Section Hiking The AT General Thoughts:

[Gambit McCrae]

So I had the dream of thru hiking in 2011 but the real world caught up to me and I let the dream go about a month before starting. Now I am a "Weekend Warrior"(hate the term). I would like peoples thoughts on the goal of sectioning the trail here is my 7 year plan:

Please keep in mind that I started getting serious about this September 2013 to present and that my weekend trips consist of driving apx 4 hours to the trail, hiking a lot or a little Friday night and hiking on into Sunday and going home.

From September to December I completed Tennessee and Maryland.

My 2014 goal is to complete the NC/ TN border section and the NC section by doing weekend hikes. And to hike for 7-9 days for my vacation time this fall and during that time completing Springer to apx Allen Gap NC. Over a couple long 3 day weekends I could complete the Smokies in 2 trips. and by the end of 2014 have completed the AT all the way to Damascus, VA.

At this point I would have 25% of the trail done in just a year and 4 months. In 2015 I will receive 2 weeks of vacation a year instead of 1 and be able to cut a couple hundred miles out at a time as well as weekend trips. But my juncture becomes confusing when I hike far enough north so that I cannot just up and drive to the trail after work on Fridays. My guess is that I can just get a new job and move further north with the trail.

I am 26 years old, debt free, single and have the "label" of Engineer at work.


Others please elaborate in any way. Thoughts, Personal Goals and plans etc.

[Berserker]

I'm section hiking the AT, and I'm on a plan about twice as long as yours (I'm 7 years in and just a hair over halfway done). I'd recommend going as far North as you can on longer trips, and doing your shorter trips local. If I had it to do over again I would have laid things out like that from the beginning. I'm doing that now but I took my first couple of long trips closer to where I live, and now I still have a good bit of stuff up North (MA, NH and ME along with parts of CT and VT) to do.

[rafe]

I'm not sure what the question is, exactly.

One comment I'd offer is this... if you haven't noticed this already: you'll find that road crossings are infrequent in certain stretches of the trail, so you'll need more than just a weekend to finish those sections. I'm thinking, for example of Maine -- Gorham to Grafton Notch, Rangeley to Stratton, Stratton to Caratunk, Caratunk to Monson, and the Hundred Mile Wilderness. But there may be many more cases.

I wish they'd hurry up and implement Star Trek beaming capabilities. I'd be section-hiking the AT, PCT, CDT and JMT every weekend!

[Gambit McCrae]

Rafe no particular questions just input on what you think about section hiking the trail compared to thru hiking. I do really like your idea of goin further north for my vacation and using the trail further to home for shorter trips, completely makes sense. I think I may change my trip to something else instead of GA for Vacation.

[joshuasdad]

I hiked most of the trail using your weekend strategy and 7-9 day outings. Keep in mind though, I am much more centrally located, in the Washington DC area. I would not be a "purist" and hike consecutive sections...if you have a week off and the weather is good up north, go up north as Berserker suggests. Also, use transit (trains, night buses, airplanes) when possible, because time saved = miles hiked. Megabus from Knoxville to Christiansburg/DC/NYC may be your friend, especially if they bring back the night bus...

Stretch holiday weekends using vacation to go up north as well, sometimes you can get more miles out with 4 intensive days of slackpacking than you can with 7-9 days of traditional backpacking. For example I just did 60+ miles over 4 days in NJ/NY/CT this past weekend, 21 with a slackpack, and the rest using a light overnight pack (3 lb tent, 50 degree quilt + silk liner + pad, a few extra clothes, and a little bit of food (this is deli-to-deli territory after all).

7 years is a very reasonable time frame for finishing the AT. Enjoy!

[peakbagger]

I did about half the AT driving south with friend in two cars and self shuttling. We could leave NH at 5 PM on Friday and usually were on the trail in NC by noon on Saturday. In some cases we would split the week in half and spot cars. For the last two weeks we did key swap slackpacks using one car. The big thing I learned was that the AT has incredible access via side roads. Very rarely was there a need to camp overnight due to lack of road access. Most of the Forest Service roads in the south are passable with a Honda Civic. The biggest challenge is finding where they turn off the main road as many look like farmers driveways. There is lot to be said for keyswapping with another hiker. We could crank a lot of miles every day and the conditioning was far less than throwing on a full backpack and hiking for a week. We tended to hike at times of the year to avoid the bubble. In many cases we would stay in AT shelters as generally 90% of them are accessible via a FS road and a short walk. By driving around the area setting up slackpacks we got exposed to a lot more of the region than someone doing a traditional thru hike.

