Let's Look To The Future

[Matt Pincham]

OK...so it's July/August/September 2004 and my girlfriend and I are standing at the summit of Mt Katahdin (I hope). We've just been walking for 2100 or more miles. Now we need to go back home...to London!

How on earth are we going to get a flight back to London...or even more worryingly...where can we go first?

The most likely City for a flight direct to London is Boston...miles away!!! Presque Isle has an Airport but would mean even more money for US flights then International ones on top.

How did you thru-hiking chaps get home? I know it's a long way off but he who plans ahead...erm...plans ahead.

Any thoughts would be very welcome

Thanks
Matt

[chris]

I can't help you with logistical info, but I would highly recommend you not plan on going home right away. After finishing the PCT, I started the trip home after only a day off. Granted, the trip home included an afternoon and night in Vancouver and an afternoon and night in Seattle, but I wished I had another week or so to spend in downtime. I either would have sat around the border waiting for people to come in (no one else would finish for another 5 or so days, though) or hanging out in some of the other towns in the area. Or, maybe renting a car and driving down to some towns on the PCT or maybe setting up a grill at some of the road crossings. What really sucked was going back home right away.

[Lone Wolf]

Bangor International Airport.

[Jack Tarlin]

Lone Wolf is correct. It's fairly easy to get from Baxter/Katahdin to Bangor, Maine, and from there it's simple to get to Boston/Logan Airport.

If your flight leaves from New York, you can get there via Boston.

There are also flights from Canada, but Boston seems much easier, plus it's a great place to visit. Hotel rooms might be a problem in October, tho, as the local baseball team will almost certainly be again participating in the World Series.

Best of luck!

[TJ aka Teej]

The most common ways to get home from Katahdin:
Hitch; Almost everyone leaving the Park is going out to Rte 95 via Millinocket. If you're lucky, you might get a backroads trip out thru Greenville or down to Newport.
Hook up; Some of your mates have arranged for rides, and will be delighted to help you out.
Pick ups; In recent years, more and more finishing thrus are rondezvous-ing with friends/family inside the Park.
Taxi; You can pre-arrange (that means pay ahead) to have the Millinocket Taxi fetch you after your climb.
Kindness; You'd be surprised at how many 'normal' people at the campground are willing to tote hikers hither and yon. Talk with the ranger, post a note on the porch, or yogi a ride from people packing up in the parking lot.
Bangor is good, but Portland's better as a post hike destination for planes and trains.
Your Katahdin day is a long ways away, don't stress over it! It's the AT, and things just have a way of working out :O)

[tlbj6142]

Once you get to portland or is it Bangor, can't you take a train into boston? Might be a better option that flying out of Portland and/or Bangor. As you'll probably fly through Boston and/or NY on the way out of the country anyway.

[Firecracker]

Finally something this newbie knows something about!

If your flight back to London leaves out of Boston, I would suggest going to Bangor. Most flights to Bangor seem to originate from Boston (and thus go back to Boston).

If your flight to London leaves from New York (or elsewhere) I would suggest getting a flight from Portland. Portland is a little larger, and has a little more variety in destinations. Of course, you could always go Bangor to Boston to wherever, also.

Of course, you still have to get to the airport, and unfortunately, I am no help there. I force my friends and family drive me.

[icemanat95]

There is a train from Portland to Boston. Portland is a good 3-4 hours from Millinocket though. By the time you get to Portland, you are most of the way to Boston, and might as well try to get a ride all the way. Maine is a surprisingly big state. You should be able to get a bus from Millinocket to Boston for less than the cost of a train ticket from Portland to Boston.

[TJ aka Teej]

Originally posted by icemanat95
There is a train from Portland to Boston. Portland is a good 3-4 hours from Millinocket though. By the time you get to Portland, you are most of the way to Boston, and might as well try to get a ride all the way. Maine is a surprisingly big state. You should be able to get a bus from Millinocket to Boston for less than the cost of a train ticket from Portland to Boston.

