View Full Version : Section Hiking Questions
I didn't see a separate section for Section hikers, so I thought I would post here. Sorry if I missed it!
Anyway - I just moved to NC a few months ago. I would love to thru-hike the AT, but I have an annoying thing called a job (I actually like it a lot - to bad I don't have 5 months vacation)! I got out of the Marine Corps in January and miss hiking. I'm currently conditioning with my wife in prep for some good section hikes....here's my question: How do you typically handle transportation on section hikes? If we started at Springer and drove there would we have to take a cab back to our car? Are there typically services that do this for AT hikers cheaper? Is there a better way to do this?
Our first few section hikes will be 5-7 days. My wife has never done a multi-day hike, so we'll start small on the AT. I will take her on some 2-4 day trips beforehand though. Just not sure how to handle transportation the best way, though. Thanks!
Stir Fry
01-15-2013, 20:52
I have sectioned over 1000 miles, and have found the best was for me is to park at the end and arrange a shuttle to the start. Ther is a list of shuttle services on this site, so thats not a problem. This gives you a little leway on finishing your hike. I have done between 20 to 200 miles on a section. Short is easy to plan longer is a little harder and you need mre leway.
bigcranky
01-15-2013, 20:56
There are shuttle services available all over the trail. You can check here (http://www.appalachiantrail.org/hiking/find-a-hike/parking-shuttles-transportation) for some ideas.
I've done about 1/3 of the trail in sections, some of them 2-3 weeks but most on long weekends throughout the Southern Appalachians. It's a lot of fun, but also a lot of work what with all the driving. But you're pretty close to a lot of the trail.
Good luck and happy trails!
My wife doesn't hike, so she is my shuttle.
Just let people on here know where you want to hike and someone will let you know about a shuttle in the area. People on here pretty much have the whole trail covered.
Welcome to the world of section hiking, thanks for your service and Semper Fi.
Cookerhiker
01-15-2013, 21:06
Welcome to WB:welcomefrom a fellow section hiker who completed the AT over a 29 year period. I'm sorry if this site appears oriented to thruhikers - that's not the intention although sometimes it seems thruhike questions and answers dominate the discussion. There are lots of us section hikers on WB so you're in the right place!
Here's a link to the ATC shuttle list (http://www.appalachiantrail.org/docs/default-document-library/at-shuttles-parking-vandalism-11-6-12.pdf). From here, you can arrange for a shuttle on your section hikes. I'd recommend that you always shuttle to your car so it's waiting for you at the end of the hike and you don't have to worry about arranging and committing to a specific time with your shuttler. I also recommend that your direction of hike i.e. north or south should be governed by where it's easier and safer to leave your car. To that end, I'm assuming that you're not hung up on always having to hike the same direction for each of your section hikes - believe it or not, a few people are. As an example, Damascus, VA is a good place to leave your car so one section hike might be northbound (Rt. 321/Hampton to Damascus) and one might be southbound (Fox Creek Rt. 603 to Damascus).
Besides the ATC list, you can always advertise for a shuttle here on WB under the forum Trailheads and Shuttles (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?29-Trail-heads-and-Shuttles).
Best of luck to you and your wife on your AT section hiking!
twilight
01-15-2013, 21:33
I have section hiked close to 1500 miles on the AT and I would recommend picking up whatever is the current hiking guide. I see at the top of this page it's now called the "Thru-hikers Companion"(see flashing ad in top right corner). In there you will also find shuttle services, too, but also it can make section hiking planning easier. You will be able to see if there is established parking areas to leave a car at. Cross reference them with link in the above thread for safety. I also like asking the shuttle provider what they're opinion is of the parking area I have chosen. It has been my experience that these guys and girls who provide shuttle services know what there talking about. Generally, I like hiking back to my car. For example, I have been hiking in VA for the last couple of years(almost done) on my last trip I parked at the footbridge over the James River and had our shuttle provider meet us there, pick us up and took us south to Jennings Creek. We jumped on the trail and hiked north back to my car. Anymore this is the way I set up my/our section hikes.
Hope this helps,
Twilight
Thanks for all the quick replies! The link is especially helpful. Cookerhiker - the site does seem a bit geared towards thru-hikers, but that's not a bad thing at all - no worries. Looking forward to getting a bit more active here. Lots of good stuff.
joshuasdad
01-15-2013, 21:47
My wife has never done a multi-day hike, so we'll start small on the AT. I will take her on some 2-4 day trips beforehand though. Just not sure how to handle transportation the best way, though. Thanks!
