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Is the AT thru-hiked NOBO for tradition, weather, what? Are there any advantages of one over the other?
Is the AT thru-hiked NOBO for tradition, weather, what? Are there any advantages of one over the other?
TDale
Earl Shaffer's book title says it all: "Walking with Spring"
(& highly recommended reading!)
Even tho the originators of the A.T. never considered anyone walking the whole trail in one season (Earl Shaffer being the first documented hiker to do so) they laid out the trail from Maine to Georgia (as you see most signs to this day still refer to a SOBO trail)..but, 90% of thru-hikers are NOBO-ers....because of the obvious reasons....the wx in GA in March & April is a bit warmer than on top of Mt.K during the same month(s). :D
Good luck with your hike!
rocket04
09-14-2004, 09:33
Yeah, there are pros/cons to both depending on what you're looking for. Northbound, you're likely to run into more people. Also, you'll be going through the same places during different months, so you may encounter differences in nature depending on the way you choose. Some people also make their choice based on timing (they can't get out of their job in time to do a northbound hike, for example).
Both directions have advantages and disadvantages. I "walked with Fall" and found it very rewarding!
I began my journey after "mud & bug season", which was a huge plus! Temperatures were moderate almost the whole way, and leaves were turning brilliant colors all the way from Vermont to Virginia. The skies were less hazy and more crisp, so the views were much better down south than in the Spring or Summer months. Southern snows are drier in Fall than in Spring. Plus the only pressure about getting to Springer by a certain time is self-imposed! Mainly, though, you have an opportunity to enjoy more of a solitary experience on a sobo hike (we didn't even meet another southbounder until the 15th day of our hike!). Over one-third of the shelters/campsites we stayed at had no other person around! Another third had only one or two other hikers! There are groups traveling together that you can seek out if that's what you want, but you can easily be on your own.
A few disadvantages of going south: The days grow much shorter while you want to walk much farther. The sun is lower in the sky, and therefore more directly in your eyes. A few of the hiker services close down after the nobos go through. The trail in the north can be a big shock to the knees and other parts; so it can be a tough start!
My husband has hiked it both ways and says that he found the experience going south more enjoyable. Of course, we all like different things, and what one person considers an advantage can be deemed a disadvantage to another!
eyahiker
09-14-2004, 10:22
All good points! Guess you really do need to hike your own hike. Hadn't thought about the sun in the eyes part........hmmm........good to know.
The "sun in the eyes" bit is more of a minor annoyance than an actual disadvantage. Being a happy southbounder, I wasn't able to think of many disadvantages...so I just threw that in because it was something I noticed! :jump
Like standing on a mountaintop with the sun on your face is a bad thing!:sun
I suspect that one of the main reasons why most people go NOBO is that they can start in early Spring, rather than wait for the snow melt runoff and bug season up north.
And, to a NOBO, Katahdin is a kick ass goal. Finishing anywhere else is pale by comparison.
Yeah. A drive on a sunny day is nice, but if the sun is in your eyes for several hours...well it can cause a little eye strain. That, of course doesn't take away from the beatiful drive or the beautiful day! But, hey, even this sun character has to wear shades!!!
:sun
I’ve thought of some more differences in the sobo and nobo experiences that I noticed and/or thought about on my hike. Please forgive the over-generalizations and speculations that follow:
:o In the autumn, many springs are dry, there are often forest fires, deer season opens and the occasional hurricane blasts through.
:-? Sobos often get more info from trail registers about upcoming springs, re-routes, etc. than Nobos (at least those of us that start “late” seem to).
:clap Hostel, store and restaurants that are open aren’t as crowded for most Sobos; so they often get especially good treatment!
:D Sobo’s don’t have to have THE WHITE MOUNTAINS in the back of their minds most of the hike…they get to hike them early on in their trip!!!
:welcome As Sobos cross paths with “the pack” coming north, they can see as many as 50 or more Nobos in one day! As a Sobo, I was often greeted with, “ANOTHER Southbounder?!?!” Many of us southbounders find this pretty amusing since there are only 200 to 300 of us total… and we’re pretty spread out!
:o In general, Sobos cross paths with thru-hikers who are finishing their journey, while Nobos cross paths with those who are early on in their trip. Southbounders need to remember to congratulate the northbounders. And northbounders need to recognize that they wouldn’t want to have been told, “Oh, you’ll never make it” when they were in GA or NC/TN. While most northbounders were very encouraging, I was surprised by how often I heard these words!
In my trail journal, I often pondered some of this nobo/sobo question using the metaphor of an exclamation mark vs. a period. From my outsider’s perspective, a northbound hike seems more like a short story, filled with the excitement of many dramatic and interesting characters. This powerful story ends on a dramatic peak with a climactic celebration! The final punctuation mark for this story is an exclamation point--leaving the hiker to decide what story to live next. My southbound hike felt to me more like a chapter in a novel. The chapter begins quite dramatically, and it’s a pivotal chapter in the story. The chapter presents many quiet lessons, and goes along without causing much notice. This chapter ends in a period--the gentle hug from a welcoming and unassuming hill. This can make for an easy transition to turning the page for the next chapter to begin…. (Just another way of looking at it…The things people think about when they’re hungry and have walked all day!!!!)
:jump
Hope I didn’t step on any toes with these ramblings! Just more stuff I’ve thought about….
eyahiker
09-14-2004, 16:35
Like standing on a mountaintop with the sun on your face is a bad thing!:sunNo! It's awesome! Just an interesting point of view, I like that. I may even do a week hike SOBO just because of all the interesting perspective info I'm reading here!:clap
Southbounders looking for a white blaze often look behind them and see two! ;)
If you look at the maps, the AT wanders in every direction of the compass, including at times south when you are NOBO, and north when you are a SOBO.
So, if the sun is in your eyes, just hike a little further and the trail will make a turn.
As the crow flies, it's only about 1200 miles from Springer to Katahdin.
You're right! That trail sure likes to wander and so do I!
The "sun in the eyes" is more a feature of the time of year that southbound thru-hikers are on the trail (instead of the direction of travel).
Sobos are usually very spread out...so people are out there at different times. But I'm pretty sure many (most?) are on the trail in November, and by then the sun just never makes it very high in the sky. In May, June and July the sun is only low in the sky a short time after "rising" and before "falling". In November & December, I remember the sun being at least in my peripheral vision most of the day. Just my observation, may not be true!!!
:)
When you hike SOBO, you get to climb the cool, shady north side of the mountain, and descend the warm, sunny south side of the mountain. :)
NotYet, is your journal on-line?
TedB, you're a positive thinker aren't you? :) I like it.
Thanks everyone for the insights, keep 'em coming.
TDale,
No, my journal hasn't found its way online. It's two 5" X 4" notebooks with tiny, mostly illegible writing in them!