Section Hiking Methodology

[JPritch]

For those of you who have sectioned the trail or done a large chunk of it, how did your actual execution of it differ from your initial plan, and would you change anything about how you hiked the trail?

Reason I ask, when I started out, I wanted to do as "pure" a section hike as possible - starting in Springer and always picking up where I last left off, in order to experience the trail as closely to doing an actual thru as I could. That kind of morphed into having concurrent sections going on, one from GA-NC-TN and the other in VA because it's in my backyard and I could knock it out at times when I couldn't make the trip further South.

I now have a few gaps in my hike, and I'm hitting areas that just don't make sense for a quick trip. From paying for a shuttle for a really short section to lack of access points that would work for a quick weekend trip.

So now the temptation is to just go and do what and where I can. I know the whole experience is unique to every individual, but wondering from those who have been there and done that...any regrets in a patchwork section hike? Any tips to get the most out of the experience as possible?

Thank You

[FlyPaper]

For those of you who have sectioned the trail or done a large chunk of it, how did your actual execution of it differ from your initial plan, and would you change anything about how you hiked the trail?

Reason I ask, when I started out, I wanted to do as "pure" a section hike as possible - starting in Springer and always picking up where I last left off, in order to experience the trail as closely to doing an actual thru as I could. That kind of morphed into having concurrent sections going on, one from GA-NC-TN and the other in VA because it's in my backyard and I could knock it out at times when I couldn't make the trip further South.

I now have a few gaps in my hike, and I'm hitting areas that just don't make sense for a quick trip. From paying for a shuttle for a really short section to lack of access points that would work for a quick weekend trip.

So now the temptation is to just go and do what and where I can. I know the whole experience is unique to every individual, but wondering from those who have been there and done that...any regrets in a patchwork section hike? Any tips to get the most out of the experience as possible?

Thank You

I've done more of a patchwork, although I recently completed all gaps and now have a contiguous section of 1265 miles. Some of the gaps were tough to fill in due to their shortness (e.g. 6.5 miles). Early on it became evident that although a patchwork wasn't bad, it would be useful to plan ahead to avoid silly short sections and difficult access points. That has largely worked out okay, although a few times other people joining my hike have had to cut it short and wound up leaving me missing a short section that would be difficult to fill in later. That is how I was left with 6.5 miles in the middle of nowhere.

In that case, I just planned a quick day hike on the way driving to another hike.

Overall, it is a trade off. Being a purest has an obvious advantage in that you keep things contiguous. But it means you might have to access the trail at remote places (and if you extract from a remote place you have to return to that remote place to restart the next time). Also, it might mean you have to hike in the middle of the thru-hiking bubble.

By allowing yourself to do discontinguous sections, you can avoid crowds, avoid the wrong seasons. Also you can pick your direction for each section so you do less uphill, align camp spots better with your travel plans, etc.

If you hike alone or with one other person, doing the contiguous thing might be easier. If you tend to hike with 4 or 5 others, the flexibility of discontiguous hiking is more worth having.

While it might seem like a disproportionate effort to fill in a short gap (shuttle cost, travel time, etc), it feels really good to mark those sections off once you're done.

[Pringles]

I’ve done a bit over 40% of the trail. I did want to do it, as you suggested, from one end to the other in order, but that didn’t exactly happen. Other opportunities arose and I jumped on the trail here there and everywhere. When I start a section, I walk across the road or parking lot to the previous or next link, then go do the section I’m starting, to assure myself that I’ve done the whole section. By not being too controlling about how I do my sections, I’ve seen different parts of the trail at different times of the year, which I might not have done if I insisted on going totally NOBO or SOBO. I don’t know if I’ll ever finish, but I hear it’s the journey, not the destination.

[JNI64]

I'm in the exact same situation. I've section hiked over 800 miles so far and when I started out had the same mentality. Oh I'll start in Hf. And countinluy section every mile every blaze all the way to Springer. Well I have a few gaps as well and me personally I don't care as some gets quite boring no views no overlooks just a green tunnel. I now realize it's just getting out there for a week or so and doing what I can matters more then some bragging rights. Please no offense to anyone just my 2 cents.

[Slo-go'en]

Leaving gaps gives you a reason to go back and do a section again. It's taken me a long time to fill in some of the gaps. If I do leave a gap, I try to make sure it's a significant distance to make it worth while going back to. Having to travel a long distance to fill in a couple of miles which might have been skipped for some reason doesn't seem to be worth the effort. Or make it part of a much larger repeat of the area in question.

[QuietStorm]

I started hiking the AT in June, 2016. I didn't start out intending to hike the whole trail but got hooked. I work full-time, so I hiked mostly on weekends. I avoided gaps. I live in Maryland, so going north and south at the same time was easier. Maryland (2016), Pennsylvania (2016-17), W. Virginia (2017), Virginia (2017-18), New Jersey (2017), New York (2017), Connecticut (2017), Massachusetts (2017), Tennessee/NC (2018), Vermont (2018), Georgia (2018), New Hampshire (2019), Maine up to Stratton (2019)

I did everything but New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and southern Maine on weekends (the Smokies on a long weekend).

For weekend hikes, I drove after work on Friday, caught a few hours sleep either on the way or at the trailhead, met my shuttle driver, hiked Saturday and usually half or so of Sunday, and then drove back Sunday afternoon-evening. Went to work on Monday.

The only regret I have is waiting for hiking weather in Maine so I can finish. If not for the ferocious winters in Maine I would be done by now. Heading back to finish on June 27th.

