logistical/flip flop headache

[strollingalong]

Next year I'll be starting on 20th March. I have to leave the trail for three weeks starting about April 30th to go to my best friends wedding in the UK. My girlfriend is coming back with me to the states and as she's never been before we're going to do small city stops... we would like to do NY Philadelphia and DC for a few days each visiting friends.Then her spending about a week/10 days on the trail with me.

The trouble is the obvious logistical problems of such a journey. Where would be a good place to get off/back on the trail? Most likely gonna fly from NY as we'll be doing that journey down anyhow, save her travelling time. I'd want somewhere easily accessible by public transport or a shuttle. I can hitch out but I'm not going to put my girlfriend through hitching back in before even reaching the trail. 40 days - 420 miles to Hampton TN? or before/after....? a radical solution?!

She's going to have to leave the trail to fly back a week-10 days later.... I suppose we could also jump onto the trail in the PA NY NJ area for a week instead of doing a long journey south to my jump off spot. then I could skip that/repeat it when I get back....worrying about flipflopping as didn't want to do that. Obviously a relatively easy and beautiful stretch would be preferable..... advice please :)

[Cookerhiker]

The good news, if I understand your timing correctly, is that your 7-10 day hike is in May, probably the best time to hike the AT almost anywhere.

You could hike in the NY & NJ area using public transportation. It's not necessarily the most scenic part of the AT but the wildflowers should be out. The public transportation should also make it easier for your subsequent hiking.

I'd also consider Shenandoah NP. One option: NY to Charlottesville, VA via AMTRAK, shuttle to Rockfish Gap, hike north. It would be great to make it to Harpers Ferry but if not, let's say just to Front Royal, get a shuttle to Harpers Ferry, train to DC and then back to NY. Or do this all in reverse. Shenandoah will have wildflowers, scenic views, and bears!

[strollingalong]

Shenandoah to front royal is like 106 miles? I'm thinking she's not going to be able to do that in 10 days. I've heard too many horror stories of pushing the unfit other half too much. But the scenic views would be good! :)

[Cookerhiker]

Shenandoah to front royal is like 106 miles? I'm thinking she's not going to be able to do that in 10 days. I've heard too many horror stories of pushing the unfit other half too much. But the scenic views would be good! :)

I agree about not pushing non-hiking friends who may not be the most fit in the world. Consider that while SNP is not flat, the trail is well-graded and you have plenty of daylight so 11 mpd is not IMO out of the question.

Otherwise, you could take AMTRAK to Charlottesville as I suggested but just hike to Thornton Gap which would be 80 miles from Rockfish. You can get your shuttle from Skyline's shuttle service (http://www.mvshuttle.com/) which is based in Luray, just down the mountain from Thornton Gap. They'll take you to Harpers Ferry, take the train to DC, and if you have an extra day, take your GF sightseeing around DC.

And BTW if you're concerned about your GF's conditioning and hiking ability, bear in mind (no pun intended) that hiking in NY west of the Hudson i.e. Bear Mountain to Greenwood Lake is much more strenuous than SNP with some very steep ups and downs - short but quite steep.

[strollingalong]

Great advice... much appreciated. That's good we would have a escape point at 80 but we can push a little more if she's going well.

[Han Solo (95)]

You could hike from Bear Mountain to Delaware Water Gap or vice versa. There's a Metro North commuter train from NYC to Bear Mtn, and Martz Trailways has bus service between NYC and DWG. It's about 110 miles of trail, I think, and not too difficult, although not especially scenic either, as mentioned, there are some nice spots. If you were to go the other direction from Bear Mtn. (or Pawling, also on Metro North), you would have nicer scenery in Connecticut, and still pretty easy. Unfortunately, I don't know anything about public transportation between NYC and trail towns in CT.

[Han Solo (95)]

I just saw your post about not pushing your partner too hard, and I agree that wouldn't be much fun for either of you. I do suggest hiking near where you're meeting up with her so that you're not getting off the trail in TN, going to NY, back south, then north, then maybe south again. One thing more I'll say is if you can have multiple exit points, then you can be flexible about mileage and days on the trail, and NY/CT would probably be a good section for that.

[Cookerhiker]

OK, don't take my word for it. This is from David "AWOL" Miller's AWOL on the Appalachian Trail on page 151. Keep in mind that AWOL was very fit, usually cranking out 20+ mile days.

"...With all I've read about the trail, I'm surprised by the dearth of accounts about the difficulty of this [Greenwood Lake to Bear Mountain]section. The hills are low but the trail goes steeply up and down, and there is a rock scramble at the top of many hills. This day is harder than the Roller Coaster in Virginia. Taken together, the last two days have been harder than anything since Tennessee." (my emphasis).

Believe me, you do not want to start a hike with your less-than-fit GF south from Bear Mountain.

[Han Solo (95)]

Sorry -- I've hiked that section twice as a thru-hiker, and I just don't remember any of it being that difficult. However, that was 15 years ago and I was in thru-hiker condition at the time. If the biggest consideration is easy trail, I'd say the Shenandoahs. There are two access points in the middle, so you don't have to do all 100 miles. and there are restaurants and camp stores all along the way. I will now resign from this thread lest I upset anyone again.

[strollingalong]

thanks han :)

[max patch]

If it was me I'd blow off the wedding. If I really needed to attend the wedding I'd just wait a few weeks after the wedding and go SOBO. All that planning, extra travel, getting off, getting on, figuring out an easy section for the GF is to much hassle for me. YMMV (and apparently does). Good luck.

[strollingalong]

I have thought of it, but if i did that, my gf still will want to walk some of the hike so i'd be flipflopping whatever... and i dont really wanna do the southbound

[Nutbrown]

Just a note from an averagely fit female... I do section hikes with a few of my girlfriends each year, and we all like to do about 6 miles a day. 10 is ok, as long as there is a nice break for lunch. We pick the section we hike based on the distance between shelters, not necessarily the difficulty of terrain. If she isn't much of a hiker, any mountain will be hard, but getting to a shelter before dark and having time to set up and eat a nice dinner makes the difference.

[strollingalong]

What's the trail like north of Harper's Ferry if I started a flipflop just after Trail Days?

[strollingalong]

ah but thats damascus huh? duh me

[SpecialK]

I think Cookerhiker has it right,

[SpecialK]

Strollingalong, The section from Harpers Ferry north to Boiling Spring is wonderful. Not very diificult at all. Most of Maryland you will find to great hiking until you reach Devils Race course, then after that you start to get into the Cumberland Valley.


If you need any more info on the Maryland section feel free to contact me directly.

Special K

[strollingalong]

cool thanks... now im actually doing the math and thinking about travelling and the like, a flip flop could be better than a bitty northbound hike.... i'd have northbounders on the way up and southbounders on the way down.... hmmm

[LIhikers]

How about this?
From NYC take the bus to Delaware Water Gap then hike north to Pawling, NY and take the train back into the city for your girlfriends departure. That's about 152 miles. If that's too much for her to do in 10 days then finish at NY's Bear Mountain Inn for about 108 miles and take a bus back into NYC.