View Full Version : The hardest section of the A.T.
ShawnR80
04-30-2006, 14:23
What do you guys think is the hardest section of the A.T.? What do you think is the easiest section of the A.T.? Please let us know why these particular sections are hard or easy. Thanks, ShawnR80
Hikes in Rain
04-30-2006, 15:37
Having only hiked the sections south of Fontana, I can't speak for the whole trail, but I remember reading in an old Southern Living article that the toughest section is the ascent of Cheoah Bald, out of NOC. I remember it being a tough haul, with a great reward at the top. One of the hikers I med on their way down told me the view was worth half the climb.
Also where I saw a mother turkey play "broken wing" to lead me away from her babys (whom I also saw).
I'd have to say that the Mahoosuc range in southern Maine is the toughest overall (lots of near vertical ups and downs in a short stretch - I especially hated Hall and Moody mountains). I've heard that the North Carolina/Tennessee section is hard, but I haven't hiked there yet.
The easiest in the Northeast is probably Massachusetts (I've done a couple of 20 milers there).
The short section I did in Virginia along the Blue Ridge Parkway may have that beat, though.
Blue Jay
04-30-2006, 16:52
The parts that run through towns that sell beer. Sometimes it takes two days to hike one mile or less.
Having only hiked in New England...The Mahoosuc Range is the hardest.
In my opinion there is no easy section of the AT in New England!:)
gsingjane
04-30-2006, 17:50
The section of the AT in CT that runs along the Housatonic River is lovely, pine needles, soft footing, and flat for quite a while. Very enjoyable! Again, not having hiked the whole thing I can't say if it's THE easiest, but a lot of Scout troops go there for a first AT experience (boy are they surprised later on!).
Jane in CT
wilderness bob
04-30-2006, 19:06
PA, the rocks. Nothing else needs to be said. The easiest, the Shenandoah's. Good "Big Mile" days.
hardest?
Well, it's really kinda hard to qualify something like that... the Mahousics are hard, but are also a lot of fun, what with the bolder scrambling. And since you expect your speed to be near zero through that section, you feel no pressure to try for big miles.
The Cheoah climb is a rough one, but it's right after NOC so you're probably well fed and happy. And, the top is worth the climb (though don't do what I did and decde to camp on top and then get stuck in a thunder and lightning storm in the middle of the night... honestly though I was going to die that night).
Near the end of Virginia it's very hard mentally because you've done all this hiking and realize you're only 50% done. On the flip side of that, once you pass the middle point, the moral boost you get from that is almost incomparable.
easiest?
The river walk in CT probably is the easiest section of actual trail. 8 miles of flat walking bordered by river... pretty. But I got stung by bees three times right before doing that, so I was drained of energy, making it a little harder.
I found PA to be very easy, unlike a lot of people. There were tough climbs up to the ridges, but once up there it was like walking on a table... almost perfectly flat. I also didn't find the rocks to be nearly as bad as people said they were.
A lot of middle to northern VA hiking was fairly easy. The trail is often nice and gently rolling through there. Other times it can be a bear, but it's not that often.
The Jersey swamp walk was easy because it was a mile or two of walking on these cool bog bridges over the swamp. Easy hiking and cool atmosphere.
Sooo.... no easy answer. The trail is what you make of it. If you find the trail getting hard, just slow down and decide to take it easy and look at the surroundings, you'll be surprised how much easier it can be. But of course, there are just times when it's going to kick your ass, no matter what you try. In all though, it's all fun.
Hikes in Rain
04-30-2006, 19:25
The Cheoah climb is a rough one, but it's right after NOC so you're probably well fed and happy. And, the top is worth the climb (though don't do what I did and decde to camp on top and then get stuck in a thunder and lightning storm in the middle of the night... honestly though I was going to die that night).
Did that on top of Standing Indian Mountain, with my brother. Agreed, we thought we were going to join the Indian that night. Kept thinking of the old iron from the firetower that's still imbedded in the rock on the summit, and just dragged the sleeping bags over our heads and prayed that at least it would be quick.
