View Full Version : Recommendation for 2 week hike in the U.S. Mid April/Early May
Hey hikers. I have had the pleasure of hiking the Long Trail and the JMT in the past few years, but this year I have some time to take off Mid-April to Mid-May for 2 weeks. Any recommendations? I would prefer warmth and have never really hiked this time of the year other than Shenandoah National Park. Does anyone have any recommendations? It doesn't have to be a full trail. I was tossing around the idea of a section of the Arizona Trail, but I didn't see too many reviews of sections that stood out to me as 2-week-manageable. Shenandoah is my stomping grounds so I could hike the AT plus a little bit there, but it wouldn't be "new". Any gems folks have come across that fit the 2 week bill in Spring?
MuddyWaters
02-08-2018, 04:10
Good time for ozark highlands
HooKooDooKu
02-08-2018, 11:01
Good time for the Grand Canyon before the heat of summer hits in late May.
I looked at that a little as an idea. Since it is 350 miles long I was looking for the "good" sections. Not many trip reports but a number mentioned a fair amount of road walking. Any section recommendations?
So I believe the grand canyon is on the AZ Trail. Have you heard anything about the sections before and after? The GC itself is prob 25 miles.
Are you talking about 2018? Will you have transportation to do a point to point hike? Or a start finish in the same location?
The north rim of the Grand Canyon may not be open during your time frame. Call the park for exact date.
March in Big Bend is nice. Except the third week which is Spring Break. Crowded.
Low snow year so far. 2 weeks on the PCT from Idyllwild?
Gila Wilderness in New Mexico?
Throw darts at a map. Go somewhere nobody mentions online. Be the first!
Wayne
dudeijuststarted
02-08-2018, 19:51
Anywhere on the AT is chilly, but I've hiked NJ-NY in that timeframe and had a blast. It was rainy but the daytime temps were moderate and the elevation is rarely high enough to keep you bundled up and hiding in your tent at night.
Are you talking about 2018? Will you have transportation to do a point to point hike? Or a start finish in the same location?
The north rim of the Grand Canyon may not be open during your time frame. Call the park for exact date.
March in Big Bend is nice. Except the third week which is Spring Break. Crowded.
Low snow year so far. 2 weeks on the PCT from Idyllwild?
Gila Wilderness in New Mexico?
Throw darts at a map. Go somewhere nobody mentions online. Be the first!
Wayne
That's helpful though- I didn't even know the Gil's Wilderness existed. When it comes to stuff in the SW/South I really only know the big names.
That's helpful though- I didn't even know the Gil's Wilderness existed. When it comes to stuff in the SW/South I really only know the big names.
Your welcome!
The CDT runs through the Gila Wilderness. Given the low snow levels so far this year, you might be able to hike for 2 weeks on the CDT farther north in New Mexico. Maybe around Cuba. You would have to talk to Rangers in the various National Forests.
Good luck!
Wayne
The Arizona Trail extends well beyond the Grand Canyon to Utah.
http://trekalong.com/blog/2014/01/02/why-the-azt-belongs-on-your-hiking-bucket-list/
Wayne
MuddyWaters
02-08-2018, 21:25
Or pinhoti
Or BMT
Gsmnp has 900 miles of trails
Even southern AT ifn you like lots of companionship...
Tuscarora parallels the AT near you...
Basically anywhere without snow
When I get back to the US in March I'm going to take a week to take a stroll somewhere. Though I'd like to inspect the trail conditions in Georgia in bubble....I don't think I'm going to go there.....
Pennsylvania's Mid State Trail would be good then, would still have water on the ridges in the south half starting April but stream crossings in the north would be manageable by early May. Say, guidebook sections 7 through 17 or 18 would be a nice two weeks. http://www.hike-mst.org/ Distance table for sections https://gishikemst.wordpress.com/2017/11/27/and-another-blog-post/
So I think after looking through everything I've seen I may pick the Ouachita Trail. It can be done in 2 weeks potentially, hits 2 states I've never been to, seems similar to the Ozarks Trail w/o as many ticks. Not a ton of info on it save a single book, a few trail journals, and a couple websites, but at least the east end is accessible by travel to Little Rock. Anyone ever pick this guy?
MuddyWaters
02-14-2018, 00:23
Get book. It has a couple dry stretches. I haven't done most of the Ouachita but I've got the book
Rain Man
02-14-2018, 14:20
In Tennessee, the Cumberland Trail.
In Kentucky, the Sheltowee Trace.
Might fit the bill?
