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onicoe
06-12-2006, 23:59
time's getting short on us, the year is already halfway over. so how are you guys planning on transporting yourselves to springer/katahdin come next year?

personally, with the amount of money i've spent i'm not letting that pack out of my sight until i get back home. my current plan is to cajole someone into taking a small road trip with me down to georgia and dropping me off.

any fellow new englanders heading down to springer come march? it's a small matter to steal my mom's suburban for the trip.

1Pint
06-13-2006, 07:54
Atlanta is such a major hub, I'm planning on monitoring the airfares for a steal. Then there are several shuttle options to get hikers the rest of the way from the airport to Springer. I figure if I can't find a cheap fare, I'll be sleeping on the Greyhound or whatever. No worries. What's a day here & there when you're starting a 6 month journey?

max patch
06-13-2006, 09:32
if i lived in RI I'd take amtrak. no question about it.

Doctari
06-13-2006, 09:55
If I could, I would take the train. BUT, from BDT Cincinnati, That requires a 12+ hour lay over in Washington, AND the train only leaves 2x a week, IF it's running.
My 2nd choice is car, like you I want to keep my pack in sight at all times.
Then maybe airplane.

I will take a bus IF: someone holds a gun to my head the entire trip, AND threatens my family AND is paying for the hike & bus trip and 3 days in a 5 star hotel at the end of the bus ride so I can recover from the (insert long string of vile expletives here) bus ride. But then, that's just me.



Doctari.



BDT = Beautiful Down Town

max patch
06-13-2006, 10:21
I will take a bus IF: someone holds a gun to my head the entire trip, AND threatens my family AND is paying for the hike & bus trip and 3 days in a 5 star hotel at the end of the bus ride so I can recover from the (insert long string of vile expletives here) bus ride. But then, that's just me.



I fell under the lure of an insanely cheap fare and took the bus from Georgia to California one year. What an idiot I was. One of the worst experiences of my life. I'd walk it before I'd do that again.

K0OPG
06-13-2006, 11:06
the train from atlanta back to hf and then hopefully from bangor back to hf.

cheap airfares - air trans usually has really cheap airfares. I flew from pittsburgh to raleigh via atlanta for 79 dollars (99 with tax and fees). us airways wanted 650!!!

something to look at. good luck.

Heater
06-13-2006, 12:13
Cheapest airfare is $204 on AA. 4.5 hours or so from here, one way.

Bus tickets are about $130 and 1 day 1 hr. (on a bus)

I like trains but it takes waaaaaaaay to long from here. Over 2 days.

I think I'll fly! :D

$204 + $55 for the hiker hostel and I am there for 259 bucks.:sun

Heater
06-13-2006, 12:18
Cheapest airfare is $204 on AA. 4.5 hours or so from here, one way.

Bus tickets are about $130 and 1 day 1 hr. (on a bus)

I like trains but it takes waaaaaaaay to long from here. Over 2 days.

I think I'll fly! :D

$204 + $55 for the hiker hostel and I am there for 259 bucks.:sun

I'll probably send most of my gear to the hostile ahead of time. (Minus food bag and the clothes I am wearing.) Not sure the cost of that. About 25 lbs. Austin to Delonghia. :-?

corentin
06-13-2006, 13:09
Mom and Dad Travel Service (very cheap travel as long as you can put up with: " Are you sure you want to do this? you can still back out...")

Fahrenheit
06-13-2006, 17:18
Mom and Dad Travel Service (very cheap travel as long as you can put up with: " Are you sure you want to do this? you can still back out...")

What a coincence thats what I'm using for my section hike next week. Mom there and Dad home. Fortunately, for me they're used to my hiking by now and don't ask anymore.

Blissful
06-13-2006, 20:14
We will be driving down in our van as my hubby is hiking with us for two weeks to Fontana Dam. Our projected start date is March 1st. Probably will stay at the park shelter that night (might as well get used to it, ha ha).

Ridge
06-13-2006, 20:24
Several years back I recommended to a friend of a friend living near Harrisburg, PA they hitch to the trail hike in either direction and then flip-flop. They were broke students so I gave them the 2c worth. I told them they might actually meet up with someone along the trail to catch a ride at journeys end. They ended up hiking from PA to Katahdin met a couple from Alabama and caught a ride back to Georgia with the couples parents, hitched to ASP and hiked back to Harrisburg. The moral is that if one really wants to hike the AT, they actually can, you just have to be flexible.