My profile picture was taken the next morning.
wilderness bob
04-30-2006, 19:40
For me a lightning storm near Franklin, NC scared the bajesus out of me. I thought the good Lord was going to call me home that night. I prayed that if he was to do so, just please don't make it hurt. Even worse, imagine a tree crashing through your tent pinning your arms at your side and some porcupine nibbling on your eye balls the next morning. The silly things you think about as you soil your pants.
One vote for Southern Maine. NOBOs are in great shape by that time, but the Mahousics can still kick butt. Especially that greasy Monson slate with roots and rocks. The flip side is, it is beautiful country and the Mahousic Notch is Disney Land. The easiest? Anything flat, dry and cushy - maybe 25 miles out of 2175. The last 20 miles of the 100 mile wilderness, the New Jersey board walks, maybe a couple of miles scattered elsewhere. Easy does not equate to best.
Lone Wolf
05-01-2006, 00:56
I don't find any part of the AT physically challenging.
Like Ender posted, the answer all depends on how you define tough.
Mahoosic Notch has the reputation for being the toughest mile on the AT. But, I found the bouldering completely different from every other mile on the AT, so I enjoyed the change. Not the toughest for me, just the slowest.
And certainly there are some good climbs with memories. But to me, the toughest mile is that last mile of the day, after it's been a long day, usually hot and humid, and I'm fairly well beat.
KirkMcquest
05-01-2006, 08:52
Funny, no one mentioned the whites.
Jack Tarlin
05-01-2006, 08:59
That's cuz there are lots more difficult places on the Trail than the Whites, Kirk.
As you become more familiar with the Trail, you may yet discover this for yourself.
KirkMcquest
05-01-2006, 09:11
That's cuz there are lots more difficult places on the Trail than the Whites, Kirk.
As you become more familiar with the Trail, you may yet discover this for yourself.
Hope so, Jack. Maybe after I've hiked the AT a couple of hundred times, my s*&t won't stink either. Keep your fingers crossed.;)
Funny, no one mentioned the whites.
Yeah, I didn't find the White's that tough at all... unlike the rest of the trail where the builders felt the need to go over every little peak, ledge, bump and pimple (often going out of the way to do so), in the White's the trail often skirts around the peaks, with side trail up to them if you want to summit. There were some tough climbs up, but once up it was pretty level hiking. Even the climb up Washington wasn't that difficult (though that could have had something to do with the 40mph tail wind I had going up). Plus, it's pretty up there, so you're distracted from the effort by the views.
Narciso Torres
05-01-2006, 09:54
Hi, I thru-hiked in 2004. My trail name is Junior. I live in Maine. In my opinion, the hardest section of the AT is that, approximately, 10 mile stretch from Little Haystack on the Franconia Ridge to South Twin Mountain in New Hampshire. The trail is rarely smooth. It requires a lot of upper body effort to get through some sections due to boulders the size of vehicles. My poles were useless. There are also several steep descents and climbs. I was "only" able to hike 13 miles that day. In my opinion, the single most difficult mile is Mahoosic Notch. It took me an hour to get through it. I had to take off my backpack at least 3 times due to having to go under tight spaces under the boulders. And then, that climb up to Mahoosic Arm is just not fair. After those 2 sections, most of the rest of the AT is easy, especially the flat sections such as those in the 100 mile Wilderness.
Gray Blazer
05-01-2006, 10:18
Hey Kirk, If these guys want a tough climb in the Whites, have them go up Mount Willey from The Willey House in Crawford Notch. Beautiful view once you get up there. You'll have to get on your hands and knees. The Willey's are my ancestors (Obviously not my direct ancestors) And Me and My Dad and Son hiked it together. 3 Generations of Willeys on Mt Willey.
My vote is for one continuous tough section that would take in the Whites AND the Mahoosucs--and even beyond that northbound a few days. Not every mile is tough, but as a "region" for me this qualifies as the toughest.
