View Full Version : Why hike the AT NOBO?
Ok, now that I've hiked the entire AT something I have confirmed something that I previously suspected....
Why do so many people thru hike the AT from Georgia to Maine when it makes more sense (and a better hike) to hike from Maine to Georgia?
Seems like SOBO is the way to go....
Pedaling Fool
07-01-2010, 20:14
Because that's the way Bill Bryson did it. Everyone always follows the leader.
:eek:
Rocket Jones
07-01-2010, 20:18
Ok, now that I've hiked the entire AT something I have confirmed something that I previously suspected....
Why do so many people thru hike the AT from Georgia to Maine when it makes more sense (and a better hike) to hike from Maine to Georgia?
Seems like SOBO is the way to go....
Why do you think it makes more sense to go SOBO? Why is SOBO a better hike?
I'm interested in your reasoning.
Mountain Wildman
07-01-2010, 20:25
I cannot speak for everyone but in my case, I had originally intended to go SOBO because I live closer to Katadhin than Springer. I now plan to start at Springer because I am still in therapy for job related back injury and will not be ready this year for SOBO, Plus, I may not be physically ready to tackle the White Mountains after only being on the trail for 300 miles, From what I've read, I will just be getting my hiker legs by the time I get to the Whites.
Toolshed
07-01-2010, 20:25
sobo sounds too much like sober. never happen for most....
Why do you think it makes more sense to go SOBO? Why is SOBO a better hike?
I'm interested in your reasoning.
Well, for starters you get to climb Katahdin *first* rather than last. That's some sendoff....
The first 100 miles are really pretty easy by AT standards and give you time to dial in your equipment and start getting into shape. The 100 mile wilderness is way easier than the first 100 miles out of Springer.
Most folks start in June sometime and if you hike 14-15 miles a day you never have to deal with Winter weather *and* you get to see the leaves change as you hike through the south. This is a major plus to me.
Also, it'd be worth something to me to get the harder parts of the trail done first instead of saving it for last.
Lone Wolf
07-01-2010, 21:08
Ok, now that I've hiked the entire AT something I have confirmed something that I previously suspected....
Why do so many people thru hike the AT from Georgia to Maine when it makes more sense (and a better hike) to hike from Maine to Georgia?
Seems like SOBO is the way to go....
sheeple. SOBO is the way to go. took me many years to figure it out
Lone Wolf
07-01-2010, 21:09
Why do you think it makes more sense to go SOBO? Why is SOBO a better hike?
I'm interested in your reasoning.
do a NOBO. do a SOBO. come back and tell us what you think
fiddlehead
07-01-2010, 21:10
90% of thru-hikers (my guess-timate) start at Springer.
THAT is reason enough to do a SOBO hike.
wcgornto
07-01-2010, 21:16
I believe that a lot of the NOBOs go that way for the rolling party.
Both NOBO and SOBO have merits. I went SOBO last year and never had to deal with any weather extremes ... hot or cold ... other than a three day freak cold snap in Virginia in mid-October.
The fall color in Virginia was superb, but it must really be spectacular in Maine.
garlic08
07-01-2010, 23:56
The social aspect is what really makes the AT unique, and I hear you miss much of that on a SOBO.
NOBO hikers in the normal season get longer days and shorter nights--more hiking hours and in a more temperate season.
There must be a pretty good reason, besides Bryson, that the overwhelming majority go NOBO.
Lone Wolf
07-01-2010, 23:59
The social aspect is what really makes the AT unique, and I hear you miss much of that on a SOBO.
not true at all
Lone Wolf
07-02-2010, 00:00
There must be a pretty good reason, besides Bryson, that the overwhelming majority go NOBO.
SOBOs know why
wcgornto
07-02-2010, 00:06
NOBO hikers in the normal season get longer days and shorter nights--more hiking hours and in a more temperate season.
This is a definite NOBO advantage. For me hiking SOBO in November, it wasn't an issue of hiking hours ... there was plenty of daylight to do twenty mile days. The issue was the rest of the day. There was barely enough time to hike a full day, set up camp and cook dinner before it was dark. And with the night came the chill. I ended up spending twelve to thirteen hours a night in my sleeping bag. As I neared the end, I sought every opportunity to spend the night in a motel or hostel off trail, just to be able to comfortably sit up for several hours at the end of the day without being chased into my bag.
Kaptain Kangaroo
07-02-2010, 02:31
Better weather on a NOBO hike if you don't like the heat.
Leave early March & finish in July... never have to deal with too much heat & humidity.....nice !
