Suggest a flip-flop route for lower 2/3rds of AT

[Stumpf]

I am looking for suggestions for a custom flip-flop to hike only the southern 2/3rds of the AT, from the CT/MA border to Springer, in a single season. I've done the top 1/3 already.

I am open to nearly any combination of directions and start/end points, with the following objectives, some of which may be mutually exclusive. Any suggested solution does not have to address them all. Specific dates for start/end times would be very helpful.

- I would like to hike with northbound thru-hikers at some point, so overlap with the northbound bubble going northbound is desirable. That said, I want to avoid the mob in March / April at Springer, or its immediate aftershocks.
- I would like to avoid snow, mud, bugs, humidity, heat. I realize its impossible to avoid all of these.
- Don't mind hiking in late spring or early fall, but don't want to hike in actual winter.
- No more than 3 distinct sections.
- Ending at something dramatic and memorable like Springer / Harpers Ferry / CT/MA border would be great, but if ending at some unmemorable highway crossing makes the rest of the trip work especially well, so be it.

If all these objectives are just getting in your way, please just suggest a way to hike the bottom 2/3rds and I'll listen.

Thank you!

[illabelle]

Welcome to White Blaze!

I'm a section hiker, but if I were to try and thru hike, my preference would be Southern Virginia to MA/CT in spring, K to MA/CT in summer, and S VA to Springer (or vice versa) in the fall. This is based on a desire to avoid snow, excess cold, and excess heat. It would be a bit like the Modified Cool Breeze from this list.

Enjoy your hike!

[Slo-go'en]

TN/NC is the best in the spring. Lots of flowers, no water worries. Too bad it's so crowded now days. I'd go SOBO from Damascus in say, early April. You'll start out well ahead of the masses and they will have tinned out and spread out as they go North and you go South, so it will never be overly crowded. It could be a bit lonely for a while at the start.

Then flip back to Damascus and head north and you'll be back into a NOBO crowd and quite likely with people you meet going SOBO.