[Pastor Bryon]

I'm doing a patchwork style as well. Most of my miles have been in Virginia.

One thing I've done is make sure I finish a state each year, so I feel like I've accomplished something. That has helped me quite a bit the past few years. I still have gaps, but I've also completed something.

[JPritch]

it would be useful to plan ahead to avoid silly short sections and difficult access points.

If I do leave a gap, I try to make sure it's a significant distance to make it worth while going back to. Having to travel a long distance to fill in a couple of miles which might have been skipped for some reason doesn't seem to be worth the effort.

So obvious, but great advice. Honestly, I've only ever planned for my current trip and never paid attention to what that leaves me to work with on my next trip.

I definitely echo the sentiments about the journey over the destination. Hopefully in the end the fact that I went SOBO a few times, or had to go back to fill in a gap will be inconsequential.
Great advice and insights guys, thanks and keep 'em coming!

[perrymk]

I am planning a section thru hike of the AT. That is, I plan to hike 14-16 days of each month, then spend 10 or so days at home taking care of stuff. The remaining time is driving to/from the trail. Maybe it gets done in a year, maybe it takes longer. Hence”section thru” hike.

Something I learned section day hiking the Florida Trail. Do the farthest sections first. The long drives are the hard part for me so looking forward to shorter drives each time will be mentally helpful for me. That said, if there is a snowstorm up north and mild weather in Georgia I plan to go out of sequence and hike the mild weather.

Hopefully I will begin June 2021 when I retire.

[1azarus]

I section hiked it all over 6 years. I really liked hiking the direction and location that made the most sense given the amount of time I had and the season. Highlights: great to hike Pennsylvania rocks with a bit of snow cover. Great to hike the southern sections in the winter. Great to hike anywhere in the Fall.

[carouselambra]

I have section hiked about 800 miles in the past five years. I have not hiked contiguous, but worked to make sure that my gaps were at least thirty miles so they were at least long enough for a weekend hike. I plan on finishing Newfound Gap to Amicalola in 2020/21 and that will give me to Harper's Ferry. My other concentration in the next few years will be the Pennsylvania rocks and the Whites, thinking that if I want to position myself to finish section hiking the whole trail, the younger I am when I attempt those sections, the better.

[Alligator]

No regrets with the patchwork nature of the hike. Way more interesting than an ordered hike, which I too thought about for perhaps 5 minutes.

Tips-When skipping around, take a good look at how you might hike the adjacent sections. If you leave yourself at a deep endpoint, you will be going back there again as a start or finish point. Plan out some of the adjacent sections to judge if you are leaving reasonable time frames to hike them. For instance, is leaving a five day hike between two sections reasonable for your vacation schedule. You don't want a two day hike 600 miles away as another example. Hike in all seasons, and put your seasonal hiking speed to good use to fill in chunks. I hiked through Shenandoah NP in different seasons and this made splitting it up more manageable. Short stretches make for good winter sections.

[Deadeye]

Patchwork hiker here, not particularly concerned with hitting every white blaze, and certainly don't care about the order. IMHO, the best time and place to go hiking is whenever and wherever you can. I don't really care about anyone else's concept of the "right way" to do a hike. I'm also at a point in life where i doubt a thru of any of the triple crown is in the cards. I'd be plenty happy with 2-6 weeks, a couple times a year, in the best weather for the locale.

[The Kisco Kid]

I just hit the trail when the timing was right. There's a lot of logistics involved in section hiking. I wouldn't make it harder on yourself by constricting how you make your miles. I just made sure to leave the last 100 miles in Maine for the very end.

I think for the mental aspect, it's great to concentrate on knocking off specific states and then move on.
In June I hiked in the south, later in the summer northern New England.

A big plus to section hiking is the ability to dodge the bubble. You can have the trail to yourself as a section hiker.

[RockDoc]

I think enjoyment should be the priority, not necessarily completing the trail.

I did 1000 miles back in the 1970's, and then it took a few decades for me to do the rest of the AT. I was more interested in repeating the fun sections, than just logging miles to "get it done". So I did multiple trips to Maine, and Maryland, and Shenandoah... had a great time. Finally I got it together and finished the trail in my late '50's. But I don't think it's important to finish the trail. Let's face it, nobody else cares!

I think that enjoyment is important, how ever you want to achieve that... it is about the journey not the destination.

[Slo-go'en]

Basically I've split my sections up by where the nearist bus station to the trail is located. But I've had the advantage of being able to go out for up to 8 weeks at a time, so that allows doing large sections.

[tiptoe]

Another patchworker here, both in direction and in part of the country. At first, when I was still employed, it was pretty much 2-3 week segments with start and end points chosen for access to public transportation. I fell into a general pattern of going outbound from my home state (Connecticut), with some hikes northbound and others southbound. By 2011 I had done from Harpers Ferry to Pinkham Notch. I wasn't getting any younger (who is?) and decided to concentrate on the northern end of the trail, then finish up in the South at a later date. Fate intervened. Breaking an ankle in the Wildcats took me off trail for about a year and a half. After I retired in 2012, I hiked Harpers Ferry to Amicalola in big chunks, then finished the northern trail in a couple of years. Didn't summit the big K the first time, but I made it the following year.

Like other posters, I found the whole experience memorable and very satisfying. The older and slower I got, the more grateful I was just to be out there.

[Dogwood]

Depends on the ultimate goal as section hiker. Not all section hikers have it as their ultimate goal to complete a trail end to end. For example, been to GSMNP and S NP upwards of 25 X. Those hikes may have incorporated some or all of the AT but it might not have been necessary. Florida Tr I've only been interested in doing picked sections with absolutely no desire to go end to end. Other trails it's usually an end to end and beyond agenda or nothing.

