I've been section hiking the AT since 2009, usually once per year for 7-10 days at a time. I started at Springer, picked up where I left off every year, and am now about 15 miles south of the entrance to SNP. My next trip will be in mid-October, and I'm trying to figure out where I want to leave my car. I've read that SNP is fairly "easy" compared to many other sections. Up to this point on the trail - about 850 miles - I've averaged about 16 miles per day, although most of that hiking has been done in warmer months with more hours of daylight. I'm slow going until the sun comes up, so I know I'll be losing some time in the mornings.
For those of you who have hiked it, and given my average pace on the trail south of there, is 18 miles per day realistic? I guess what I'm asking is if SNP is 2-3 miles per day easier than the southern half of the AT?