Comments on: Top 7 Things You Must Have in the 100 Mile Wilderness for a Southbound Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike

By: tobin

tobin — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 14:52:16 +0000

heading south offers you the chance to get your hiking legs under you before getting to the major elevation changes. the first 50/60
miles are relatively easy if you begin your hike in Milleknockett.

tobin

By: Richard

Richard — Mon, 14 May 2018 11:18:58 +0000

Hi Mark, what do you think about the idea of carrying an extra 3 pounds of one man inflatable raft for the first part of the trip, and 1 pound of rope. you would then leave your pack in the inflated raft on one side of the stream, cross the stream holding on to the end of the rope, then pull the raft across when you reach the other side?

after passing the Hundred Mile wilderness you could either discard the raft or keep it as waterproof material. Of course you would discard it in an appropriate manor.

By: Mark Kelley

Mark Kelley — Sun, 24 Sep 2017 00:08:51 +0000

In reply to Snail.

A thru-hiker can achieve thru-hiker status starting at Katahdin and hiking southbound. ‘Status’ is a bit formal, though I think the ATC has started handing out some paper certificates. Each hikes his own hike, and the adventure isn’t worth the paper but worth the journey. In my view, no matter where you start, north, south or flip flop, if you become a 2,000 miler in a year you can recognize yourself a thru-hiker.

To answer your other question, SOBO hikers start the trail just like NOBOs, but they travel to Katahdin and not Springer.

By: Snail

Snail — Mon, 18 Sep 2017 22:55:34 +0000

How do SOBO hikers start the trail? Is hiking up and down Mt. Katahdin the first day of the trip part of the experience? Can a hiker achieve “thru-hiker” status by starting at the top and only going down?

By: Mark Kelley

Mark Kelley — Tue, 08 Nov 2016 01:35:55 +0000

In reply to Paul Usher.

Hi Paul, thanks on the various comments around the site.

I think bugs in the 100 Mile Wilderness are less of a problem in September, though carrying a little DEET could be great insurance.

Mark

By: Paul Usher

Paul Usher — Fri, 04 Nov 2016 20:19:09 +0000

Thanks for the tips. I presume going north would present the same problems in the early summer months. Any idea if planning to finish in Main around september would be any less problematic with bugs/mosquitoes etc. I suppose the sensible answer is buy the 95% Deet regardless and be prepared.

By: Mark Kelley

Mark Kelley — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 02:39:42 +0000

In reply to JohnnytheWalker. Thanks for sharing, Johnny. Also glad to hear you didn't suffer the mosquitoes or black flies.

By: Lola

Lola — Wed, 07 Sep 2016 01:57:27 +0000

We were so prepared for everything except the verbal abuse from Phil Peppin after being lost for hours … Whatever you do – unless you enjoy getting lost, and being verbally assaulted by the owner with language I will not repeat here, do not stay at the 100 Mile Wilderness Outfitters in Monson Maine. I took my 73 year old (very fit) mother to section hike the trail where her father surveyed in 1925, it was supposed to be the trip of her lifetime – instead it turned out to almost cause her to collapse, we arrived at the cabins and unloaded into one of the larger areas that we paid for almost 6 months prior – it smelled like cat pee, but we were willing to overlook so that she could have the experience. The owner Phil decided to not be there when we arrived so we were greeted by a 20 something shirtless boy chopping kindling, we thought we would do a short 2 hour hike to see the area. Not far, but to see the nearby lake. The young man (even though we said we were not familiar with the area) said take “Woody” the camp dog he takes hikers to the lake all the time. Yes we should not have trusted him, but we did, we were lost for 5 hours and no one came looking for us. We ended up having to hike 8 miles, at 6 I told my mom to stop that I would find the camp and come pick her and my sister up – she was not doing well. I ran 2 miles with “Woody” to find the cabins, which I luckily did. When we arrived this Phil who I thought might be concerned we had been gone for so long – started yelling at me with the F word and other horrible insults about how I took his dog without telling him and that I needed to give him time to “cool” down. At which time I explained we had just been lost for hours and he didn’t care – I told him I had to drive and find my sister and mother and that we would not be staying. By the time I returned he’d left a refund in cash on my bed like I was paid for the horror of him accosting me. It felt like a payoff so I just gathered my stuff left the money and took my sister and my mother who was pale and shaking and we left. The site will be fine I am sure for thru hikers who need a spot to crash, but unless your a “real hiker” and male – don’t expect to be treated respect or taken care of. So incredibly sad and let down…

By: Mark Kelley

Mark Kelley — Tue, 06 Sep 2016 03:37:09 +0000

In reply to JohnnytheWalker. Thanks for sharing. Hope you had a blast.

By: JohnnytheWalker

JohnnytheWalker — Fri, 02 Sep 2016 12:06:10 +0000

I started my south bound hike of the 100 mile wilderness by submitting Kathadin the first day

Started on September 16 and finished up in Monsonn at noon on the 25th. The weather was absolutely perfect for hiking and…NO flies or mosquitoes.

Now, I did walk through about 3 hrs. of light rain that last morning but was under roof at Shaw’s that night when it started to pour, and it didn’t stop for the next 2 days.

Still, a mid-Sept. start is a great time to do the hundred mile wilderness.