View Full Version : Map Discrepancy;Mass Rt 2 to Franconia Notch
While looking at my maps for a section hike I have planned for this summer from the Massachusetts/Vermont line to Franconia Notch I noticed a large discrepancy between the guidebook and ATC maps. The 2009 Thru-Hikers Companion says that section is 220 miles. While the ATC section maps say that section is 195 miles.
Why am I seeing such a large difference between the two sources? I'm pretty anal retentive when it comes to planning these type of things so I'm really curious about this. Any ideas/suggestions are welcomed.
CrumbSnatcher
01-21-2010, 17:57
i had a 2008 appalachian pages in front of me it read 223.6 miles
how old are your maps?
maybe a few relo's, like the one that bi-passes the inn at long trail now? (in 99' the trail went by the pico camp, in 03' it reloed)
I have the 2010 Data Book and it says 219.4.
Weird. They are both 2009. Is the inn at the long trail is reasonably accessible from the trail?
CrumbSnatcher
01-22-2010, 12:51
Weird. They are both 2009. Is the inn at the long trail is reasonably accessible from the trail?
the trail in 99' rolled right by the inn. now after the relo you need to hitch up the road .5 mile.
Coming down from killington you hang a right onto a blueblaze and that'll bring you right to the inn.
sasquatch2014
01-22-2010, 13:17
Coming down from killington you hang a right onto a blueblaze and that'll bring you right to the inn.
That also if you plan to pick up where you left off means you have to climb back up to the junction on Killington. Most folks will come up the road from where the trail crosses pretty busy so always a chance for a ride.
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=7874&stc=1&d=1264182178
The lighter colored trail is an approximation of where the old AT passes through this section. The darker colored trail, is of course, the AT. If you are a purist, and don't want to take the old AT, and don't want to hitch hike, you can still easily access the Inn at Long Trail via a short (less than a half mile if I remember right) section of the old trail.
Enjoy.
I must be legally retarded because I did my math again and came up with 235 this time, which is a 40 mile difference on the other side of my original calculation.
I'd like to stop at the inn at long trail but I'm trying to find another resupply between the start and there. I have connections at Stratton village but it doesn't seem like Stratton village is very accessible from the trail.
sasquatch2014
01-23-2010, 07:27
I must be legally retarded because I did my math again and came up with 235 this time, which is a 40 mile difference on the other side of my original calculation.
I'd like to stop at the inn at long trail but I'm trying to find another resupply between the start and there. I have connections at Stratton village but it doesn't seem like Stratton village is very accessible from the trail.
You can contact Jeff who runs the hostel in Manchester and see about a ride from the trail down into town. I am not sure how you are getting up to where your hiking. If you have someone driving you past all the area you are planning to hike then you can do something like I did.
When I was planning my Hanover to Bennington hike last summer I didn't want to have to mess with resupply too much so I did two food caches one off Rt 11 and the other I left at the Inn at Long Trail. That was fine to get me from Hanover. If you also left one for yourself near Rt 9 outside of Bennington then you could go pretty light with only a few days of food at a time.
I have not done the next section north of Hanover so I would not be able to help. I am sure that others would or just pull out the book and look for good road crossings in the area where you would need to resupply. You will need to make sure that they are well hung and water proof.
All this is for nothing if you are not able to drive up shadowing the route you will be taking. Have fun. What I have done of it was a lot of fun.
peakbagger
01-23-2010, 12:33
The Inn at the Long Trail is definitely a place to stop by, when I am in the area hiking I will go out of my way to stop. The AT reroute was done back when Killington was planning to expand over to Pico and the AT was in the way. Basically, the optimum ridgeline trail route was handed over to the developer in trade for a big block of land on the west side of the mountain. Although it is a nice northern hardwood forest and home to many critters, the AT reroute is basically a PUD without a lot of redeeming value to a thru hiker. Many folks who normally will not blue blaze away from the official AT route elect to stay on the original AT and possibily stop by Pico Cabin (quite a piece of history in and of itself.). Hanging out on a grassy ski slope at the top of mountain on a sunny day doesnt really impact my AT experience and this exposure is for only a limited distance.
I must be legally retarded because I did my math again and came up with 235 this time, which is a 40 mile difference on the other side of my original calculation.
I'd like to stop at the inn at long trail but I'm trying to find another resupply between the start and there. I have connections at Stratton village but it doesn't seem like Stratton village is very accessible from the trail.
If you get there on the weekend the tram is running and will take you down to the village without any problem...
While looking at my maps for a section hike I have planned for this summer from the Massachusetts/Vermont line to Franconia Notch I noticed a large discrepancy between the guidebook and ATC maps. The 2009 Thru-Hikers Companion says that section is 220 miles. While the ATC section maps say that section is 195 miles.
Why am I seeing such a large difference between the two sources? I'm pretty anal retentive when it comes to planning these type of things so I'm really curious about this. Any ideas/suggestions are welcomed.
Could it be that one mapper went out for Ice Cream?!!
modiyooch
03-30-2010, 21:05
I noticed a large discrepancy between the guidebook and ATC maps.
Can you narrow the disrepancy to one state?