>>453542Katahdin is the shit, best place to end the hike. After bad weather on nearly every major peak I was rewarded with a cloudless windless perfect sunrise of the big K. It is also the most "epic" climb on the AT in my opinion. Do the knife's edge if you can.
I also loved Franconia Ridge in the Whites. The Whites in general are awsome, as is southern Maine and the 100-Mile Wilderness.
The Mid-Atlantic states are pretty boring hiking, though there are points of interest here or there. I made it interesting for myself by getting sidetracked with weird adventures.
Virginia is a fucking awesome state. You got The Priest (really the whole religious range) you got the MacAfee Knob, you got Dragon's Tooth, you got the James River Foot bridge (which you must jump off,) you got wild ponies in the Grayson Highlands. Take the Virginia Creeper Trail out of Damascus. It is in all ways superior to the AT. Make a point to hit the Homeplace Restaurant in Catawba. It is one of the best AYCE hiker spreads on the AT. Waynesboro, VA was probably my favorite trail town: very charming, nice cheap church hostel, good bar, GREAT Chinese AYCE.
Tennessee has the Roan Highlands which are a sick series of balds.
I hear the Smokies are nice in good weather (I have enjoyed the area not on the AT in good weather)
Georgia is... Georgia. I live here and know a lot better hikes than most of the AT, but Blood Mountain is always neat. I'd recommend the Amicolola Approach Trail to get to Springer because I've always found it a lot cooler start, but plenty of people will say hell no fuck that 8 more miles! I guess that's fine.
