View Full Version : Anyone here ever considered a customized thru hike?
full conditions
03-09-2010, 12:11
Most aspiring thru hikers are likely to only consider a hike that links Springer Mountain to Katahdin (or vice versa). That's reasonable. But, as I near retirement and begin to more seriously consider my own future long distance hikes, I've been thinking about beginning and finishing my next long hike on the AT at points other than the traditional/official termini. One idea I've had is starting on the Foothills Trail on the Saluda River in SC and following it to the Bartram Trail to the AT - the AT north with perhaps a finish at the Canadian border on the Long Trail or maybe the Cohos Trail.
Has anyone here ever done or considered this kind of hike? I would love to hear about it. The only precondition for myself is that whatever the combination is, the non-AT portions would need to be realatively high quality trails with minimal road walking and regular maintenance.
skinny minnie
03-09-2010, 12:21
A friend of mine just combined the Cohos trail with the M-M trail. If you search for the name Guthook on trailjournals.com his journal will come up. It might be a good resource to help make the decision.
Lemni Skate
03-09-2010, 12:33
Check out the International Appalachian Trail message boards. You can start in South Florida and Hike all the way to Newfoundland.
I've thought about doing such a thing some time, but also blue blazing as much as possible (doing Benton McKaye in Georgia and Tennessee instead of AT, taking alternate routes through Shenandoah and Smokey's, Tuscarora Trail from SNP to PA, etc.). A long distance hike that covers trails less traveled. I hope I've already sectioned the whole AT by the time I retire so if I did a thru, it would probably be something like this. However, there's so many other trails....
Snowleopard
03-09-2010, 12:55
The Benton Mackay Trail sounds interesting. I've been toying with the idea of doing loops:
AT from Springer then BMT south to Springer.
Hooking up the Long Trail with the Cohos Trail, either LT NOBO from AT connector, shuttle to Cohos Trail SOBO.
The IAT trail in Newfoundland seems like it will eventually be spectacular; I don't think its complete yet. Home (MA) to Katahdin, then the IAT north to Gaspe would be fun.
Probably I won't have time to do these anytime soon, but it's nice to dream.
Ox97GaMe
03-09-2010, 13:38
Lots of hikers patch different trails with an AT thru hike. It is pretty common for hikers that finish Katadin early in the season to jump back to Sherburn Pass and finish the LT to Canada. There are a number of hikers each year that hike part of the BMT after they finish at Springer.
There are also thru hikers that take side trips for what is called 'peak bagging'. This can be state high points or significant peaks in the area.
I'm section hiking the entire AT, But I haven't done the 10mi section which is actually the closest the trail ever gets to my home. I figure that'll be my last section and I can have friends / family do a BBQ while they wait for me to arrive.
Here's a few ideas:
http://www.greateasterntrail.net/
http://www.netrail.org/
Blissful
03-09-2010, 14:16
Well why not? Customize away and have fun!
Here's a few ideas:
http://www.greateasterntrail.net/
http://www.netrail.org/
That New England Trail is a great idea. I'd never heard of it before. I hope they're able to make it a reality.
That New England Trail is a great idea. I'd never heard of it before. I hope they're able to make it a reality.
It gets confusing. There is a New England National Scenic Trail (http://newenglandnst.org/Map/tabid/55/Default.aspx) that's "official". It follows (more or less) the same route as the one I originally quoted, without the Rhode Island option and the additional routes north.
I'm biased, but I think the RI portion may be better than the middle of CT portion. The western edge of RI is more rural than the 'burbs around Hartford. It is not wilderness by any stretch of the imagination, but it is rural New England for the most part.
I've often wondered why more folks don't costumize to meet their interests or allotted time.
CrumbSnatcher
03-09-2010, 14:56
Anyone heard of the Cove Mtn. Trail in VA. I was looking at a Virginia Trail guide book,and i thought it showed that it paralleled the AT for 200 miles in VA.maybe i'm wrong? the Tuscarora Trail runs 248 miles, starts west out of SNP and reconnects with the AT in PA.
I've often wondered why more folks don't costumize to meet their interests or allotted time.
http://images.halloweencostumes.com/davy_jones_costume_adult.jpg
:D
Being serious...look up any discussion of what constitutes an AT hike. See also the fact that the AT is the most well known trail.
