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Odder
04-07-2016, 01:58
I'm planning an AT thru-hike starting July 3, 2016 and hope to finish by the end of November. I can not begin any earlier.

I'll start by doing then 100 Mile Wilderness NOBO, shuttle back to Monson, then head SOBO. At the end end of August I will return home for a week to visit and see my daughter off to college. I'll fly to Atlanta in early Sept., then start NOBO. My hike will end when I get back to where I left the trail in August.

I want to avoid the high altitude cold and snow experienced by SOBO's in November as they complete the southernmost part of the trail.

Has anyone contemplated and/or completed a similar plan? Does my plan make sense, or am I overlooking something? What would this be called? (reverse flip flop, modified leap frog, flip frog, leap flop, ????)

illabelle
04-07-2016, 05:42
Suggest you go much further before flipping to the south. Your plan has you crossing through the White and Mahoosucs in November. If it were me, I would go through Massachusetts before flipping to Springer.

Best of luck on your trip.

Slo-go'en
04-07-2016, 08:20
If the OP is a reasonably strong hiker, he should be able to make it to Vermont before the end of August. It will be tight though. I do question the wisdom of flipping to Springer that early. It's unlikely he'd be into southern New England before December and that's worse then being down in NC or GA. ​

map man
04-07-2016, 08:20
Seems like it would be easier to just start SOBO from Katahdin, unless you have your heart set on staying at the Birches in Baxter rather than making a campsite reservation ahead of time. If you are a typical SOBO, odds are you will cover close to all of the New England states by the end of August when you briefly leave the trail. Then after starting at Springer when you get back you would be hiking in November in states like New York and New Jersey. I'm not sure that will be any warmer than hiking North Carolina and Georgia at that time of year, though it depends on the year. You also won't have a lot of company in the NOBO-from-Springer part of the hike, if that's of any importance to you (though I understand that also might be a selling point for some).

However, since I am a bit of a contrarian, I say go for it!

Hikingjim
04-07-2016, 08:33
Your plan has ~2 around months SOBO it seems before the flip. so if you went 700 miles or so in that time, you would clear Massachusetts.
You would need to go that fast anyway if you wanted to do the rest of the 1500 miles in the 3 months after that (you'll make a lot better time the second part of your hike anyway)

So just make sure you hike SOBO far enough to clear vermont and MA. If you go slower than you think, then start back and hike more SOBO or you're going to have problems going into vermont or something late in the year

You're also allowing yourself about 4.5 months when you take out the break and some travel. Which is ok if you hike at a decent clip (some go much faster... many slower..). Days will be a lot shorter toward the end

Hikingjim
04-07-2016, 08:49
Personally I would also consider going NOBO to katahdin july/august... but it would be hard for you to figure out exactly where to start to time it well.
This is purely based on my hatred of hiking with 7 million mosquitoes. July is terrible in Maine for that. Same with some other areas, but I don't see myself wanting to go through the 100 mile wilderness early July

rafe
04-07-2016, 10:41
So just make sure you hike SOBO far enough to clear vermont and MA. If you go slower than you think, then start back and hike more SOBO or you're going to have problems going into vermont or something late in the year.

This. Well, at least to somewhere in Vermont, comfortably south of the White Mountains. That should be qute doable.

The question is, which part of the trail will have the better weather or hiking conditions in late fall: southern New England, or the southern-most portion of the trail? I sure don't know the answer.

rhjanes
04-07-2016, 10:58
If I read your plans correctly...you will be at Monson, and NOBO....then return to Monson and go SOBO to see how far you get by August? Then you planed on starting at Springer and hiking back to where you got off in August?

When you return, I'd consider just getting back where you got off (the August position), and keep going SOBO. Finishing at Springer. Try to "out hike" winter. If you are hiking NOBO from Springer, to where you exited in August, you are hiking INTO winter.

dudeijuststarted
04-07-2016, 11:01
Just call it an alternative thru, flip flop, doesn't really matter, its a thru hike. Definitely agree with other posters about finishing ME & NH before flipping. Asking to completely avoid the cold is a tall order on an AT thru hike, but getting to lower elevations late in the hike is bound to take some of the edge off. You'll still see elevation in the Mid-Atlantic and whatever you have left of New England. The advantage of being north in the cold is that services are more plentiful, towns far more frequent. I wouldn't want to have the VA blues and be shivering cold.

My 2 cents: go forth with your plan and hike strong.

Odder
04-07-2016, 21:51
Thanks all for the input and encouragement.

My goal is to reach the Connecticut / New York line before getting off the trail in August. If I don't get that far I will pick up where I left off and continue SOBO.

I'm not trying to avoid the cold so much as the potential for significant snow at altitude. I fully expect to hike in cold weather. In fact I rather enjoy it. I live in Canada after all. I just don't want to be in this situation:

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/nov/02/nation/la-na-nn-tennesee-hiker-rescued-appalachian-trail-20121102

The more plentiful services and frequency of towns will make it much easier to avoid "winter" camping. I will also have family/vehicle support for the month of November. Slack packing support should be easier in the Mid-Atlantic than in the South.