Mountain Man
06-13-2006, 20:44
Well, I live four and a half miles south of Springer Mt. so I think I'll just walk. I'm setting on ready. :D

onicoe
06-13-2006, 23:42
if i lived in RI I'd take amtrak. no question about it.

i love trains, but i thought the rails didn't extend that far south? i was under the impression i would still have to switch over to a bus or something at that point.

max patch
06-13-2006, 23:50
i love trains, but i thought the rails didn't extend that far south? i was under the impression i would still have to switch over to a bus or something at that point.

Well, theres not a "Springer Mountain" depot, but Amtrak stops at Gainesville (where you can taxi or shuttle) or Atlanta (where you can shuttle). Line up a shuttle from Gainesville if you don't have any Atlanta connections.

Lone Wolf
06-14-2006, 07:29
i love trains, but i thought the rails didn't extend that far south? i was under the impression i would still have to switch over to a bus or something at that point.
I've taken AMTRAK no less than 10 times to Gainesville, Ga. from Kingston, R. I. Call 800-USA-RAIL for all the details The train is called The Crescent and leaves NY Penn station daily and ends in New Orleans.

Alligator
06-14-2006, 08:18
I'll probably send most of my gear to the hostile ahead of time. (Minus food bag and the clothes I am wearing.) Not sure the cost of that. About 25 lbs. Austin to Delonghia. :-?I've found UPS to be a bit cheaper for shipping items around that weight. Ballpark figure, $25.00.

maxNcathy
06-15-2006, 08:15
Hi

car 3 hrs to Toronto
plane to Atlanta
shuttle to Hiker Hostel
dirt bike to first shelter (jk)

Sandalwood

HapKiDo
06-25-2006, 00:12
I live an hour and fifteen minutes from Springer, right now, but am moving to L-A (Lower Alabama) this November. I've got friends who live even closer to Springer. I'm driving my car up to Damascus, VA to pick up my hiking partner, then leaving it at my friends' house.

My friends will drive us to Springer on March 18 after we have a sumptuous meal.

HapKiDo :)

frieden
07-05-2006, 10:17
We'll be flying to Atlanta, and then hitching to the trail.

Lone Wolf
07-05-2006, 10:21
That's a long hitch. Why not take a bus or train to Gainesville and hitch or taxi from there? Or use a shuttler.

frieden
07-05-2006, 11:13
I'd be flying from CA, and it's cheaper to fly into Atlanta. I'd have to echo the sentiment on the US bus system - never again!

MOWGLI
07-05-2006, 20:24
We'll be flying to Atlanta, and then hitching to the trail.

Not a good idea. Atlanta is not hitch hiker friendly. Josh & Leigh at Hiker Hostel pick folks up all the time. Suggest you look into it.

Time To Fly 97
07-06-2006, 12:07
Ultimate start:

I flew into Atlanta with just my pack. My pack was big time delayed because they put it on a different plane due to the Easter rush. I pointedly but kindly explained my situation to the baggage person: Lots of expensive gear (LOL), missed my only shuttle to the trail, once in a lifetime thing, how would you feel?...etc....

Continental Airlines ended up LIMOING me to the approach trail! Stretch limo, me in the back listening to music all spread out, with my backpack and poles in the trunk.

How's THAT for getting to the trail???

BTW - the approach trail (which I was originally going to skip) is a fun experience. You learn very quickly that a lighter pack is an advantage. It is also amazing to see what gear is being jetisoned from others along the way. Like the trail of tears, but it is a very cool thing when you get on top of Springer to kick off an amazing journey.

TTF

SGT Rock
07-06-2006, 12:15
Plan to get a ride with the family down to Springer (3 hour drive) and then walk the 0.9 miles out to the top of Springer with them so they can at least be there at the start with me. Hopefully it will be a nice Sunday afternoon so we can do a family picnic at the top together.

RockyTrail
07-06-2006, 16:21
Well, I live four and a half miles south of Springer Mt. so I think I'll just walk. I'm setting on ready. :D

MM, do you know a 2004 SOBO thru named Lazarus, he lives within a couple miles of you. I met he and his dad at Hawk Mt shelter on the last night of his hike, man was he pumped! They were going to walk down the approach trail and then walk home from there, real nice folks.

Mountain Man
07-06-2006, 21:45
MM, do you know a 2004 SOBO thru named Lazarus, he lives within a couple miles of you. I met he and his dad at Hawk Mt shelter on the last night of his hike, man was he pumped! They were going to walk down the approach trail and then walk home from there, real nice folks.

Don't reckon I know him. Maybe If I saw him I might reconize him.

WhoAh
07-08-2006, 23:44
Will be traveling up via car from central Florida with the Mrs. and meeting up with other family for a send off atop Springer. Did the Approach Trail a couple of years ago - won't do that again....