Travel logistics help

[hikernutcasey]

My buddy and I usually do 7 to 8 day trips logging a total of 100 to 120 miles per section. We live in the south and are working our way north and have made it to central PA. After our next trip in May we are looking at getting up around NY. I'm looking at the town of Greenwood Lake, NY for a start or end point for the next leg. If we took a bus to NYC (doing this because it's super cheap) what's the best way to navigate getting to Greenwood Lake from there? I'm assuming one could ride the subway or public transit with a backpack and poles? Just trying to figure all this out.

[rafe]

http://www.njtransit.com/

Has several trains per day between Penn Station and Greenwood Lake park & ride. One stop at 42nd St. Port Authority bus terminal.

I googled that for ya.

[rafe]

Correction: that's bus, not train, as far as I can tell. Here's one more link, again from google:

http://www.rome2rio.com/s/Port-Autho...Greenwood-Lake

[hikernutcasey]

Correction: that's bus, not train, as far as I can tell. Here's one more link, again from google:

http://www.rome2rio.com/s/Port-Autho...Greenwood-Lake

Thanks Rafe. One follow up...the bus lines from Greensboro, NC that I have found all drop you off in lower Manhattan at 120 East Broadway for some reason. I'm assuming I can just ride the subway to the Port Authority bus terminal with my backpacking gear?

[Traveler]

The bus company you are looking at probably doesn't have rights to use the NY-NJ Port Authority facility on 42nd Street, so it drops you off literally in the middle of lower manhattan and set you loose on your own. Thats a fair walk and there likely will be at least one if not two subway train changes. You would probably be better off in a cab. Or book the ticket with Greyhound who can use the 42nd street location and put you right where you want to be. The potential few extra bucks will be worth it to avoid a potentially confusing subway journey or a cab ride that may get snagged in traffic and/or cost the difference in the bus ticket prices. Just a thought.

[hikernutcasey]

The bus company you are looking at probably doesn't have rights to use the NY-NJ Port Authority facility on 42nd Street, so it drops you off literally in the middle of lower manhattan and set you loose on your own. Thats a fair walk and there likely will be at least one if not two subway train changes. You would probably be better off in a cab. Or book the ticket with Greyhound who can use the 42nd street location and put you right where you want to be. The potential few extra bucks will be worth it to avoid a potentially confusing subway journey or a cab ride that may get snagged in traffic and/or cost the difference in the bus ticket prices. Just a thought.

Ahh, I see. No wonder it's so cheap. Thanks for the info. For not much more than what Greyhound charges I could just fly.

[displacedbeatnik]

While New York City doesn't have white blazes, the grid system in Manhattan makes it really easy to navigate. And it's actually a nice city to walk in, even with a full pack.

[rafe]

While New York City doesn't have white blazes, the grid system in Manhattan makes it really easy to navigate. And it's actually a nice city to walk in, even with a full pack.

Agreed. I've walked across Manhattan (Penn Station to Grand Central Station) with my backpack, on the way home from an AT section hike. Kinda fun.

[tiptoe]

Many times I've started and ended hikes in NYC and either walked or taken the bus or subway from point to point. And I'm not exactly a kid. No one even gave me a second glance, and on public transport, people made room for me as best they could (hint: take off your backpack and hold it if your are lucky enough to get a seat). If you can, it's best to avoid public transport during rush hour (with or without a pack), and yes, I very much like walking around nyc too, especially if I've just been on a train or bus for hours or am about to be.

[Miel]

You can take all your gear on the NYC transit system. But it gets crowded in subway cars and many folks don't take kindly to being pushed or tripped by a big-assed backpack, so handle your gear accordingly.

NYC has many different kinds of people. You won't stand out, so no worries.

Also, I assume you know this little treasure, a sweet spot on the Metro-North:

http://as0.mta.info/mnr/stations/sta...il.cfm?key=167

[Miel]

ETA:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appala...North_station)

[displacedbeatnik]

NYC has many different kinds of people. You won't stand out, so no worries.

With the amount of tourists in lower Manhattan, a person with a backpack actually almost blends in (people with suitcases are everywhere)!

I'm actually starting my flip-flop from the Appalachian Trail Metro-North station. It seems appropriate.

[Feral Bill]

Google Maps will give you exact transit directions. Probably. NY. MTA as well. You'll have fun.

[Dogwood]

The #196 and #197 NJ Transit(Warwick and Greenwood Lake Villages) and associated bus systems takes you to Greenwood Lake not a long walk from the AT. I walked past the bus stop dropping off the AT during an AT thru in the blazing northeast Aug heat and humidity to head into a bar to get some umm ice water. http://www.townofwarwick.org/services/transit.shtml

[rocketsocks]

Also some good stuff in this thread.

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...97-Bus-Service

[hikernutcasey]

Thanks for all the info everyone. This is going to work out great for us to take the bus to NYC, hop on the subway to the Port Authority and take the #196 or 197 up to Greenwood Lake. We can do this on consecutive trips, hiking south from Greenwood the first trip and north the next.

I've even looked at the next trip north into Conn/Mass and I think we can take the bus again and take the Metro train north and get really close to the trail again. May need to line up a short shuttle from the train station but no big deal. Now I've just got to figure out how to get to Vermont but that's a few years away