[peakbagger]

Patchwork most of the way. I did half the trail before I decided I wanted to finish it. I had a hurricane come through one year and had to do a quick change in sections while I was literally driving south (hurricane was supposed to turn offshore and changed track inland overnight). I did have a few relocations and closed sections of trail over 10 years. I ended up doing a pick up hike to clean them up. If at all possible I worked around the bubble to avoid it.It was rare that we didnt have shelters to ourselves. I did have a few soggy early spring sections up north but did a lot of the south in the fall. I did do a five week stretch from the south gate of SNP to Damascus one spring but after that went back to one or two week stretches.

I did a lot of the trail with a couple of folks. A friend had half the trail under his belt and some good contacts for shuttles in PA. We would drop a car off and get a traditional shuttle back. On a couple of trips we even stashed a resupply bucket to cut down on pack weight. In 2002 me and another friend took two cars down and did cars spots for 5 weeks through much of VA, we got a lot of miles in as we never took a full day off but did take a town night every 4 or 5 days. We would plan the last day of the backpack so we got going very early and then got to the car around lunch. The rest of the day was resupply moving cars restaurant food and a motel or hostel. Next morning we were hiking again. After that we took two cars down for one week stretches and on the pick up trip we took one car and did key swapping. We both had econoboxes and the cost of gas from Northern NH was about what we might pay a shuttle driver. By having our own cars we got in more miles in a trip as we didnt have to wait around for a shuttle and resupplied from the trunk. We also got to see a lot more of the surrounding country, while folks were hiking down the green tunnel we got to check out a lot of real rural forest service roads and got far enough away from the trail to see a lot of places that hikers didnt know existed.

I dont think I ever would have done the trail solo. Since I tried to hike outside the bubble I really didnt try to synch into the thru hiker attitude. I encourage you to look and ask around to see if there is someone else with the same goals you have and try a one week section hike. Unless its a total mismatch you will figure it out after day or two. and by the end of the section you will know if you want to do another section. Realistically you dont even need to live near each other with the tow car method. I ran into various section partners that just got together to hike and then went their separate ways the rest of the year. BTW during the majority of out hikes we didnt share gear, we were both self sufficent and planned our own meals. My friend switched to an alcohol stove but I stuck with a Pocket Rocket.

[Traffic Jam]

No methodology for me. I hike the places that appeal to me at that moment. I’m guided by my feelings and what sounds fun...definitely don’t ascribe to a structured plan. The Best Plan is No Plan, (thanks Hikerboy), and I have to agree. Giving up control and going where life takes you is an incredible experience.

[JPritch]

Man, I'm loving the advice, stories and experiences!

Peakbagger - that 5 week car hopping trip through VA sounds epic!

[4eyedbuzzard]

I've got a mess of a patchwork. Over the years I hiked what was readily available without paying any attention to gaps. Mostly, I parked at the end point and hitchhiked back to the start so far as logistics goes. My first hike on the AT was in 1968 at age 12 with my uncle and his family - all of GSMNP. Then with uncle's BSA troop Delaware Water Gap to Bear Mountain (1972 - 1973 - two trips). Then on my own, Franconia to Gorham (1974). Springer to Damascus (aborted thru-hike 1976). Luray to Waynesboro (1982). Luray to Harpers Ferry (1985). Then other than overnights and weekends with the kids in PA and NJ, I didn't hike any distance for many years until moving to NH. Started hiking again in 2002 or so. Williamstown to Gorham in 2 to 3 day weekends (2002 - 2005). Then got injured and couldn't hike for 4 years or so. Back to hiking locally in the Whites and VT - "runnin' over the same old ground" and filling in local gaps (2008 - 2012). Moving to Texas due to job has chilled hiking the AT the last few years except for a repeat section in the Whites with my daughter, but I hiked about half of the Ouachita Trail in OK and AR over the last few years. I'm planning on a NOBO section starting in Damascus when I retire, trying to pick up where I quit back in '76. The larger sections I'm missing are in VA and ME, with some shorter ones in PA, NY, CT, and MA. That should keep me busy for a couple of years of section hiking. Any plan I come up with will center on hiking in the best season temperature wise for the given section and like others have noted I'll keep an eye on the weather.

[peakbagger]

Funny thing was we could have kept going after 5 weeks but we both agreed we preferred one or two week sections and that is how we did everything south of Damascus After a week or so it started to turn into a "job".

[MtDoraDave]

I didn't start my journey thinking I would be doing a nobo section hike of the entire AT.

Based on a suggestion from a guy at an outfitter down here, I started at the NOC and hiked to Clingman's dome for my first ever section hike on the AT. After that one, I decided to start at the beginning and do it one section at a time.
Various things have happened to prevent my journey from happening smoothly and sequentially, but rather than skip small sections, what I have done is to overlap and double some parts. I have even done some parts SOBO. While I may be officially at mile 750 (ish), I have hiked closer to 850 miles of the AT.

The patch or official designation we will get when we have hiked the entirety of the AT is "2000 miler" as opposed to "Thru-hiker" … so if a small section is skipped, you will still likely have hiked at least 2000 miles since the AT is closer to 2200 miles than 2000.

I like the Shakespeare quote "To thyne own self be true". From what I understand, the ATC gives out patches and documents thru hikers and 2000 milers based on the honor system.

[tiptoe]

Another factor in my planning, not mentioned in my earlier post, was to hike during relatively warm weather, and at a time when there would be other hikers on the trail, but not mobs of other hikers. This last was for two reasons: safety and the opportunity to meet people and chat.