Typical SOBO timing has you hiking through the heat of summer...but some people prefer this to the cold.
As with most things about the trail, it's all about what works best for you.
Cookerhiker
07-02-2010, 06:09
Spring is a very nice time of year to hike if you enjoy the various spring wildflowers and migrating birds. Hiking SOBO you miss all of it. Of course on most NOBO hikes, you miss the Fall.
As mentioned above, there's the daylight factor.
I guess they both have their "first 6 weeks challenges." For a NOBO, the first 6 weeks feature winter conditions. For SOBOs, the first 6 weeks are the physical toughness of the trail and the bugs.
solstice
07-02-2010, 07:06
My own reasons for heading NOBO (this time thru :P) are:
- Springer is closer to my current residence
- Katahdin is closer to my future residence (moving to New England after my hike)
- I enjoy late winter and the burst of life that is springtime
- To reach the summit of Katahdin, to me, feels like a more natural finish. The last great hurrah.
Next time, I'll go SOBO. But I want my first run to be NOBO for the aforementioned reasons.
I think SOBO gives you better weather. Northern New England is a great place to be in the middle of the summer. You get weeks and weeks of fall color. Then as you're finishing up, the leaves are gone from the ridgeline and you've got views of the valley all the time.
Hiking in mid-summer heat is pretty grim, IMO. SOBO hikers don't do that.
bulldog49
07-02-2010, 07:21
90% of thru-hikers (my guess-timate) start at Springer.
THAT is reason enough to do a SOBO hike.
Truth
...............
Scooby99
07-02-2010, 08:20
Hiking in mid-summer heat is pretty grim, IMO. SOBO hikers don't do that.
How is that, when are SOBOs starting? I always thought July and Aug were the hottest months in New England and when SOBOs are starting and many NOBOs are finishing, doesnt seem to be any advantage there.
fredmugs
07-02-2010, 08:38
Another advantage of SOBO is you run into more people heading NOBO and you can get valuable trail info from them like water sources.
Different Socks
07-02-2010, 08:48
SOBO has the black plague
SOBO has less people to hike with each day(unless that is your thing)
SOBO may still have severe weather in June
SOBO could be lonely
NOBO you hike with the seasons
NOBO's can meet many new people
NOBO has been the tradional way to do it.
NOBO has the ability to start earlier and end earlier.
I don't know which is better...
But, I do know of all the trails I've hiked, Katahdin was by far the most dramatic finish of them all....
Old Hiker
07-02-2010, 09:56
I'm planning NOBO because my principal will give me a leave of absence end of Feb/beginning of March to the end of the school year, but doesn't want to give me one at the beginning of the school year. It's going to be easier to get a long-term sub for the last three months of the school year and my lesson plans will be finalized and ready to go for the sub. That gives me the entire summer to complete the hike.
NOBO
•NOBO is indeed Walking With Spring, albeit sometimes with hordes of people (but you can get away from them if you want to--but not everybody wants to).
•Early NOBO can also mean a good chance of winter at elevation, but you don't really have to start that early.
•NOBO means myriad opportunities to take zeros, neros, tweak gear etc. in the early days.
SOBO
•SOBO is walking with hordes of maddening biting black flies, which you can't get away from in June/July.
•Many years, SOBO is also fording dangerously swolen fast-moving streams in June/July.
•SOBO is hiking the hardest part first, which some are not prepared for mentally or physically.
•SOBO offers very limited opportunities to take zeros, neros, and tweak gear in the early days.
HYOH.
Each have their advantages and disadvantages. For me, ending at Katahdin was a big plus hiking NOBO, and ending in the fall in New England was another major plus. Also, coming from the north, it was nice to end up near-ish to home.
If I hike again I'd consider doing it SOBO, but I have other trails to do first. :sun
SOBO
•SOBO is walking with hordes of maddening biting black flies, which you can't get away from in June/July.
•Many years, SOBO is also fording dangerously swolen fast-moving streams in June/July.
•SOBO is hiking the hardest part first, which some are not prepared for mentally or physically.
•SOBO offers very limited opportunities to take zeros, neros, and tweak gear in the early days.
HYOH.
I encountered very few black flies - I only used about 1/4 of a bottle of DEET.
Only one ford was knee deep. The rest were rock hops or below my socks.
No problem with finding places to get off the trail.. Whitehouse Landing, 30ish miles into the 100 mile wilderness. Monson, Stratton, etc. etc. - all with great places to resupply, refuel and rest up.
Agree about getting the hard part done first, but the first 100 miles are cake.
wcgornto
07-02-2010, 10:34
The black flies were almost non-existent last June/July.
