Thru hike or Flip Flop?

#1

With all the crazy weather our 2017 hikers have had to deal with, I’m seriously thinking of doing a “Flip Flop” hike. I’m just wondering what the best way to do this would be ? Would it really be an advantage?

#2

I’m not a “Flip Flop” expert, but I think it’s still a thru-hike. I know the ATC has been promoting it a lot to help reduce impact and crowds at the start of the trail. More information can be found on their website - http://www.appalachiantrail.org/home/explore-the-trail/thru-hiking/alternative

#3

Hi lacemakerellie!

I’m in the planning stages of my flip flop for next year. When I talked to the people at the AT Conservancy, they were pushing the flip flop idea mostly because of the pressure on the south end of the AT. They recommended starting in Harpers Ferry, WV in April and going north. Once at Mt. Katadin, get back to Harpers Ferry and head south to finish. My understanding is that as long as you finish the whole trail in one year, you’d be considered a “thru hiker.”

I’ve read that some are actually heading south from Harpers Ferry and then will finish in Maine. I may start further south in Virginia depending on how antsy I get to start next spring!

#4

I wonder if it would be better to go from Harpers Ferry to Springer (an easier hike) and then from Kathadin to Harpers Ferry. Starting in April it would be three months or less… Starting at Kathadin in July I would finish in three months or less in Harpers Ferry. Not a bad place to start and end the hike with an easy access to the airport in Washington both ways. The only down side is that I would be buying another plane ticket from Georgia to Maine,

#5

If you read Bumpa’s journal for 2018, he talks about Starting in Harpers Ferry, going to Springer, then back to Harpers Ferry to finish in Maine. That’s another option. Basically, it appears that just about any combination would work. I’ve thought about seeing if Amtrack runs from Maine to DC. There’s a train depot in Harpers Ferry that people from DC use. I guess I need to start investigating that part of the logistics!

#6

The ATC considers anyone who hikes 2000 miles in a calendar year to be a thru-hiker.

Different flip flops have different challenges. Some people try to avoid hot weather and some people try to avoid cold weather. If you have friends or family along the way, the hassles of extra transportation can be mitigated.

I will be starting in Marion, VA next March and hiking to Harper’s Ferry. I have to return home for a few weeks for my youngest child’s high school graduation. I will then hike SOBO from Katahdin in early-mid June. Hopefully I will have my trail legs before starting the SOBO part of the trail which can be the hardest part of the hike.

#7

Thanks Fleishman or sharing your plan. Family and friends so far are cheering me on to start at Springer. I have time to go through this year’s journals to see how it worked out for them. At this point, I have no family event to leave the trail and attend. Being so far away, my concern would be ease of reaching an airport nearby the trail.

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#8

You gotta do what is best for you. The trail clubs and the ATC don’t care about you, they care about spreading the hikers out so that 400 people don’t show up at the shelter. A Mid to Late-March NOBO start makes more sense. It requires some weather luck to get through the Smokey’s. Other than that it offers some good “trail misery” avoidance. You will be in Virginia before you see biting bugs, drought conditions or the real heat of Summer. It’s cooler in August in New England and the black fly’s are better. You will get to the tough part of the trail with the best views at the end of the trail with the best of fall colors. This flip flop thing is disruptive and requires time and money. If you are serious about completing a thru-hike a NOBO has the best odds. NOBO is historic, traditional and the way it should be done

#9

When I hiked the AT in 2001+ it was my first long distance hike and I was all about the pure hike and all the rules that seemed to be promoted, ie: you must hike the whole thing in one direction. Guess what, there really are no rules. If you want the 2000 Miler Patch you hike the whole thing at once or over time. The ATC actually promotes Flip Flopping. In get a number of people off the GA section the AT in high hiker season and helps spread out the “herd”, so to speak. I always thought that one of the ideal ways to complete the trail would be Harper’s Ferry to Springer and then Katahdin to Harper’s Ferry. You would be starting on some gentler terrain building up muscle for those GA, NC mountains. When you got to the Big K, you would be in prime hiking condition and kick out those tough northern mountains and as you were starting to loss some strength or muscle mass you could cruise though the Mid Atlantic. Of course this is just my opinion. *-)

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#10

I’ve been leaning toward a flip-flop for several reasons.

  1. Avoiding the crowds. I don’t want to be fighting for shelter/camping space in the “bubble” and would like to enjoy some silence.
  2. I’m not going to be very fast; and don’t want to feel pressured to push for Katahdin to make it before the season closes.
  3. Avoiding the cold. I can solve 1 & 2 by starting earlier; but I have problems keeping my core temperature up and my Raynaud’s means fingers and feet easily lose all circulation. Reading some of the blogs from NOBO February starters - I don’t think that’s an option.

I hadn’t considered the WV-GA/ME-WV option. That’s definitely worth considering.

All good info - Thank you