The toughest single climb for me was about a mile and a half in the middle of the climb up Katahdin.
Narciso Torres
05-01-2006, 11:30
You guys must be in phenomenal shape. Compared with the rest of the AT, the Whites kick butt. Northbound, let's start with the climb up Moosilocke. Then the long steep descent. How about the rugged walk towards South Kinsman, then the steep climb up to it. I already mentioned the Franconia Ridge towards South Twin. How about the climb out of route 302 up to Mt. Webster? True, the climb to Washington was easy, but the descent from Mt. Madison was practically straight down for a good while. The climb up to the Wildcat Ridge is regarded by locals as one of the toughest in the Whites. The climbs to Carter Dome and Mt. Moriah are not easy. I completed my thru-hike in 4 months, so I'm no slouch. The Whites are by far the toughest part of the AT. Cheoah Bald is a walk in the park by comparison.
Sorcerer
05-01-2006, 17:05
So far to me:
Easiest: Probably I'd go with the whole state of PA. Minus a couple of really strange climbs (anybody up for moon walking in the Superfund site?) the trail is pretty flat. I enjoyed that because it made making "big mile days" less tiring. I don't hike particularly fast, but I do hike particularly long. The rocks didn't bother me much either. My ankles just seem to "roll" with the rocks and never hurt a bit. I kind of got in a groove in some of them where I think I actually did walk faster.
Hardest: I'm imagining the southernmost bit of Maine from what I've read/seen. I'll find out in a couple of weeks! Otherwise, some of Georgia was tough to me because I was out of shape, new to hiking, and carrying way too much weight. I bet I'd like GA ok now if I went back carrying my typical ~18 lb pack.
Least fun: Most of Massachussets. Of course, I went through when it was about 90 degrees, the mosquitoes were bad, and my knee was hurting. Mt. Greylock was nifty though and I really enjoyed Dalton (trail angels rock!).
I believe difficulty is all a matter of mindset and conditions. If you're an out-of-shape section hiker like I am at the beginning of each hiking trip, the first 70 miles are so are the hardest, until you get warmed up.
The hardest part of the AT was hiking 5.2 miles southbound after summiting Katahdin.
A five month journey had come to an end.
You guys must be in phenomenal shape.
Legends in their own mind.
Your summary of the Whites is what I remember. There are a few places that are as tough such as the Mahoosucs and the climb up Katahdin but you can't dismiss the Whites.
Footslogger
05-01-2006, 17:25
The hardest part of the AT was hiking 5.2 miles southbound after summiting Katahdin.
A five month journey had come to an end.
===============================
Mags stole my thunder. I was going to say that the hardest section for me was between Katahdin and Laramie, WY.
'Slogger
I think the 16 or so miles from Kinsmans notch to Franconia is a really eye opener, tougher even than Mahoosuc. Other than that I found the Whites to be cake, Webster included. A notable exception would be Garfield which is just such a B**tch. As a whole entire section, Maine from the second you hit the sign saying youre in Maine til you get over the Bigelows is REALLY what you came to hike the AT for. Its murderous, its wonderful, you'll never gripe about hard trail south of New hampshire again unless yer a whiner
Cookerhiker
05-01-2006, 17:55
I thought the first 100 or so miles in Maine were the toughest - Mahoosucs, Moody Mt. (which I slackpacked), Old Blue & Bemis. The descent off AVery Peak in the Bigalows was no picnic. And as I've said in other posts, Pleasant Pond Mountain (1,200' in 1 mile) gave me a strained ribcage.
I noticed most of the answers are northbound oriented. I hiked from Allen Gap to Wallace Gap southbound and thought the stretch south from Fontana was difficult not just the SOBO ascent of Cheoah which never ended but also all the little steep knobs.
Ox97GaMe
05-01-2006, 21:32
This is an easy question.