It was one positive side effect of the constant, never ending rain.
wcgornto
07-02-2010, 10:38
How is that, when are SOBOs starting? I always thought July and Aug were the hottest months in New England and when SOBOs are starting and many NOBOs are finishing, doesnt seem to be any advantage there.
July in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York are much hotter than July in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. BIG Advantage.
Going SOBO, I had a number of days in the low 80's in VT, MA, CT and NY in August. I had zero days in the 90's anywhere. Overall, it was a very pleasant summer for me, a Georgia native.
I just think it would be great to finish on top of Katahdin. I'd actually like to do a SOBO because of the smaller crowds but finishing in GA would be too anticlimactic.
Kaptain Kangaroo
07-02-2010, 16:37
90% of thru-hikers (my guess-timate) start at Springer.
THAT is reason enough to do a SOBO hike.
Yeah, but 99% of people on the trail are not thru hikers, they are day hikers or weekenders. So the NOBO/SOBO choice hardly makes a difference to the number of people you will see out there.
Plus, you will run into more people who are walking in the opposite direction to yourself than those who are going the same way.
So if you wanted to see fewer thru hikers, you should go NOBO :-)
(This works too ! On my hike I ran into another NOBO near Salisbury CT.and then did not see another NOBO for the rest of the trail. Saw lots of SOBO's though !!!!)
on_the_GOEZ
07-02-2010, 17:26
Yeah, but 99% of people on the trail are not thru hikers, they are day hikers or weekenders. So the NOBO/SOBO choice hardly makes a difference to the number of people you will see out there.
Plus, you will run into more people who are walking in the opposite direction to yourself than those who are going the same way.
So if you wanted to see fewer thru hikers, you should go NOBO :-)
(This works too ! On my hike I ran into another NOBO near Salisbury CT.and then did not see another NOBO for the rest of the trail. Saw lots of SOBO's though !!!!)
I find this assumption incorrect. One might PASS more people going in the opposite direction, FOR A LIMITED TIME (when you pass the main group of NOBOs) but I feel SOBOs would ultimately be staying with less people.
Afterall, if the records shows the majority is heading north, the minority must be heading south, with SOBOs therefore being surrounded with fewer hikers a majority of the time.
wcgornto
07-02-2010, 17:56
I find this assumption incorrect. One might PASS more people going in the opposite direction, FOR A LIMITED TIME (when you pass the main group of NOBOs) but I feel SOBOs would ultimately be staying with less people.
Afterall, if the records shows the majority is heading north, the minority must be heading south, with SOBOs therefore being surrounded with fewer hikers a majority of the time.
I agree with your assertion. As I hiked SOBO through NH, VT and MA last year, I frequently shared shelters / campsites with large groups of NOBOS (10 - 20). I was never in such a large group of SOBOS and once I was out of Maine, I was rarely with as many as a half dozen.
FritztheCat
07-02-2010, 18:09
I'm hiking NOBO because I want to. No special reason other than that.
johnnybgood
07-02-2010, 18:42
I just think it would be great to finish on top of Katahdin. I'd actually like to do a SOBO because of the smaller crowds but finishing in GA would be too anticlimactic.
This pretty much is what I was about to say as well. I think both directions have their own merit and should be seen as two different recipes for the same pie.
Yikes ! I just used food as an analogy for hiking the AT...:)
GoldenBear
07-02-2010, 21:18
If you do NOBO, you can do more of your hiking in May, June, and July -- times of maximum daytime. Hiking to view the autumn leaves is no advantage if you are hiking in the dark.
Blue Jay
07-02-2010, 22:16
NOBO
SOBO
•SOBO is walking with hordes of maddening biting black flies, which you can't get away from in June/July.
•Many years, SOBO is also fording dangerously swolen fast-moving streams in June/July.
•SOBO is hiking the hardest part first, which some are not prepared for mentally or physically.
•SOBO offers very limited opportunities to take zeros, neros, and tweak gear in the early days.
HYOH.
This type of misinformation is EXACTLY why section hikers should not comment on thruhiking.
Lone Wolf
07-02-2010, 22:21
This type of misinformation is EXACTLY why section hikers should not comment on thruhiking.
or hikers that have never gone SOBO. i have and i enjoyed it much more than NOBO
The first 100 miles are really pretty easy by AT standards and give you time to dial in your equipment and start getting into shape. The 100 mile wilderness is way easier than the first 100 miles out of Springer.
.
