View Full Version : Section Hike: NY or NJ? NOBO or SOBO?
I live in the NYC area and am planning on section hiking a part of the AT this summer. I'm trying to pick which section to do and would like any advise people have to offer. I've day hiked on parts of the AT in both states, and done a few overnights but not on the AT. This will be my first time staying at any of the shelters. I'm not time crunched really, but would like to plan for 5-7 days on the trail.
Just would like my first extended experience on the trail to be the best. I'll probably end up doing whatever state i don't do, either later on in the summer, or the next week i get off work (i'm a teacher)
Any and all help is appreciated.
gsingjane
01-13-2009, 09:52
Hi Gregor, one really fun thing to do might be to start out on a weekend and take the Metro North train up to the Appalachian Trail stop and start hiking south. (The reason I say the weekend is because the train only stops there on the weekends.) You could travel through some really pretty areas, Fahnestock, Bear Mtn. and the rest of NY. I'm not sure how long it would take you, I think you could get pretty far south into NJ if you hiked along, but that could be a really cool thing to do. Now Bear Mtn. is going to be somewhat crowded right around the Inn area and up and over the mountain itself, but nothing that would last for more than a few hours, and it might be a nice diversion anyway. I'd also suggest staying one night at the grounds of the Greymoor Monastery in NY on this trip. It should be great!
Jane in CT
In New York, the section from the Thruway to the Hudson River is nice, but NY also has some dull stretches and lots of steep, annoying little ups and downs. NJ is far more scenic and interesting--there are some really gorgeous stretches between Delaware Water Gap and High Point State Park. I'm thinking of sectioning NJ again this spring just for the heck of it--I don't think I would do NY again.
As for NOBO or SOBO, if you do NJ, it's a bit easier SOBO (you avoid the big climb up Wawayanda Mountain), but on the whole the terrain is pretty gentle by AT standards, so it really doesn't matter. Also, if you're going to do NJ, do it as early in the summer as you can--the mosquitoes can be hellish.
TrippinBTM
01-13-2009, 12:21
I agree with Burger, partially. The south half of New Jersey is beautiful. Some great ridges there. But, I think those annoying ups and downs in NY would be a lot more fun for a section hiker just out for the week. I love doing stuff like that, rock scrambles and such, but on my thru they were just annoying; the fact that I had to sorta push miles probably being the cause. If I slowed down for every tough section, I'd have never made it to Maine. But if you could take your time on them, it'd be great.
So, personally I liked the south half of NJ, and the south half of NY (south of the Hudson, though just across it was pretty good too. That's where that Monestary is.)
I guess I'd suggest the New Jersey section, and go as far north as you can.
I'm a teacher, so i've got the entire summer other than 12 days out in yosemite. So maybe i'll do a few days of DWG to High point, then another few days through Harriman or something. I'm not going with the goal of putting together a full thru hike, just hiking nice chunks of it when i get the opportunity. So I'd probably rather do 2 x3-4 day sections instead of a 7-8 day section where the last 3 days were boring and uneventful.
Slo-go'en
01-13-2009, 13:01
NY north of the Hudson is reasonably easy and I thought it was a rather pleasent walk in the woods with some nice lakes/ponds along the way. The PUDs south of the Hudson were a bit of a pain.
The main thing is not to do this section at the start of a major heatwave like I did. 10 days of 90+ and high humitity. Man, that was brutal.
sasquatch2014
01-13-2009, 14:09
I know you had said NY and NJ but if you take the Harlem Valley Line of Metro North up to Pawling you could also hike north out of here and up in CT for a few days. The section around Kent and the River is really nice. Even if its not thew weekend it is only a few miles from town to the trail so a ride is pretty easy to come by. You can always give me a shout and if I am going to be around I can give you a lift.
Sounds like you've got time, flexibility and some money. Why not check out New Hampshire or Maine?
If you want to explore the areas near you and you're a teacher, feb break or April break would be much more ideal for NY/NJ section. In summer these sections are fairly unpleasant. They generally have little to no natural water and the skeeters can be down right nasty. They aren't the most scenic places and you may very well encounter temps over 90 degrees with 100% humidity. April would be a great time. I spend lots of time up in that area but explore during fall, winter and spring. Ticks are also very problematic in this region in summer, as well as a crowded trail and shelters.
Yosemite will indeed be great in summer. You've got the right idea, head for higher places come July.
You have to go through the hell of Pennsylvania to enjoy the simplistic beauty of NJ.
Kirby
Cookerhiker
01-13-2009, 15:44
I'd divide this stretch into 3 segments:
1. Delaware Water Gap-Greenwood Lake (Rt. 17A) - 79 miles - all ridge walking for the first 50 miles followed by some up-and-down ridge crossings and finally some rock traverses around the border. Fairly easy - longest ascent is up Waywayanda.
