I'm planning a 3-month hike on the AT in May, June and July 2011 and need some recommendations on where to go. For various reasons, I'd like to spend some time in the south and the rest in the NE. I don't want to jump around too much, so I probably wouldn't consider dividing it into more than two sections. Here are some options I'm mulling over:
VA / NJ, NY, CT, MA, VT, NH (How closely does the trail parallel the various parkways in VA?)
or
GA, NC, TN / MA, CT, VT, NH
or
200 miles somewhere (?) in the south / DWG to Katahdin
Any thoughts? Any other ideas? The options are quite literally endless, but a full thru-hike is not the cards I'm afraid. I'm sure everyone has their favourite part of the trail and opinions will vary, but hearing the pros and cons should help me make a decision. Since I'm hoping to complete the trail one day as a section hiker, I would like to save Maine for sometime down the road. I live in Canada only an hour from the US border with Maine, and it will be relatively easy to do whenever I'm ready. That being said, I haven't completely ruled out option # 3! Thanks for your time.