I did all my planning for car and key swaps with Delorme gazeteers for each state. The backroads are quite detailed and unlike a car nav, I could figure out the best way to get from one point to another rather then trusting an some algorithm. Frequently the best way was not the shortest and would go on roads that a car nav would never select.

[joshuasdad]

I...The big thing I learned was that the AT has incredible access via side roads. Very rarely was there a need to camp overnight due to lack of road access...We could crank a lot of miles every day and the conditioning was far less than throwing on a full backpack and hiking for a week. We tended to hike at times of the year to avoid the bubble...By driving around the area setting up slackpacks we got exposed to a lot more of the region than someone doing a traditional thru hike.

You pretty much captured the reasons why I enjoy day/section hiking over long distance hiking. There are only three places that pretty much require an overnight: the northern Smokies, the southern Smokies, and the Franconia Traverse in New Hampshire. All others can be broken up by shuttles and/or the use of short side trails.

[Gambit McCrae]

Great Enlightenment folks keep them coming I am learning alot of great strategy!

[illabelle]

Gambit,
We're also in TN, the Knoxville area. My husband and I started sectioning the AT in November of 2010 (for our 20th anniversary). My plan is to finish before I turn 60 in a few years. The whole thing will take us 9 years. Sectioning is a good option for those of us who have a business to run and a mortgage to pay, or who just wanna enjoy each section at the optimal time of year.
The general strategy is to use the southern half (everything south of Pennsylvania) for prep hikes that we will drive to on weekends and long weekends, incorporating holidays whenever possible. Then we'll fly north for week-long sections that are further away. The northern sections are around 75 miles at a time.

So here's what that looks like for 2014:


This weekend we'll do a quick little section from Devil's Fork to Allen Gap (Sa-Su), which will put us over 700 accumulated miles.
Weekend of May 10, we're doing the section from Pearisburg to Bland (F-Sa-Su-M).
Two weeks later (incorporating Memorial Day) we'll fly north and do a piece from southern NY through all of NJ (about 78 miles).

Thru the summer we'll sit around getting fat and soft. :o

Then in late August we've got a 4-day section in Georgia, followed by...
An early September 3-day section in northern VA.
In early October we'll fly to Albany, meet our shuttler, spend the night in N. Adams, take the bus south a little way, slack NOBO over Mt Greylock, spend another night and pick up our packs, take the bus back south again, and backpack SOBO almost to CT (about 72 miles). We did southern VT last year, so we've already got arrangements made for MA.:)

We didn't arrive at this strategy on day 1, so we're a bit out of balance and running out of nearby trail. Eventually we'll have to repeat sections or use non-AT trails for prep hikes.

[Gambit McCrae]

illabelle,
Thanks for such a detailed post. I think my new strategy is going to be simple yet focused:
from Penn south I will use as weekend trips and 3 day weekends when possible, I like the sense of backpacking, being on the trail at nights instead of day hiking, although I am goign to try and incorporate some longer day hike trips which would conist of base camping at a hostel and getting sat/ sunday shuttles to different parts of the trail yet hike longer distances. And I will keep my off time, and vacation for things that I cant drive to such as penn north. Only real hope is to keep sections completely as together as possible, as in not having a bunch of seperated sections, and i want to end in baxter.

[slbirdnerd]

I'm in a different place, as a single parent with a 12 year old. I just started last year and plan to do a 1-2 week section (going Nobo) each year until he graduates from high school. At that time I will probably be ready for a big shift in lifestyle and work (no more desk!) and my intention at that point is to cut ties and go finish whatever I have left--probably around half.

[rafe]

Gambit: I think section hiking is the way to go, and I applaud your efforts. Do it any way you can. Living in Boston, it was easy for me to do short sections in southern New England. I did most of Maine and New Hampshire in sections of 2-4 days, a few of these with my nephew from Hawaii. In 2002, 2005, and 2006 I did longer (~100 mile) sections so that my AT miles extended from Katahdin to Delaware Water Gap. Springer to DWG was two long sections, one in 1990 and another in 2007. It was a pretty convoluted approach, but there was a semblance of logic to it.

If you ever get a chance to do a really long section, give it a whirl.