2. Rt. 17A to Bear Mountain - 30 miles - as others have said, almost constant up-and-down much of it steep. Many seasoned thru hikers have bitched about all the alleged PUDs in this stretch.
3. East of the Hudson to Rt. 22 near Pawling- 44 miles - in-between the first 2 regarding difficulty. A nice stretch fairly quiet considering its proximity to NYC.
I like all of the NY and NJ sections but not in summer which unfortuntely is the most time you have. I don't have to tell you what the hot humid sticky weather is like in that area. Ideally, you'd enjoy these states more in the spring and fall if you can manage some 3-day weekends or perhaps spring break. If you still want to hike these 2 states in the summer, aim for as late in August as you can manage. You've already received some good ideas. If you want to hike the NJ section to Greenwood Lake, you can catch a bus to Delaware Water Gap, hike to Greenwood Lake, and bus back to NJ where you can change to points in Bergen County.
As you and others have said with most of the summers off, aim for NH and ME on the AT, that is if you're not hiking out West.
I've hiked all the AT in sections and my worst memory (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=68796) was a NJ stretch in early June yet under extreme humidity and bothersome mosquitos. I was so misearble I quit after 3 days instead of my planned week. I hiked east of the Hudson twice in '05, once in June (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=102837), once in November (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=121844). June was OK that year, especially the mountain laurel but I'd still recommend the Fall.
Toolshed
01-13-2009, 22:03
I agree that summer can be pretty tough in the Mid-Atlantic States (If you consider NJ one) It is hot and humid here. Most of the stretchs in NJ have little water, since you are on ridges.
With that said, the ridges offer incredible views. You can see from the Pocono shelf as it runs along the horizon mile way (and Big Pocono Mountain) all the way to the Catskills. On really clear winter days you can make out the hills over by Scranton.
I return to this section time and again because it is so nice. the hiking is very easy. the trails are generally flat and the rocks aren't so bad. It is also hard to beleive you are in NJ, once you get out of sight of I-80 and the DWG Dayhiking crowds.
Feral Bill
01-13-2009, 22:19
A few days wandering around Harriman is always a good time.
Maybee look into going from Harriman to Pawling, if you don't reach the AT train station on a weekend then it's only a short walk, or hitch, into Pawling where you can get a train everyday. I sectioned NJ, NY and part of CT last summer and think that you could easliy do Harriman to Pawling in a week.
Cookerhiker
01-13-2009, 23:05
Maybee look into going from Harriman to Pawling, if you don't reach the AT train station on a weekend then it's only a short walk, or hitch, into Pawling where you can get a train everyday. I sectioned NJ, NY and part of CT last summer and think that you could easliy do Harriman to Pawling in a week.
Agree it's feasible in one week. I'd recommend doing it southbound for 2 reasons: (1) you can leave on a Saturday and catch the train directly to the AT station, and (2) the eastern/northern end is easier so you work your way up to the steep sections of Harriman. Upon reaching Rt. 17, you can hitch to Tuxedo and take the train back to Bergen County via NJ Transit (http://www.njtransit.com/sf/sf_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=TrainTo).
BTW Gregor, I grew up in Bergen County (Ridgewood) and know the area reasonably well although none of my family lives there anymore. You're lucky to live in Campmor territory!
My reason for sticking to the NJ/NY area is mainly because my girlfriend doesn't backpack. So if i say i'm going away for a few days-week to go camping/hiking around here in NJ it's no big deal. When i'm loading up the truck to go to NH/VT then i get all kinds of questions like, why don't i come and we can do x,y,and z and you can do some hikes together :) Also staying around here getting a ride is easy, i don't have to worry about shuttles and stuff. I can have friends/family pick me up and drop me off.
Nice thing is i've got tons of time to plan, and right now it's kinda on the back burner. I've got to worry about getting a campsite at yosemite tomorrow at 10AM so my summer vacation actually goes off.
slowandlow
01-14-2009, 17:37
Ditch the chick and go where you want to go.
NY also has some dull stretches and lots of steep, annoying little ups and downs.
They aren't the most scenic places
You have to go through the hell of Pennsylvania to enjoy the simplistic beauty of NJ.So far, we've done two section hikes. The first was from PA 183 to Port Clinton on the most miserable weekend of the entire summer last year, the other was a Columbus Day hike from NY 17A to the State Line Trail. Yes, there were a lot of rocks and annoying climbs, and the first weekend was particularly nasty, obviously. And you know what? Both were still probably the loveliest experiences we've had together. Seeing the vultures circle over Auburn Lookout, or the mountain laurel blooming all over the place, or to look out over Greenwood Lake on a sunny day with the trees beginning to turn--those were all easily worth the price of admission. Man, if you guys think these places are boring, I can only imagine what Maine and the balds down South must be like.