SOBO or Flip flop?

[KnightErrant]

Hi everyone!

I am interested in a thru-hike this year, but due to my teaching contract, I won't be free to start walking until mid June. I was thinking a SOBO hike would work nicely with that time frame, especially since I'll need to hop off trail for the weekend of October 15th for my brother's wedding, which will be taking place close to the AT in southwest Virginia. Based on my initial research, if I start in mid-late June, I can expect to be in the Pearisburg area in October, which would be perfect.

My hesitation is that while I have done a long distance hike before, it was the Camino de Santiago. It was 500 miles, but there are hostels along the way and you never have to carry more than one day of food, so I know the AT is a very different ballgame. When it comes to actual camping, I'm inexperienced. I don't want to get in over my head and accidentally die in the wilderness in Maine-- my mom would never forgive me for missing the wedding! So I thought an alternative might be to start in Virginia or up in Harper's Ferry and hike NOBO and end up flip flopping. I'm from VA and I've done a lot of day hikes on the AT in the area, so I'm much more familiar with the terrain and I'd be a lot closer to home and help if anything went wrong.

So a couple questions: Can I expect other thru-hikers in my neighborhood if I do the flip flop option? When I checked the ATC registry, it looked like most people start in HF in April or May. I'm concerned I'd be behind the other flip-floppers but ahead of the NOBO hikers, when as a young female solo hiker, I'd be more comfortable in one bubble or the other.

And overall which option sounds better? I have some pros and cons for each but I'm sure there are plenty of factors I haven't thought of.

[rafe]

I think you'll have company on your flip flop, since ATC is promoting that heavily nowadays, and I think they're having some success at that.

Bear in mind that thru hikers represent only one (small) segment of AT users. You'll meet lots of people on the trail covering shorter distances. Joggers, day trippers, weekenders, section hikers, etc.

[Lauriep]

Knight,

There's no right answer as to what's best for any individual hiker, but here is some food for thought.

Most flip-floppers starting in Harpers Ferry going northbound leave the second half of April or May. However, the peak of nobos passing through Harpers Ferry is mid-June. Last year there were almost 1400 nobos through Harpers Ferry, so traffic is pretty heavy throughout all of June--with 15-30 or more a day coming through, in addition to all the other hikers.

Starting mid-June in Harpers Ferry puts you smack in the middle of the nobo bubble, and then you'd fall further behind while you were getting your trail legs. The average nobo takes about 3 months to reach Katahdin from Harpers Ferry, but flip-floppers take longer because it takes a while to get in prime shape and learn how to reduce your pack weight. While some really athletic flip-floppers last year did their HF-Katahdin in less than three months last year, some took 4 months or more.

It might be better to start further north: Delaware Water Gap, PA (right at the NJ border), or Pawling, NY (or the actual Appalachian Trail Stop if you're traveling on a weekend). You'd have a mix of flip-floppers and nobos. Of course, the starting locations are practically endless, but avoid starting mid-Pennsylvania, and definitely don't start at Palmerton/Lehigh Gap (oh wait, that's sort of like a mini Katahdin...)

If you truly would find comfort in numbers (the more then better) and aren't worried about reaching Katahdin/Baxter before October 15, then starting in Harpers Ferry could be the best option for you.

Either way, come to our Flip Flop Festival April 16-17 if you can!

Laurie P.
ATC

[KnightErrant]

Thank you both for the advice! And I realize there will be plenty of weekenders out there, but I like the idea of falling in with a few people with similar hiking habits for a longer term. For more than just a sense of security, finding my hiking "family" was one of my favorite parts of the Camino. Even if you only overlap for a little while every couple of days, it's nice to keep running into the same people. I hope to find the same kind of camaraderie on the AT.

And I'll have to look into other possible starting points. I'd like to get to Katahdin by mid-September, and that might be a little ambitious from HF in just three months. I'm reasonably athletic and we did plenty of 20+ mile days on the Camino, but that was with lighter packs and less elevation change.

But I'll definitely see about the Flip Flop festival in Harper's Ferry! April 16th is my birthday so it could be a fun little trip for the weekend (and an excuse to buy myself some gear). I'm about four hours from there. Thanks for the info!