[ldsailor]

I started hiking in 2016 after retiring. I had never hiked or camped before and was looking for something to do. I started at Springer with a partner; although we parted after a few days. Not really knowing what I was doing I thought I would hike a couple of weeks, go home and that would be the end of it. I hiked 532 miles that first year. I was hooked. In total, I have hiked 1,925 miles through 2019. I was supposed to finish last year but I got hurt and had to leave the trail in Maine after only 50 miles.

All my LASH's have been NOBO and consecutive sections. I've not skipped around at all. If I stay healthy this year, I'll finish the last 265 miles in Maine. I've always considered it climactic to summit Mt Katahdin at the end of my hike and I wouldn't do it any other way.

[MtDoraDave]

I tend to do my section hikes when my business partner is taking vacation. It works better for the business if we both take off at the same time. So my sections have been whenever his son is on spring break (usually the end of March or early April), the last week of June, and Thanksgiving.

The end of March can either be chilly or quite cold. Depends on if a front comes through or not. I hiked in 6 inches of snow in the Smokies the third week of March a few years ago because a Nor'easter came through. Depending on how far south I am during this time period dictates how many thru hikers I get to share my section of the journey with.

Last week of June can be nice, or it can be uncomfortably hot. Since I'm only a third of the way through this trail, in mid Virginia, last June, there were handfuls of thru hiker stragglers around. It wasn't lonely, but it wasn't anywhere close to crowded. Also, it's the beginning of tick season, so I thoroughly treat everything with permethrin; it keeps mosquitos and flies away, too.

November, Thanksgiving week, the trail is as empty as I've seen it. I did my sobo trip of 85 miles into Damascus a few years back (I had skipped ahead to avoid the smoke and fires that were going on in NC and TN) and I would be lucky to see one hiker a day. That particular section had very large sections with no cell coverage, so I decided not to do anymore Thanksgiving week hikes by myself (solo) anymore. I got spooked when I tripped on a root and realized that if I got hurt with nobody around and no cell signal, it would be quite unpleasant.

[sore ankle]

I am another patchwork-type hiker. I started in 2005 with a trip to the SNP with my son and 3 of his friends, and have managed to piece together nearly 1900 miles. Shortest gap I ever had to fill in was the 33 miles south of Uncle Johnny's that I had to skip due to a hiking buddy's injury. I went back later and did that piece and was planning to do more further up the trail but got called home for personal reasons. Completed Clingman's - Hot Springs last May, my last southern section, and went through the Whites in August. Note: If you can afford it, go hut to hut. It is pricy but worth it, especially the food. So far I have hiked about 70% NB and 30% SB and have a little of NH and all of ME to go. In hindsight I should probably have headed to New England before completing the Mid-Atlantic states as I am not getting any younger. To summarize, I think the advantages of section-hiking are 1) you can pick the time of year you go; 2) you can tailor your gear needs and thus pack weight depending on the time of year; 3) you can pick what part of the trail you want to do next; and 4) you can pick which direction you want to hike. Taking every section in order geographically eliminates the last two advantages.

[BillyGr]

If you wind up with a short section (for instance the 6.5 miles mentioned in the second post, or possibly even less), one option to save on trying to get rides and having a very short hike would be to do it "double" - that is start at one end, hike to the other and then walk back the same trail to your vehicle at the start point.

That way, no ride costs, and it makes the hike a more decent length for a day hike (in that situation 13 miles vs. 6.5).

This could also work with a section where the end point(s) are not easily accessible, if there was a point in the middle (or elsewhere in between) that was more easy to get to.

[Carl7]

I started backpacking my AT sections SOBO in 1981 with 82 miles left to go. The longest section was 6 weeks but was mostly weekend to 2 week long sections over a lot of time.

I backpacked about 50% of the trail in random order but SOBO. However, the memories I have of those random sections are like a hodgepodge of memories now in my mind. I have much more meaningful trail memories of the sections I hiked in consecutive order, picking up where I previously left off.

However, as I have learned with age, any trail time is good time. Direction, section, season, weather, alone, with a group, etc. don't matter as much as just being on trail, any trail.

Carl

[u.w.]

For those of you who have sectioned the trail or done a large chunk of it, how did your actual execution of it differ from your initial plan, and would you change anything about how you hiked the trail?

Thank You

My execution didn't really differ from my plan because I didn't really have any plan on how to do it, except to kind of "go with the flow" as much as I could. i.e. Not try to "swim against the current".

What I mean is, if the majority of the folks in that area/section, at that time of year, were going to be hiking nobo - I'd do that section nobo, and vise versa.
For sure, that I would definitely do that the same again. I did not let the mountains/climbs dictate what direction i went. I stopped caring about how many or how big the ups were pretty early on. They were part of the trail, I wanted to hike the trail, that was enough and fine.
It took me about three years to section the whole trail. I did it more or less nobo. I did maintain a full time job while doing so.
I say "more or less", because I did about half of VA first, due to living here. Doing a handful of "little" out and backs kind of local first, was nice, and I learned a lot. Then I stated sectioning in earnest when I went down to Franklin/Winding Stair Gap and got shuttled down to Amicalola Falls State Park. There were a lot of firsts on that hike, lol.

So, having done it now - would I do it differently?

Great question by the way.

I think I might try to go to the farthest places first and work my way back closer to "home" with each section. I intentionally say "might" though, because I really like how it all turned out in the end.

