View Full Version : Maryland - PA please help
grebeson
06-21-2009, 23:49
Hello all this is my first post. I am not an experienced hiker but am beginning law school in August. A friend and me are planning a hike on the AT for about 3-4 days in a few weeks. I live in Baltimore. Any suggestions on a good section not too far away. Terrain is not a problem so it doesnt need to be easy, my buddy is an eagle scout. Thanks for the help any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!
i'd shoot to do MD and PA section of the AT. heading northbound
nice hike is from Harpers Ferry to Pen Mar Maryland, springs are running great great camp sites, I up in that area every weekend
Download the ALDHA Companion for all the info required about distances between shelters and landmarks as well as trail town info.
http://www.aldha.org/companyn/wv-pa09.pdf
I second the suggestion of hiking the MD section from Pen Mar Park to Harper's Ferry.
Great hike - not too difficult, plenty of water and camp sites, a view or two and some interesting man-made sites in the parks you'll walk through.
It's 40 miles - easily doable in 3-4 days.
Nasty Dog Virus
06-22-2009, 10:08
I second the suggestion of hiking the MD section from Pen Mar Park to Harper's Ferry.
I'll 3rd that...
good 4day/3night hike with the Cowall, Pine Knob, and Crampton Gap shelters spread out at 8-12 mile intervals if you want shelters and want to average those miles each day.
Def. buy a map :)
Any shuttle providers at Pen Mar or Harpers Ferry?
Any shuttle providers at Pen Mar or Harpers Ferry?
Check here:
http://www.appalachiantrail.org/atf/cf/%7BB8A229E6-1CDC-41B7-A615-2D5911950E45%7D/AT%20Shuttle%20List%20WEB%206-1-09.pdf
Thanks Jeff thats good info. Scrapes
Cookerhiker
06-22-2009, 11:20
Welcome to WhiteBlaze. I know you asked about MD & PA but since you live in Baltimore, you may want to consider Shenandoah NP. For a summer hike, you might enjoy the higher elevations in SNP with slightly cooler temperatures, especially at night.
In 3-4 days, I'd recommend hiking the Central District (54 miles). If you need a shuttle, contact Skyline's service (http://www.mvshuttle.com).
grebeson
06-22-2009, 14:39
thanks everyone I will check out both suggestions
barefoot
06-22-2009, 15:00
I just completed the Pen Mar to Harpers Ferry section. I agree with all the comments above. I used Karen at the Towns Inn for a shuttle. 304-702-1872
angewrite
06-22-2009, 15:23
Since there are two of you, you can avoid using a shuttle by parking one car at each end of the section you plan on hiking. By car it's about an hours drive from Harpers Ferry to Pen Mar.
My wife and I are planning on doing PenMar to HF (or vice versa) over the weekend of the 4th. We are getting out there on Friday July 3rd, but right now, do not have a shuttle arrangement. Is anyone else doing this section starting on the 3rd and interested in splitting the cost of a shuttle?
PM me if interested.
Barbarosa
06-23-2009, 09:03
I used these guys for a shuttle last year from harpers to duncannon, they were great and reasonably priced:
Bill and Amy Reinke
(a.k.a The RoseSniffers)
Carroll Valley, PA
(near Penn./Md. state line)
(717) 642-6855 [home]
(717) 729-1790 [cell]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Harpers Ferry, WV to Duncannon, PA
i'd shoot to do MD and PA section of the AT. heading northbound
I'm just curious that you suggest MD to PA. I would prefer that direction but cannot figure out where I could safely park my car in the Pen Mar area for the several days.
I'm just curious that you suggest MD to PA. I would prefer that direction but cannot figure out where I could safely park my car in the Pen Mar area for the several days.
Out side the park is a gravel lot never had a problem parking there. Also there are 2 spots down the pen mar road where the trail crosses it
My wife and I are planning on doing PenMar to HF (or vice versa) over the weekend of the 4th. We are getting out there on Friday July 3rd, but right now, do not have a shuttle arrangement. Is anyone else doing this section starting on the 3rd and interested in splitting the cost of a shuttle?
PM me if interested.
How was your hike? Which direction did you end up going? Who did you use for a shuttle and where did you park? I appreciate any info as I am throwing a last minute hiking trip thru this area for next week. My main concern is keeping my car safely parked either PenMar or HF while out. Thanks.
Out side the park is a gravel lot never had a problem parking there. Also there are 2 spots down the pen mar road where the trail crosses it
Thanks for the info. I'm nervous about leaving my car anywhere after reading the post regarding windows smashed, etc in MD.
Downhill Trucker
07-10-2009, 01:07
Welcome to WhiteBlaze. I know you asked about MD & PA but since you live in Baltimore, you may want to consider Shenandoah NP. For a summer hike, you might enjoy the higher elevations in SNP with slightly cooler temperatures, especially at night.
In 3-4 days, I'd recommend hiking the Central District (54 miles). If you need a shuttle, contact Skyline's service (http://www.mvshuttle.com).
Agreed... SNP is 2.5 hours from Baltimore. Get the PATC Guidebook and you have an UNLIMITED amount of backpacking oppurtunities in Shenandoah. We did a circuit that climbed Old Rag, then went up white oak canyone (awesome waterfalls), climbed Hawksbill, Mount Robetertson, and ended up at the Old Rag parking lot. For east coast backpacking you will not find many circuits that match that one.
Ratchet-SectionHiker
07-10-2009, 07:49
My wife and I just did this hike over the week of the 4th. We did Pen Mar to Keys Gap ( just south of Harpers Ferry) We had a great hike and the trail is alot of fun in that area. We did the hike in 4 days averaging about 13 miles per day. We tented each night and all of the shelter sites had plenty of areas for tents and water was running great at all the marked sources. Don't forget to check out the overlooks! Annapolis rocks is beautiful but it is about 1/4 mile downhill from the trail. If you don't want to go that far off, just a bit north is Black Rocks with almost the same view. Plus at Black Rock all the berry bushes are in bloom! Blueberries are just coming in everywhere along this stretch as well as purchase berries. There is also a site with free hot showers right beside the trail which is about 1/2 mile from a 5 star restaurant (South Mountain Inn). Also alot of history in this area with many civil war era parks. Also you will get to see the original Washington monument. Good luck! Also, park your car in Harpers Ferry if at all possible. We parked at Keys Gap and someone drilled holes in our gas tank to steal fuel. It was a nice parking lot but far enough out of the way to invite vandalism.