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View Full Version : Harper's Ferry flip flop. Rethinking plans



gracebowen
06-17-2016, 15:32
So I told my best friend I was gonna hike the AT in 4 years. She asked what that was. I told her it goes from Georgia to Maine.

She said I will go with you. I said youre gonna hike from Georgia to Maine. Yes she said. Then she said how long does it take. I said 6 months.

Her : oh. I can't leave my family that long. How bout I take you and stay with you for a few days.

Super cool. I cant wait. Of course things could happen and she can't go.

If she does go is HF a good place for a 3 day hike. Is there a place somewhere else closevor further south we could start.

I want it to be a treasured memory for her. Moderate hiking. Outstanding views. Easy access to return to her car. I might return to her car with her and get returned to the trail. I don't think we could cover much more than 20 miles or so.

gracebowen
06-17-2016, 15:36
Oh and I knew she didnt realize what she was saying when she said she would do the whole trail with me. Im in Texas.

I originally thought start to Neels Gap but that would take too long.

If we did start in Ga whats the cheapest way for me to get to HF to "start" my originally planned flip flop. Or how would you suggest I hike. Cant leave TX untill Apr 20 whatever year I start.

Studlintsean
06-17-2016, 16:06
You might consider starting at Rockfish Gap and hiking Shenandoah National Park Northbound with her. That will put you in HF in about 2 weeks (just guessing on mileage/ hiking speed). There are easy bailout points via Skyline Drive allowing her easy access to head home if needed. Also lots of great waterfalls and views.

Singto
06-18-2016, 07:11
(http://whiteblaze.net/forum/member.php/40235-Studlintsean)I agree with Studlintsean. Starting in the Waynesboro area going NOBO through SNP would be a great option.

Skyline
06-27-2016, 23:37
You might consider starting at Rockfish Gap and hiking Shenandoah National Park Northbound with her. That will put you in HF in about 2 weeks (just guessing on mileage/ hiking speed). There are easy bailout points via Skyline Drive allowing her easy access to head home if needed. Also lots of great waterfalls and views.

Yes, some great waterfalls in SNP. But they aren't on the AT. They are accessed via side trails, anywhere from about a mile to five miles from the AT. Worth the effort, but very few thru-hikers take the time.

Malto
06-28-2016, 10:59
I would consider starting your hike with her. If she joins you later then you will likely be integrated into a group, everyone will have your trail legs then you will meet your friend and drop back from the group because someone coming on new is unlikely to be able to do the miles from day 1.

gracebowen
06-28-2016, 11:13
She will be starting with me and only staying 2 or 3 days. She has and will have young children at home. Her current youngest is a new born.

The SNP sounds like a great ideal for a start place. We will definitely take a bit of time to see some of the closer off trail waterfalls. On the way back time permitting I can try to see a few more.

I wont be in a huge hurry and plan on seeing as much as I can see. Oh and swimming every chance I get. I will say I saw some people in a picture sitting with legs dangling over a very high cliff. I wont be seeing that view. Ill see the view from a bit further back. :).

scudder
06-28-2016, 12:14
google "hiking upward jones run" after reading the hike description click the printable map. I'm suggesting that if you are going north, and leave the AT at Jones Run Falls trail and follow both trails indicated in blue on the map, you'll bag 3 waterfalls while bypassing 3 miles of AT that is not near as interesting.

Blue Bell
07-01-2016, 21:09
I plan to start in the Shenandoah in April of 2017. NOBO. Return to Waynesboro and hike south.

Siestita
07-02-2016, 08:27
Grace Bowen -- I find this thread, and also your other ones, very interesting. My perspective differs a bit from those of some other posters here. I began backpacking 44 years ago, but during those years I have only managed to do overnight hikes totaling about 1,500 miles, with just a tenth of that being on the AT or adjacent blue blazed trails. Even with resupply, I've not yet done any walks of over 70 miles or lasting more than 2 1/2 weeks. I'm an experienced 'short distance hiker' who enjoys being out in the woods, walking, fishing, loafing, and yes, camping away from roads. These days I prefer to not backpack more than five to eight miles per day. But, I'm still drawn to the challenge of camping using only items that I've carried on my back, continually seeking ways to both lighten my load and make my trips even more enjoyable than they already are.

It's great that by walking you've lost some weight while enjoying yourself! Presumably walking comfortably in Texas this summer means taking strolls after the sun goes down. I remember doing that years ago when I spent three years living in Kingsville, near Corpus Christi, followed by five years in Stephenville, south of Fort Worth. My Texas backpacking was almost always done between late fall and early spring. Next Thanksgiving should be a great time of year for the overnight trip that you are planning.