I do remember thinking though, on my couple of drives up to NH/ME, that I wish I had done those already - BUT - those are also my two favorite states in regards to the actual trail, sooooo there'something to be said maybe for "saving the best for last" too..

I wish you the best of luck and experiences with your sectioning and eventual completion of the entire trail! I had a flood of emotions and reflection(s) on my last section and day...,
And while I did complete the entire trail including the approach, I am in no way done, or finished hiking.

willin'

[greentick]

*Mostly* contiguous section hiker, though the direction of travel usually would be dictated by whatever was easiest to get home after hiking. We started in 2005. The first few years I lived in N GA and we would base out of my house and self shuttle. In 2008 I moved to SE GA and the majority of our group lives here or a bit further South. We started carpooling and using a shuttle. Hikes were 2-7 days. Some years we haven't hiked. Some years we get together and hike somewhere else and some years we re-do sections because someone missed it and it was a good section. To us, it's more the camaraderie with a good portion of feeling good if we push ourselves. We have about 400 or so AT miles done. We don't necessarily have a goal to finish the whole thing though we wouldn't mind getting to Damascus and finishing out the "south" AT. After that travel times become an issue.

We always love being out, rain or shine, hot or cold, light or dark, sick - meh, snow - whatever. We've always had the attitude of "we've planned this hike for a long time and it's happening, no matter what." Juggling around jobs, kids (between 3 of us, we've had 15 kids in this timeframe), deployments (a lot of military), surgeries, relocations etc. When we get together and hike it's on. S#itty conditions just mean it's more memorable lol. Great memories. HYOH definitely in effect.

[lonehiker]

It depends upon your goals. Mine is to section hike the triple crown. So, I start where I stopped at roughly the same date as when I finished (give or take a few days) going the same direction. The CDT being the exception as it has morphed into a section flip-flop. Go with what works for you.

[Astro]

Started at Springer and gone NOBO pretty much except recently in NH and ME. Completed 2025 miles, and first gap was in VT when I had to go in to Rutland to replace my phone and still be in Hanover by a certain date. But I picked that up this past summer. Have gone SOBO sometimes when slack packing. This summer the plan is to complete the AT with section from Pinkham Notch to Grafton Notch and then Monson to Mt Katahdin.


Biggest driving factor of where to end a section was logistics of where easy to leave and pick up next time. I have done quite a few different things: drop off/pick up by family, bus, train, plane, and driving my car and shuttling (or rental car) back to to it. Like with most things there are tradeoffs and you just need to figure what works out best for you in that situation. Thinking back on it what Baltimore Jack told me is true, thru hiking is a lot easier. Just start walking and keep going till you finish. Section hikers have to get their trail legs back every time, and then you have logistics to work out for every section.

[Pringles]

I forgot to mention that a long time ago, I picked up one of those folding park service maps of the AT. It’s in my office, on the wall. When I finish another section, big or small, I highlight that section. Sometimes it’s just a little dot, but I always get to highlight something, and for me, it’s a meaningful occasion. I also have a Databook from one of my early years. I highlight the sections that I have completed and keep a running tally of the number of miles done in each state, and the total. Again, sometimes I’m recording a tiny segment, but if I record it, it’s one I earned. I have some newer Databooks, and the trail is always evolving, but for as long as I’ve been collecting miles, the two end points have remained the same, so it’s close enough for me. Recoding the information in the Databook is also a tiny celebration for me. Sometimes, it’s just a smile, but an earned one.

[FlyPaper]

I forgot to mention that a long time ago, I picked up one of those folding park service maps of the AT. It’s in my office, on the wall. When I finish another section, big or small, I highlight that section. Sometimes it’s just a little dot, but I always get to highlight something, and for me, it’s a meaningful occasion. I also have a Databook from one of my early years. I highlight the sections that I have completed and keep a running tally of the number of miles done in each state, and the total. Again, sometimes I’m recording a tiny segment, but if I record it, it’s one I earned. I have some newer Databooks, and the trail is always evolving, but for as long as I’ve been collecting miles, the two end points have remained the same, so it’s close enough for me. Recoding the information in the Databook is also a tiny celebration for me. Sometimes, it’s just a smile, but an earned one.

I always look forward to logging another section on atdist.com (e.g. https://www.atdist.com/atdist?k1=JV&k2=KC&h=2afed10c&year=2020)

Amazing amount of satisfaction you get from one simple mouse click when you've completed a new section, especially when it fills in a gap.

[greenpete]

...any regrets in a patchwork section hike? Any tips to get the most out of the experience as possible?


Regrets: None. I started out like you, wanting to do a seamless NOBO flow of sections. Then I discovered, as an oldster who has other hobbies and travel interests, I may never complete the entire AT. So I chose to do just the most scenic and/or pleasant AT sections. I'm glad, because now I'm not interested in Pennsylvania (which I hear is uncomfortably rocky), or the Smokies (which I hear is uncomfortably wet). Which leads me to...

Tips: Don't limit yourself to the AT. Enjoy some different geography other than eastern U.S. I've done the John Muir Trail, a Montana/Idaho piece of the CDT (where I had practically the whole trail to myself), and a beautiful section in western Scotland. This might violate contemporary AT "groupthink," but as wonderful as our AT is, too many folks think they have to do THRU...or...get as close to THRU as possible.

