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View Full Version : What would consider the most difficult portion of the trail? The easiest?



Freeze55
11-08-2012, 11:47
I was just thinking about this and am curious on what everyone's opinions were.

Cookerhiker
11-08-2012, 11:54
For "most difficult," this very recent thread gives you some good input: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?89255-Toughest-%28Most-Challenging%29-Sections

Easiest - depends on how you define "portion." There are flat walks along the C&O Canal in MD after crossing the Potomac from Harpers Ferry and along the Housatonic River in CT. There are parts of the 100 Mile Wilderness in Maine that are easy. The northernmost 30 miles in Tennessee isn't too difficult. Most of Pennsylvania is easy in terms of up-down but the rocky parts, especially east of the Susquehanna River, will slow you down.

Tinker
11-08-2012, 12:19
http://www.dictionary30.com/meaning/Acrostic

Just in case anyone was wondering about your signature line. :)

Slo-go'en
11-08-2012, 12:28
The level of difficulty varies depending on a given hikers age, fitness, experiance, abilities and the all important weather. Bad weather can change an "easy" section into a difficult section - often quickly.

The AT has a lot of difficult sections intersperced with less difficult sections, but some sections, like much of NH and Maine, can be more challenging then say, NY or NJ. But then, if you hike through NY and NJ during a 2 week heat wave in late July, it might not seem all that easy.

Cookerhiker
11-08-2012, 12:53
...But then, if you hike through NY and NJ during a 2 week heat wave in late July, it might not seem all that easy.

Right on! Been there, done that, not fun or enjoyable.

Lando11
11-08-2012, 13:27
+2. I would say the hardest hiking I did on my thru in '11 was the brutal heat (120ish heat index) for days on end in PA

Easiest, I would say shenandoah. Very easy grades, and with all of the camp stores and resturaunts you barely need to carry any food.

Stalking Tortoise
11-08-2012, 13:41
+2. I would say the hardest hiking I did on my thru in '11 was the brutal heat (120ish heat index) for days on end in PA

Easiest, I would say shenandoah. Very easy grades, and with all of the camp stores and resturaunts you barely need to carry any food.

I was tenting inside the Bloomsburg, PA Fairgrounds for five nights during that stretch in July '11. At least I had a shower trailer to wash off the sweat and feel clean for 5 minutes each night. I feel for anyone who hiked in that sauna.

And funny - Shenandoah was a tough section for me. I wasn't 100% healthy and struggled to make decent miles each day. Ended up skipping a few sections and returning later to finish them so I could make it to Route 522 on schedule.

Bad weather? Yeah... Hiking through the Drowned Lands of NJ during the remnants of Hurricane Ivan made it a bit more interesting. "Cross intermittent brook" became "Struggle across knee-deep raging torrent."

mikec
11-08-2012, 13:51
In my section hiking so far NY/NJ were the easiest. NH/ME the hardest.

yellowsirocco
11-08-2012, 13:55
Easiest for me is Maine/NH. I like a good view and don't mind get beat up a bit to earn it. Hardest are those boring sections with miles on end of nothing.

RED-DOG
11-08-2012, 14:31
The hardest section for me was the Presidential range in NH and the easiest was the entire state of Maryland.

Drybones
11-08-2012, 15:10
For me, it depended on what was in my stomach. Sections that most hikers thought was really tough seemed easy to me because I had eaten well before that section and had plenty of energy. What should have been an easy section was a killer for me, ran out of gas because I hadn't eaten properly.

max patch
11-08-2012, 15:25
The state of Mosquitoachusetts was the toughest state I've ever hiked.

earlyriser26
11-08-2012, 16:09
Easiest part, Cumberland valley in PA. Most difficult (state: ME or NH, section overlaping ME/NH border?)

Grampie
11-08-2012, 16:19
The most difficult part of the trail was the approach trail to Springer. I walked for about a hour, stopped for a break and said to myself, "what the hell am I doing here." It was warm, I was out of shape, carrying about 50 lbs and was 65 years old. It all got much better after that.

tdoczi
11-08-2012, 23:37
even with the temperature over 100 degrees southern MD was still unbelievably easy. the 12 or so miles south of HF are pretty ridiculous also

Red Hat
11-09-2012, 09:10
Most difficult for an old lady is definitely the rock climbing in NH and ME. The easiest is Maryland, especially the C&O.