Hiking your own defined path from start to finish is something that few people want to do. Quite frankly, it is only been the past few years where something like that appeals to me as well. After the CDT esp., following a linear, narrow path only does not appeal to me.
Yep, I forgot to send my check in in time, but I do appreciate the illustration!!
So the majority of folks contemplating long distance hikes are ignorant sheeple who have exactly a five month window? ;) :D
full conditions
03-09-2010, 15:21
OK.....before some sactimonious idiot goes off on a HYOH rant, what I was looking for were ideas folks have either just thought about or have actually done. Pretty much like the first few posters did.
JustaTouron
03-09-2010, 15:29
If you HYOH....you won't get the rocker......and the rocker is the ONLY reason to hike the AT.....I guess you could make your own custom rocker.
ARambler
03-09-2010, 15:33
In PA we have the Horseshoe Trail which connects the AT (near Clarks Valley) to Valley Forge Park and then local trails to center city PA. I think the trail is from the 30's. A friend just hiked from the city to near Caladonia.
There is also the Lehigh tow path from Bristol, PA to maybe Leigh Gap. Not sure how many missing sections there are???? (I've done Yardley to the Lehigh River.) You would probably want to take local transportation from Philly to Bristol. If you did these trails, you would hike Lehigh Gap to Clarks Valley twice or skip it. Many would want to split the thru over 2 seasons at the flip from Springer to Katahdin. Has anyone thrued the tow path?
Rambler
So the majority of folks contemplating long distance hikes are ignorant sheeple who have exactly a five month window? ;) :D
Lack of pirate costumes as illustrated. :)
OK.....before some sactimonious idiot goes off on a HYOH rant,
Just answering a question chief. I have no dog in this fight... But, I think most people don't want to play 'connect the dots' with trails. A small amount of people think it is cool, some people will do it for a short bit, other's won't. Others want the experience of hiking the most famous footpath in the world. It's all good.
As for the question if people hiked the trails, who knows. Esp for the smaller trails, there's a lot of people who hike these trail and don't even realize there's a whole community of whackos who do these long hikes and spend inordinate amount of time posting in between sending out resumes... Ahem.
One idea I had:
Follow the GET to New York (See the 'daks!) , cut over to VT and the LT/AT, hike the AT to the Whites and pickup the Cohos Trail, string together a hike in Maine to the AT then pick up the IAT.
Hawkwind61
03-09-2010, 15:47
It gets confusing. There is a New England National Scenic Trail (http://newenglandnst.org/Map/tabid/55/Default.aspx) that's "official". It follows (more or less) the same route as the one I originally quoted, without the Rhode Island option and the additional routes north.
I'm biased, but I think the RI portion may be better than the middle of CT portion. The western edge of RI is more rural than the 'burbs around Hartford. It is not wilderness by any stretch of the imagination, but it is rural New England for the most part.
I am hoping to attend a meeting in March about this trail (I get fairly frequent updates). There are plans to re-locate some of the MM Trail into the Quabbin region as a landowner does not want to continue blazing for the MM across the property now that the MM has a national scenic trail designation.
I'm excited as I just finished hiking the Quabbin last year (It cannot be done in one continuous loop unfortunately.) and it's a beautiful area.
Anyhow...if you have the MM Trail Guide sections number 10-14 will no longer be blazed. You can find more about it in this pdf link:
http://amcberkshire.org/files/Trail_Updates_20090916.pdf
Sounds like a perfect hike. Be ready for the AT Police to cite you if you call it a Thru-hike though.
Nothing to do w/the AT, but an idea I've been muddling around in my head is to hike the Mississippi River from its source down to the Gulf. It would be a lot of road hiking but there's some good history along that river.
Not to mention you'd finish your hike in New Orleans, not a horrible place to celebrate.
SGT Rock
03-09-2010, 16:59
This sounds like a VERY cool idea. Let us know where you are going and what you are doing.
And consider using the BMT as part. (Shameless plug)
I customized my PCT hike. I walked out my front door and walked the shortest route I could make to get to the PCT. When I got there, I headed north to Canada, revisiting a few portions I had already done and skipping others.
I had thought about maybe once I got to Canada renting a bike and riding home along the coast. Make a loop out of it. But I didn't.
Next time I'd like to hike from my house to the PCT and head toward Mexico.
Anyway, I think it's great fun to make loops and adventures out of these long trails. There's no law that says it has to be done a certain way.