View Full Version : NOBO or SOBO?
Odd Thomas
05-25-2008, 23:42
Who are the coolest, Nobo or Sobo hikers? Who gets the chicks? Which way is the weather better and the pack lighter?
SOBO's are the best cuase of those going against convention ( taknig 6 months off life to hike the trail) they go even FARTHER beyond convention doing it the other way ( the harder way) than most, sobo's are the bad boys of the club.. and ladies love the bad boys
Not really a fair question since the NOBOs are out there hiking while us SOBOs are still sitting here chomping at the bit ready to leave... As for being a bad boy, I don't consider myself one... but you are right Captain, I always did love 'em... Nobody is getting this "chick" (as if anyone wanted a 60 yr old hiker besides my husband!) Weather is about the same (cold beginning NOBO, cold ending SOBO), but SOBOs do avoid the real heat of summer, but we do get the blackflies. As for the pack, well that's up to you! So Thomas, you'll just have to try it both ways and find out for yourself.
Odd Thomas
05-26-2008, 15:02
Not really a fair question since the NOBOs are out there hiking while us SOBOs are still sitting here chomping at the bit ready to leave... As for being a bad boy, I don't consider myself one... but you are right Captain, I always did love 'em... Nobody is getting this "chick" (as if anyone wanted a 60 yr old hiker besides my husband!) Weather is about the same (cold beginning NOBO, cold ending SOBO), but SOBOs do avoid the real heat of summer, but we do get the blackflies. As for the pack, well that's up to you! So Thomas, you'll just have to try it both ways and find out for yourself.
Which way should I try first? :p
Sobo requires a more savvy hiker, IMO, there's no Mountain Crossings to bail your a$$ at the 30-mile mark. After mid-September it's a much more solitary hike, and you can expect a lot of hiking & camping in cold weather. (Start June, finish November/December.)
SOBO and NOBO are just different experiances. It helps a lot if you know what you are doing going SOBO, but as long as you know what you are getting into you will be fine. I had a buddy that I hiked Maine with that was attempting a SOBO and he went to REI and told them to outfit him for a Thru Hike. He could have used a Mountain Crossings, but he did all right. There wasn't a million folks sitting there asking him why he had this and that gear like he would have gotten going NOBO so he probably had a more enjoyable time.
Which way should I try first? :p
I'd start a SOBO since you can start in June or July. If you started a NOBO now, you'd have to hike pretty fast to get to Katahdin. Otherwise, you'd have to wait till next year. I say "git 'er dun"!
Odd Thomas
05-26-2008, 16:18
I'd start a SOBO since you can start in June or July. If you started a NOBO now, you'd have to hike pretty fast to get to Katahdin. Otherwise, you'd have to wait till next year. I say "git 'er dun"!
I can't go this year anyway :(
Definately before I hit 40, so I've got 4 years
Hey, I've got clothes that are almost 40! I own a robe purchased at Sakowitz in Houston and they've been out of business forever...
Old Hillwalker
05-26-2008, 16:40
Or, can be. Especially during the weekdays in the South. My decision to go SOBO was initially affected by my home location (The Whites), and my penchant for aloneness at times. Also, being calendar restrained to start after June first due to retirement considerations. In addition, I know matthewski, baltimore jack, kirby, and a few others who I want to say "hey" to as I pass them going south. And I'm a bit of an a--hole, a retired Army Sargeant Major (1978).
"That's about all I want to say about that".
Blissful
05-26-2008, 22:30
Both are cool but I think it's tougher going SOBO. You get the worst of everything right off the bat - a really tough summit to start, bad bugs, really tough terrain in southern ME and NH, no good outfitter for miles, and lonely times (as not as many go SOBO than NOBO). But if you want plenty of hiker buddies, etc, go NOBO after March 15th to early April.
My hat goes off both to SOBO finishers and also to 2,000 miler sectioners. Both tough to complete.
Sobo requires a more savvy hiker, IMO, there's no Mountain Crossings to bail your a$$ at the 30-mile mark. After mid-September it's a much more solitary hike, and you can expect a lot of hiking & camping in cold weather. (Start June, finish November/December.)
I agree. Only experienced backpackers who have done some significant hikes (50+ miles) in the mountains should attempt a SOBO.
Walking with Spring, NOBO, works for many because for the most part, you will be getting warmer most of the way. Walking SOBO, you know you are walking into the cold, which could be demotivating. Of course, the trail will make you tougher as you go south, so that may not be an issue. And you need to decide whether you prefer solitude (SOBO) over "hiking with the pack" (NOBO). You could still have some solititude on a NOBO hike if you chose a start date before March 1 or after April 30, with the latter requiring a fast pace or a flip-flop.
Waterfall
05-26-2008, 23:01
I went SOBO and didn't get a single chick. And I went and married a NOBO. But he knows I'm tougher. ;-)