HF to Springer then Katahdin to HF?

[LittleJimmy]

A double SOBO flip flop. What is others' thinking about starting at Harper's Ferry, down to Springer. Then bus or drive or air to Katahdin and south back to HF from there? That way I would have established my hiking skills well before hitting the worst rocky parts in ME and NH, etc. Also better weather conditions all around it seems, with the right starting dates.

I hike every day year round where I live, nearly all of it up or down, but not the heavy duty stuff of the high Northeast.

Thanks for your ideas and advice. Apologies if there is an older thread on this but I couldn't find it. (Thru-hike Newbie here.)

[Slo-go'en]

There are some advantages in doing it that way as opposed to NOBO/SOBO from HF. You'd get the south out of the way while it's still reasonably cool and the water hasn't all dried up yet. Assuming a mid to late April start at HF, you'd flip to Katahdin about the time other SOBO hikers are starting in mid June. You'd still be finishing PA in August in some brutal heat and humidity, but it's not possible to avoid that unless you split the hike up into two years. Flipping back to HF in June might actually be better. Easier to get to and you get to New England towards the fall.

The only real disadvantage is you'd be hiking through the NOBO bubble both ways, although there would be less on one on the northern leg.

[Lauriep]

Slo-Go'en has good points.

Another potential disadvantage (for some people) of going south from Harpers Ferry is that you would have have few, if any, long-distance hikers to share the journey with and have for hiking partners. Sure, you'd be meeting dozens of people every day when you passed through the bubble and in popular spots, but would only see them in passing or for one night at a shelter or possibly two nights in town. You might share a stretch with a section-hiker here or there, but after a while, you'd be faster that most section-hikers.

If you are really at home in the woods and used to enjoying them alone, this amount of time being without tramily may actually be welcome. However, not being part of the social milieu can be hard for people, especially when they see the nobos enjoying it.

There is currently a flip-flopper doing his second flip flop thru-hike this way this year (although he started in the fall the second time, this time with his wife). So apparently he enjoyed it enough to repeat it.

On the plus side, you'd have any even longer window in which to hike in temperate conditions than NOBO/SOBO from Harpers Ferry, since the mid-Atlantic is not as cold as snowy and the highest mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee.

[Cookerhiker]

There are some advantages in doing it that way as opposed to NOBO/SOBO from HF. You'd get the south out of the way while it's still reasonably cool and the water hasn't all dried up yet. Assuming a mid to late April start at HF, you'd flip to Katahdin about the time other SOBO hikers are starting in mid June. You'd still be finishing PA in August in some brutal heat and humidity, but it's not possible to avoid that unless you split the hike up into two years. Flipping back to HF in June might actually be better. Easier to get to and you get to New England towards the fall.

The only real disadvantage is you'd be hiking through the NOBO bubble both ways, although there would be less on one on the northern leg.

That's assuming pretty fast hiking on each end and also assuming no breaks between finishing at Springer and immediately starting at Katahdin.

To the OP: I have advocated this exact route on several threads here and Facebook. Were I to thru-hike (I've already completed the Trail in sections), I would go this route.

This of course depends on your time availability. Start Harper's Ferry the last week in March. After reaching Springer, take some time off but work out to stay in shape. Go to Katahdin around August 10 and start SOBO. You'll miss the miserable heat and humidity, you'll miss the black flies, and you'll see lots of fall colors.

Just my two cents.

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[Slo-go'en]

This of course depends on your time availability. Start Harper's Ferry the last week in March. After reaching Springer, take some time off but work out to stay in shape. Go to Katahdin around August 10 and start SOBO. You'll miss the miserable heat and humidity, you'll miss the black flies, and you'll see lots of fall colors.
Just my two cents.

Last week of March is too early IMOHO. Waiting until mid to late April will get you out of the worse of the early spring weather. This year it looks to be hanging in there well into May. Exactly when to start will be a judgment call when the time comes. Maybe plan an early start, but be ready to hold back if the outlook for April looks bad.

[LittleJimmy]

Thank you everyone. These are all good points and things to consider; most of what everyone has said was something I hadn't considered. This is excellent advice from you all. I'm a social guy in everyday life, but when hiking, I have no need to hang out with others nor ever want to use shelters on the trip unless forced to, so going against the bubbles is ideal for me, especially if the crowds are large.

