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View Full Version : SOBO vs. NOBO (Flip-Flop)



RAWR!
04-13-2011, 22:01
I've been putting a lot of effort into studying the trail; what I would need to bring, etc, but I've grown curious about some specifics.

When I first set out on my quest to traverse mass distances of the AT, I don't intend on "thru-hiking" it. Rather, I intend on flip-flopping it.

My tentative route would either be,

Start: Harper's Ferry
End: VT/NH border

- OR -

Start: NH/VT border
End: Harper's Ferry

As much I would like to visit Katahdin, upon my first visit to the White Mountains (Franconia Ridge), I learned about acrophobia. I'm more interested in the sections between West Virginia, and Vermont anyway.

What I would really like to know is,

A: When should I leave? NOBO vs. SOBO (per choice locations)
B: Based on when I would leave, what kind of weather should I anticipate?
C: How long should I expect to be hiking for?

Weather, time allocations, and distances will factor heavily into my planning, so any wisdom provided will be greatly appreciated!

Spokes
04-13-2011, 22:13
Check HERE (http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.mqLTIYOwGlF/b.4805569/k.F6/When_Should_I_Start.htm) and be sure to click on the "alternate itineraries" tab under the Flip-Flop section.

Cheers!

Amanita
04-13-2011, 22:53
I have a suggestion for an alternate start/end point. Why not do the whole LT instead of going to NH border? I haven't done the LT (yet) so I can't say if the northern half might bother you, but ending at Canada might be a better climax than just Hanover NH.

RAWR!
04-16-2011, 03:45
The northern half of the Long Trail would bother me A LOT less than the White Mountains, or Katahdin! I vividly remember climbing Camel's Hump as a child.

That's an interesting prospect, though! I could start at the Canadian border of the LT, go SOBO, meet up with the AT, and head for West Virginia! So many possibilities!

blackwater slim
04-20-2011, 17:34
Not sure if this is the place but as I was hiking throught the fog, mist and rain with wet items back in March and tromping through the mud i started thinking differently. I always thought that hiking NOBO felt natural, however, I started thinking about the rush to beat the closure at the north end and thought SOBO. might make more sense (and less common for those radicals out there). Leave in the spring of May or June in Maine...finish in the beauty and coolness of fall in GA...I have not researched this really or even plan on thru-hiking anytime in the near future. Just hiking in my mind and was wonderin????