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zombiegrad
02-08-2011, 16:49
Hi all,

I'm experiencing information overload, and I still don't think I know what I'm doing! :datz

I'm taking a year off from grad school, so now I have the opportunity to do some extended hiking on the AT. I'm thinking about 1-2 months of section hiking, and I can't decide

1. which sections to tackle
2. during which months, and relatedly
3. using what gear (e.g., particular temp ratings for sleeping bag, season-specific clothes, etc.)

I'm now open to section hiking recommendations! I will be traveling to (and from) the AT by greyhound/bus (I live in Texas) so transportation is an important consideration. I just ordered the AT Guide to help me with the planning details, but I'd also appreciate the collective wisdom of you WB'ers! Thanks :D

Cookerhiker
02-08-2011, 17:10
Hi all,

I'm experiencing information overload, and I still don't think I know what I'm doing! :datz

I'm taking a year off from grad school, so now I have the opportunity to do some extended hiking on the AT. I'm thinking about 1-2 months of section hiking, and I can't decide

1. which sections to tackle
2. during which months, and relatedly
3. using what gear (e.g., particular temp ratings for sleeping bag, season-specific clothes, etc.)

I'm now open to section hiking recommendations! I will be traveling to (and from) the AT by greyhound/bus (I live in Texas) so transportation is an important consideration. I just ordered the AT Guide to help me with the planning details, but I'd also appreciate the collective wisdom of you WB'ers! Thanks :D

I suggest starting north at Springer between April 15 and May 1. Take your bus to Atlanta and arrange for a shuttle to Amicalola. If you average 11.7 miles per day, 2 months brings you to Daleville, VA very close to Roanoke which is also served by Greyhound. If you average 14 mpd, you'll make it to Waynesboro where you can get bus service from Charlottesville.

Spring is a nice time to hike the Southern Appalachians with moderate temps and colorful wildflowers. By starting in late April, you'll miss the crush of thruhikers but you will meet some. Even if the daytime temperatures heat up in the last few weeks, it'll be nothing like Texas!

PeterB
02-08-2011, 21:00
Skip the bus. You can get a $110 oneway flight end of April from Dallas to Atlanta on Airtran.

It is really expensive to get to/from the trail. A shuttle can often cost more than your flight. Therefore, you may want to do a long section instead of skipping around. You may also meet up with other hikers and want to stay with them.

See the AT shuttle guide for info on getting to the trail.

http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.mqLTIYOwGlF/b.4805499/k.547C/Getting_to_the_Trail.htm

jlo
02-08-2011, 23:43
Skip the bus. You can get a $110 oneway flight end of April from Dallas to Atlanta on Airtran.

It is really expensive to get to/from the trail. A shuttle can often cost more than your flight. Therefore, you may want to do a long section instead of skipping around. You may also meet up with other hikers and want to stay with them.

See the AT shuttle guide for info on getting to the trail.

http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.mqLTIYOwGlF/b.4805499/k.547C/Getting_to_the_Trail.htm


I agree. From what I've looked at, Greyhound can be mighty expensive for a bus and a lot of airlines have great one way deals, like airtran, southwest and jetblue. And if you live close to Dallas or another big city, all the better to get a good airline deal.

As far as a hike, I'm partial to VA :) Start in Roanoke and work your way up...or fly into DC, take the train over to Harpers Ferry and work your way down.

jlo
02-08-2011, 23:45
FYI, if you fly into Reagan/National airport, you can catch the metro to the train station and it's only about $30 to get the train to Harpers Ferry.

Driver8
02-09-2011, 01:56
You could do New England from near NYC to Pinkham Notch past Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. The hike would start fairly easily in NY then build up as you work northward. There's a good Metro North train top, I think at Pauling, NY, for the App Trail. Hike from there. Easy to get from Port Authority Bus Terminal to Grand Central Station, from which Metro North departs. As one who's taken the bus countless times from Arkansas to Connecticut, however, I highly recommend against doing that to yourself if you can avoid it. I agree that plane fares these days compare favorably. Heck, if you want to ride on the ground, take Amtrak. Just don't put yourself through the long, long busride. It's grueling. ...

If you decide to do the Near-NYC to White Mtns segment, I'd start around Memorial day and go until late July. You'd get pretty good conditions in an average year, not too hot when you start, and pretty close to the best conditions along the way. The Whites in mid-to-late July would make for a spectacular end, with any luck.

zombiegrad
02-09-2011, 03:41
Thanks for all the good suggestions! I was thinking along the lines of what Cookerhiker suggested--starting at Springer and doing a nobo section hike 'til I reach my time limit and bus service (for a flexible finish). The greyhound from Houston to Atlanta costs about $87, but flying for ~$110 is decent and faster. Now I'm really curious to see Virginia and the Whites...oh decisions! Thanks for giving me something to think about.