Just go out and enjoy yourself in god's green earth, while there's still some green. (Greenpete)

"Wilderness is where things work the way they're supposed to work." (Walkin' Jim Stoltz)

[tagg]

I've been section hiking since 2009, have completed a little over 1300 miles, and have done them all in a continuous NOBO direction. The first few years I did 5-7 night trips, but since then have been doing one 10 night section each year. Picking up where I left off and always heading north makes trip planning simple because I just pick the easiest access point that's 150-200 miles from my starting point and end it there. I met another hiker when I was going through the Smokies at the same time as me who was doing the same thing and hiking the same mileage as me every day, so ever since then we've been taking our trips together and driving two cars, which makes planning super easy. Now that we're up in NJ, we'll probably stop driving two cars (I live in SC and he lives in GA) which will add an element to planning.

I've often thought that it would have been nice to have started in Maine so that I'd be walking towards home every year making transportation to and from the trail easier and easier, but in hindsight that probably wouldn't have been the best idea. When I started at Springer, I had never done any long distance backpacking and hadn't camped out more than a couple of nights. Springer is within a few hours of where I live, so as a newbie it was nice to be close to home in case I needed something or decided it wasn't for me. I didn't need anything on that trip, but it was nice knowing I wasn't that far from home. Over the years I have gained a lot of experience and feel confident with what the trail is going to give me and my ability to go with the flow, but having to figure out transportation issues along with figuring out newb issues would have made things more difficult on my first trip. So my advice on where to start would depend on your experience level. Little to no experience like I had...start on a section closest to where you live. Experienced...start wherever you want because flexibility is one of the best things about being a section hiker.

[illabelle]

My husband and I did our first section in November 2010 for our 20th anniversary. We'll finish the trail this year, on Election Day, November 3, 2020, for our 30th anniversary. This old girl will turn in an absentee ballot.

Direction doesn't matter to me, but finishing does. We have driven to everything from Springer to PenMar (mostly long weekends), and flown from PenMar to Katahdin (7-12 day sections).

In 2018 we drove up to northern VA (7 hours one way) to close up three gaps: 11+ miles just north of SNP that we had aborted due to illness on a previous trip, 1.5 miles between road crossings in SNP before we knew what we were doing, and 6.5 miles in central VA that we carved off of a larger future piece to cut it down to weekend-size.

Early on in our ten-year journey, I identified key points in the northern states that were about 75-ish miles apart. That became the template going forward. So Pennsylvania became PenMar to Duncannon, Duncannon to Port Clinton, and Port Clinton to DWG. Pick a section, determine the preferred direction, where to fly to, approximate daily endpoints, arrange transport, plan food, pack, go.

We sometimes used a rental car, which is great to carry clean clothes, food resupply, or to drive to town.

I carefully plan the longer trips so that we don't leave unplanned gaps. The gaps we have left, except for one, are all planned. (The unplanned slack occurred because of terrible strong winds when we did the Whites (hut to hut), and we were strongly advised not to proceed. To avoid screwing up our hut reservations, we went down a side trail from Madison, and came up a side trail at Lakes of the Clouds.)

This year we'll complete several slacks in NH/ME, backpack through the Wildcats and Mahoosucs, and then finish the last piece, a 21-mile stretch in TN that we've saved for last. We'll be making two trips to NH/ME, the first including most of the more difficult miles so that we can use the second trip to clean up. The second trip will be very slow, shelter-to-shelter in the Mahoosucs, which hopefully gives us the flexibility to adjust to difficulties without missing our flights home, or leaving orphaned miles unfinished.

[Captain Panda]

I've done two 850 mile sections in 2016 and 2018. In 2016, I intended to do a thru hike, but became a section hiker due to injury, and had to head home. For me, I have the time, and enjoy doing longer sections. It takes a while to get your hiker legs, and for me short sections never get me to that level of hiker fitness. Also, what I like most about the trail are the people, and the relationships that you develop over time. When you are doing long sections, you become accepted, and thought of as just one more of the hiker trash. It's a totally different mind set than being out for 1-2 weeks. I have done many short sections over the years, but repeated all of them during my long hikes.

[steve_zavocki]

I have also hiked patchwork. At one point, I had 12 different individual pieces. I currently have 8 spread over the whole trail. As said, it is very satisfying to connect two pieces together to make one larger one.

My rules are that I will hike every single mile, but the direction is not important. If I have a choice, I will choose the easiest, for example, I ended two separate hikes at the NOC, so I never climbed out of it.

I keep track of everything on a spreadsheet. I am currently 43% done. The only states I haven't hike in are Maine, Vermont, Maryland, and WV.

Next up is 30 or 39 miles in PA, while visiting family.

My breakdown looks like this:


Percentage By State
4 of 15




Georgia
78.1
78.1
100.00%


North Carolina Only
96.4
96.4
100.00%


NC/TN Border
169.2
217.7
77.72%


Tennessee Only
74.6
74.6
100.00%


Virginia
128.6
541.3
23.76%


West Virginia
0.0
17.4
0.00%


Maryland
0.0
40.9
0.00%


Pennsylvania
61.2
229.2
26.70%


New Jersey
42.5
72.2
58.86%


New York
53.0
89.8
59.02%


Connecticut
50.5
50.5
100.00%


Massachusetts
44.0
90.4
48.67%


Vermont
0.0
150.7
0.00%


New Hampshire
144.6
161.0
89.81%


Maine
0.0
281.8
0.00%

[LittleRock]

I'm starting year 10 of a roughly 15-year plan to complete the trail in contiguous NOBO sections. I've finished over 1200 miles so far, from Springer up through Port Clinton, PA. I've started every section solo but there have been a few times when I've ended with a "partner" (usually another section hiker) that I ran into on trail. The sections I've completed so far are:

