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10-K
12-14-2010, 16:01
A few weeks ago there was a thread about the AT getting longer every year..... I just noticed the official 2011 mileage is listed as 2181 miles - 2 more than last year.

Luddite
12-14-2010, 16:04
That means next year's thru hikers will be the only real thru hikers.

Blissful
12-14-2010, 16:08
Wonder where the extra miles are at? I did seem some rerouting in places.

Cabin Fever
12-14-2010, 16:14
Wonder where the extra miles are at? I did seem so rerouting in places this past summer.

Several relocations added some distance in northeast Tennessee.

Lugnut
12-14-2010, 16:15
If they keep making it longer and I keep getting older I'll never get done!:confused:

Blissful
12-14-2010, 16:15
There was also a major one north of the Bigelow region, by that lake

10-K
12-14-2010, 16:16
I don't know but I wonder if it had anything to do with that roadwalk around Limerock speedway... man that was something.

Funny how I tend to think of dangerous places on the trail as those being rock climbs or some other trail thing but probably one of the most dangerous places on the entire AT is this road walk.

Blissful
12-14-2010, 16:17
If they keep making it longer and I keep getting older I'll never get done!:confused:


Haha

yeah
;)

Driver8
12-14-2010, 16:18
Does the trail ever shrink year over year?

10-K
12-14-2010, 16:19
Does the trail ever shrink year over year?

When Vermont dries up it does shrink a mile.


(though Vermont wasn't that muddy this past May when I hiked through it.)

Blissful
12-14-2010, 16:20
I don't know but I wonder if it had anything to do with that roadwalk around Limerock speedway... man that was something.

Funny how I tend to think of dangerous places on the trail as those being rock climbs or some other trail thing but probably one of the most dangerous places on the entire AT is this road walk.

Was that the Falls Village road walk? That took forever. Everyone told me about the great cookies and treats by the church. I got there, no cookies. Actually nothing. Sniff. Then I turned left (SOBO) on the road and nearly got run over.

Blissful
12-14-2010, 16:21
When Vermont dries up it does shrink a mile.


(though Vermont wasn't that muddy this past May when I hiked through it.)


Vermont was great. Not ONE mud puddle.

And no 'squeeters in MA. Not a one.

SOBO is the only way to go! ;)

10-K
12-14-2010, 16:25
Was that the Falls Village road walk? That took forever. Everyone told me about the great cookies and treats by the church. I got there, no cookies. Actually nothing. Sniff. Then I turned left (SOBO) on the road and nearly got run over.

The roadwalk at Limerock Speedway is in Caledonia, NY I believe. It's a long, long detour around a bridge that's out.

And now that I know how it works, SOBO would be the only direction I'd consider - I'm with you 100% on that.

Blissful
12-14-2010, 16:28
OK b/c in CT there was a long 2 mile road walk that went by the entrance to a speedway. They were fixing the bridge.

Pony
12-14-2010, 16:28
There was also a major one north of the Bigelow region, by that lake

Was thast the one that took you about 1.5 miles only to come back about 100yds from the original trail?

Driver8
12-14-2010, 16:51
The roadwalk at Limerock Speedway is in Caledonia, NY I believe. It's a long, long detour around a bridge that's out.

Maybe you're remembering another road walk, 10-K. Lime Rock Speedway is in the Lime Rock section of southeastern Salisbury, near Falls Village. The sound of the racing cars in summer is one of the features - some like it, some don't - of CT's AT, and there is a detour road walk in that area. I think it was due to a major spill on the train tracks running near the trail, but maybe s/o else has a better handle on the facts of what caused it.

Driver8
12-14-2010, 16:52
OK b/c in CT there was a long 2 mile road walk that went by the entrance to a speedway. They were fixing the bridge.

Yes, that's the one!

Pony
12-14-2010, 17:00
And the real pisser is that the water was less than knee deep. I didn't find this out until after the road walk. I even know of one hiker who asked the construction crew if he could walk accross the bridge they were working on and they let him. Just think if Maine rerouted the trail for streams that were knee deep. The trail would be close to 3,000 miles.

2.0
12-14-2010, 17:02
:rolleyes: It may be just a rumor, but I heard the 2 new miles account for the switchbacks at the AYCE breakfast buffet at Amicalola Falls Lodge:welcome

10-K
12-14-2010, 17:08
Maybe you're remembering another road walk, 10-K. Lime Rock Speedway is in the Lime Rock section of southeastern Salisbury, near Falls Village. The sound of the racing cars in summer is one of the features - some like it, some don't - of CT's AT, and there is a detour road walk in that area. I think it was due to a major spill on the train tracks running near the trail, but maybe s/o else has a better handle on the facts of what caused it.