The two hardest steps of the entire journey.
a) The first step into the woods to start
b) The last step off of Katadin to finish
Of course, they are difficult for very different reasons. The first step is hard because it means leaving society and all that you are taught from birth behind. the last step is hard because you leave the trail and all that it represents behind.
DawnTreader
05-02-2006, 01:02
I agree that the AT through the whites, especially on the Crawford Path, isn't difficult, but that dosn't mean that the Whites arn't relentless.. I love hiking in the cols of New Hampshire and Maine..The Ammonusuc Ravine Trail starts at the cog railway, and gets pretty intense up to Lakes of the Clouds where it intersects the AT. Their are some great peaks in the whites. Chocoura is amazing. The views are amazing and the trails are often near vertical, no switchbacks. Very rewarding, if you don't mind the occassional crowd. Saddleback and the crockers where tough going southbound, but I was having a bad day so..Mahoosuc Notch wasn't hard. Just slow. Loved it, every second. I havn't packed a lot outside of New England, and nothing south, so I can't say that these are the hardest parts, just what I thought about them.. happy trails
For some reason the section, not even an official part of the AT, that I remember the best is the 8 mile approach trail from ASP to Springer. I guess its because of the excitement of a journey beginning. I vividly remember the view of Springer from the trail and thinking, thats the starting point of one hell-of-a trip. As far a physically challenging goes, it had to do with how I felt on a certain day. If I felt kinda down, then whatever was ahead was going to be tough. As for as a safety concern, I would say being above tree-line in the Whites, or creeks at or near flood stage.
Narciso Torres
05-02-2006, 09:31
My response about the Whites being the toughest is from a physical point of view. Mentally, I agree with the earlier comment that the walk away from Katahdin was the toughest. Sure, I was proud of my accomplishment. But it also meant that I was done walking the AT and I had to go back to "civilization". Two years removed, I have adjusted well, but I still miss the trail dearly. I hope to be able to thru-hike again someday.
Chef2000
05-02-2006, 17:00
for me its the forty miles between Rte 4 VT and Hanover NH. It is like going against the waves, IN a journal I read in 98 the hiker said this was their worse section. In 2000 when I was hiking thru there, and hating the ups and downs, I realised "This was the place, UGh!!!!"
for me its the forty miles between Rte 4 VT and Hanover NH. It is like going against the waves, IN a journal I read in 98 the hiker said this was their worse section. In 2000 when I was hiking thru there, and hating the ups and downs, I realised "This was the place, UGh!!!!"
As we sectioned through this area last fall, my brother and I commented, "you have to go down to go up and you have to go up to go down". After repeating that mantra a few hundred times, we landed in Hanover to end our section with visions of Mousilauke ahead for next fall.
For me, the hardest section is the section right here at my PC, reading all things AT related and waiting for my next section in 150 days, but who's counting?
I hiked 8 miles of the Davis path this weekend and the views into the notch and the presidentials is unmatched! From the road the mountains seem to go straight up! Also the tallest waterfall in NH, Arethusa Falls is a great place to have lunch on a sunny summer day:sun
PEACE
hats off to L. wolf who dosent find any area of the trail physically challenging
Jack Tarlin
06-30-2006, 16:34
Gorham NH to Andover ME. End of story.
Footslogger
06-30-2006, 17:20
Gorham NH to Andover ME. End of story.
===========================
Oh thanks Jack ...that's the section we're doing next week. Actually we're going from Pinkham to Rangeley.
'Slogger
max patch
06-30-2006, 17:38
hats off to L. wolf who dosent find any area of the trail physically challenging
Some on AT-L (don't know who, sorry) about 6 months ago or so claimed they basically "had to pull LW up Katahdin."
Truth is probably somewhere in the middle.
Spiritual Pillgrim
06-30-2006, 21:41
Gorham NH to Andover ME. End of story.
I've heard some folks think the southern mountains are as hard as the whites. that's a load! What made GA/NC/TN tuff was I didn't have trail legs, but at least they had trail there. The whites just seem to be a big pile of boulders, straight up and straight down. I just finished the whites and after 10-12 mile avg day, I was spent.
