Harper's Ferry Flip-flip

[Fenway]

Greetings, fellow AT lovers

Hope all are well during these crazy/difficult times.

I'm seriously thinking of tweaking my 2021 thru-hike plans and doing a flip-flop with Harper's Ferry as the pivot point. Thinking of May 15 Nobo departure.

Would love to hear from other who have done a flip-flip or thinking about pros and cons. My reasons for flip-flop consideration are practical. I'm taking leave from work and seems to make more sense to do May-end of year away rather than carve out six month in middle of year.


Stay safe, everyone.

Fenway.

[HankIV]

Will do SOBO for similar reason, and to have better chance of using less crowded shelters.

[Slo-go'en]

May is a month early to go NOBO. You'll have a lot of cold and rain and likely run into snow if you make it to VT and NH in average time. Late April is a more practical time to start. Still cool and rainy, but not nearly as much as May and early April. If you want to start in May, start farther south but that isn't often better.

[Odd Man Out]

If you can't decide which way to go, get to the trail and flip a coin. Heads north. Tails south. It's the coin flip flop.

[chknfngrs]

I think there is never a bad time to start a hike. Your attitude is the difference between an adventure and an ordeal.

[Slo-go'en]

Man, what was I thinking? May comes after April, duh.

Mid May is a good time to NOBO from HF.

[IslandPete]

We started late April from the bottom of Shenandoah National Park. Timing was about perfect.

[dsccwells]

Started May 1, on my 2019 hike. Timing was great. Only cold weather was on Killington in VT due to a cold front coming through.

[Fenway]

Thank you. Great advice.

[BillyGr]

Man, what was I thinking? May comes after April, duh.

Mid May is a good time to NOBO from HF.

You were trying to figure out the difference between a flip flop and a flip flip?

[Arden]

May sounds like a good start down at HF. You should miss the horrible black fly season in VT & NH. I had one of my worst A.T. experiences in VT in late May / early June, all due to those flies.
From what I have been told, black flies aren't as bad later in the summer.
That said, I once ran a half marathon in Manchester NH. I think it was late June, and there were still enough black flies to prompt the posting of signs warning of such along the race route.

[Slo-go'en]

Black flies have been mild in the Whites this spring, summer. Their still around a little though and here it is nearly July and a dry spring to boot. Who knows what it will be like next year.

[jimmyjam]

There are no drawbacks to your plan. You'll get the best weather and fewer crowds. I was at the first flip-flop kickoff in 2015 and made it to Killington VT where I had to get off trail due to a soft tissue foot injury. I had a fantastic time even though I hurt my foot and had to stop.

[Starchild]

Going NoBo from Harper's Ferry you will need 3 weeks or so to get your trail legs and will be right in the NoBo Springer crowd. I hit Harpers from Springer on Memorial Day weekend which was awesome with the reenactments going on. This also would mean when you get to Katahdin you will be with all those who are finishing, while you are getting to half way, it's a personal thing to consider. You will need to continue, but your traveling trail family that will form will be done and gone (and I'm sure many will wonder if you made it).

[RadioFreq]

So, Slo-go'en, would you consider early May too soon to NOBO from Duncannon?

[Slo-go'en]

So, Slo-go'en, would you consider early May too soon to NOBO from Duncannon?

That should be fine. That keeps you a little ahead of the thru hiker crowd (what's left of it anyway) and a little behind the earlier Flip-Flop crowd, such as it is. You'll get to NJ/NY just as it gets hot.

[dadhi]

I am going flip-flop from Harpers Ferry starting in April fourth week in 2021. I suspect that I will need extra time and do not need limitation of Mid-October shutdown at Katahdin. I take beta blockers for my heart condition and can not have pulse rate go up beyond certain point. So, I will be a slowpoke.

[Portie]

At least two video bloggers (Craig Mains "Hawk" and Ole Hickory) are doing NB flip-flops from Harper's Ferry this year. They are both doing great and post daily videos so you can see how things went for them.