Welcome to White Blaze, and thank you for your service! There are lots of ways to handle transportation, literally "planes, trains, and automobiles." You have one advantage, you are close to a lot of the AT, there is a lot of support in the South, and the Southern trails are good for those who need to improve their technique, gear, and ankle strength.
Since you want to thru-hike, why not make your first section hike correspond with the hiker bubble in March/April -- start at Springer using a shuttle from the AT Hiker Hostel (park your car there), and hike north until you want to quit, say Neels Gap.
While hiking to your car is best, sometimes it is good to park a car at a safe-ish location, hike to point A, then shuttle behind your car. For example, last weekend I parked my car at Stony Creek in VA, hiked 19+ miles to the wrong motel in Pearisburg (they were friendly at least...), got a shuttle to VA 42, then did a 21 mile hike to my car. This strategy was helpful because there is no parking at VA 42.
In NY/NJ you can hike to/from train or bus stops. VT and NH also has some trains and buses. Maine has lots of shuttlers (for tired thru-hikers that want to slackpack to get off the trail as quick as possible).
I believe Greensboro has some Amtrak service--this may be of help when traveling to the northeast, though it may be more economical to drive since you have two people.
Finally, there are also lots of friendly WBers who can help you out, so just post vague plans, and WBers that can help or suggest things will PM you.
Enjoy!
fredmugs
01-16-2013, 08:27
Realizing that most people hike NOBO I decided to hike my sections SOBO and then check out the Hooking Up section in an attempt to find people hiking the same section and doing a car swap. I did this several times through people I met on here and never had a problem. The last guy I met on here we ended up sectioning about the last 1500 miles together and now we're knocking out the PCT.
Be active on here and opportunities will present themselves.
Sugarfoot
01-16-2013, 09:00
I've section hiked about 5,000 miles on the AT over the past 19 years. With limited time and being from Florida, I would usually fly up and back. Getting from the airport to the trail wasn't too hard. I relied on either public transportation (such as train to Harpers Ferry, or bus service to Gorham, Pinkham Notch, and anywhere in the Berkshires), friends or shuttle drivers. I never worried about getting back to the airport. That seemed to take care of itself, often by meeting other section hikers with cars. I tried to end in a town with an outfitter, like Hot Springs or Damascus. They can always arrange a shuttle for you. Once, I flew into Allentown, PA and spent a few days with a friend who was supposed to drive me to Vernon, NJ. He took ill and arranged a limo for me. That was probably the weirdest one of all, getting out of a limo at a trail head! Fortunately, no one saw me.
Deer Hunter
01-16-2013, 09:03
If you get up here in Virginia, I may be able to help you some. Mainly between Jennings Creek and Waynesboro. It would depend on the day and time. PM me if you need help with a shuttle in that area.
What a great support system...thanks guys! This makes it a lot less intimidating to plan knowing that I'm a forum post away from some good help! I'll keep you all posted on our plans - I'm shooting for our first section in May, so we'll see how the ol' lady feels by that time.
mtnkngxt
01-16-2013, 11:31
Pick up a Current Trail Guide, that will help a lot with logistics on individual sections. Actually send me a pm and I can send you the sections from this years AWOL guide since ill be hiking up North and in VA this year.
Pick up a Current Trail Guide, that will help a lot with logistics on individual sections.
Any trail guide you recommend? This is the one I see recommended most often: http://www.shop.theatguide.com/The-AT-Guide-2013-Northbound-ATGNB2013.htm
mtnkngxt
01-16-2013, 11:49
Any trail guide you recommend? This is the one I see recommended most often: http://www.shop.theatguide.com/The-AT-Guide-2013-Northbound-ATGNB2013.htm
That's my favorite one.
Chaco Taco
01-16-2013, 11:58
The Companion http://www.aldha.org/comp_pdf.htm
Greensboro eh? Born and raised....
Go up to Grandfather Mountain outside of Boone and check out the Profile Trail. Fun starter hike.
The Companion http://www.aldha.org/comp_pdf.htm
Greensboro eh? Born and raised....
Go up to Grandfather Mountain outside of Boone and check out the Profile Trail. Fun starter hike.
We did that one on our honeymoon haha....we went to Boone and stayed in a mountain cabin before we had any idea we were moving to NC. Love that area!