Questions: for hiking the southern appalachians around may, what kind of sleeping bag should I bring along? Mid 30s to 40 deg? How about for the mid-Atlantic and New England areas? I'm considering hammock sleeping over tent, so any special considerations here? And finally, what season clothing would you recommend along these sections, in general? Thanks again!

Papa D
02-09-2011, 08:20
1) Get some weekend "practice sessions" in - make sure you really can do (and like to) backpack.

2) Figure out what your current miles per day (MPD) preferences are. It will increase by about 25%-30% plus over your 2 month trip but you will know what you can tackle - my guess is that could average a little better than 10 miles per day. So, if you want to do 40 hiking days, you could do 400 miles.

3) 2 Suggestions:

a) 273 miles - Hike the Long Trail - start in N. Adams Ma and walk to Canada - 1st 105 miles is shared with the AT - it will be a complete end to end trip.

b) 353 miles - Start NB in Salisbury CT and hike all of MA and (Vermont to Sherburne Pass) and finish on the Long Trail - this adds about 80 miles to "trip a"

c) 463 miles - Start NOBO at Bear Mtn Bridge, NY (cool place) and hike as described in "a" and "b" and finish on the Long Trail.

Obviously, there are tons of AT section hikes to do and they are all good. The Long Trail is obviously its own trail, but I thought that given your time frame "completing an entire trail" would be satisfying. I hiked the LT last year and it was wonderful - i did it in 23 hiking days which is about average for that trail. A seasoned AT thru-hiker would probably take more like 19 days (on average). Go to www.greenmountainclub.org

have fun!

fredmugs
02-09-2011, 09:39
If you want to hike in the spring then I would fly to DC and hike SOBO to Damascus. Not sure if you want to cover 550 or so miles but you would be hitting a great section of trail at a great time of year. Plus there are a lot of great shuttle providers who can help get you back home.

You probably do not want to hike the Whites before July 1st. Last year it snowed on Mt Washington on July 1st but when I summitted 6 days later it was 67 degrees. You would have to pack for pretty much every possibility.

Jim Adams
02-09-2011, 15:22
You have a year off...I'd do the section from Springer to Katahdin.

geek

zombiegrad
02-10-2011, 14:14
Fredmugs, I love that suggestion! I'll definitely look into it.

Jim, the thought has crossed my mind many times ;) Ah, if I had a bigger budget!

I will let you all know what the eventual plans are. It's going to be amazing regardless.

Cookerhiker
02-10-2011, 15:53
If you decide to fly to DC and start hiking south from Harpers Ferry, averaging 12.7 mpd gets you to Davenport Gap, the northern gateway to the Smokies. That's based on 61 days (2 months) of hiking with no zero days.

You could go further as you'll surely have many days hiking well above 12.7 miles especially in Spring with the long daylight hours. It depends on how much you hike.

That would be a nice hike but if were me, I'd still start at Springer and hike north.

Red Hat
02-10-2011, 16:01
zombiegrad, I also live in TX (Brenham). I'll be heading out to the AT in mid march. If you would like a ride and are in reasonable driving distance (not out west or something), I'd be happy to give you a lift. I did the AT last year and have done sections before. I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have. PM me.

zombiegrad
02-14-2011, 00:19
OK, so I've decided to start at Springer Mtn and go as far north as possible. If I can hack it for those two months, then I just may convert to a full-fledged thru hike!

Red Hat, you will be hearing from me! Thank you all for your help..it means so much.

tcha5782
03-29-2011, 22:04
OK, so I've decided to start at Springer Mtn and go as far north as possible. If I can hack it for those two months, then I just may convert to a full-fledged thru hike!

Red Hat, you will be hearing from me! Thank you all for your help..it means so much.

Good luck! I started grad school this past fall and was able to leave work on April 1 and fly to Atlanta on April 16 to hike as far north as I could before school started. I had an ending destination in mind (my last job had me living literally steps away from the trail in MA) and fortunately was able to make it up there within my limit of about 100 days, but I think the first 2 months were enough to totally fall in love with the trail and got me just south of SNP.

My recommendation would be to hike with a general idea of the distance you'd like to cover, but to focus on the experience and living in the moment appreciating everything you experience and feel. If you feel like you need to reach a particular marker within your 2 months, or that you need to "stick it out" for at least 2 months, you may forget to be grateful and soak in how amazing it is to be out there. Hike your own hike!

And if you get to McAfee knob, make sure to eat at the Homeplace (http://www.flickr.com/photos/tcha/5216470779/in/set-72157625490182314/)if you like never-ending fried chicken and pork barbecue.