Advice for route; SOBO NOBO Flip ALT

[tarantolk]

Hey everyone!
I'm looking for advice on the best route to hike the AT within the time constrictions I have. Unfortunately, I cannot hike from May-Sept because I do seasonal work in Alaska. Therefore this really leaves the colder months Oct-April. I thought maybe an early Jan start from Springer, but are there any better options as far was avoiding serious winter weather?

Thanks!

[bigcranky]

A few people start on January 1 from Springer. There's even a little party the night before Whether it's "serious winter" depends both on the particular year (some years it's in the 60s in January for a while) and on your personal definition of winter. You could easily hike half the trail by the end of March. Winter in the South can get cold (with lows into the single digits) but it's a pretty time to be on the trail if you are prepared for that.

The other half of the trail is going to be tricker, of course. They do have serious winter and few hikers are able to get through New England in the months you have off work.

[map man]

All of the trail north of Glencliff, New Hampshire (400 miles of trail) is iffy for a typical backpacker in most of October and not advisable at all from late October into May of the next year. So making May through September off-limits for hiking means a thru-hike including the north end of the trail is out of the question for a hiker without winter mountaineering skills.

If you put the month of September into play you could use that month to hike from Katahdin through the White Mountains in New Hampshire. Then continue south with the understanding that you will be hiking in snow (and sometimes ice) on and off and you will probably need to lay low from time to time during bad winter weather (which could take place anywhere on the trail during the months you have available).