FarmerChef
01-16-2013, 12:23
I have sectioned hiked over 1,000 miles of the AT with my wife, 3 of our 4 kids, and our dog. Like you, I have wrestled with the best approaches and weighed the pros and cons. Here's some food for thought from my experience (your mileage may vary):
Two cars - This method requires that you drive both cars to one end and shuttle yourselves to the opposite end with your car. Forwards and back or vice versa doesn't really matter. The total mileage (and total cost) is the same. The downside is, as you get further and further from your starting point, you and your wife spend less and less time during the drive together. When that drive turns into a 15 hour drive one way, that can be very difficult.
One car and shuttle - This method is nicer and can be a great alternative to too car. Depending on whether the shuttle provider charges per person or just for the total mileage you can break even on two car. Over a 9 day hike, my family typically covers around 175 trail miles. At $2 per mile, that's around $350 dollars. If that's per person, my 5 people are going to rack up a lot of costs. In your case it would be $700. If it's just for the use of the car and driver only, then you're not doing too bad compared to the cost to drive your other vehicle up.
One car and moving that car - This is by far my favorite method. In this method, you drive straight to the trailhead and hop on. Then you find someone else who happens to be going your way (another hiker you trust, a family member, or a friend) who can pick your car up and drive it down to your endpoint. When you arrive, your car is waiting for you there. Consider paying your friend or treating them to a nice meal at the front or end of your hike.
Midpoint car move - I've also had a friend meet me in the middle of a hike and drive me back up to pick up my car where I drove it to our endpoint and they then shuttled me back to the midpoint. This is tedious and eats a lot of time up in the middle of the hike. But it means that for the drive to and from the trail, you only need one car.
Other than the car method, there will be a few spots where you could consider taking public transportation to get to and from the trail. Using the trail guides others have mentioned you can see where public access is possible. Where it's close enough, you could also get a shuttle or trail angel to give you a lift from the train, bus station, airport, etc. to the trailhead and then vice versa on the way back.
In my personal experience, transportation logistics to and from the trail are the most expensive part of the hike and the one I grit my teeth the most over. But I've been blessed to have multiple opportunities and great friends who have helped us work toward our goal of finishing the trail. Look hard enough and I'll bet you'll find it similar. Enjoy your hikes!
Great thoughts FarmerChef, thanks. Keep going strong! 1,077 is a huge feat!
I've section-hiked about half the trail (usually solo), and in general, I prefer to use public transportation as much as I can. That way I don't have to worry about leaving a car somewhere and then getting back to that point. Usually there's a shuttle involved somewhere to get me right to the trailhead. Most of the time my start and end points are accessible by some combination of Amtrak, local trains, and buses (gotobus.com is a good place to start).
How much does it typically cos to get a shuttle on the trail? I'm guessing if you hitch a ride you leave a tip to cover gas or something too, right?
MuddyWaters
01-16-2013, 17:36
Find someone else to go and drop car at end works best.
Paying for a long shuttle gets pricey. As others say, it works best to hike to your car as long as have safe place to leave it.
There are some that just hike and get a shuttle back at end. Its not a problem , may just not be as efficient time-wise at the end. One plus is that if your hike is called short for some reason, you only end up paying for one shuttle instead of two. If you arent in any rush once reach destination, and open to change if necessary, its still a viable way to go.
Figure about $2 or so a mile for the shuttle. Remember the driver has to go both ways, double the distance and time you do.
Its always a nice gesture to offer to pay for gas or such if someone gives you a ride, but no one will ever accept the money.
HikerMom58
01-16-2013, 17:43
If you get up here in Virginia, I may be able to help you some. Mainly between Jennings Creek and Waynesboro. It would depend on the day and time. PM me if you need help with a shuttle in that area.
Ditto... PM me if you need help with a shuttle. I'm in Virginia 2.. Daleville area. :)
joshuasdad
01-16-2013, 19:28
To add to Farmer Chef's list, there is a 2 car method where you can stay together. After one of your hikes, leave a car (for example, your beater) at a safe trail head. For example, I left one near Standing Indian for two weeks (I had hiked south, and took the train from Toccoa). I took Megabus to Knoxville, and got a rental car for 60 bucks for 4 days. Parked north of my car, hiked south to it, then drove my car north of the rental car, hiked south to rental car, etc. At end, left my beater at Fontana Dam, and returned rental car.
You can repeat all the way to Maine if you want, but I just used transit for the next hike, and returned home with the beater.
Deer Hunter
01-16-2013, 19:39
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/images/Eloquent/miscgreen/quote_icon.png Originally Posted by tds1195 http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/images/Eloquent/buttonsgreen/viewpost-right.png (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?p=1394674#post1394674)
Any trail guide you recommend? This is the one I see recommended most often: http://www.shop.theatguide.com/The-A...-ATGNB2013.htm (http://www.shop.theatguide.com/The-AT-Guide-2013-Northbound-ATGNB2013.htm)
That's my favorite one.