[chadwild]

I hope some other experienced ATers chime in on this. I'm in the same boat: planning a 2016 thru hike attempt but won't be free until mid May. While I have lots of hiking and camping experience, I've never done a backpacking trip longer than one week so I'm a total newbie when it comes to long distance hiking. At first I was set on going SOBO but I've since decided a flip-flop will work better for me. It will allow me to choose a starting point mid trail with some of the easier miles to work out kinks and gain some endurance which is much more appealing than starting with Maine and New Hampshire. A flip-flop also offers arguably the best weather of any thru hike and for me that means I can drop some cold weather clothes and use a lighter sleeping bag to reduce pack weight.

[Slo-go'en]

Going SOBO is lot like jumping into the deep end of the pool not yet knowing how to swim. Some learn quickly, others drown. I would suggest starting NOBO at the Delaware Water Gap for a mid May start.

[rafe]

Don't be afraid of starting SOBO. It's not that bad, as long as you keep your wits about you. And I'm not even talking about the numerous resupply or bailout options available nowadays between Abol Bridge and Monson.

The initial climb of Katahdin is a trip, the biggest single vertical on the AT. So you do that, and spend the night at KSC.

Once you start heading south, it's actually pretty easy hiking for the next several days.

The tough stuff (heading SOBO) starts when you go over the two big ridges in the southern half of the Hundred Mile Wilderness. Nothing technical, just a lot of vertical. Welcome to the AT!

There are several logging roads and access points, though it's a long way to civilization. The trailhead on Katahdin Iron Works Rd. is fairly well used, so you might catch a ride there if needed.

[GA Sunshine]

Hey! I will be starting my thru hike mid May in Harpers Ferry. I look forward to seeing you out there. :-)

[Lauriep]

Great analogy, Slo-go'en!

The more equipment a southbounder is carrying, the more likely a southbounder is to bail right away, too. We see very few southbound thru-hikers with big packs in Harpers Ferry.

Unlike the deep end of a pool though, extra body weight won't help you stay afloat. We see plenty of overweight or pudgy northbounders. A southbounder reaching Harpers Ferry with extra body weight is extremely rare.

[moldy]

If finishing a total trail thru-hike is important in 2016, you should do a SOBO. Flip floppers have a poor finish rate. I think they get go for too much "home time" on the flip. They also lose their "trail family/mutual support group" on the flip. The completion data put together by the ATC is suspect at best. Just go to Trail Journals.com for 2015 and earlier. Look at AT thru hike finishers and find somebody who is a actual Flopper. Rare as hens teeth.

[AngryGerman]

For what it's worth OP I always promote a SOBO thru-hike especially w/your schedule. Your personality, confidence, physical ability and mental toughness all take consideration when attempting a thru. I suggest you take a look at this years hostel list along with the shelter list and data books to get an itinerary together. After putting one together make your decision based upon the above listed and go! SOBO is not that much different in terms of difficulty; just more straight forward is all; and plenty of resupply options, shelters and hostels. If you are in any kind of decent shape and exercise moderately weekly you will have no issues going SOBO. Obviously accidents, injuries, and bad judgments occur as they do starting NOBO but as in any adventurer the learning curve is there whether experienced or not. If you don't screw off too much you can be done with the trail by mid October and if you aren't done by wedding time you take that time off and come right back to the thru-hike. Fellow by the name Paul Bunion(MEGA 12) did this very same thing. Good lad by the way. So scheduling shouldn't be too much of an issue for you from what you mentioned. I ran into maybe a dozen flip-floppers and even hiked w/one for two months with most all saying that if they hiked again they'd SOBO rather than NOBO for many reasons to which I could start a new thread about.

Side note: I screwed off in towns w/my wife a lot in 12/13, plus hurricane Sandy hit. Total off trail time 49 days and was on trail hiking another 140 days for a total of 189 day thru-hike. On my upcoming 18/19 SOBO thru-hike attempt of the Eastern Continental Divide traverse I will be taking my wife with me so screwing off in town with her will be less of an issue due to the itinerary. 8 months from Newfoundland/Labrador to Key West.

Good luck and I hope you become a part of the MEGA alumni!