[peakbagger]

We did 5 weeks south bound starting at the south gate of Shenandoah NP one spring starting April 1st. It was colder than expected especially north of Troutdale VA as the trail is quite high up on the Blue Ridge (there is at least one ski slope) Nights were near freezing when clear and days were 60 degrees max. We had the shelters to ourselves Sunday to Thursday and on weekends we might have a few weekenders. During the day we might go all day and see no one during the week. Around May 1st we got into southern VA and started hitting the early thru hiker bulge (a couple of weeks before Trail Days). From then on heading to Damascus we saw far more through hikers but the trail wasn't crowded. What did get crowded were the campsites and shelters. We also ran into mobs of younger partiers that definitely were less pleasant. We had planned to keep going a few weeks but ended up finishing in Damascus due to the bubble. Best idea is stop for supper at campsite to use the picnic table but them keep hiking and stealth where legal.

IMHO the Nobo bubble has much higher level of partiers and clueless folks than Sobos. My opinion (that may be different than others) is that it takes until northern VA before some folks get their trail manners down.

Many folks plan to be near Damascus for trail days, try to figure out you schedule to avoid being within 2 weeks of hiking in either direction of Trail Days.

[Slo-go'en]

When I SOBO'ed from HF starting May 1st two years ago, I had the trail more or less to myself for the first 2 weeks. The Shenandoah's were a little busy and the faster (or yellow blazing) NOBOs started passing me about then too.

But once Trail Days let out after the 2nd weekend in May, all of a sudden there were hikers everywhere in large groups. They got left off at all the road crossings in bunches, a lot of them skipping ahead. This occurred shortly after leaving the park and continued until I got off at Daleville. Had I continued, I suspect the crowded shelters and campsites would have been the norm for the rest of VA.

One problem of going on past a shelter to camp is the number of trail side tent sites in VA are limited due to the terrain. Plus there are a lot of people with the same idea. So if you want one, you need to be ready to stop early when you see one, and since there will be no water there, have plenty with you.

[RockDoc]

Good idea. I think that SOBO is underrated. There are enough other SOBO's that you won't get lonely.

As you go through the bubble, count people/day. I counted 85 one day in VA a few years ago in May. Probably now it's over 100...

[glen.]

I did a section hike south from HF, and was impressed by the climb out of HF, and the the roller coaster began on the second day.

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[dudeijuststarted]

Its actually an awesome idea, and essentially how I tackled the trail.

If you start HF by the first week of June, you'll pass a ton of NOBOs as you head south but not get stuck in the same crowd as they are going the other way. Hostels and campsites will be much quieter. There are alot of happy section hikers out there around that time too. You'll get the Smokies in beautiful weather instead of insane, blinding winter. Should take you about 2-3 months (Virginia's long.)

SOBO from Katahdin will be warm but not likely very hot, and you'll pass over the Whites, through Vermont, and into the lowlands of the Mid Atlantic to finish in the early fall. The mid atlantic is often criticized heavily by NOBO thru hikers because they are getting blasted by the summer heat in an often sun exposed region, but you'll get it in the fall when things have cooled way down. Imagine hiking in the moonlight across farmlands, quaint towns, and sleeping next to cornfields in the cool fall air.

Do it. You'll love it. It's exactly how I would do it if I do it again.

[Cookerhiker]

Its actually an awesome idea, and essentially how I tackled the trail.

If you start HF by the first week of June, you'll pass a ton of NOBOs as you head south but not get stuck in the same crowd as they are going the other way. Hostels and campsites will be much quieter. There are alot of happy section hikers out there around that time too. You'll get the Smokies in beautiful weather instead of insane, blinding winter. Should take you about 2-3 months (Virginia's long.)...

As I stated previously, I agree with this approach - HF to Springer, Katahdin to HF. But if you start the first week in June, you'll have awfully hot weather in the South. Granted it's no worse than the mid-Atlantic, but I'd still avoid it.

To the OP: if late March or early April is too soon, then at least get started by mid-April. You'll catch early views before the leaves are out, less bugs on the whole, and less hiking in hot conditions.