Maryland / Connecticut challenge

[Blissful]

Been watching "Trek" about the Maryland (they call it 4 state) challenge which looks intriguing. My hubby will be able to slackpack that part for us - so I think we may give it whirl when the time comes . Has any old timers here done it? What time did you leave, what happened, etc. Also, couldn't find in the threads anywhere what exactly is the Connecticut challenge, where you begin, end and how long it is. Is it just border to border too?

Thanks!

[saimyoji]

I've heard of the three state challenge: to be in three states in one day. I guess thats WV, MD, PA. Either way it requires you do all of MD in one day.

[emerald]

Read about Bone Pac's 4-States Challenge hike if you want to learn more about what it might be like to take the challenge.

If you want a bigger challenge, I'll tell you about one I have in mind, but few people would be tough enough to handle it.

[rockrat]

Tell me, tell me, tell me I love a good challenge.

[emerald]

Tell me, tell me, tell me I love a good challenge.

I checked out your posts and with a screen name like yours, you might be just the kind of person for the challenge I have in mind.

By the time you get to where the challenge would be undertaken, you might be up to it.

I note also you intend to attempt a northbound thru-hike beginning in your 18th year, just as I did.

May you experience the same level of satisfaction and ultimate success that shined upon my hike.


This challenge about which you've inquired is no Maryland, Connecticut or other challenge that's ever been done before. It's a secret, new challenge intended only for those hikers worthy of such things and may one day be known as the toughest challenge of them all, but we'll need to keep this one to ourselves at least for now.

I'll PM you tomorrow or maybe the next day.

[6's and 7's]

its 4 states, you need to start on or before the va/wv border and the pa border is the sweet end

[max patch]

Heres a clue.....CT is 50 miles plus or minus a bit.

[Phreak]

Read about Bone Pac's 4-States Challenge hike if you want to learn more about what it might be like to take the challenge.

If you want a bigger challenge, I'll tell you about one I have in mind, but few people would be tough enough to handle it.

I'd be interested to hear more about this challenge.

[RITBlake]

It's a good way to ruin your trip with an injury

[Deerleg]

I did it in 2 days this Aug and started at PA 16 and walked south. I ran into a NB hiker who said he did it the day before. He was staggering his way to PA 16 and was planning on spending the next two days recovering in a hotel. This guy was really beat up after his walk , and was going to pay for it by taking a couple of “0” days. 18-20 hour itinerary in one day? I worked hard to do it over a weekend. I’m in good shape and do lots of 20-25 mile days…not for me.

[Jack Tarlin]

I've encountered many folks who who went from the Virginia/West Virginia line to the Mason Dixon Line in one day. Depending on where you start, it's about 41 miles. In most cases, people who did it had to take time off after completing it, several of them in quite a painful condition. Many of the folks who did this regretted it later, and acknowledged that it was a pretty silly thing to do.

But have at it if you feel like it.

[Butch Cassidy]

I'm Sure a lot of people have completed this challenge but there is so much history in area why rush? It took me a half day to read all the stuff in Harpers Ferry. But to each his own.

[rockrat]

One challenge that I've been thinking about is the Smokies in two days. I think its 72 miles give or take and I'd probably start at I-40 and go towards Fontana that way the last day is a good ways downhill.

[ARambler]

I have another challenge, that should be done on this part of the trail. It is the 200/8 challenge. Hike 200 miles in 8 days. There a couple of ways of doing this challenge. I like the way where you don't tell anyone you are going to do it, you do it, then you don't brag about it. (To be clear, I'm not saying weather I've done this or not.) Although statistics are hard to come by, I believe fewer people have accepted the 200/8 challenge than the 4 state challenge. For most of us, these challenges are mutually exclusive. (You would think that 41 mi in a day would be a big contributer for the bigger challenge, but not so for most hikers.)

I think the 200 miles is more consistent with the thru hiker's overall goal than the 4 state challenge.

Rambler

[emerald]

In other words, 2 20-mile days gets you just as far up the A.T. as a 40-mile day followed by a goose egg and probably doesn't mess up your biological clock or beat you up nearly as bad. A pair of 25s gets you farther still and may be less physically expensive than that 40 followed by 0.

Such challenges are maybe best done on a Saturday when not engaged in a thru-hike to allow for a Sunday recovery, but to each his or her own hike.

[Sly]

IMO, a thru-hike is challenging enough. I prefer to do consistant miles rather than blow through parts of the trail only to take 2 days to recover. YMMV.

[Papa Bear]

Fort what it's worth, I sectioned hiked in the area in 2003, and not having thru-hiker fitness, did Maryland in 3 days. I guess that's 12-15 miles per day.

A bunch of guys passed me the last evening. I was setting up camp at the Ensign Cowall Shelter and it was getting dark. First "Luck Day" went by then a hour later "Nickel", "Dime", and "Ben" went by, all doing the challenge. I think this was 8-10 miles from the Pennsylvania line. I found later that they had great difficulty navigating the rocky section towards the end in the dark since there was basically no treadway and the blazes on the trees were very hard to spot.

Guess what? I caught them all 6 days later in Duncannon. Hah! so much for thru-hiker fitness.

Post script: it turns out they all camped (illegally) in Penn-Mar Park (or what ever it's called) on or under the picnic tables. It turns out they stopped there even though the Mason Dixon line was another tenth of a mile down the hill. Double Hah! Hah! They didn't even finish Maryland after all.

[Sly]

Post script: it turns out they all camped (illegally) in Penn-Mar Park (or what ever it's called) on or under the picnic tables. It turns out they stopped there even though the Mason Dixon line was another tenth of a mile down the hill. Double Hah! Hah! They didn't even finish Maryland after all.

Haha, that's funny.