[pct-l] Latest date one can safely start a NOBO thru-hike

[Paul Robison]

You could start in big bear,  go to Canada and flip flop... Makes the most sense if you want the social experience...

... But it's twice the bussing / flying etc.

Sent from my iPod

On 2011-03-10, at 3:46 PM, Eric Lee <saintgimp at hotmail.com> wrote:

> Bear Can wrote:
>> 
> I've been planning on a 5/9 start date in Campo, but my knee is still
> recovering from an injury I sustained in December.  My doctors suspect I'll
> need another month yet to heal, and then could start the weight-bearing
> rehab I'd need to do to get back into trail shape.  Because that timeline
> doesn't leave much room for error, I'm looking into Plan B and Plan C
> options.  My Plan B would be going NOBO, but leaving as late as possible. 
> My Plan C would be a SOBO thru-hike, starting around 7/1.  I am a fast
> hiker, did mostly 20+ mile hiking days on the AT, and probably 2-3 weeks
> worth of 30+ mile days.  
>> 
> 
> There are two issues with a late NOBO start: SoCal gets more and more
> unpleasant (i.e. hot and dry) as time goes on, and you have a shorter and
> shorter window before snow falls in Washington.  A four-month thru-hike
> isn't unreasonable if you're strong and fast, but I wouldn't want to be
> walking through SoCal in June.  (I'm a Pacific Northwest native, though, so
> I'm a wimp about hot weather.)  Keep in mind that if you're recovering from
> a serious knee injury, you might want to take it easy at first and not slam
> straight into a high-mileage trail routine, either.
> 
> Another option would be to start somewhere north of the border,
> approximately where you figure you would have been had you started on 5/9,
> continue up to Canada, then flip down and finish up the southern leg in the
> fall.  Not quite as classic as a straight-through thru, but it makes a lot
> of logistical sense.
> 
> SOBO is certainly an option but it takes a certain kind of person to be
> happy with a SOBO hike.  The social scene is much smaller, navigation is
> harder, and services that NOBOs take for granted may not be available to
> you.  On the other hand, some people like SOBO for exactly those reasons.
> :-)
> 
> Eric
> 
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