October 2011 - Springer to Deep Gap, NC (7 days, 85 miles)
October 2012 - Deep Gap, NC to Standing Bear Farm (13 days, 156 miles)
October 2013 - Standing Bear Farm to Hampton, TN (14 days, 179 miles)
October 2014 - Hampton, TN to VA 603/Fox Creek (7 days, 92 miles)
October 2015 - VA 603/Fox Creek to Woods Hole Hostel (9 days, 113 miles)
April 2016 - Woods Hole Hostel to VA 311/Catawba (7 days, 85 miles)
October 2016 - VA 311/Catawba to VA 501/Glasgow (7 days, 77 miles)
April 2017 - VA 501/Glasgow to Rockfish Gap (7 days, 77 miles)
April 2018 - Rockfish Gap to Front Royal, VA (8 days, 108 miles)
October 2018 - Front Royal, VA to Pen-Mar (7 days, 95 miles)
October 2019 - Pen-Mar to Port Clinton, PA (12 days, 153 miles)

A few things to note:
1) I did not do any sections in spring until I made it into VA, because I wanted to avoid the NOBO bubble.
2) I did not hike in spring 2015 or fall 2017 due to the births of my children.
3) Due to longer travel times, I plan to do only one 2-week section per year for the northern half of the trail.

[peakbagger]

I agree with Steve V, I don't care what direction I am hiking. I also took advantage of gravity on occasion spotting cars in valleys when possible. I split the smokies in half starting at Newfound Gap both times. They were long car spots but had a chance to see some nice territory. around the park. I also on occasion would mix up hikes to avoid bad weather. The day I was scheduled to go over Mt Rogers the weather was real nasty, we just slacked a section north of the there to Partnership shelter on a rainy day and then jumped back to do Mt Rogers from the top in both directions over two days. Part of the fun to keep things interesting is to work out the options on the fly. We got real good in VA finding back roads and paths to shelters. At the end of hike we would drive to spot nearest the shelter and inevitably find a path of old road to the shelter. We were early season so usually had the shelter to ourselves and usually hauled out trash and aluminum foil from the firepit back to the car. We also found a few good restaurants and sometimes planned to make sure we ended up near them.

[JPritch]

and then finish the last piece, a 21-mile stretch in TN that we've saved for last.

This is interesting considering it's right in your backyard. What is the section and what is your reasoning for saving it for last?

[Part-Time]

I started section hiking a few year back with the goal of finishing the AT at some point and maybe attempt a thru hike later on, this was when I was living in VA . Now that I am in TX it is a little more complicated but I intend to try and get some time in every year. This year I am heading to Springer and going up to NC. For me getting trail time is more about recharging and time away from the office, no one even tries to contact anymore when I am on vacation. I have have seen some amazing things and met some amazing people and that's what makes me throw on my pack and get on a trail no matter where I am.

[illabelle]

This is interesting considering it's right in your backyard. What is the section and what is your reasoning for saving it for last?
Initially I think we assumed we'd finish at Katahdin, but that has changed. A few years ago there was a lot of controversy and some talk about relocating the northern terminus to stop short of Katahdin. To avoid missing out, we did Katahdin in 2016. So then we needed to pick a different endpoint. I wasn't willing to end our epic journey at some random unnamed gravel road crossing in the middle of nowhere. Since our anniversary is in November and we don't have experience or equipment for potential snow and ice on steep rock trails, it didn't make sense to finish anywhere up north. By that time, we had already done most of the South, except for several stretches of Virginia, and a bit of Tennessee.

So the piece we have left is between Hughes Gap and Indian Grave Gap, which includes Beauty Spot. Because this is adjacent to or part of the Roan Highlands, for our finale we'll start at 19E and re-hike from there to Hughes Gap, then proceed on the last 21 miles to IGG. We plan to hike kinda slow, stretching it out over four days so we can end on the anniversary and savor the trail and the incredible views.

[Deacon]

No patchwork for me; I tried to emulate a thru hike as much as possible while doing the entire trail in four sections over four consecutive years. 2014 to 2017.

Each year I started in late May except the last year in late June. So really the entire hike was done in spring and summer. That was great.

Logistically, each year took 6 to 7 weeks.

2014 - Springer to Damascus. Living near Cleveland, I flew to Atlanta, then from Damascus took a bus to the nearest Amtrak station to home.

2015 - Damascus to Harpers Ferry. Rode the Greyhound from Toledo to Damascus, then from HF rode the Amtrak home.

2016 - Harpers to Rutland VT. Easy Amtrak connections to both.

2017 - Rutland to Katahdin. Amtrak to Rutland, flew home from Bangor.


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[Gambit McCrae]

For those of you who have sectioned the trail or done a large chunk of it, how did your actual execution of it differ from your initial plan, and would you change anything about how you hiked the trail?

Reason I ask, when I started out, I wanted to do as "pure" a section hike as possible - starting in Springer and always picking up where I last left off, in order to experience the trail as closely to doing an actual thru as I could. That kind of morphed into having concurrent sections going on, one from GA-NC-TN and the other in VA because it's in my backyard and I could knock it out at times when I couldn't make the trip further South.

I now have a few gaps in my hike, and I'm hitting areas that just don't make sense for a quick trip. From paying for a shuttle for a really short section to lack of access points that would work for a quick weekend trip.

So now the temptation is to just go and do what and where I can. I know the whole experience is unique to every individual, but wondering from those who have been there and done that...any regrets in a patchwork section hike? Any tips to get the most out of the experience as possible?

