NOBO, SOBO, Leap-Frogging, or Flip-Flopping?

As time goes by I am considering a southbound (SOBO) or choosing an alternative itinerary to hike in place of my original intent of hiking northbound (NOBO). The idea of having a deadline does not make sense for a thru-hiker. If I went NOBO I'd have to make it to Katahdin before Baxter State Park closes on October 15th. With the current plans I start in Georgia on May 12th, take a week off for a conference in D.C. in June. If I walked an average of 15 miles per day it would take me 146 days to get from Georgia to Maine. There are only 149 days between May 12th and October 15th. I am sure I will want more than 3 "zero"days (no forward progress) in 6 months of hiking. Even if I didn't rest for a whole day, knowing I could stop for the day to enjoy a particularly scenic area is a powerful thing.

Besides having a final cut-off date on the north end, there are plenty of other reasons for going a particular way. Here's what the ATC says about each direction.

A typical northbounder, starting in March or April and finishing in September, can expect:

• Starting among crowds of other thru-hikers—thirty or more a day.
• Cold weather to start, with some snow or ice, but occasional warmer weather in Georgia.
• Snow, sometimes deep, at high elevations throughout North Carolina and Tennessee.
• Bare trees and winter conditions at high elevations for the first month or two. Cold-weather gear is usually advised until you have hiked beyond the Mt. Rogers high country in southwest Virginia.
• Hot, humid weather though the mid-Atlantic states.
• Favorable temperatures through most of southern New England.
• Periods of cold weather in New Hampshire and Maine in September and October.
• A dramatic ending: Katahdin.

A typical southbounder, starting in June or July and finishing in December, can expect:

• A small number of other southbound thru-hikers for companionship.
• Starting with Katahdin, the most difficult climb on the entire A.T., and the two most challenging states of the entire Trail—Maine and New Hampshire.
• Swarms of black flies in Maine in June.
• Muddy trail and difficult stream crossings in Maine in June.
• Four weeks of hot, humid weather in the mid-Atlantic states.
• Fall colors in Virginia.
• Hiking through hunting season from late October onward.
• Cold weather during last month or two of hike, snow likely.

Lastly, and the most interesting option right now, is to leap-frog or flip-flop so that you could enjoy the best weather each section has to offer. There's more information on this at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy's website [ www.AppalachianTrail.org] under Hike the Trail > Thru Hiking > Alternative Itineraries.

This is one of the biggest decisions to make about the trail, so I'm sleeping on it yet.