Earl Shaffer, the First North bound Thru hiker to successuflly finsih the thru hike, shown here at Mt. Katahdin, Maine, next to the famous Mt. Katahdin sign. Mt. Katahdin is the entrance/exit for the Appalachian Trail. Normally hikers hikes North bound so that they can end on Mt. Katahdin. 

         When it comes to the Appalachian Trail, something as simple as figuring out which way you want to walk is more important and significant than you think. Hikers coming from Maine may find it easier to start in Georgia to finish in their hometown, or vice versa so they can start in their hometown. Some hikers want to avoid the weather conditions such as heat or storms, more so than they would going in the other direction. Some hikers even want to meet up with hikers in the opposite direction, in order to get messages from other people, or to hear about conditions up ahead on the trail. 

       No matter what the circumstances are, direction can be influenced by several different things. The direction that you walk can also just simply be based off of your personality type and how much socialization you wish to do on the hike. From Georgia to Maine, or Maine to Georgia, there seems to be a method to the madness. Just trying to find what method works for you is what is important.