Thank You


Before now, I had some patchwork to fill in. The shortest trip I had to patch in was 19 miles from Spivey Gap to Indian Grave. I chose to do it on a snowy January weekend when daylight was minimal. I dont regret a single bit of patching in the whole trail. My other gaps started out hundreds of miles in length, I think the largest was Pen Mar, MD to Salisbury, CT. But over the years and trips, it all got filled in quite eloquently.

Also, if you have only a "days" worth of hiking to do in a far off place, just plan a vacation for that area, go do the miles and then enjoy something there other then the AT, or rehike a section to make the gap not so small.

[Alligator]

Before now, I had some patchwork to fill in. The shortest trip I had to patch in was 19 miles from Spivey Gap to Indian Grave. I chose to do it on a snowy January weekend when daylight was minimal. I dont regret a single bit of patching in the whole trail. My other gaps started out hundreds of miles in length, I think the largest was Pen Mar, MD to Salisbury, CT. But over the years and trips, it all got filled in quite eloquently.

Also, if you have only a "days" worth of hiking to do in a far off place, just plan a vacation for that area, go do the miles and then enjoy something there other then the AT, or rehike a section to make the gap not so small.That's a reasonable solution when that happens but it is also has an opportunity cost and the hiker should consider whether they really want to take a vacation in say PA or NJ. I do suggest being careful about those "I'll get that later" thoughts. Lots of things to see and do everywhere though so make lemonade if you have to.

[Dogwood]

I do suggest being careful about those "I'll get that later" thoughts.

THIS^^^ Once in Maine on a NOBO I had realized I had missed more than 170 miles that I had to go back and hike SOBO that took me nearly a month since the miles were disjointed. On a PCT NOBO I missed nearly 350 miles mostly because fire closures and I din't want to do the long and soemtimes dangerous and remote road walks. It took 4 yrs before I grabbed those PCT miles. Glad I did because overall they were scenic cherry seasonally picked and enjoyable miles that I could do in whatever order and direction I wanted. This is one thing that has made me highly appreciative of doing trails as section hiker and in different directions and during different timeframes.

[Night Train]

I started out regimental with no gaps for the first 800 or so miles. Now, my only regimen is avoiding the bubble.

[smithjv]

Like most, I started off thinking I will try a few miles to see if I want to thru hike. I appreciate the challenge of a thru hike and envisioned myself up to the challenge. However, "life reality" hit and it never got a opportunity, and I find myself still working into my late 60's.

So I became a section hiker as my time off allowed. I have been a section hiker for about 10 years now. I only now realize the beauty of section hiking while still in the working class; it gets you out of the house 1 or 2 times a year for a week or two at a time to get away from it all and lose the few pounds that snuck back onto your frame. Like many of the previous people responding, I thought the sequential method would work out. Unfortunately, my wife insisted (rightly so) that I have a hiking partner to go out with. A couple missed outings with the partner, as well as a couple departing the trail earlier on a SOBO and I also got a few gaps to fill.


As a famous General once said, "Few plans survive after first contact with the enemy". The trail version is "Few plans survive after first contact with the trail." However, after all is said and done, tis better to section and fail than never section at all. I plan to go back and finish off my gaps, as well as keep pushing my last NOBO finishing point. Hopefully I will eventually fill in the whole trail.

[Slo-go'en]

This is interesting considering it's right in your backyard. What is the section and what is your reasoning for saving it for last?

I have some insane number of miles hiked on the AT, equal to at least 3 thru hikes, but I still haven't finished it.

What's left? A couple of 20 mile sections in NH. Yes, my backyard. I can just do those at any time right? Right. Maybe eventually. I think it's actually harder to get around to doing your backyard then it is places farther away.

Really, my only incentive to finish those sections is they have a couple of the 4000 footers I need to complete my list. Maybe this year :) There maybe a couple of other missing miles scattered about, but I'm not going to worry about those...

[JPritch]

As a famous General once said, "Few plans survive after first contact with the enemy". The trail version is "Few plans survive after first contact with the trail."

Lol ain't that the truth. That's pretty much life. In terms of the trail, I learned basically after my first section hike where I planned daily mileage and stops, that it all goes out the window when you get out there. Plus it's more fun to go with the flow. Sometimes people will post these detailed itineraries for various hikes, and I'm thinking good luck with that!


No patchwork for me; I tried to emulate a thru hike as much as possible while doing the entire trail in four sections over four consecutive years. 2014 to 2017.


Man, to me that is about as ideal a section hike as one can do! 6-7 weeks a pop, you can really get into the groove and live the life so to speak. It's like you got to do 4 thru's. There's no way I could swing that with my job though.

[Deacon]

Lol ain't that the truth. That's pretty much life. In terms of the trail, I learned basically after my first section hike where I planned daily mileage and stops, that it all goes out the window when you get out there. Plus it's more fun to go with the flow. Sometimes people will post these detailed itineraries for various hikes, and I'm thinking good luck with that!



Man, to me that is about as ideal a section hike as one can do! 6-7 weeks a pop, you can really get into the groove and live the life so to speak. It's like you got to do 4 thru's. There's no way I could swing that with my job though.

Well it helps to be retired. I finished when I was 72!


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[JPritch]

Well it helps to be retired. I finished when I was 72!
Lol, that certainly helps! I was trying to figure out what you did for a living to swing those trips because I had you pegged to be around my age based on your pic. Bad....er good lighting?

[Astro]

Lol, that certainly helps! I was trying to figure out what you did for a living to swing those trips because I had you pegged to be around my age based on your pic. Bad....er good lighting?
Having met Deacon when hiking in NH I would say he could pass for the fitness of a fourty year old.