You're Flipflopping Wrong!
Okay, you're not doing it wrong. I'm just wondering; does anyone flip flop SOBO from HF, then NOBO from HF?
Yes? No? Why? Why not?
Anyone have real experience doing this?
Part of the logic for the HF-ME/HF-GA flip flop is you can start later in the season to avoid early spring cold down south. You also avoid the heat and humidity of the middle Atlantic states in summer. With the last start, you also finish late, and hiking in Oct/Nov down south is less problematic than late fall hiking in NH and ME. A HF-GA/HF-ME flip flop doesn't seem to accomplish any of these objectives.
What might make more sense is to do either a NOBO flip flop (HF-ME/GA-HF) or a SOBO flip flop (HF-GA/ME-HF) so you are hiking both segments in the same direction.
But for a real adventure do a "coin flip flop" which is go to HF and flip a coin. Head and you hike north - tails you hike south.
The HF-GA,ME-HF is a reasonable plan. Lets say you start in April at HF and make it to Springer by July. That's a good time to be in Maine, then you have July, August, September to get to HF. The only real issue in both cases is your hiking against the flow the NOBO hikers, of which there will be quite a few of on the southern leg.
But weather wise it works out pretty well since you'll get most of the south out of the way while it is still relatively cool out and water is still flowing. And that's the main issue with a HF-ME, HF-GA flip flop, is you go back to HF in the peak of the summer and water is getting scarce the farther south you go.
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Good thoughts. My idea was to start at HF and head south to avoid all of the traffic at the very beginning of the trail. I figured by the time I met the bubble in the middle, 1/4 of them would've dropped off. Then when I met back up with the NOBOs in HF, I would hike north with people more likely to make it all the way. Basic idea: i'm a social guy, and like making friends along my adventures, but I would also like to avoid the lot of people who start and drop out after a month.
Maybe I'll just do an early start NOBO.
Better hope you don't drop out in the first month, or you'll have to figure out how to avoid yourself!
haha Touche, sir.
Originally Posted by Deadeye
I have done a couple sections in the opposite direction of a decent amount of thru-hikers. I don't much like going against the flow.
You'll show up at shelters for lunch, at night, etc, and you'll constantly be seeing new hikers that you will likely not run into again. If you're social, you'd want to get to know a few people instead of swapping people EVERY DAY for the first half of your hike
When you switched back to HF, you would be in good position though (assuming you left by early spring)
You might be better off just starting NOBO early (if you don't mind some snow possibility), or if you hike fast enough, go early May or mid-May
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