Two Mileage Questions

[XCskiNYC]

I'd appreciate it if anybody here could inform me of two distances on the NCT.

The first is between the start at Crown Point, NY and FLT (co-located with NCT) Section M15/Mile 4.0 right outside of Watkins Glen, NY.

The second is between FLT Section M15/Mile 4.0 by Watkins Glen and Section M01/Mile 0.0, just over the PA border from NY.

Please let me know if your source is detailed maps, such as the FLT maps, or just general knowledge of the approximate distances. You don't have to give the exact mileage. Just to within the nearest ten would be fine but of course if you can access a map set and give a more detailed response that would be much more useful.

TIA,

Iver

[WI_Mike]

I assume you're following Sam's hike. Why are you so interested in following his mileage?

[Doc Mike]

Maybe for the same reason I do. Its Fun.

Doc Mike

[WI_Mike]

I'm following too and am skeptical about many things but I have no reason to question the accuracy of his mileage reports.

[WingedMonkey]

http://www.cnyhiking.com/NCT-SugarHillStateForest.htm

This is the area he is at today.

[4eyedbuzzard]

I'm following too and am skeptical about many things but I have no reason to question the accuracy of his mileage reports.

Did I miss the part in the original post or replies where anyone questioned the accuracy of the mileage reports?

[XCskiNYC]

Maybe for the same reason I do. Its Fun.

Doc Mike

Yup.

Gardner gives his mileage in his journal in even numbers, no tenths. I'd like to see a tally, have the opportunity to figure out his average MPD from the beginning to some intermediate point and then from the intermediate point to the next major landmark such as the end of the FLT (just over the PA border). It'd just be interesting to see how he's doing and to see if he's been able to improve his average at all.




http://www.cnyhiking.com/NCT-SugarHillStateForest.htm

This is the area he is at today.


Thanks. There's lots of good information in there. It won't make it as easy as if I had an ALDHA Companion type chart, but it will help a lot with the information I have already from a guy who posted a bunch of photo points in Google Earth of the FLT (javajoe6). The photo points make it possible to see all the FLT trail sections (M1, M2, M3, etc.) and give random mileage points for the various photo points in each section but unfortunately there's no way to know the maximum mileage for each section.

[Pedaling Fool]

Yup.

Gardner gives his mileage in his journal in even numbers, no tenths. I'd like to see a tally, have the opportunity to figure out his average MPD from the beginning to some intermediate point and then from the intermediate point to the next major landmark such as the end of the FLT (just over the PA border). It'd just be interesting to see how he's doing and to see if he's been able to improve his average at all.
There seems to be only a minor improvement on his average daily mileage, but not entirely sure because his documentation is very poor. I've pretty much lost interest and don't follow too closely any more, I find more interest in watching my ginger plant grow.

[WI_Mike]

Oh ok. Appears he's having some hip issues which, along with the snow and weather, has certainly affected mileage. Until those are no longer a factor, I think a daily mileage measurement won't tell you much. And if you factor in all the "zero days" he has had, well, that would really throw it off...

[Slo-go'en]

I have a feeling Sams daily milage reports are approximate. I guess if you had some time to kill, you could add up the numbers from his posts and compare it to where he is on the map to see how close he's been.

Although he definately isn't going to do what he set out to do in a year, at least he's still out there trudging away. He picked one of the snowiest winters in memory to start this hike. If he makes it through the spring melt and mud season, he should be able to start moving right along.

[ki0eh]

Thanks. There's lots of good information in there. It won't make it as easy as if I had an ALDHA Companion type chart, but it will help a lot with the information I have already from a guy who posted a bunch of photo points in Google Earth of the FLT (javajoe6). The photo points make it possible to see all the FLT trail sections (M1, M2, M3, etc.) and give random mileage points for the various photo points in each section but unfortunately there's no way to know the maximum mileage for each section.

Java Joe has hiked the FLT six times and is in charge of their volunteer-created maps. They do sell an end-to-end guide for $6.75 (non-member price), see http://www.fingerlakestrail.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=FLTS&Product_Code=G7&Category_Code=GS - it is worth noting the FLTC is very jealous of their maps and data because, as for many of these type of groups, it is their need to sell such information as their chief source of revenue for trail maintenance. So there is a way to get precise information - to pay.

[XCskiNYC]

Well, good for him for putting up all those photo points in Google Earth. If you know him please forward my congratulations for putting out the information.

They give you an idea of the infrastructure of the FLT and it looks like quite the substantial trail.

It's not surprising that they may not want to give out every last bit of information if the maps and guides are an important income source for their trail. Java Joe still did a pretty thorough job documenting the FLT in Google Earth.

I wonder how the ascent/descent and toughness of the treadway compare to the AT. From the nychiking....... something something (I forget the exact URL) site it looks like the rises and descents are around 500 feet or so. But the trail runs east-west while crossing all those north-south ridgelines. It looks like it might make up for the relatively small climbs by frequency of ridges that have to be up/downed.

[Pedaling Fool]

I wonder how the ascent/descent and toughness of the treadway compare to the AT. From the nychiking....... something something (I forget the exact URL) site it looks like the rises and descents are around 500 feet or so. But the trail runs east-west while crossing all those north-south ridgelines. It looks like it might make up for the relatively small climbs by frequency of ridges that have to be up/downed.
I don't know this to be true, but I've heard that in order for the NCT to certify a trail as "official", among other requirements it does not allow the inclination to be greater than 10%.

[XCskiNYC]

I don't know this to be true, but I've heard that in order for the NCT to certify a trail as "official", among other requirements it does not allow the inclination to be greater than 10%.

Wow. What would the inclination of Saint John's Ledges or the north slope of Bear Mtn (CT) be?

Anyway, I found the information on the distances involved in Gardner's hike of the NCT.

As follows:

Crown Point, NY to Rome, NY. This is as yet only a proposed section of the NCT. Based on the roadwalk Gardner described, he covered 140 miles, some on foot and he says 30 miles in a car.

I'm a little skeptical about his statement that there was just 30 miles of yellow-blazing. This section was done on Days 1 through 9. For this period, he has many days where he doesn't give mileage or doesn't even do a journal entry. He also turned off his tracker for most of this time period and, when he turned it back on, it was zoomed way out.

Rome, NY to Canestota, NY. This was on the Canalside Trail which is mostly very straight and easy to measure with Google Earth which is what I did: 19.7 miles.

Link Trail. From the beginning at Canestota to the junction with the Onandaga Trail, 40.4 miles.

http://www.cnyhiking.com/LinkTrail.htm



Onandaga Trail, from end of Link Trail to Junction with Finger Lakes Trail (FLT), 41.8 miles.

http://www.cnyhiking.com/OnondagaTrail.htm


From Mile 372.7 (intersection with Onandaga Trail) to Mile 151.9 (Hornell, NY), 220.8 miles.

http://www.cnyhiking.com/FLT-MileByMile.htm


Gardner's total mileage from Crown Point, NY to Hornell, NY: 462.7

Miles left on trail to end of FLT just over PA border: 151.9.

Total NCT length according to my calculations: 614.6.


Andrew Skurka reported a longer length for his NCT hike, but this might be accounted for by his having taken a longer route parallel to the Crown Point to Rome section. He doesn't detail it exactly but he does say he climbed Mt. Marcy, which would mean that at least at that point he was 10 or 20 miles northward of the route Gardner took which was pretty much the shortest road route between Crown Point and Rome. Skurka's total mileage reported is 652.

[XCskiNYC]

Skurka's total mileage reported is 652.

http://www.andrewskurka.com/C2C/itinerary.php