I searched the topics, didn’t see a “flip flop vs. Thru,” so I have a question. In asking this question, I fully expect “HYOH,” “no one cares,” “ worry about the trail, not others.”
For a year, I had been preparing to begin a NOBO thru March 2019, travelling from pretty far away - Northern Ontario, Canada. Unfortunately, as we live off grid, my hubby wouldn’t been able to drive me, so only way would be flying. There are no trains or buses for hours anywhere near me.
Then one day, reading an article on the ATC site, I saw the advantages and disadvantages of a flip flop. What appealed to me most, is my hubby can drive me to HF (only 15 hours), begin my NOBO first week of May. Then he’d meet me in Maine, drive me back to HF, and I’d continue my SOBO.
So here’s my question: going from a thru to a flip flop, assuming I finish, is the hike diminished by the hiking community? I really did foresee myself standing atop Katahdin, but now with the flip flop, will it be less exciting finishing at the arches at Amicalola?