Millinocket > Medway No bus, taxi is $10 or $12 + tip (.5 hour)
Medway > Bangor* Bus fare $10.50 (1.5 hours)
Bangor > Portland** Bus fare $23 (then bus/taxi to airport)
Bangor > Logan Airport (Boston) Bus fare $38 (4.5 hours)
Portland > Boston Amtrack fare $21 (then subway to Logan)

*one bus a day, 9:30AM leaving from the Irving gas station in Medway.
**2 hours to 4.5 hours, depending on which bus! Book this ticket carefully!

[Matt Pincham]

Thanks all...accidentally posted a new thread saying Thanks.

Matt

[steve hiker]

You know Matt you musta planted a seed in Jumble Jowls head with this thread. Cause a couple nights ago I had a dream about the A.T. in the future. But you know, it might not have been a dream at all. I may have been seeing into the future …

It was I’d say, maybe 20 years from now. 2020s sometime. It was on the Georgia section of the A.T., in spring or summer. The trail was much wider then and worn looking, and there weren’t as much woods or bushes around the sides as now. And lots of people were on the trail, in groups and crowds. Well over 1,000 people easy on the stretch I saw on that bright sun shiny day.



By then, the A.T. was a household word and people headed out in droves during the warmer months. Corporations sponsored all kinds of outings on the A.T. all the time, lots of Hoodz In the Woodz groups and all kinds of people were there. There were vendor stands by the side of the trail selling food from buildings with lots of shade to stand under and cool off, people were carrying plastic soda bottles and day chairs, kind of like a parade crowd or festival.

Then I saw this girl from Philly I knew, she was about to head down a side trail that was lots less used than the A.T. cause all the people used the A.T. all the time but didn't go down the rabbit trails very much. And I followed her and someone else down this trail down a gully, through these rocks and it went down and curved this way and that, down and away from the thongs of people up above.

And we came to these restrooms by the trail and I had diarreah, and the girl said there’s these anti-diarreah pills in a slot in the soap dispenser tray. So I opened it up and yes there was a pill there, but it was all grody and moist and sitting on part of a bar of soap like it had been there awhile. So I was thinking about getting a fresh anti-diarreah pill from the vending machine at the front of the restroom.

Then we were back up on the A.T. and most of the crowds had gone back toward the exit ramps but there was a few hanging back and this kid said he’d take our picture. Then I woke up.

Do you think the A.T. will be like that in 20 or 30 years, it really was depressing maybe that’s why I got upset diarrhea

[Jaybird]

Bangor International Airport.


gotta LOVE that BANGOR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT!


i vacationed in Maine a couple years ago & had to fly in & out of the above airport....it gives INTERNATIONAL a new meaning....


i could spread my arms & touch the luggage claim desk (on my right) & auto rental desk ( on left).....luckily there was an upstairs that was a bit more "spacious".


by the way....keep your ear-plugs handy too...we had to take a turbo-prop plane to Boston....the noise was horrendous! ;)


see ya'll UP the trail

[MOWGLI]

Hotel rooms might be a problem in October, tho, as the local baseball team will almost certainly be again participating in the World Series.



Looks like the "Evil Empire" might be throwing a monkey wrench in the Red Sox' postseason plans. The NY Times is reporting that the Yankees are close to trading Alphonso Soriano to the Texas Rangers in exchange for AL MVP Alex Rodriguez.

Rodriguez has reportedly agreed to play third base, and allow Jeter to remain at shortstop.


Whatever happens, hopefully it'll be another great baseball season.

[azchipka]

It may sound stupid but I wing it. I make sure i have plenty of money on my debit card and figure it out once I get there. Mainly cause there is no telling when you will arrive. I had a friend who was telling me he couldnt figure out what to do when the trail ended and he wasnt ready to turn around and go home yet so he turned around and walked 2,000 miles back to GA.