Rather than thinking of them as merely 'shakedown' preparations for your AT jaunt four years from now, regard the overnight hikes that you'll take next winter there in Texas as worthy adventures themselves. And, such trips, even if only done for one or two nights at a time, could give you respite from everyday life stresses, such as caring for your mother. A novice backpacker can learn a lot during such trips, even if the terrain is fairly flat and the distances short, perhaps hiking on trails within Texas State Parks. Unless things have changed there, both Perdernales Falls S.P., in the hill country north of San Antonio, and also Dinosaur Valley S.P., south of Dallas/Fort Worth, permit some backcountry camping. And, of course there is also the much longer Lone Star Trail in the East Texas piney woods.

You may find the company of other backpacking enthusiasts to be enjoyable, meeting people face-to-face rather than merely posting here in cyberspace. And, group outings have helped many newcomers ease into hiking and backpacking. If you've not already seen them, you may find these web sites helpful:

http://www.sierraclub.org/texas/alamo/outings

http://www.meetup.com/San-Antonio-Backpackers-Meetup/

gracebowen
07-02-2016, 10:44
I like Eisenhower park. Its got some steep paths. Theres even an area that has a fairly long and very steep root stair case.

gracebowen
07-02-2016, 11:19
I like Eisenhower park. Its got some steep paths. Theres even an area that has a fairly long and very steep root stair case. Thank you for your post and encouragment

Siestita
07-07-2016, 06:53
Grace Bowen -- If you have not already seen it, you may find this recent White Blaze thread helpful. Yes, it's about hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), but suggestions getting equipment cheaply also apply elsewhere. Within the thread see especially #6, #28, #33, and #40.


http://whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/119423-What-are-ways-to-cut-corners-financially-for-gear


For a first timer trip, such as your Thanksgiving holiday overnight hike, for water treatment you could get by fine using either one of the two chemical treatments that Walmart currently carries: Potable Agua iodine tablets or alternatively MSR Aquatabs. The important thing is to treat the water that you obtain in the woods, after having read the tablets' directions.

These days my store bought 'hiking' water bottles all stay home on a shelf. Instead, I carry with me two lighter one liter sized plastic bottles that originally held Gatoraid.

To get started, you could use a cheap foam pad from Walmart underneath your sleeping bag. But, I agree with other posters' recommendation that for backpacking you NOT get your pack, your sleeping bag, or your tent, at Walmart. Packs designed for day hiking don't work well for overnights, at leastfor most people. And, sleeping bags for car camping, while cheap, are heavier and bulkier than is desirable for backpacking. If you can spare perhaps $150 you should be able to get, via the Internet, a good quality synthetic sleeping bag that is designed for backpacking. It will be rated down to about 20 F (for three season outings) and weigh about 3 1/2 lbs.

During my first few years of backpacking, as a college student on a tight budget, my shelter was a homemade tarp rather than a tent. That provided me with good protection from the rain, serving me well as long as conditions were not buggy. I did not confront bug problems in Texas during winter months.

The cheapest one person backpacking tents tend to cost at least $120, but equipment for setting up a tarp can be acquired, from places like Walmart, for less than $25. To do that you would need: an appropriately sized plastic sheet, such as a painters drop cloth (but not the thinnest ones); some cord, 4-6 thin aluminum tent stakes (or roofing nails), plus practice and 'know how'.

One good way to set your tarp up is to tie its ridge line between two trees. Attach pieces of cords to to your tarp by twisting the plastic around a peeble at the appropriate places. Learn useful knots. Clove hitches work well for me when tying ridge lines to trees. Bowline knots and taut line hitches come in handy for tying cord between the tarp (remember the peeble) and the stakes. Experiment with your tarp set up at home or a local park before taking it out on an overnight hike.

External frame backpacks have long been 'out-of-fashion' but can get a person started down the trail just fine. Look for used ones at yard sales. Many people, including Boy Scouts, only go backpacking just once or few times before putting their gear aside. Make sure that your pack fits you, has a hip belt, and is intended to be used for multi night trips, not merely day hikes.

gracebowen
07-07-2016, 14:11
Thank you. I will read the thread. Ive decided to order apex climashield and make my own blanket. My mother in law has a sewing machine and can sew well enough to stitch it together. I know she will help me. Ive also decided to get a tarp and start practicing pitches.

I have some noseeum netting I can use too but I might order some more because I accidentally ordered olive green.