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eeyore
02-19-2017, 01:55
Hi! I would love a recommendation for a 2 month long section hike ending at Katahdin. My husband and I are hoping to do a couple months on the trail in a couple years. (We may be able to stretch to 2.5 months but coming from Australia we can only stay up to 3 months with the visa)

We will both be approximately 48 years old at the time and we want to enjoy our time on the trail and not feel rushed. We are also both HUGE introverts and would prefer to not join the masses.

I would be grateful for a recommendation of possible places to join the trail.

Thank you very much!

illabelle
02-19-2017, 05:47
A lot depends on how many miles per day you are comfortable doing. For example, if you aimed at 10 mpd, 60 days or 600 miles south of Katahdin puts you starting out in North Adams, Massachusetts. North Adams is a convenient place to get on the trail, reasonably accessible from the airport in Albany, New York. You could complete the three states of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, and some of the most difficult terrain.

Would this be your first time on the AT? I'd recommend you become knowledgeable about the logistical and physical challenges of getting through the White Mountains, the Mahoosucs, the 100 mile wilderness, and Baxter State Park. Also, you might consider starting at Katahdin instead of ending there. Or figure out a way to adjust your trip so you have the flexibility to jump ahead if you need to. Wouldn't want you to run out of time and have to miss it.

eeyore
02-19-2017, 06:11
Thank you so much for the reply. Yes, this would be our first time on the AT and right now we don't know what we don't know. I do worry that starting in New England may be a bit much to start with physically and a bit daunting. Jumping ahead if needed would not be a bad idea either.

Can you make a recommendation a 600ish mile of the trail that would be suitable for first timers? We could always make the trip up to Maine at the end and hike to the top of Katahdin.

I have purchased the pdf of the AWOL guide. Are there any other books or guides that you would recommend?

I really appreciate the help!

illabelle
02-19-2017, 08:04
Eeyore, I'm happy to share what I know, but of course there are others here who live in that area or have more experience and know much more than I. My husband and I have hiked about half of Maine, a third of New Hampshire, and half of Vermont, and the longest trip we've done is only about 10 days, at a typical rate of 10-12 mpd. I have a lot to learn myself, so please feel free to disregard my comments if others have more compelling views.

Regarding a section "suitable for first timers", it all depends on your fitness and capabilities. We made a first trip to NH a few years ago intending to do a portion of the Whites. We had to abort that trip because we were physically not up to the task. It was humbling and educational, and we were no longer sure we would successfully complete the AT. A few years later, and now we've done Katahdin and 70 miles of the 100MW, and the Whites between Franconia and Pinkham. It's no longer so intimidating. If I were planning a 2 or 2.5 month hike at the north end of the AT for the two of us, I would begin with 600 miles as a probable minimum, and adjust upward. Even though the Northeast is notoriously difficult, with a hike of that duration, we would FINALLY! develop our trail legs and be able to do more than plod along. I think I would aim for Great Barrington MA. That's 660 miles, only a 10% increase. Or maybe Kent, CT. That's 720 miles, about a 20% increase. Could we do 900 miles? 1200? Those numbers are so far outside my experience that I can't even imagine it, but plenty of thru-hikers would complete half the trail in that time. We would go southbound, since there's really no way to predict how far we'll be able to go. Northbound would be okay if you have the flexibility to skip forward to Katahdin if you get behind schedule. All of this is said under the assumption that your experience and fitness is similar to ours.