I have to disagree. I'll admit I was in horrible shape when I started at Katahdin and that might be clouding my judgment, but I don't remember anything south of Gorham being as challenging as climbing up Chairback (SOBO). The only challenge I had in the South was trying to survive the weather in late November / early December. I was in really good shape at the end and Fontana Dam to Springer was a joke. There wasn't even any hand over hand "hiking".
That being said, I don't think you can go wrong NOBO or SOBO. For a lot of people I imagine its just a question of timing.
on_the_GOEZ
07-02-2010, 23:39
Ive changed my mind. Im goin' SOBO next year. I was looking forward to K at end but I was to be alone as much as possible
modiyooch
07-02-2010, 23:53
if you want to start in March or April, maybe earlier, than I think it's imperative that you hike north. I'm a section hiker, and I have boxed myself into late summer hiking simply because I have the northeast left to complete. If I could do it over, I would have started from both ends and worked toward the middle. That way I could get an early spring and late summer hike in for the year. Currently waiting for the black fly season to be over, then headed North. (leaving thurs)
NOBO!! Going north, you get the southern Spring (I must admit the south has a much better spring than the north) and the New England Fall (NO ONE has a better fall than northern New England!). Also going North you get to work up to the tough terrain instead of hitting it right off the bat. Going north also you won't miss out on Thanksgiving or Christmas!
Next..many southbounders tend to start at the northern end in June..right at peak bug season, highest water levels, and maximum mud. Are they nuts?
Finally..and last but not least..who the heck wants to walk 2000+ miles just to have that non descript wooded hill known as Springer Mountain as their goal? Going north you are hiking to Katahdin...one of the grandest mountains in the east, if not the whole country.
I rest my case!!!!
DavidNH
Cookerhiker
07-03-2010, 09:04
...the New England Fall (NO ONE has a better fall than northern New England!)....
I used to think that also - I guess like many, I was taken in by the New England tourist industry with the complicity of travel magazines and their reporters.
Perhaps the myth exists because New England fall pictures typically include a white-steepled church, a covered bridge, and a lake or body of water - sometimes all 3.
And yes, I love the whole New England atmosphere & culture which seem lockstep with those fall foliage photos.
But regarding the forests themselves, I don't find NE any more colorful or robust than other parts of the Appalachian region.
modiyooch
07-03-2010, 09:38
But regarding the forests themselves, I don't find NE any more colorful or robust than other parts of the Appalachian region.I agree. .
wcgornto
07-03-2010, 10:23
Next..many southbounders tend to start at the northern end in June..right at peak bug season, highest water levels, and maximum mud. Are they nuts?
Yes!!!! Blissfully so.
Of course, the average person out there would say that anyone who goes out and walks 2000+ miles is nuts, irrespective of direction.
wcgornto
07-03-2010, 10:26
But regarding the forests themselves, I don't find NE any more colorful or robust than other parts of the Appalachian region.
I lived in New England for five years and the fall scenery was wonderful.
I spent last October hiking through Virginia as the leaves went from green, to multicolored to brown.
I have to say that Virginia holds its own compared to New England fall foliage.
Graywolf
07-04-2010, 13:19
I lived in New England for five years and the fall scenery was wonderful.
I spent last October hiking through Virginia as the leaves went from green, to multicolored to brown.
I have to say that Virginia holds its own compared to New England fall foliage.
Ahh...come one guys, go to the Painted Desert.. The colors are the same year round, and their goregeous.... Oh, wait, we're talking about forests..Ok..
Old Hiker
07-04-2010, 13:29
Ahh...come one guys, go to the Painted Desert.. The colors are the same year round, and their goregeous.... Oh, wait, we're talking about forests..Ok..
What about the Petrified Forest? Never been there, they tell me it's nice.
What I've learned after a couple of NOBOs and a couple of SOBOs:
It doesn't matter the direction so much as the time of year when it comes to crowds.:eek:
Where you finish is not a good reason to hike a direction.:(
In the end, its just the end and I remember something - somewhere- about it being about the journey, not the destination.;)
Ever been on Katahdin on a cloudy day?:-?
Both ways are GREAT so it DOES NOT matter. Whats important, IMHO, is being out there- livin the life!:sun
couscous
07-05-2010, 11:11
Both ways are GREAT so it DOES NOT matter. Whats important, IMHO, is being out there- livin the life!:sun
Sounds good. Either way usually involves coming down off a mountain into town, and climbing back up a mountain when leaving. Most unique things along the trail like the wild ponies in the Grayson Highlands/Mount Rogers area, don't change whether you are NOBO or SOBO.
