View Full Version : Seeking Advice - NY AT - 4 nights
Hi All,
I took next Thursday to the following Tuesday off of work and am seriously entertaining the idea of hitting the trail.
I'm in NYC and looking to hike for 4 days/nights at an easy/slow pace. Ideally I'd like to start and stop near public transportation to get back to the city. I'm pretty sure I can get up near fahnsetock state park on the metro north and hit the AT from there.
Anyone have any experience going through there? Which way should I go?
Really I'll take any tips for a 4 night solo hike. I've only ever been out for 1 or 2 nights.
Thanks!
Cookerhiker
07-07-2010, 13:59
I recommend that you hike the AT in NY east of the Hudson, between Bear Mountain and NY Rt. 22/Pawling. The distance of 45 miles should give you an easy pace and this part of the AT in NY is much less difficult than NY west of the Hudson which has some very steep ups and downs.
I'd hike it southbound. Take the Metro North train north to Pawling and hike south. That way, you hike to the Hudson River and return home via bus from Bear Mountain (Short Line) or train from Peekskill.
He'll probably find this thread and chime in but if he doesn't, PM Sasquatch for advice on shuttles in Pawling. It's also an easy hitch.
Do the AT through Harriman State Park. Take the train out of Penn to the Harriman stop, and hike to NY 22 which has the Appalachian Trail train stop on Metro North (or Pawling a couple miles south, if you arrive on a weekday) about 63 miles. It's a great section of the trail, and there are trains on both ends, so no car needed.
You can find train schedules for both ends through the Metro North website. Harriman is on the west side of the river, AT is on the east side.
Great, thanks so much. That looks very promising.
Would you reccomend I bring a 4-5 day supply of food and water or is there spots to pick up on the way? As stated above - I'm new to this long of a hike.
I would carry the food, but there are ample sources of water. Get the guidebook/data book/online companion for that section... it should list the most obvious ones like rivers and ponds.
Do you happen to know how far the Harriman train stop is from the state park, and how far in the AT is from the entrance to the park? My PC won't load maps right now so I can't scope it out. In any event I'll have to pick up a guide book somewhere before I go - are they available at borders and barnes and nobles typically?
I think it's about a 2 mile walk from the station to the trail on NY17. Last time I went someone at the train station offered to give me a lift to the trail, so try for that. Legally you aren't allowed to hitch hike on the road, but I think it's fine in the parking lot.
There's also a trail, the Sapphire Trail, that goes from around the train station to the AT, but it's a *bear* of a trail, and ends at the top of Agony Grind, which you'd then have to walk down... if you're looking for easy I would avoid this and just go for the hitch.
Anyway, it's @ 2 miles down NY17 to the turnoff onto Arden Valley Road. From that point, you're on the AT and are basically in Harriman State Park and it's 63 miles or so to the AT train station.
EDIT: Also, make sure you turn off onto Arden Valley Road and not the road before which I think may confusingly be called Arden Road, which is the first road you pass. Arden Valley Road, the one you want, is the second road. Head south on NY17, and your second left should be Arden Valley Road.
Feral Bill
07-07-2010, 18:15
http://www.aldha.org/comp_pdf.htm There's your online companion. for a four day trip I's just pack the food.
If you take the trip Ender suggests (a good idea), do try and stay a night at West Mountain Shelter. Great view of the city,
Cookerhiker
07-07-2010, 20:44
BCutty
OK, I thought you wanted 4 days of an "easy/slow pace." Assuming you have 4 full days to hike and not require additional travel time, hiking from Rt. 17 where Harriman starts to Rt. 22 Pawling is 63 miles as Ender said. That's over 15 miles per day. Does that meet your "easy and slow" criteria?
Harriman Park is lovely - in fact, it's where I first set foot on the AT about 50 years ago - but much of the AT there is not "easy" - it will be "slow." By definition, you don't have any 2,000' ascents like parts of the South, NH, and ME but you have some very steep climbs. West Mountain for one is quite steep. If you hike northbound and don't have trekking poles, you'll find the descent very slow-going.
Many thruhikers have expressed their surprise at the difficulty in NY from Greenwood Lake to Bear Mountain. Perhaps it was a matter of expectations; since the highest point at all is about 1,300', how hard could the trail be? Yet my friend Northern Harrier who thruhiked in '04 said his toughest day to that point was the 16 miles from Rt. 17A to Fingerboard Shelter. AWOL's book also referred to the surprising difficulty of NY. And when I section hiked in Harriman, I noted several entries in the Fingerboard trail register complaining about the steep ups and downs.
Now I'm not trying to throw cold water or act wimpy here, but you mentioned that you had never hiked more than 1-2 nights and your subsequent questions indicated some inexperience. So I would not start out at Harriman.
I suggest you take the train to Pawling, start hiking south, and if you prove me wrong (I hope you do) and arrive at Bear Mountain with plenty of time to spare, continue on through Harriman. And enjoy that West Mountain view - you'll have earned it after that ascent.:)
sasquatch2014
07-08-2010, 06:07
I would carry the food, but there are ample sources of water. Get the guidebook/data book/online companion for that section... it should list the most obvious ones like rivers and ponds.
Correction it is dry as hell out there right now. I just brought water up to two of the shelters. Telephone Pioneer is completly dry and Wiley Shelter will fail any day. Until we get a good soaking rain this won't change much.
Do the AT through Harriman State Park. Take the train out of Penn to the Harriman stop, and hike to NY 22 which has the Appalachian Trail train stop on Metro North (or Pawling a couple miles south, if you arrive on a weekday) about 63 miles. It's a great section of the trail, and there are trains on both ends, so no car needed.