If you plan on returning for another section of the AT, then personally I wouldn't risk coming halfway around the world and start at the most difficult end. Only you can judge if you have the capability for that. I would do the southern part of the trail, beginning at Springer a few weeks after the crowd moves through, or start in Virginia and go south to Springer.

peakbagger
02-19-2017, 09:21
Realize that the AT is going to be crowded from July until September in New England. Running later in September cuts down on crowds a bit but the weather starts getting colder and you end up having to gear up with winter gear. NY, CT, mass and Vt are all pretty easy hiking but once you get the Whites (Glencliff NH) the trail get far more aggressive and stays that way for much but not all of the way to Katahdin. If you insist that you have to go to Katahdin it complicates things substantially. I strongly urge you to consider skipping katahdin or flipping up there. If you insist on doing Katahdin consider just going up there and heading south. The AT lodge in Millinocket can get you set up to day hike Katahdin and if you setup a resupply in the 100 mile wilderness the first few days is easy walking to get your trail legs and the second half will introduce you to what you are in for in the rest of Maine and northern NH.

4eyedbuzzard
02-19-2017, 09:35
Hi! I would love a recommendation for a 2 month long section hike ending at Katahdin. My husband and I are hoping to do a couple months on the trail in a couple years. (We may be able to stretch to 2.5 months but coming from Australia we can only stay up to 3 months with the visa)As others have suggested, the MA/VT border (Williamstown, MA) to Katahdin is just about exactly 600 miles. Going NOBO, you should start no earlier than June 1 nor finish any later than October 1. The best window, IMO, would be to start late-July with a late-September finish. Carrying a full (20-30 lbs pack), 8-10 miles per day average (factoring in zero days for resupply, rest, and weather delays) is reasonable for non thru-hiker fitness level. VT is moderate difficulty, but once past Glencliff, NH you are into repeated 3000+ foot climbs and descents on difficult terrain all the way through into western ME. It is the most difficult, and of course, one of the most beautiful parts of the AT.

Logistically, I'd recommend flying into Boston, and then take a bus (Peter Pan line) to Williamstown, MA to the start point. From Katahdin, you hitch or shuttle to Millinocket/Medway, and take the bus (Cyr line) from Medway to Bangor, then Greyhound or Concord Coach bus back to Boston.


We will both be approximately 48 years old at the time and we want to enjoy our time on the trail and not feel rushed. We are also both HUGE introverts and would prefer to not join the masses.This - not wanting to be around the masses part - may be a problem if other people are really a "HUGE" issue to you. Both the VT and especially the NH section are extremely popular places to hike. ME a bit less, but you'll never not have other hikers around in summer and early fall. You will be among other hikers, sometimes 100's, every day. Shelters and campgrounds will generally be pretty full if not overfilled, especially on weekends in in good weather. I doubt you will ever have a shelter/camp area without company. I've seen 100+ hikers having lunch on top of every major summit in the White Mountains on any fair weather day in summer and even early fall on weekends. Most are day hikers, but in July and August you'll be in the company of all the NOBO thru-hikers and section hikers as well, and also college outings in late August and early September. There really isn't any time of the year (in good weather) when the Whites are uncrowded. But, there really isn't any other time you can do this hike from a weather standpoint, unless you are considering hiking in winter conditions.

There is also the logistics of hiking the Presidential section of the Whites as well, as far as hut reservations go if you plan on using them. They are often booked up well in advance, especially on weekend nights. You may get a spot, especially earlier in the day if they have open spots, or if people cancel or don't show up. Try calling two or three days out when you have a better idea of when you will be able to arrive at a hut. Pay attention to weather! There are days even in the summer you simply can't hike the exposed sections above treeline. To avoid the huts, you can hike down below treeline and camp, but it adds vertical distance covered and a few miles. http://www.appalachiantrail.org/home/explore-the-trail/explore-by-state/New-Hampshire and http://www.outdoors.org/lodging-camping/ You may also have issues at Baxter State Park (Katahdin) getting a campsite inside the park (avoidable by camping just outside the park or staying in Millinocket). http://www.appalachiantrail.org/home/explore-the-trail/explore-by-state/Maine and http://www.baxterstateparkauthority.com/hiking/at.htm

bigcranky
02-19-2017, 09:56
We will both be approximately 48 years old at the time and we want to enjoy our time on the trail and not feel rushed. We are also both HUGE introverts and would prefer to not join the masses.