What I've learned after a couple of NOBOs and a couple of SOBOs:
It doesn't matter the direction so much as the time of year when it comes to crowds.:eek:
Where you finish is not a good reason to hike a direction.:(
In the end, its just the end and I remember something - somewhere- about it being about the journey, not the destination.;)
Ever been on Katahdin on a cloudy day?:-?
Both ways are GREAT so it DOES NOT matter. Whats important, IMHO, is being out there- livin the life!:sun
Sounds like a winner to me!
What about the Petrified Forest? Never been there, they tell me it's nice.
Is that a bunch of stoned trees, too scared to go near people? :-?
Petrified and Forest, together at last, a great oxymoron, IMO.
HYOH, leave the rocks where they grew.
Ranc0r
.
Ok, now that I've hiked the entire AT something I have confirmed something that I previously suspected....
Why do so many people thru hike the AT from Georgia to Maine when it makes more sense (and a better hike) to hike from Maine to Georgia?
Seems like SOBO is the way to go....Actually I was going to post a thread about how it appears more than 50% of the people registering on here to thru-hike live in the Southern States. I guess one could then say the reason appears simply to be "because it's there!":D. For myself I have been planning to thru-hike for years, and just keep putting it off (necessity). I actually dreamed at one point of starting in Maine and heading South, seemed to be the coolest way. Now I believe I would start at Springer and head Northbound. I think as other's have said, you add to your difficulties when first starting out by attempting to do a Southbound. This is something I think may discourage someone who may be not quite as prepared or seasoned as the more knowledgable and experienced hiker's out there. The beginning in Maine appears to be a more difficult start, and for someone out of condition or ill prepared, this possibly could present itself as a problem to them. I know I have heard the beginning down in Georgia is also tough, but I think there are more points to bale out and head into town if one so chooses, to recover, refresh, etc...also you are not immediately attempting to climb a huge mountain right off the start. To me it makes more sense (unless one is close to the Northern terminus) to begin in Georgia. The whole journey you will be climbing one mountain after another, and if you are successful, you get to climb Katahdin at the end.
ChinMusic
07-05-2010, 13:37
My thoughts about a future thru:
I've done the southern section (most of Springer to Damascus) already and know what to expect as I'm getting into trail shape. The tougher-going up north is intimidating to me (haven't been there yet). Day 1 might kill me on a SOBO.
The early cold on a NOBO is not a concern. I have plenty of experience with late winter backpacking. Temps around freezing are some of the best days. The HEAT of summer from northern VA on DOES concern me. If I were hiking this year I would be suffering in this heat. The less heat on a SOBO is appealing.
Social: Even though I dislike crowds and don't mind being alone, I think I would like the social aspect of a NOBO more. I do not plan on staying in many shelters and if a shelter-scene is too crowded/crazy for me, I will simple move on and tent.....not a big deal.
I would want to hit the Whites in peak shape and the idea of finishing at K is huge in my mind.
NoBo2011
07-05-2010, 14:11
I'm hiking NOBO because I prefer New England hiking to Southern App hiking (although I love them both), so would like to end with that. Plus, I want to end on Katahdin.
I am starting NOBO in May because that is when my work schedule allows it so am not worried about the thru-hiking crowds.
Mountain Wildman
07-05-2010, 16:33
How is that, when are SOBOs starting? I always thought July and Aug were the hottest months in New England and when SOBOs are starting and many NOBOs are finishing, doesnt seem to be any advantage there.
July and August are the hottest months in New England, Sometimes June can be a little toasty as well.:sun
Omega Man
07-05-2010, 18:23
I plan on leaving in early April on my NOBO. On the average, is there any one portion of AT that seems to be wetter than the rest? Or is the entire trail subject to rain storms at any given time of the year? What's the wettest months for a NOBO?
I'm curious, do most people use Rain Jackets or Ponchos?
Lone Wolf
07-05-2010, 20:00
I'm curious, do most people use Rain Jackets or Ponchos?
most have way overpriced rain jackets. go with a poncho
I plan on leaving in early April on my NOBO. On the average, is there any one portion of AT that seems to be wetter than the rest? Or is the entire trail subject to rain storms at any given time of the year? What's the wettest months for a NOBO?
I'm curious, do most people use Rain Jackets or Ponchos?I'm sure the entire trail is subject to rain all year long. Especially if a hurricane happened to travel up the Eastern coast. I know I have heard it rains very frequently in Maine, and have heard the state of Vermont nicknamed "Vermud":D( although maybe from all the melting Northern snow?) But the South gets it's share of rain too, so yes, I would say you can't really escape the wet weather.