The roadwalk I'm remembering is definitely by Limerock Speedway.... There is a huge graveyard in front of it (I spent quite a lot of time looking at headstones).

I guess I have my towns mixed up but definitely - Lime Rock Speedway is the place.

Rain Man
12-14-2010, 18:26
A few weeks ago there was a thread about the AT getting longer every year..... I just noticed the official 2011 mileage is listed as 2181 miles - 2 more than last year.

Does this mean I now should be ashamed of,-- or that I should cherish as a relic,-- my anachronistic, atavistic, and historical AT bumper sticker?! :D
Rain:sunMan

Forgot to tag on the photo, dang it. And WB won't let me go back and do that for some reason. Oh, the inhumanity. Oh, well, look at the next post.

.

Rain Man
12-14-2010, 18:29
From immediate prior post...


.

Quickstep
12-14-2010, 19:11
There was also a major one north of the Bigelow region, by that lake

That was a pretty big relocation. Really nice one as well. How did I not cross paths with you btw, Blissful? There seemed to be quite a few little relocations all over the place, but it seemed like there were added switchbacks on the South side of Roan Mountain that could have added some trail as well.

Cookerhiker
12-14-2010, 19:26
Is that relo just outside of Pearisburg around that factory done yet? Won't that add some more miles?

Cookerhiker
12-14-2010, 19:30
Does this mean I now should be ashamed of,-- or that I should cherish as a relic,-- my anachronistic, atavistic, and historical AT bumper sticker?! :D
Rain:sunMan
..

Mine's the 2,175 sticker. My spreadsheet from 28 years of section-hiking, with each hike recorded with the miles for the time it was hiked, totals 2,158.

fredmugs
12-15-2010, 11:01
The roadwalk I'm remembering is definitely by Limerock Speedway.... There is a huge graveyard in front of it (I spent quite a lot of time looking at headstones).

I guess I have my towns mixed up but definitely - Lime Rock Speedway is the place.

I remember what you remember 10-K. They were replacing a bridge and we had to suffer because of it. I did that SOBO and went past a kayak course and then the graveyard and at the end of the road walk (for me)there's a gas station that had a coke machine. I sat on a trailer in the parking lot and ate lunch. Good times!

10-K
12-15-2010, 11:56
I remember what you remember 10-K. They were replacing a bridge and we had to suffer because of it. I did that SOBO and went past a kayak course and then the graveyard and at the end of the road walk (for me)there's a gas station that had a coke machine. I sat on a trailer in the parking lot and ate lunch. Good times!

I remember the coke machine very well. It was on my right and over a few hundred yards as I was going NOBO. :)

I wasn't exactly sure which to to go - whether to stay straight or bear off to the right on the road that went down by the gas station.

Driver8
12-15-2010, 13:02
The roadwalk I'm remembering is definitely by Limerock Speedway.... There is a huge graveyard in front of it (I spent quite a lot of time looking at headstones).

I guess I have my towns mixed up but definitely - Lime Rock Speedway is the place.

Ok, so it's in northwest Connecticut, not nearby New York. I haven't done that stretch yet. I so enjoy Bear Mountain that I've done it and neighboring areas five times this year, but have yet to do the AT south of Salisbury @Rt. 41.

10-K
12-15-2010, 13:21
Ok, so it's in northwest Connecticut, not nearby New York. I haven't done that stretch yet. I so enjoy Bear Mountain that I've done it and neighboring areas five times this year, but have yet to do the AT south of Salisbury @Rt. 41.

I love Bear Mt. on the north side (east of the Hudson). Bear Mt. and NY in general west of the Hudson is some tough hiking.

I remember looking at the elevation profiles thinking it was going to be pretty easy. Turns out those are some tough little climbs.

JEBjr
12-15-2010, 13:39
Is that relo just outside of Pearisburg around that factory done yet? Won't that add some more miles?


As of this Spring, you crossed the New River/US 460 Bridge and descended a set of steps then headed up in the woods for about a mile and then popped out on a road on the other side of the plant. I was kind of disappointed walking about a mile to cover what appeared to equal about 250 yards up US 460. All was forgotten once I saw the view from Rice Field Shelter.