[Praha4]

you've got a great plan, Gambit. I've been section hiking the AT since summer 2009. I'm in NW Florida, and approx. 360 miles from Amicalola Falls State park and Springer Mtn. My section hikes tend to be 1-3 weeks in length, depending on how long I can get away from our business here, usually I go in April-May and Sept-November timeframes. So far I've covered the AT north from Springer Mtn. to Glasgow, VA, and also done the AT north from North Adams, MA to the Maine Junction just north of the Long Trail Inn. Next AT section hike will likely be in September from Glasgow to Harpers Ferry, unless I decide to do another Long Trail E2E hike this fall. I love section hiking for many of the reasons mentioned here. I've found one of the biggest drawbacks to section hiking (besides the long drive and logistics coming up from Florida) is the fact that after a week on the AT, you are just really getting the feel of the trail again, getting in shape for the hills, etc., and then it's time to go home again. Best of luck to you.

[Gambit McCrae]

Wow guys thanks for both the encouragement and the stories. I have had so many great memories already between thru hikers and just the individual trip experiences that come with section hiking. All of your ideas have changed the way i think i will complete the trail but when it comes down to its the memories that count and im making plenty!! Keep the posts coming as everyone loves to hear them!!

[HikerMom58]

I will add that if you get in touch with "the locals" in the area where you plan to hike, they will know access roads to shelters, places you can park your car etc.. that aren't shown on the maps. *Raising hand* :D

[rafe]

I did all my planning for car and key swaps with Delorme gazeteers for each state. The backroads are quite detailed and unlike a car nav, I could figure out the best way to get from one point to another rather then trusting an some algorithm. Frequently the best way was not the shortest and would go on roads that a car nav would never select.

The Delorme Gazeteers are a section hiker's best friend. I've been using them for my LT hikes also.

[Kerosene]

Sounds like you're making great progress, Gambit. As others have noted, it will get harder (and more expensive) to coordinate as you hike the further ends of the AT.

My advice -- built on 40 years of AT section hiking -- is to pick your style and stick to it. By that, I mean figuring out if you're a purist who will 'touch' every single blaze; a blue-blazer who will take the time to explore the great side trails; a fair weather hiker; a social hiker; whatever. I'm more of the purist who touches the blaze I ended with on a prior section, but I'll take the other shelter exit trail to cut off a few yards. As such, try to avoid leaving any gaps due to having to leave the trail unexpectedly, recognizing that every little gap can be expensive to fill in at some point in the future.

Also, take the time to maintain a journal, first by writing some cryptic notes about your day every evening as to who you met, how you felt, what you saw, etc.; and then write it up and combine with the pictures you're taking (you ARE taking high-res pictures of views & people you've met, right?) to create a lasting memory that I know you will refer to throughout your life.

Finally, recognize that you'll be out of 'backpacking shape' every time you start, and it just gets harder as you get older. Try to stay in good shape off the trail, but start a bit slower so you don't injure yourself early on in your long-planned section hike.

Also, keeping tuning your kit to cut out weight and only carry what works for you. For example, I've found that my appetite really drops the first week out, so I eventually learned to bring less food (which means less weight). Also, your body's internal thermostat rapidly adjusts when you're outside all day, meaning that I do not need the same level of insulation as I would when living indoors most of the time. Layers work great and are generally only needed when in camp.

I covered about 700 miles of the AT in the 70's as a high school and college student. Finishing the AT before you have family responsibilities is highly recommended. I finally re-started -- after many, many years of recalling each and every day that I had backpacked -- in 2000 and have done at least one section every year. Only the northern 220 miles to go, which I hope to finish this October, 41 years after my first AT section.

[Almost There]

Agree with Kerosene. I started sectioning the AT in 2005 and was tearing up the miles, but start hitting other trails, and then eventually work and kids slowed it all down...I'll be doing 120 miles in seven days come June, putting me over the 1,000 mile mark (had over 600 done in the first 3.5 years of sectioning), but I admit I blue blaze, and am no purist. I hike for me, and do it how I like it. Ultimately, you need to find out what that is for you.

[Gambit McCrae]

I touch the first and last blaze of every trip lol....I am going to try and start slack packing more to make up the miles of only hiking weekends, and focus my vacation to the northern states. one of the rough 80-90 mile states north of penn. I guess another thing i need to start doing is just going, and not planning so much of trips with friends, I think it is really slowing down my progress due to waiting for a non eager sectional to come along. I have 3 trips planned in NC/ TN for may(all but mother’s day weekend), and I am just gunna go, plenty of people to meet on the trail no real need to bring someone with me. I find that 12-15 miles is all I can put into a day weekend backpacking, but feel that since I can only walk on the weekends I should be putting in even more like 20-25 but the fact is, over 12 or 13 and its not enjoyable anymore, and I’m a zombie lol and on Sundays i find myself trying to get home at a decent hour and so a lot of times Sundays are much shorter then Saturdays. What do folks have to say about this? normal?

