[at-l] SOBO Questions

[rickboudrie at hotmail.com (rick boudrie)]

"I'm also curious about the dynamics of hiking SOBO.  There's so much
finality and victory associated with the concept of hiking Katahdin... how
does it change the character of the hike to do this first (not to mention
all the miles to follow)? "

Hi Jennifer--

Please be carefull hiking SOBO-- look what it did to Felix.  Just kidding 
;-).  Sort of.

Actually, your questions above come up rather frequently.  Unfortunately, 
there are not many sane southbounders who are on-line (they are probably off 
on new adventures) to address the question.  Since another thread has driven 
me mad, I can no longer be of much help now either.   Fortunately (pehaps) I 
found an old post from Whiteblaze.net that speaks to some of what you ask.

FWIW, here it is:

I can't speak with any authority about what it is like to hike southbound 
these days, but I do think there is more of a pack going south than some 
might think. Enough to establish good relationships, anyway. I am basing 
that primarily on seeing many SOBOs in Gorham on summer weekends over the 
past few years. I also just checked the www.riversandtrails.com web 2002 
site and saw that there were reports of 79 Me=>GA SOBO hikers crossing the 
Kennebeck in June and 68 crossing in July (and 22 in August).

When I hiked the AT SOBO in 1983, I got a late (7/13) start and felt a 
rather desperate need to catch up to someone going my way. I finally did 
just north of Perisburg, VA. We shared shelters for about a week. In truth, 
I would have enjoyed my trip more had I the chance to share it with others 
going the same way, but even in 1983 I could have had much of that by 
starting earlier. If one wants to maximize thier interaction with other 
sobos, picking your start date is probabaly more important.

The main reason for this post is suggest that the draw of Springer can be 
every bit as powerful as Katahdin. As a southbounder you get to feel a 
series of accomplishments right off the bat that can help give you the 
confidence to make it all the way. First you get to climb the badest 
mountain on the whole AT and report on your triumph to the hardened 
northbounders you meet up with. Then, you get to do the 100 mile wilderness. 
After that you will know that the Trail is something that you REALLY can do. 
(SOBOs might consider blowing off the Whitehouse Landing).

Wow. You get to follow this up with moose and spruce grouse and the 
Bigalows. When you get to Gorham, you will KNOW what you are capable of and 
that the AT is amazing in so many dimensions. But you also have the Whites 
to look forward to in a matter of days. Its really cool not only to hike 
them, but put them behind you knowing you have met yet another challenge.

But it gets better. Walking through pastures and up fire towers and 
wonderful places that just keep on coming. By this time you have probably 
been asked about bears 20 times and have been forced to say, no I haven't 
seen one. You can't wait, but are confident that your day will come in NJ or 
VA. You wonder if you really want to see a rattlesnake, and if the Smokies 
are everything that the NOBOs said they were (they are). As you move on, you 
walk along ridges that commond a view not of an endless sea of trees but of 
farms that are every bit as beautiful. Perhaps more so. The better-known 
hostels and AYCE places become something to look forward to in a way that is 
hard to understand, and are a motivation in themselves.

Along the way you wonder about how beautiful the trees must have been in the 
spring, expecially the rhodadendron, but console yourself with the knowledge 
that only a SOBO can stop and check out Hawk Mountain during fall raptor 
migration, and are pleased that you started a conversation with the quiet 
birders because they were able to point out a couple bald eagles among 
scores and scores of hawks. You get to enjoy a mid-week Fall quiet along the 
trail that is magic, and realize how crowded the Whites and Maine really 
were.

And Springer calls as to you as loudly as Katahdin ever could. When you 
reach your first 4000 footer down south (is it the Priest?) you laugh at how 
easy hiking it was. In fact, you can't help but wonder if the Northbounders 
hiked a different trail than you find yourself walking every day. Tough 
mountains down south? Yea, right ;-). The only thing that takes you by 
surprise is the fact that days are becoming so dang short, at a time your 
body has never been stronger.

When you get to Springer you may be alone and the sky may be gray. Its 
hardly a spectacular place, but you walk over to the plaque and know how 
special it was getting there. No champagne and hoots, but a quiet 
satisfaction that will stay with you for a long time.

A fine place to end a hike.

Rick Boudrie
ME=>GA 19AT3

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