Can't leave until mid may. Should I still attempt NoBo or just go SoBo?

[Juicy]

I don't finish school until the beginning of may, and I can't get out to the trail until the 10-15th. I'm not too picky on direction of travel except for I'm afraid of being too lonely if I go SoBo. But now I'm thinking that speed hiking will leave me pretty lonely too seeing as I'll just be flying by everyone. I'm not worried about making it within 5 months, because I know I can do it. I'm 21, in great shape and my packweight is under 15 pounds. I get the impression SoBo will be full of long lonely days and nights. I'm wondering which one I should do. Mid May NoBo vs. mid June SoBo.

[k2basecamp]

If you love lots of bugs then start southbound in Maine in May. If you start from Springer and really hike as fast as you think you can on paper then you won't be lonely as you pass the slow April tide.

[Firefighter503]

That's a tough one to me. I will likely be in the same position next year or the year after, and have been thinking about what my options would be myself.

[garlic08]

Knowing what I know now about hiking the AT and my own pace on it, I would wait until early May to start a NOBO hike, and until August to start a SOBO.

[buff_jeff]

I sectioned Springer to Maryland starting in May and it seemed to be the perfect time to start. Maybe I was lucky, but the weather was perfect, thru-hiker crowd was thinned out, but still plenty starting at that time. I hiked on and off with thru-hikers the whole time. Only downside I see is hitting the mid-atlantic in July/August, which can be miserably hot and humid. I think a 4.5 month thru-hike is pretty doable for a reasonably fit person. dont see an issue with starting early May and finishing late September/early October.

[hikingshoes]

Leaving in May would be pushing it for me because I enjoy taking in all the views,talking to hikers, and taking my Time!! But HYOH and enjoy!!

[jimmyjam]

Do a Flip-Flop.Start north and then at Harper's Ferry jump up to Maine and head back south.

[Juicy]

I can't flip flop I'm too much of a purist. I don't want any rides at all. I want to walk and sweat every mile so that when I reach Khadadin and I can know inside that I didn't skip anything. I'm thinking I should just wait until next march or april for NoBo with everyone else. This is a big undertaking and I feel as though I shouldn't rush it. I hate to wait another year but I don't want to diminish the experience. I'll still consider SoBo, but the loneliness factor is making me dread it. Although maybe I'll learn some spiritual lessons by spending time by myself...still have much to think about.

[Odd Man Out]

I can't flip flop I'm too much of a purist. I don't want any rides at all. I want to walk and sweat every mile so that when I reach Khadadin and I can know inside that I didn't skip anything. ...

I won't try and sell you on a flip strategy (there are lots of them) if that isn't what you want. But the way I read your post, it seems to suggest that a flip flop hike means skipping part of the trail, and that is not necessarily true. You can hike and sweat every mile and past every white blaze with any one of the discontinuous itineraries. And you don't even need to take more time off the trail than a traditional NOBO. You would just be spending one of your zero days on a bus instead of a pub. If you are set on hiking from end to end with no flip flops, that's fine. Hope you can work out a schedule.

[flemdawg1]

Went thru the Smokies last June, still lots of thruhikers out then. I doubt you'll be lonely

[map man]

I'm wondering which one I should do. Mid May NoBo vs. mid June SoBo.

It looks like a high priority for you is having others to hike and camp with on your journey.

Mountain Squid maintains a database every year for WB members declaring a thru-hike attempt with details like start date and whether it is NOBO, SOBO or flip-flop. Looking at 2010 through 2012 it appears there are always more people starting in June going SOBO than there are people starting in May going NOBO. In fact, extrapolating from Mountain Squid's numbers and noting the ATC's estimate of how many people attempt a SOBO each year lately it looks like you can expect around 200 hopeful thru-hikers to head south from Katahdin this year in June. Six or seven people a day -- undoubtedly more than that if you choose to start on a weekend. And the odds are that most of those southbounders will be close to your age -- SOBOs have a higher percentage of "under 30s" than do NOBOs.

My best guess is you would not be lonely if you start from Katahdin on a weekend in mid-June.

[Maven]

Do you have a link to this database??

[map man]

Do you have a link to this database??

Here's the link:

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/cont...ze-thru-hikers

Just click on the year you want to look at in the upper left corner. You can also get to this page from the WB front page -- left column, it's the "WhiteBlaze thru-hikers" link.

Link to the ATC estimate for thru-hikers is here:

http://www.appalachiantrail.org/abou...il/2000-milers

The pertinent numbers are toward the bottom of the page.

My guesstimate of 200 SOBOs leaving in June is based on the ATC's estimate of 330 SOBO attempters in 2012 (a number that's been steadily rising through time) and the Mountain Squid database showing that more SOBOs leave in June than all other months combined.

[Tree Nerd]

If you are set on hiking from end to end with no flip flops, that's fine.

Well did you see his pack weight? I can guarantee he doesn't have any flip flops in there, they would weigh too much!.....bahaha, I couldn't resist.

Enough joking around, I'm in the same boat you are, but I have made a little bit more progress down river. I originally wanted to do a NOBO, but I graduate in May and decided to do a SOBO. My decision was fairly simple too. I looked at the pros and cons of going both ways along with my status of life before the trail. If i went NOBO starting in May, I would be rushing the whole time and thats not what this is about for me. Plus i looked at my funds and preparation; if I did a SOBO it gave me more time to make more money, prepare more, and ride out the lease at my apt. After deciding SOBO was the way to go I started to get excited. By going SOBO, I could possibly be the one of very few to finish a SOBO each year, I can take as much time as I want, I wont be stuck in or around the NOBO bubble, I will be following fall, and I will get to meet a hell of a lot more people going SOBO vs. NOBO (even though its only for a split second or night).

My advice is to weigh the pros and cons of each direction along with your current situation at home.

Good luck in your decision.

[fredmugs]

You'll see ppenty of people if you travel NOBO. They may not be the same people but it would be rare if you end up at an empty shelter.

Also - there's guarantee you can start SOBO in May. It all depends on when they open up Baxter park which varies based on snow conditions. I would go NOBO.

[warpzilla]

I would recommend a NOBO hike. In decent shape, you can reach the "bubble" of traditional start time hikers by Harper's Ferry, and there will be plenty of others along the way. This was my experience in '07 at least. Some hostels down south might close towards the end of summer as well, so keep that in mind while thinking about SOBO.

[fiddlehead]

I started one of my thrus on May 9th (1995)
But, I had hiked before and was in decent shape as I had just got back from a hiking trip to Peru and Bolivia.
It was a great time to start but you have to keep moving.
I took one week off that year for an injury and finished Oct 10th I believe.

I remember finding lots of people partying in the first 200 miles who had set out to do the whole trail but realized it would be more fun to go slow and party.
It was very tempting to hang with them sometimes but, I had a goal and always said goodbye and moved on.

May is too early to start for a SOBO. (rain, bugs, mud, ice, snow, etc.)
Late June or early July is much better.

[Blissful]

Go SOBO. Starting late May, you won't be lonely. Where you get lonely is later in the summer with a start.

[peakbagger]

If you can set it up spend 4 weeks or so in the middle atlantic area, northern VA, MA PA, then flip up to Katahdin at the end of June. You miss the worse of the bugs and a late opening at Katahhdin doesnt screw you up (some years the park or trails to Katadin are not opne in June. Havign a few weeks under you belt and your equipment sorted out before you head to Maine is going to make you first few weeks of the trip a lot easier

[alxflwrs]

I don't finish school until the beginning of may...

I'm leaving at the latest May 10, 2014. I grad May 3/4 from University of Florida. You can do it, if you want it, and if the Universe wants it to be so.