[illabelle]

I find that 12-15 miles is all I can put into a day weekend backpacking, but feel that since I can only walk on the weekends I should be putting in even more like 20-25 but the fact is, over 12 or 13 and its not enjoyable anymore, and I’m a zombie lol and on Sundays i find myself trying to get home at a decent hour and so a lot of times Sundays are much shorter then Saturdays. What do folks have to say about this? normal?

We're doing 20 miles this weekend (leaving home early Saturday morning, getting home Sunday evening), but that's unusual for us. I can't remember the last time we did a one-night trip. We almost always will take off Friday either the whole day or a half day, and sometimes will make it a 4-day trip by adding Thursday or Monday. Trying to cram 20-25 miles + drive time in a 2-day weekend isn't something I'd want to do often. I agree you will be much happier if you do only enough miles so that you enjoy your time on the trail and don't become a zombie. After all, a primary purpose of backpacking is to de-stress. :)

[bamboo bob]

I've thruhiked and sectioned the AT. Reading this reminded me how much easier thru-hiking is.

[JumpMaster Blaster]

I've thruhiked and sectioned the AT. Reading this reminded me how much easier thru-hiking is.
Maybe so, but some ppl have jobs and committments that preclude us from taking 6 months off at a pop. I dont want to wait until I retire.

[Gambit McCrae]

Great update for myself, I have made some good progress since I started this thread, and am now 11% done witht he trail. I started experimenting with dayhiking all weekend so to speak while in hot springs this weekend and well, I like it alot. I get in 20+ miles a day while not feeling dead at the end of the day, and by doing solo trips staying at the hostel allows me to still have the social time I enjoy. I think I will stick with this "slackpack" thing for a while to mix up the monotany of lugging a pack through the mountains when going alone on trips. Thanks for all your help it changed how I thought about doing the trail in a positive way!

[FarmerChef]

So much good advice so far.

I've completed a bit over 1,800 miles over the past 3 years and 2 weeks. Like many others, I had dreamed of hiking thru but life and 4 kids kept plus a crazy schedule and a commitment at church on the weekends kept me from doing any serious backpacking. But then I took a hiatus from the heavy schedule and finally started using my saved but hardly used vacation time to start hiking. To maximize my PTO (paid time off) I started with 3 or 4 day section hikes over company holiday weekends. Living near Harper's Ferry meant that I had much of the trail within an easy 1 to 3 hour drive and, like you, we would drive up and start hiking Friday evening, pushing on through the weekend and back out the other side. In the beginning we used two cars and did the crazy double shuttle thing (we could all fit in only one of the two cars). But as we moved further and further from home to the extreme ends of the trail we moved from 3 to 4 days to 9 or 10 day trips again leveraging holiday weekends to minimize time off. We found friends, family, even friends on WB that helped us move our car from one end to the other and sometimes we paid for shuttles to take us back or forward. The best part is that in 9 or 10 days you get the flavor of hiking thru which is really just a combination of 4 or 5 day segments repeated over and over again. You resupply like everybody else unless you LIKE to carry 10 days of food (some do!).

The great benefit of section hiking is you choose when to go and often the weather. For a simple 2 day weekend you can just wait for the weather forecast to be good and go rather than being stuck in torrential rain for 3 days because you're on a thru and HAVE to go. Plus you can pick your season to maximize views, minimize bugs, soak up the heat, or whatever else tickles your fancy. My wife and I have decided that by far and away our favorite time is mid to late fall and early spring (provided there's no snow as we don't have that equipment). The views are spectacular, the bugs are nonexistent and the crowds are lowest. Win, win, win. But that could be completely different for you.

Finally, don't worry about a time limit other than Kerosene's notes about using your body at it's peak. But I'm somewhat older than your stated age and in the best shape of my life. So don't worry too much about it ;) Take your time and enjoy it. Whether it takes you 4 or 40 years to finish the trail. The magic of the trail will come to you whatever way you approach it. And I really do mean it's magic. There are some experiences over several seasons we would not have had had we not section hiked. We have lasting friendships as a result.