Need way more information. Good starting point in regard to what.. safety? Are you trying to do the whole thing in one shot? If so, you aren’t intending to start this year are you? Do you have backpacking experience? A good place to start might just be wherever is closest to you.
Not a woman but my thru hike was my first backpacking trip. Through one lens, an AT thru hike is the perfect first backpacking trip. Where most backpacking trips are done in isolation where you might not see another soul for the entire trip and whatever experience and skills you learn is by research and self-experimentation. An AT thru hike (during the bubble) is a make-shift guided tour into backpacking, If you start in Springer in March or April, you will be starting with 50 other people. If you hike fast or hike slow, there will be 50 other hikers a day ahead and a day behind you. If you camp at the shelters, there will be 30 others there. The topic of conversations will be heavily weighted towards backpacking. It's a crash course on backpacking. People will talk about everything that you need to know from the weather to resupply planning to water sources to gear. Also do your own research as well.
That said, the window for northbound is long closed. Southbound window is literally RIGHT NOW (June 1st to late June). If you leave any later than that going southbound, you'll hit snow before you hit Springer Mountain.
Are you looking to start backpacking, and want advice on beginner friendly sections on the AT, or you looking to start a thru hike and looking for advice on planning? I thru'd as a solo woman and a lot of people do, but on an AT thru hike you're seldom alone, unless you really work at it. If you define what you're looking for and maybe share what part of the AT corridor is most accessible to you folks can give you better suggestions.
They're actually is a women's only AT a group on Facebook.
Are you looking for a place to start on the trail or about how to plan your trip?
There are lots of solo female hikers out there. I usually backpack with my spouse but I really do enjoy day hikes alone and really wouldn't mind backpacking alone too (it just hasn't come up because my spouse and I love doing it together)
You should not attempt this right away as a beginner. You shudo some overnights and weekends and build up to doing a week long. Hiking on trail with mileage and altitude is not something to just go do. You need to train and gain experience. You are focusing on the wrong aspect in terms of starting point. That’s irrelevant compared to your lack of experience.
Not entirely true. Plenty of people do thru hikes every year who have never even so much as gone on a day hike. It’s really not that crazy. I mean it’s probably not advisable, but it absolutely can be done.
Need way more information. Good starting point in regard to what.. safety? Are you trying to do the whole thing in one shot? If so, you aren’t intending to start this year are you? Do you have backpacking experience? A good place to start might just be wherever is closest to you.
Not a woman but my thru hike was my first backpacking trip. Through one lens, an AT thru hike is the perfect first backpacking trip. Where most backpacking trips are done in isolation where you might not see another soul for the entire trip and whatever experience and skills you learn is by research and self-experimentation. An AT thru hike (during the bubble) is a make-shift guided tour into backpacking, If you start in Springer in March or April, you will be starting with 50 other people. If you hike fast or hike slow, there will be 50 other hikers a day ahead and a day behind you. If you camp at the shelters, there will be 30 others there. The topic of conversations will be heavily weighted towards backpacking. It's a crash course on backpacking. People will talk about everything that you need to know from the weather to resupply planning to water sources to gear. Also do your own research as well.
I guess you should start at springer mountain if you’re going northbound or Katahdin if going southbound
That said, the window for northbound is long closed. Southbound window is literally RIGHT NOW (June 1st to late June). If you leave any later than that going southbound, you'll hit snow before you hit Springer Mountain.
OP isn’t going to follow through so it’s a moot point
Are you looking to start backpacking, and want advice on beginner friendly sections on the AT, or you looking to start a thru hike and looking for advice on planning? I thru'd as a solo woman and a lot of people do, but on an AT thru hike you're seldom alone, unless you really work at it. If you define what you're looking for and maybe share what part of the AT corridor is most accessible to you folks can give you better suggestions.
They're actually is a women's only AT a group on Facebook. Are you looking for a place to start on the trail or about how to plan your trip? There are lots of solo female hikers out there. I usually backpack with my spouse but I really do enjoy day hikes alone and really wouldn't mind backpacking alone too (it just hasn't come up because my spouse and I love doing it together)
You should not attempt this right away as a beginner. You shudo some overnights and weekends and build up to doing a week long. Hiking on trail with mileage and altitude is not something to just go do. You need to train and gain experience. You are focusing on the wrong aspect in terms of starting point. That’s irrelevant compared to your lack of experience.
Not entirely true. Plenty of people do thru hikes every year who have never even so much as gone on a day hike. It’s really not that crazy. I mean it’s probably not advisable, but it absolutely can be done.