Sections or Thru?

[kayak karl]

i have 1200 miles to finish. Troutdale to Hanover. My dilemma.

i could do two sections. Hanover to Harpers Ferry in the fall and Troutdale - Harper Ferry next winter.

OR Thru Hike in 2013. SOBO (will not hike in summer heat)

my concern is if i don't complete the thru there still may be a section left i haven't done, but a complete thru would be great.

i cant do both. i only have 4K

WHAT WOULD YOU DO? and WHY?

[Live_for_hiking]

I think everybody is different. It depends on how bad you have the AT bug .....

In my case, I've wanted to do the trail for about 20 years. I found myself living in the upper mid-west for most of that time and I wasn't able to get to the trail for section hikes. Once I relocated out east two years ago, the urge has been building. Now I have an overwhelming sense of 'gotta thru hike'.

You seem to have enjoyed about 50% of the trail by section hiking. That's no small feat! Will you wonder about a thru hike in two years if you complete the two sections? Will the possibility of missing a couple miles here and there be a cognitive itch that drives you bonkers in the post-section hike years?

What's your personality like for most goals in life? Are you capable of steadily moving toward a goal over time or do you jump in and get it done?

I tend to find balance in extremes when it comes to life goals. So you can see why I moved my thru from 2015 to 2013. My weekend jaunts through PA will only fuel my resolve for a 2013 scenic walk through the green tunnel.

We're all different and I'd recommend going with what feels right. Either choice is a significant commitment of time, money and resources. Instead of analyzing the choices too much, I'd be inclined to go with my gut .....

Good luck deciding.

[dillard]

I would do an entire thru-hike. Why... get conditioned once, see multiple seasons in a single hike, to say you did it, gives you time to save more, camaraderie, and lastly because you've already done sections so try something new.

[hikerboy57]

id be more inclined to section, as i always like something left to do. If that didnt give you the satisfaction you were looking for, then plan a complete thru a little later on. ive been section hiking for over 25 years, still havent done the southern half, and there are still a few sections N of DWG i need to flesh out.
I do want to complete a thru in my lifetime, but life has kept interrupting my plans. its still on the tick list, but i no longer have that "burning desire" to complete a thru i had when i was younger.I was going to section springer to DWG this spring, but my daughter is pregnant with my first grandchild, expection sometime in may, so Im doing Maine SOBO in august, will have to postpone the rest, maybe do the southern half spring 2013.

[Slo-go'en]

Once you get to Harpers Ferry, it wouldn't take long to go the extra distance to Troutdale. So, I would try to do it all in one shot. Don't blame you for not wanting to do that section in the heat of the summer, but doing it in the winter isn't any picnic either, which I'm sure you know.

[kayak karl]

i did my 1100 mi. in 2 sections. about 550 miles each. i know Maine can be hot in august, but June and July anywhere are killers.
so if i SOBO i would leave 8/1/13

[Feral Bill]

You could leave Hanover SoBo in early September and go straight through to Troutdale, arriving, at a slow pace sometime in January or so. A fiercer than usual winter could scuttle you, of course.

[Firefighter503]

My vote is for a 2013 SOBO Thru hike. I am kinda in the same boat. Other than a short section in Southern VA, I have done from Springer to Caledonia State Park in PA. I still plan to finish the rest with a Thru, probably in 2014 NOBO. While it would be great to say I am a 2000 miler, by finishing the trail in sections, it would just always bother me in the back of my mind that I didn't finish the Thru hike that I started last year. Thats just me of course, and YMMV.

[4shot]

My vote is that you do a thru. Why?...because you have already section hiked. I vote for something different. I have thru hiked but never section hiked so I am going to do a month long trip this summer. I am excited about the possibilities and really look forward to it. the goal will be shifted and i won't care where I end up since I am measuring this trip in days rather than miles. I am genuinely excited about my hike, as much as i was for my first AT hike.

[Hikemor]

Do you love to hike or do you love hike the AT? If the later, do a thru hike. If the former, do the section and set your sights on other trail adventures.

Hanover to Troutdale is through the easiest and lowest elevation terrain. Should take 10-12 weeks. Start in NH in September and finish in lovely southern VA in mid to late November. Tres bon!

[Red Hat]

tough call, KK. Had the same problem in 2010. Could have done Harpers to Katahdin, or the thru. I chose the NOBO thru. By the time I got to Maine, I wished I had chosen the section. six months is a long time for old people.... Like someone else said, Hanover to Troutdale is pretty nice and easy...

[rocketsocks]

Well Karl If I were after a THRU,then I'd go for the whole Enchilada,Katie bar the door,Don't sell the Matchless and Feets don't fail me now.....Good luck with your chioce,tuff one.

[Don H]

IMO, having done both, sectioning is more fun. More time to see the sights, easier planning, easier on the body.
But completing a thru is a great accomplishment. You get to meet new people that you get to know since you're hiking with them off and on for months, and you get to see thee entire trail. Then there's the living day to day without having deadlines, and just going with the flow of the trail. You don't get that sectioning.

[kayak karl]

tough call, KK. Had the same problem in 2010. Could have done Harpers to Katahdin, or the thru. I chose the NOBO thru. By the time I got to Maine, I wished I had chosen the section. six months is a long time for old people.... Like someone else said, Hanover to Troutdale is pretty nice and easy...

i want to be home 11/15 - 12/31 this year to play Santa. Jaxon (grandson) will be over 1 1/2 years old this year. hopefully i won't scare him
again. first chance i get after 8/1 i'll probably take the train to Hanover and hike till 11/15 or nearest train station to that date. Kaia (dog) will be with me for part of it (NJ+Pa). what i don't get done i can do after the RUCK.
what ever i do i'll be happy hiking again.
Thanks everybody,
KK&K

[Papa D]

This is a hard question but I'd say that since you already have 900+ miles or so completed (that's a lot) that I'd finish the trail as a big section - you'll still be hiking long distance style and will have a ton of fun - you'll have your 2000 miler cert. - if someday you want to hike the trail thru, it'll be there.

[juma]

Section it and go on to the next big trail. I hate rehiking trail I've already been over. I didn't think I'd mind it, then I rehiked the smokies last spring. it wasn't that much fun.