combine that with the "thru-hike" idea

Does Steve Longley take you across the Kennebec on a sled instead of in his canoe?

I'll want to read about these trips. Of course, if this past winter was a sign of things to come, maybe the calendar winter thru hike will become more realistic. Let's hope it does not.