I'm planning to follow the Cool Breeze flip flop route when I thru hike in 2011. I will get on at the AT Train Station at Pawling, NY then walk to Troutville, VA. I'll jump to Katahdin then walk back to Pawling, and finish on the south end.
Who else has walked this route and what were your impressions?
Weather? Water?
What will shelter usage be like?
What about other people? If I start mid- to late-May, I figure I'll be crossing paths with NOBOs late June and early July, and maybe again in late August. What about weekend crowds north of Roanoke in late June? Will general foot traffic have thinned out a lot in the Smokies by mid-September (other than weekends, of course)?