View Full Version : Section Hiking Plan
First time posting, though I've been lurking for quite a while. I'm planning a 2 month section hike, first long trek. I live out in LA, so it's hard to meet a lot of AT vets. My goal is hit as many quality sports on this trip as possible and use the PA border as the finish line. Would love to know what others think of this plan:
Start last week of march heading NOBO from Erwin, TN. Plan to end just across the PA border and make my way to Gettysburgh as the endpoint. Need to be finished by the third week of May so I have time to prepare for my wedding :). I figure that puts me at an average of 80-90 miles a week, which feels about right.
Any thoughts on this plan as regards the weather, amount of people on the trail with me, the pace...
Thanks!
rocketsocks
01-17-2012, 18:42
You "Lurk":welcome
rocketsocks
01-17-2012, 18:45
Oh and by the way,lets see I pretty sure football season will be over.Base ball should be coming in though.:Dand again :welcome
Blue Jay
01-17-2012, 18:51
Sounds great to me. You will be way ahead of the main pack, however mile slaves will be catching you all the way.
bigcranky
01-17-2012, 18:57
Sounds like a great plan. Have fun.
Thanks! You don't suppose I'll be too alone, do you? I mean, being ahead of the pack sounds great, but I wouldn't want to be on an island, so to speak.
This will put you ahead of the pack - probably alongside faster thru hikers for sure though -- I don't know anything about your conditioning and experience but 80-90 miles for the first couple of weeks sounds fine as a warm up - (maybe even just do 6 days @ 8-10 miles each - more or less shelter to shelter for week #1) but at age 26, assuming you are in pretty good shape, I think you'll find that you might build up pretty fast to about the 100 - 105 mile per week range (if you want to). Getting a little ahead of schedule is fun sometimes too.
Sandy of PA
01-17-2012, 22:13
You will need cold weather gear the whole way. We still get frost 3rd week of May in PA, and lots of rain!
Blissful
01-17-2012, 22:42
Out of Erwin you will hit high country and cold weather. Be prepared, esp coming from LA. Some good climbs if you are getting trail hardened. Mileage looks good to start, will likely pick up your miles mid VA. Will definitely see a lot of thru hikers then (the early March crowd), but they will be more conditioned, so don't try to keep up.
Out of Erwin you will hit high country and cold weather. Be prepared, esp coming from LA. Some good climbs if you are getting trail hardened. Mileage looks good to start, will likely pick up your miles mid VA. Will definitely see a lot of thru hikers then (the early March crowd), but they will be more conditioned, so don't try to keep up.
Great to know, thanks! And I bookmarked your blog; your pro-map argument were helpful as I try to weight the map/phone-map decision.
LIhikers
01-18-2012, 14:22
Like someone else mentioned be ready for rain. I did a 2.5 week hike last year in MD and PA and it rained every day but 2. Sure some of the days it was at night while I was in my tent, and some of the days it wasn't the entire day, but it did rain that much. In fact, I was very glad I had a rain hat with me so I didn't have to spend hour after hour with the hood of my rain jacket pulled around my head and face.
Slo-go'en
01-18-2012, 18:03
Starting at Erwin you will be jumping on the AT at the start of one of the more strenuous sections of NC, up and over Roan Mt. - which has the highest shelter on the AT. There are also several long, exposed walks over balds. Really nice if the weather is good and really, really nasty if it isn't. Hope for the best, prepair for the worst. The jet stream tends to direct all the storms to that area in April through early May. Who knows what will happen this year, but as everyone says, be ready to be cold and wet a lot of the time.
Plan to stop at the Mountain Harbor B+B when you get to 19E. Best breakfest I ever had on the trail was there. They will give you a ride to town for dinner and resupply. Other wise you'll need to carry a few more days worth of food to get to Kincora, and that would be a big load to start out with.
Starting at Erwin you will be jumping on the AT at the start of one of the more strenuous sections of NC, up and over Roan Mt. - which has the highest shelter on the AT. There are also several long, exposed walks over balds. Really nice if the weather is good and really, really nasty if it isn't. Hope for the best, prepair for the worst. The jet stream tends to direct all the storms to that area in April through early May. Who knows what will happen this year, but as everyone says, be ready to be cold and wet a lot of the time.
Plan to stop at the Mountain Harbor B+B when you get to 19E. Best breakfest I ever had on the trail was there. They will give you a ride to town for dinner and resupply. Other wise you'll need to carry a few more days worth of food to get to Kincora, and that would be a big load to start out with.
+1 to Mountain Harbor Hostel - wish it wasn't so close to Bob People's legendary hostel
There are also several long, exposed walks over balds. Really nice if the weather is good and really, really nasty if it isn't. Hope for the best, prepair for the worst.
My main thinking on starting in Erwin, as opposed to Damascus, was to get a chance to hike those balds. Guess I may be kicking myself for that, but I've always been a gambler! I'm sure the good breakfast will be well needed after those first few days, no matter what the weather.
Blissful
01-18-2012, 21:07
My main thinking on starting in Erwin, as opposed to Damascus, was to get a chance to hike those balds. Guess I may be kicking myself for that, but I've always been a gambler! I'm sure the good breakfast will be well needed after those first few days, no matter what the weather.
By all means do the balds - just beautiful. Hope for good weather... But its all good. :)
Blissful
01-18-2012, 21:12
Great to know, thanks! And I bookmarked your blog; your pro-map argument were helpful as I try to weight the map/phone-map decision.
I do advocate maps, but I must say the new NC maps that came out are not very good, imo. I still got lost by 19E heading SOBO (had to get a ride to the road as I got on some country road by mistake) and there is a mistake on the turn at least when I went SOBO by Watauga Dam.
Cookerhiker
01-18-2012, 21:23
Your plan sounds good. I echo what others have said about being prepared for cold weather and rain. That doesn't mean you'll experience those conditions all the time but in that time of year for the length of your hike, it won't be all sunshine. Like others said, I expect your mileage will start slow/low but will pick up so don't worry if you only do 10 mile days up to Pond Mountain outside Hampton. After Pond, the trail is very easy to Damascus.
You're hiking at a terrific time for wildflowers so bring a camera.
Starting in Erwin isn't THAT hard - you get at least a day or two before Roan High Knob and Hump Mtn. but, for fun, I could recommend a slight adjustment though that would give you a little easier start, another cool mountain to climb and add about 50 miles to your trip:
Start at Allen Gap, TN and stay at Hemlock Hollow Hostel on your first night - Hattie and Fred are good people and the cabins are super comfortable - right on a pretty creek - they have a nice little store, cafe, the works.
Thanks guys/gals, great advice here for a noob.
I realize I'll need to gear up for cold weather, but do you suppose I'll need real stiff boots for the possibility of snow (and certainty of rain)? I'd prefer to go lighter, but I guess snow is a real chance where I'm starting off.