Fellow hikers: I am planning a section hike in 2016 and (probably this is not a novel idea) I thought it would be fun to time my hike to end in Damascas for Trail Days 2016. I basically have April and May as my timeframe to play with due to my work schedule. My options are to start at the southern terminus and hike northbound (about 35 days plus zero days) or to start at Harpers Ferry and hike southbound (about 41 hiking days.) From Tampa my logistics into Atlanta, Baltimore, and Tri-cities airports are all about the same (cost, logistics, etc.) I was hoping some more experienced folks could help me with some of the factors to compare the two routes. For example, Starting NOBO from Springer in the first week of April could be crowded at camp sites, partying (good and bad.) I don't know the hiking difficulty differences between Virginia southbound or Georgia/TN/NC northbound. Here are the things I'd appreciate your input on: Hiking terrain difficulty, weather (big difference in snow, ice, rain?,) mosquitoes, traffic from other hikers, any other factors to consider? In upcoming years I will have the flexibility to travel in summer or fall. Is one of these sections better to do during different months? Thanks in advance for any suggestions.