I did a through hike of the at in 2014 and it was amazing. It had some party vibes, but you can somewhat avoid that. Some shelter sites can be party sites, so I recommended earplugs (also for whippoorwills). There are less people that hike southbound, so this may be a good option to avoid people.

The day I finished, a 73 year old lady finished a thru hike. Age is not necessarily a restriction, but it helps to be young.

This is not a decision to take lightly. Feel free to ask any questions.