I will begin a NOBO thru hike a week from today. My only hiking experience on the AT is a 4 day section hike of the 100 mile wilderness in Maine last August. I have heard that the much of the trail down south is manicured, figuratively speaking, in comparison to the New England section of the trail. My thru-hike is pressed for time. I have to finish in 4 months. Is it easier to do big miles down south compared to the north?