You can find train schedules for both ends through the Metro North website. Harriman is on the west side of the river, AT is on the east side.
you can get metro schedules at www.mta.info (http://www.mta.info) for pawling it is the Harlem Valley line.
I agree with Cookhiker if you go through the park 1st you will be dealing with Summer crowds and some of the biggest climbs on the AT in NY. Even thru hikers recall this section as more of a challange than they expected. I would say go from Pawling either to the Hudson and a train back or do and out and back in which case you could even go up into CT.
I would help out but heading tot he Billville Feed in Duncannon to lend a hand this weekend.
http://www.aldha.org/comp_pdf.htm There's your online companion. for a four day trip I's just pack the food.
If you take the trip Ender suggests (a good idea), do try and stay a night at West Mountain Shelter. Great view of the city,
I agree completely about West Mountain shelter. It's one of my favorite campsites along the AT. The views are great... NYC on a clear night, Hudson River, far reaching views... just a great place. I spent a night there once watching a thunderstorm in the distance while NYC twinkled on the horizon. Great stuff.
BCutty
OK, I thought you wanted 4 days of an "easy/slow pace." Assuming you have 4 full days to hike and not require additional travel time, hiking from Rt. 17 where Harriman starts to Rt. 22 Pawling is 63 miles as Ender said. That's over 15 miles per day. Does that meet your "easy and slow" criteria?
I had read it as 4 nights/5 days, but you're right, if it's only 4 days then it'll be a harder trip. Your suggestion is a good one for a 4 day trip.
I didn't find Harriman difficult at all during my thru, but each person hikes differently. I thought CT was a much harder section of trail (except for the river walk, which was great).
Correction it is dry as hell out there right now. I just brought water up to two of the shelters. Telephone Pioneer is completly dry and Wiley Shelter will fail any day. Until we get a good soaking rain this won't change much.
Thanks for the water correction... last time I was up there water was flowing, but it's been about 6 weeks since I've been to Harriman. I'm not surprised that it's dried up... it really hasn't rained that much this summer. Good to know to carry a little extra water. :sun And, BTW, you rock for bringing water to the shelters! :)
Cookerhiker
07-08-2010, 09:51
All of us alleged experts have forgotten to mention to the OP that there are 2 "West Mountains" here. Yeah, usually we think of West Mountain in Harriman just south of Bear Mountain. But let's remember that hiking south from Rt. 22/Pawling, you hike a gradual ascent up.....West Mountain. I guess this latter one is not the "real" West Mountain but hey, that's its name.;)
And then there's Shenandoah Mountain near Fahnestock SP. As I said in my journal (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=103012) at the time, what's Shenandoah Mountain doing in NY?:-?
Hey All,
Thanks again for the advice. I was planning to start early Thursday morning in Harriman and hike north to Pawling arriving sometime Monday. So I have 5 days to make this trek, but if I need an extra day I can take it.
That being said, and after reading these posts, I don't see much harm in starting in Pawlings and heading south and see how I feel when I get to Bear Mountain. I'm obviously not trying to break any records here. Seems like the safer route for me. Now to see how early I can get to Pawlings on thursday and then how to hit the trail from the train station.
Good to know re water...I'll take extra.
Thanks
Cookerhiker
07-08-2010, 15:55
Have a good hike BCcutty and report back to us on this thread how your hike went and the trail (especially water) conditions.
So the trip went well. I made it to Bear Mt at about 9am yesterday and decided to take the bus back to the city from there and chill out for my last day vacation.
Thank you all for the suggestions. Mole skin was seriously a life saver. Also the mini-stove was a great call. Other all star supplies included water purification tablets, pocket knife, and comfy shoes. Hands down the most crucial and helpful tool was a walking staff I fashioned the first day out...I always thought those hiking poles were kinda geigh but understand them now. Although I did run into some old dude who had the poles but said he was switching back to just a staff after his current hike was over.
I packed way too much food so my pack was super heavy, but at least now I know better. Besides too much food I think I packed pretty light. I had enough food for another 2-3 weeks, so dumb. But then I didn't want to toss it b/c well it's food and I can always eat it, so I just kept carrying a ridiculously heavy pack.
I covered on average 10 miles a day which was harder than I expected but I was able to hit up the camping spots before 3pm most days and just chill out, which was good.
I met and talked to a lot of really cool people. It's weird how I had more interesting conversations with more ppl I met in the middle of the woods in 6 days than I have in a large city in past 6 months.
Water was available at most shelters I hit except for Telephone Pioneer. Telephone Pioneers was dry, Morgan Stewart and RPH had brown water but I treated with chemicals then drank it and am fine, shenandoah pump had cold clear water, dennytown had a spigot, hot spring had a small spring that had water - I didn't drink from there though as I had water from the dennytown spigot.
Anyhoo, I feel great, a little sore in some weird spots but nothing too bad, sucks to be back at work.
Cookerhiker
07-20-2010, 11:26
Sounds like a good hike and you've learned some things, especially about how much food to bring. Where's your next hike?
Anyhoo, I feel great, a little sore in some weird spots but nothing too bad, sucks to be back at work.
It always sucks the first day back. So did you start at Pawling on Thursday?
Thanx for the report.
Not sure about my next hike, but i'll probably just pick up where I left off and maybe go through Jersey.
I actually cut out of work early on Wednesday and made it to the Pawling train station. From there I took a cab to West Dover Road where the AT crosses and hiked .5 miles to Telephone Pioneer Shelter for the night. Then got an early start Thursday.