I hope Jack means Gorham to Andover is tuff mentally, because I'm gonna try to slack the last 21 miles of that tomorrow, and I'm almost spent mentally.
I can remember a few real difficult and easy sections off the top of my head. I may not be able to pinpoint exact mileage marks and towns, but here are some that my feet recall quite clearly as being really painful or easy.
Hard
1) PA. Boring and painful = hardest. All the Yeungling (forget how its spelled) saves this state from being a total misery. Lots of great bar stops.
2) Massachussettes. Never expected this state to be so miserable with mosquitos.
3) The first week in GA. Your body is wondering what the F is going on and punishing you for not getting it prepared.
4) Mahoosucs. Technical and puts upper and lower body muscles to the test.
5) Whites. Heavy breathing.
Easy
1) Leaving Harper's Ferry
2) The runway into Damascus
3) The last 1/2 mile to any town stop
4) Any section accompanied by good conversation or great scenery
There are some isolated hard bits in the South, but as far as "kick-your-ass -day-after-day-my-knees-feel-like-jello-kill-me-now" sort of terrain, I would say New Hampshire and the first 80 miles or so of Maine can't be beat. The elevation gains and losses are absurd, and the trail is ROUGH.
PA is rocky but not all of it, and there's about three climbs that you actually notice in the entire state. If you're reasonably coordinated, the rocks won't slow you down at all. PA definitely seems to be the most over rated state when it comes to difficulty, I'll bet your average thru hiker could cruise through in 10 days or less if they wanted to.
I was surprised also to find New York fairly challenging, the trail seems to go out of it's way to hit every random pile of boulders it can. If it's wet it really slows you down. The climbs aren't especially long or high but tend to be quite steep.
Gorham NH to Andover ME. End of story.
Jack's come pretty close, though I might argue for the final ascent up Katahdin.
I agree with Jack, Gorham to Andover is probably the toughest all inclusive stretch. There are lots of spots that do have their moments. I was really surprised at the "Grind" stretch in NY, I really thought NY was going to be boring. PA, as stated before, has a few spots, and my knees and feet hurt a lot walking on the rocks, but PA was a cake-walk compared to the Whites and parts of Maine.
Gorham NH to Andover ME. End of story
You all are within 180 degrees of the truth, anyway.
fiddlehead
07-02-2006, 21:42
South Kinsman in a 2 foot snowstorm. (SOBO) Beautiful but tough
You all are within 180 degrees of the truth, anyway. Never hiked it but I got a kick out of the good natured jab executed by Mr. Boudrie.
knicksin2010
07-03-2006, 10:42
Easiest I've hiked = Pochuck Quagmire NJ
Hardest = Franconia
Most Fun = The mile they call "The Toughest Mile"
Johnny Swank
07-16-2006, 20:17
I thought I was going to have a heart attack during the Andover - Gorham stretch (SOBO). Might as well include the rest of the whites for that matter.
First day up and down Katadin I though I might die as well. Had alot of precieved near-death experiences up norh. Maine and NH kicked my arse!
Footslogger
07-16-2006, 20:55
Gorham NH to Andover ME. End of story.
=====================================
Just got home from doing from doing Rangeley to Gorham. No doubt about it ...this is ONE rough section of trail. Amazing what a difference it makes when you're hiking northbound and you've been on the trail for 5 months before you hit southern Maine !!
'Slogger
Johnny Swank
07-16-2006, 22:52
I loved that stretch though. Rugged as hell, but beautiful. As long as you're not trying to pull the big miles that kind of craziness is fun in a masochistic kind of way.
Footslogger
07-17-2006, 08:05
As long as you're not trying to pull the big miles that kind of craziness is fun in a masochistic kind of way.
================================
That's what made it tolerable and even fun at times ...we were in NO hurry. Besides, with all the mud and standing water it was really slow going at times. We took our time and laughed our butts off in the notch. The ARM was another question all together !!
'Slogger