Freeze55
11-09-2012, 11:45
http://www.dictionary30.com/meaning/Acrostic

Just in case anyone was wondering about your signature line. :)
I took Koine Greek in college and my signature is all I can remember from it.

brian039
11-09-2012, 12:51
I'll go from South to North. The Nantahallas, Central VA, NY (mainly because of the heat and the fact that you've been hiking easy miles for about a month and half and all the sudden you have to climb again), and NH/Maine. NH/Maine was the toughest but the beauty definitely made up for it and made it not seem as bad.

PJWetzel
11-10-2012, 03:11
Hmmmm ... let's talk little bits. Interesting that nobody has mentioned Mahoosuc Notch. The south face of North Kinsman. The upper half of the Beaver Brook Trail to Moosilauke. On the other end of the spectrum is Pochuck Swamp. Nothing is more comfortable under foot than a boardwalk IMHO.

moldy
11-10-2012, 10:21
That's easy, the Springer Mt approach trail. It has caused more people to give up and quit than any other part of the trail, even though it is not part of the actual AT.

fredmugs
11-10-2012, 15:25
Easiest? SNP is the easiest 100 miles. GMSNP is cake. The Rollercoaster is a joke. NOBO past High Point, NJ until somewhere in Mass.

fredmugs
11-10-2012, 15:27
Hmmmm ... let's talk little bits. Interesting that nobody has mentioned Mahoosuc Notch. The south face of North Kinsman. The upper half of the Beaver Brook Trail to Moosilauke. On the other end of the spectrum is Pochuck Swamp. Nothing is more comfortable under foot than a boardwalk IMHO.

The Notch is fun. The Arm is a killer.

tdoczi
11-10-2012, 21:25
Easiest? SNP is the easiest 100 miles.

easier than say 25 miles south of HF to 75 miles north of HF? i guess it depend son how bothered you are by the few rocky areas in northern MD

Another Kevin
11-11-2012, 00:29
The hardest section is the one where it's been raining for the last four days and everything you have is wet and stinks of mold, your feet are pleading for mercy in wet socks, and on top of that, you've got a cold and a stomach bug. A level stroll under those conditions is harder than a rock scramble when you're fit and having good weather.

fredmugs
11-13-2012, 08:24
The hardest section is the one where it's been raining for the last four days and everything you have is wet and stinks of mold, your feet are pleading for mercy in wet socks, and on top of that, you've got a cold and a stomach bug. A level stroll under those conditions is harder than a rock scramble when you're fit and having good weather.

I think there's a difference between "hard" and "sucks."

tdoczi
11-13-2012, 10:12
I think there's a difference between "hard" and "sucks."

as well as a difference between hard and you really just need to stop hiking for a few days.

Freeze55
11-14-2012, 18:06
That's easy, the Springer Mt approach trail. It has caused more people to give up and quit than any other part of the trail, even though it is not part of the actual AT. So are you saying the approach trail is hard enough to scare away a lot of potential thru-hikers?

fiddlehead
11-14-2012, 20:18
The toughest part is getting the opportunity to get out there and do it.
Once your on the trail, the only tough part is dealing with people sometimes. (or sometimes getting a ride to town)
If you don't enjoy the hiking part, then why are you there anyway?

Cookerhiker
11-14-2012, 22:11
So are you saying the approach trail is hard enough to scare away a lot of potential thru-hikers?

It's happened.

Mountain Mike
11-15-2012, 00:17
It's happened.

In 88 when I did my hike it scared off many. They realized the trail itself wasn't as romantic as it sounded reading the Nat Geo article the year before. The one true thing about Bryson's book "A walk in the Woods" was that some people aren't prepared for the physical or emotional parts of the trail.

kayak karl
11-15-2012, 00:32
4-6 pm....