Hi thrus! Woody here (the Canadian with the banjo, if that rings any bells for anyone). Please enjoy this video of me playing the tune Happy Hollow at McAfee Knob. I completed a flip-flop thru hike in 2025. I headed NOBO from Uncle Johnny's in Erwin, TN on May 24th, summitted Katahdin on September 4th, and then rented a car in Bangor, drove back down to Erwin and hiked SOBO to Springer, arriving there on September 24th. I logged my daily mileages and camping locations and all that info, along with all the photos I took on trail, is linked below. But first, a few (hopefully) helpful notes about my hike:

* My flip-flop itinerary was a bit unconventional, largely due to logistical concerns (I didn't leave my job until April 30th, needed to stop over in to WV before hiking, wanted leave my car with a friend in Atlanta for post-trail activity purposes, etc.) . Ultimately, I felt it actually worked out pretty great - despite my late start date I got to have pretty darn near the classic NOBO experience, got a good mix of bubble hiking and quiet solo hiking, didn't have to worry with any time pressure to get to Katahdin, and never had to deal with excessively cold weather. Ultimately if I had complete freedom I would have preferred to go straight NOBO (I would argue that this is the best way to thru if you can) but for my specific circumstances a flip-flop worked great and Erwin, TN was a great place to start. 
* To begin my hike I flew into the Tri-Cities Airport (from Atlanta, GA) and used Unicoi Shuttle to get to Uncle Johnny's. I would highly recommend Unicoi, Steve was a great help as I got started on my thru (and again when I flipped south again and needed a ride from Asheville back to Erwin). 
* After summiting I caught a ride with a fellow Canadian hiker to Bangor, ME, rented a car, and drove back to Erwin, TN. It took me a few days to do this and kinda killed my momentum (it was tough to get going again for the SOBO section). I was a little concerned about getting hassled at the airport cause I'd been in the US for so long as a Canadian (I was onside with all my visa stuff but with all the changes on that front lately I didn't want to risk any issues after all the hiking I'd done up to that point). If you're not worried about visa stuff I'd strongly recommend flying back to the Tri-Cities airport as opposed to driving. 
* My favourite hostels were (in no particular orde): Woods Hole (VA), Hostel of Maine (ME), Old Colony Ski Club (NH). Also - if you don't spend a night at Upper Goose Pond Cabin in MA and have a pancake breakfast with the caretaker and swim in the lake you will have mmissed out on a heck of a time. 
* Gear info and all that stuff to follow in a separate post!

Mileage logs, photos, etc:

* "This Trail Tries to Dissolve You"
   * Erwin, TN to Harpers Ferry, WV (May 24 - July 4, 2025): [https://daviddavewoody.com/2025/07/04/this-trail-tries-to-dissolve-you/](https://daviddavewoody.com/2025/07/04/this-trail-tries-to-dissolve-you/)
* “My Morale Seems to Rise and Fall As Much As This Trail Does”
   * Harpers Ferry, WV to Upper Goose Pond Cabin, MA (July 5 to July 29, 2025): [https://daviddavewoody.com/2025/08/26/the-doldrums/](https://daviddavewoody.com/2025/08/26/the-doldrums/)
* "The Trail Will Teach You"
   * Upper Goose Pond Cabin, MA to Maine Border (July 30 to August 19, 2025): [https://daviddavewoody.com/2025/11/27/the-trail-will-teach-you/](https://daviddavewoody.com/2025/11/27/the-trail-will-teach-you/)
* “When You Get That First View of Katahdin It’s Going To Be Closer Than You Want It To Be”
   * Maine Border to Katahdin (August 20 - September 4, 2025): [https://daviddavewoody.com/2026/01/02/when-you-get-that-first-view-of-katahdin-its-going-to-be-closer-than-you-want-it-to-be/](https://daviddavewoody.com/2026/01/02/when-you-get-that-first-view-of-katahdin-its-going-to-be-closer-than-you-want-it-to-be/)
* "I'm Ready to be Done" 
   * Erwin, TN to Springer Mountain, GA (Sept. 5 - Sept. 24, 2025): [https://daviddavewoody.com/2026/02/07/im-ready-to-be-done/](https://daviddavewoody.com/2026/02/07/im-ready-to-be-done/)

And finally, for those looking for a little pre-hike inspiration - I've compiled video footage of all my favourite views from the hike on my Instagram, which can be found here: [https://www.instagram.com/daviddavewoody/](https://www.instagram.com/daviddavewoody/)

Happy to answer any questions anyone might have! Have fun out there and happy trails!

2025 AT Thru Hike Recap