North Vs. South

imported
#1 
									I am planning a thru hike for 2015 and will be turning 50 on the trail.  I wondering what the pros and cons are for hiking Northbound or Southbound? so far my biggest dilemma is deciding which direction to go. I have pretty good legs but have a slight problem with my low back, also looking at tent Vs. Hammock for the low back problem? any advice would be welcome!

									_Sunshine_
#2 
									Hey Sunshine,

I’ve hiked the AT both NOBO ('96 &'04) & SOBO ('11). Here’s my opinion & observations:

Both directions are fun, but if you have the luxury of a choice, then I would recommend NOBO for the following reasons:

(1) Katahdin is the BEST finish for any thru-hike in the world

(2) You save the best terrain (& most challenging) for last: VT/NH/ME

(3) You have much more daylight hours to walk in the Spring vs the Fall

(4) The bugs are TERRIBLE on a SOBO hike thru Maine (typically July)

(5) Although there are WAY fewer hikers heading SOBO (so many SOBOS claim its more of a ‘wilderness’ experience), if you hike SOBO you run into TONS (over a thousand) NOBOS head-on for your first two months. To me, this felt much more ‘crowded’ and busy than on a NOBO thru-hike where you can simply camp somewhere to avoid the crowds @ the shelters if you feel like doing so)

(6) The New England Fall foliage is awesome on a NOBO hike… especially in September in Maine.

(7) SOBOS hit hunting season in October/November

(8) Let me reiterate point #1 Katahdin blows away Springer as a finish…
Whichever direction you go, you’ll have fun, but if I thru-hike the AT again, I’ll head NOBO…

Happy Trails,
freebird

									_freebird_
#3 
									Thank you Freebies, that is some great points to keep in mind.  How did you find the trail physically on your body NOBO vs. SOBO.?  Some journals I have read say it's tougher on the legs and back going South and yet some find it easier.?.?

									_Sunshine_
#4 
									SOBO is definitely harder...  Just to start your hike you have the biggest climb of the entire AT - over 4000' vertical - to get to the sign atop Katahdin.  And then you head straight into the 'Maine Wilderness' which is one of the most remote areas on the AT.  Maine & NH are definitely the toughest states, so a SOBO hiker starts off with the most challenging terrain.  On a NOBO hike, you're in top physical shape by the time you get to the Whites. As I mentioned in the other post, there are much fewer daylight hours in the Fall, so a SOBO thru-hiker is pressed a bit to go a bit faster than a NOBO hiker with potentially fewer breaks during the day.  There is one climb on a SOBO hike that is tougher than anything (other than Katahdin) on a NOBO hike: the ascent of Madison in the Whites.  It can be brutal or exhilarating... depending on your frame of mind.  NOBO is not a walk in the park either - the South is challenging - but there is no doubt that NH & ME are the most challenging States on the AT.  

									_freebird_
#5 
									What about a SOBO FLIP starting in Harpers Ferry and ending in Harpers Ferry?

									_Rick Lanning_
#6 
									One thing I'd consider (and I have not been fully either way... I just throw this out as something to consider) is when you will run into the native fruits and berries of the area.  I was thinking as I went thru Grayson Highland is that the NOBO hikers miss all of the apples in the Cherokee forest and all of the berries in the area.  They're barely even ripe right now.   Km not an expert in the area, so I'll leave it at that.

And I’m not talking about a food source, people. I’m a believer in leaving the natural resources to the animals of the wild… but eating a dozen blueberries and a few apples hasn’t killed anything, I hope.

									_bee cee_
#7 
									But NOBO you get all the strawberries, raspberries, mulberries and blueberries.  I feasted well on my AT hike.  Also on my PCT hike. 

									_Ginny_
#8 
									Those are some great thoughts for consideration.  I am blessed that I have family in Goergia and am actually from Maine, I will be up to Katadhin in a couple weeks to climb, and will do some of the trail near Grafton Notch over next few weeks.  One thing I've thought about is the star date, MOST start from Springer in late March early April, can't start from Katahdin until at least 1st of June and I know with the winters we've had the past few years the Streams/Rivers are pretty high around June and July although it gives a couple extra months of wages to start Southbound. Guess the START DATE is what I mostly need to consider to determine my direction.


									_Sunshine_
#9 
									N vs S

There is more than one way to skin this cat. For example, I live in Connecticut and my plan for 2015 is to start in CT around June or so and hike northbound to Maine and then go back to Ct (ride , train or plane)and resume southbound to Georgia and finish about Novemeber time. The best part is that I will mainly be hiking in the cooler times and avoid for the most part all of the crowds and insects from starting out either N or S. I will turn 65 on the trail and this will be my last hurrah so to speak.

									_Mushin_