SassyWindsor
12-15-2010, 17:53
Not wanting to do the research, but I would think the current trail is about the same or even shorter than when the southern terminus was located 20 or so miles south of the current one, Springer Mtn. And, I could be completely wrong.

SassyWindsor
12-15-2010, 17:57
Omitted in my last post: The southern terminus was at Mt. Oglethorpe and was changed due to encroachment of development in the area.

Driver8
12-15-2010, 19:29
I love Bear Mt. on the north side (east of the Hudson). Bear Mt. and NY in general west of the Hudson is some tough hiking.

I remember looking at the elevation profiles thinking it was going to be pretty easy. Turns out those are some tough little climbs.

It's funny how the psychology of geography works. The NY portion of the AT (except for the part right next to CT, which I hiked near a few weeks ago) feels distant to me, whereas VT's AT, which is more distant but to which I am drawn, feels closer.

One hike I'd like to do is a Bear to Bear hike, from Bear Mtn, NY to Bear Mtn, CT. I very much enjoy the Taconics of NW CT and SW Mass. I've not gotten over to hike the NY side of that part of the Taconic but intend to do so soon. Beautiful country!

On the AT NOBO, with its gradual ascent, Bear Mtn, CT is a much easier experience than it is for most CT day hikers, who tend to come across from Rt. 41 via the Undermountain Trail. Most then meet the AT at Riga Junction and go up via the AT. It's not a hard hike for me, any more - used to be, but I've gotten stronger.

Some take the Paradise Lane Trail and then ascend Bear from the north. I've not done that difficult hike yet, though I have ascended Bear from the north, meeting the AT via the old Northwest Road from near the Mass state line. That north side is fearsome, more a Grizzly than a Black bear. I know there's plenty of stuff in the Whites and in Maine just as steep if not steeper and much longer, but for a civialian like me, that's a healthy hike! I intend to do Undermtn to Paradise Lane to north side ascent the next time I do Bear. Looking forward to it! Everett and Race from Rt. 41 are similarly a arduous climb from the valley, though not as steep as Bear's north side.

Cookerhiker
12-15-2010, 19:47
....One hike I'd like to do is a Bear to Bear hike, from Bear Mtn, NY to Bear Mtn, CT. I very much enjoy the Taconics of NW CT and SW Mass. I've not gotten over to hike the NY side of that part of the Taconic but intend to do so soon. Beautiful country!

On the AT NOBO, with its gradual ascent, Bear Mtn, CT is a much easier experience than it is for most CT day hikers, who tend to come across from Rt. 41 via the Undermountain Trail. Most then meet the AT at Riga Junction and go up via the AT. It's not a hard hike for me, any more - used to be, but I've gotten stronger.

Some take the Paradise Lane Trail and then ascend Bear from the north. I've not done that difficult hike yet, though I have ascended Bear from the north, meeting the AT via the old Northwest Road from near the Mass state line. That north side is fearsome, more a Grizzly than a Black bear. I know there's plenty of stuff in the Whites and in Maine just as steep if not steeper and much longer, but for a civialian like me, that's a healthy hike! I intend to do Undermtn to Paradise Lane to north side ascent the next time I do Bear. Looking forward to it! Everett and Race from Rt. 41 are similarly a arduous climb from the valley, though not as steep as Bear's north side.

I section hiked CT all via day hikes (slack packs) in '03, one of which was Rt. 44 to Bear Mountain (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=59528) and hiking back on the Paradise Lane Trail. It was late October and a recent light snow had fallen before the first frost resulting in snow atop blooming flowers. Nice area - I enjoyed it and noted as you did and all hikers do how steep the north side of Bear Mountain is.

Re. MA, hiked the opposite direction from Rt. 20 to Sages Ravine and the Paradise Lane Trail in mid-April (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=94199) with perfect weather. Race Mountain was really nice, much more scenic IMO than the taller Mt. Everett.

CinciJP
12-19-2010, 18:38
From immediate prior post...


.

I like that! Where did you get it? I haven't seen that before.

dzierzak
12-21-2010, 11:20
Is that relo just outside of Pearisburg around that factory done yet? Won't that add some more miles?


As of this Spring, you crossed the New River/US 460 Bridge and descended a set of steps then headed up in the woods for about a mile and then popped out on a road on the other side of the plant. I was kind of disappointed walking about a mile to cover what appeared to equal about 250 yards up US 460. All was forgotten once I saw the view from Rice Field Shelter.

Some work was done on it after the Gathering this year. There's still a llot to do.