In my experience, the way to "not feel rushed" is to not have a specific end goal or a deadline to make it there. In your case, ending at Katahdin in 2 months is both, which would either give you the kick in the pants to get up every day and hike, or (if you were like me) it would add a layer of stress worrying about getting to the end on time.

Also, it's going to be difficult to find a section of the AT that is uncrowded during the best weather for that section. So, yes, would find the South a little less crowded in, say, August, but you wouldn't want to hike there that time of year. :)

What if you were to fly to Boston, take the train/bus to Maine, and start hiking either at Katahdin or in Monson, and hike south for two months? Then you could figure out a way to get back to Boston and fly home. (Even with two months of hiking, you won't really be any further from Boston than where you started. This will prove relatively easy.) If you start a southbound trip at Katahdin, you'll need two nights camping reservations at Baxter State Park, probably late June or early July, and you'll need to be in good enough shape to hike the Hundred Mile Wilderness before resupplying in Monson. The trail will be less crowded, though you will see other hikers every day (and many of them will be introverts! You could have an introvert party! says the extrovert guy married to a serious introvert). The beauty of this hike is that you can relax and not worry about making it to a specific place on deadline. You'll get the beauty of New England in the summer -- and man, it is truly stunning -- without having to make huge miles.

Alternative Hike: Start at Springer Mountain in Georgia on May 1. You'll be several weeks behind the crowd of northbound thru-hikers, though again, there will still be some hikers on the trail. This is an easier section in almost every way: the trail itself is easier, the logistics of resupply are easier, and it's pretty simple to get to the trail from the Atlanta airport by calling The Hiker Hostel and using their thru-hiker special in which they pick you up in Atlanta, give you a bed for the night, a great breakfast, and a ride to Springer for cheap. May in the South is just beautiful -- warm, sunny, plenty of water in the springs and streams, wild flowers, birds, etc. You could easily make it past Damascus into central Virginia by the end of June, then find public transport to Washington, DC to fly home. This is a very nice section, though I might be biased since I live nearby and it's the part of the trail I keep hiking. We don't have the views and the open mountaintops of New England, but we have a quiet, pleasant, and rewarding trail.

Good luck and enjoy the hike. If you have more questions, fire away.

colorado_rob
02-19-2017, 11:44
Two thoughts:

First, I agree, don't put undue pressure on yourself by picking a starting point further south then hiking north to Katahdin hoping for perfect timing. Why not start at Monson, hike north for 100 miles (the 100 mile wilderness), summit katahdin and descend, take the regular shuttle into Millinocket, stay at the AT lodge, hire a ride back down to Monson, stay at one of those excellent hostels (we used Shaw's), then start hiking south? Hike through the rest of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and into Massachusetts or wherever your exit time allows. tons of options for a cheap bus ride back to Boston and your flight home. this variation allows you to ease in to AT hiking in Maine, the 100 mile wilderness, at least after the first 30-40 miles, is fairly gentle compared to a lot of terrain up there.

The second thought: though the AT might be the most famous trail in the USA, it is nowhere near the most beautiful. How about doing a two-month section of the PCT (pacific crest trail in California), including the Sierra which would include the John Muir Trail, a trail some think is the single most beautiful trail in the USA? If you hike over 500 miles, you can get a pct long distance permit and not worry about a JMT permit, I think. Shorter flying time for you as I would suppose you come through LA or San Francisco into the USA anyway.

If you are adamant about the AT, at least you're on the right track as far as sections, the New England sections are the most interesting and beautiful.

eeyore
02-19-2017, 19:31
Thank you all so much, I really appreciate it. What an amazing amount of information. I think the best way to go is to pick a place to start and walk for 2 months. We end up where we end up and go from there. I am usually a huge planner so this will be good for me and add spontaneity to our trip. I will still plan the essentials but not have each nights destination mapped out months in advance. :) We can always go back another time to do more.

Thank you again.