Mine 2. The elevation charts are what made switch over from the Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers Companion sold by the ATC. The charts give be a better idea what to expect between points on the trail.
stranger
01-16-2013, 19:50
I didn't see a separate section for Section hikers, so I thought I would post here. Sorry if I missed it!
Anyway - I just moved to NC a few months ago. I would love to thru-hike the AT, but I have an annoying thing called a job (I actually like it a lot - to bad I don't have 5 months vacation)! I got out of the Marine Corps in January and miss hiking. I'm currently conditioning with my wife in prep for some good section hikes....here's my question: How do you typically handle transportation on section hikes? If we started at Springer and drove there would we have to take a cab back to our car? Are there typically services that do this for AT hikers cheaper? Is there a better way to do this?
Our first few section hikes will be 5-7 days. My wife has never done a multi-day hike, so we'll start small on the AT. I will take her on some 2-4 day trips beforehand though. Just not sure how to handle transportation the best way, though. Thanks!
Amtrak goes to a few major cities close to the trail...Greyhound goes to many more, then there are the shuttlers on the ATC list. Between those 3 options, you can get pretty much anywhere. For example, in the past Pearisburg was difficult to get to, just the train from NYC to Hinton, W Va, get a shuttle to Pearisburg, too easy. 15 years ago those shuttle providers were slim.
Then there are taxis (ask for flat rate) and of course hitching, many people here on Whiteblaze will help you out as well.
Cookerhiker
01-16-2013, 20:19
If your section hikes are more than a week and entail resupplying along the way, then guides to trail services like the Companion or AWOL's guide would be useful.
If your section hikes are shorter than a week, then I don't see the need for those types of guides. You can find shuttlers from the ATC list. You can obtain the maps for the section(s) you're hiking either from the ATC or outfitters such as your REI in Greensboro (http://www.rei.com/stores/greensboro.html). If you want to get a picture of the total mileage, the AT Data Book is adequate; it lists road crossings and access points, shelter locations, water sources, major points of interest.
I section-hiked nearly 1,000 miles in short trips and never had the need for a services guide.
Section hiking works best for me since I'm still working full time. I have enough vacation time to do 2 ten-day trips a year (May & Oct) and usually fit in 2 - 3 long weekends a year. I've racked up 700 miles so far from Damascus to Port Clinton, PA. I live in Annapolis, so the drive is getting longer every time, which means I need to hike at least a week to make the trip worthwhile. Sleep in a Hennessey from April to early October, and tarp in the winter months. Heading back to PA in February - Lehigh Gap to the Delaware River Gap. Brrrrrr.
Keep it safe.
Loving NC and the AT so far! Good stuff! Can't wait to section up north a little bit this Summer!
It varies. Occasionally public transportation may be available. Sometimes you can arrange a shuttle here on WB.
I found one once where another hiker was doing the same section as me, but in the opposite direction. The way we worked that out, was we both drove to where I planned to end (he planned to start). He gave me his keys, and I drove his car to where I was starting (he was ending). He had an extra set of keys, so I just locked his keys in his car. As it turned out, we did meet on the trail, so could have just passed the keys, but we didn't want to chance not meeting. Worked out great for both of us.
Most of the time, I've done as others have suggested, drive to where I want to end, park my car and arrange a shuttle to my starting point. Advantage here is you hike back to your car, so no unexpected complications at the end. I have had three times however, when I ended up not making it as far as anticipated, or had to cut the trip short due to family emergencies. This became quite expensive when I had to arrange another shuttle at the end. Was never a major problem though.
The trip I'm planning now, I intend to arrange a shuttle for the end of the trip - set a specific day and estimate of where I plan to be. Make arrangements with the shuttle operator, but leave the exact pick-up location fluid. Will call them two to three days in advance and let them know the exact pick-up location. They will then drive me back to my car. I think this will give me more flexibility to adjust my pace, either increasing or decreasing as the mood strikes without worrying about making a set goal. This is a vacation, after all.
I've had very good luck with all of the shuttle operators I've dealt with. Some are cheaper, some more expensive, but all offered great, dependable, and on-time service.
I've sectioned from Springer to Franconia Notch and have used just about every conceivable method of getting to the trail: my car, rental cars, buses, cabs, friends, trains and planes. If your desire to hike is there, you will find a way to get to and from the trail.