Shutterbug
02-16-2018, 12:22
The Arizona Trail extends well beyond the Grand Canyon to Utah.
http://trekalong.com/blog/2014/01/02/why-the-azt-belongs-on-your-hiking-bucket-list/
Wayne
I don't know how it will be this year, but I did a rim2rim2rim of the Grand Canyon in late April 2017. There was still a lot of snow on the North Rim and north on the AZT. I met two different hikers who were doing the Arizona Trail. Both of them got snowed in north of the Grand Canyon and had to take refuge in a cabin. You will need to check this year's snow levels before committing to hiking north of the Grand Canyon on the AZ Trail in late April or early May.
By the way, it is snowing there now. I am in Arizona for the winter. Until this week, there has not been much snow. It has been raining in the low lands and snowing in the mountains for the last three days. When there is 2 inches of rain in Tucson, there are usually several feet of snow on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
Many thanks. The North Rim is snow country. That’s not a well known fact.
Wayne
Siestita
02-16-2018, 14:07
"In Tennessee, the Cumberland Trail.
In Kentucky, the Sheltowee Trace.
Might fit the bill?"
Yes, being lower in elevation those would be considerably warmer than parts of the AT typically are at that time of year, mid-April to early May.
I've section hiked all of the Sheltowee Trace and a little bit of the Cumberland Trail. Situated within the Daniel Boone National Forest, and in recent years also partly within the Big South Fork National Recreation Area, the Sheltowee Trace was created by the Forest Service during the late 1970s. They have done much signage and trail maintenance since then. The Cumberland Trail was initiated more recently. It is still a "work in progress", with extensive sections not yet completed.
Along the Sheltowee Trace the wild places are typically located in creek and river gorges, or occasionally up on ridge tops. There are many attractive streams, cliff lines, and rock formations such as shelter caves and natural bridges. I especially like the southern half of the 320 mile long Sheltowee Trace.
https://www.sheltoweetrace.com/
http://www.sheltoweetrace.org/e2e---thru-hiker-info.html
Booked flights for Ouachita Trail. Once I finish it I'll post a trip report with some logistics since there aren't too many. I grabbed the Tim Ernst book, but honestly there appears to be more up to date info online. I may change my tune though because he is crazy detailed regarding the direction of the trail. Seems Overkill to me since it is a blazed trail with a marker every mile, but we'll see.
MuddyWaters
03-19-2018, 14:53
I xerox ernsts guides, then scan as pdf and store in my phone. Write any pertinent info on xeroxed maps. Download gpx file of trail and use with backcountry navigator for position checking. Have fun.
You don't need 98% of his descriptive information. But he hides the little nuggets like dry stretches and such in the bulk. He is exceedingly wordy. It's worth perusing while in your tent at night before going to sleep just to see what's coming up the next day. But generally all you need to hike is just look down at your feet. Follow the trail...
That's a great hike. I completed it in May 2016. I carried the map pages and way points from the guide. Along with Guthook, that was all I needed. The trail is mostly well marked and maintained. There were only two spots where I was "lost" but not seriously, once where the trail follows a pipeline right of way: the trail left the ROW and was unmarked and overgrown. The second was searching for the Penny Campsite. A logging operation had pushed slash piles up along the side trail and it was impossible to navigate.
Prepare for ticks. They were extremely thick when I hiked, and I have seen ticks active every month of the year here. It just doesn't get cold enough for long enough to knock them back. Good luck!
That's a great hike. I completed it in May 2016. I carried the map pages and way points from the guide. Along with Guthook, that was all I needed. The trail is mostly well marked and maintained. There were only two spots where I was "lost" but not seriously, once where the trail follows a pipeline right of way: the trail left the ROW and was unmarked and overgrown. The second was searching for the Penny Campsite. A logging operation had pushed slash piles up along the side trail and it was impossible to navigate.
Prepare for ticks. They were extremely thick when I hiked, and I have seen ticks active every month of the year here. It just doesn't get cold enough for long enough to knock them back. Good luck!
Thanks for the heads up. I am going to soak my daytime clothes in permetherin and see how that goes and do the nighttime check. Reading the few trail journals I could find seemed to show a mixed bag of ticks March and April.
I'm going to hike east since it is easier to get off the trail in Little Rock and I only have 2 weeks of vacation so I don't want to futz around hitching at the other end.
Only time I’ve been lost was a short stint in Pennsylvania.
The darn “non-trail” had a white blaze ...
Guthook and my phone GPS showed me the real trail within a hundred yards.