Modern Blue Blazing

[ARambler]

I left Whiteblaze for several years due to the negative posts, eg. Purist arguments. The "modern" Whiteblaze seems much better now, so I hope this thread does not degrade.
On the CDT, most hikers take alternative routes. Most alternatives are significantly shorter (but a few take longer.) Some of the longer ones are shorter distance but take longer due to more climb (and vise versa for the faster routes). It is typical for thru hikers to shorten their hike by 10%. I think most need to shorten their routes to finish within the short weather window. Other safety issues like the lack of water and frequent thunder storms affect route choice. Others want to stay with friends, or genuinely believe the official route has inferior scenery, or feel the shorter routes are needed for their budget (time?) constraints.


I'm thinking of hiking the AT with blue blazes and wonder how much faster a thru could be. If I can save 5% or more, I could schedule another hike. (Longer alternative might be the subject of a SEPARATE THREAD.)
I have 3 criteria for this thread:
A) It must be a continuous path; no yellow blazing.
B) Each alternative must be significantly shorter. I will set a goal of 1 +/- hr or more. An acceptable deviation might be to list 4 options that save 2 hr (to show that small choices add up.)
C) Reasonable to me: I would like to hike, i.e. no biking, skiing, or aqua-blazing. I do not like to hike paved roads, although short stretches might be considered if you would recommend it. Dirt roads or even bushwacks are ok.
I do not want to do anything dangerous or illegal, or environmentally unsound.
A brief description is ok, but I would like enough info to begin research. (At this stage, time estimates do not need to be precise.)


My List (with very rough time savings):
1) Horse Gap road walk? 1hr?
2) Bartram Trail from Wyah Bald to north of NOC??
3) Road walk from Clingmans Dome to Indian Gap when road closed?
4) Old trail from Laurel Falls to Watauga Lake around Pond Mt. 3 hr.
5) Creeper Trail 3 hr.
6) North of Mount Rodgers, bypass The Scales to Old Orchard Shelter. 3hr.
7) From Trents store, take the dirt road past Dismal Falls and continue (is private property an issue?) 2 hr.
8) From New River road walk past plant to trail to Rice Field? 1 hr?
9) Road walk various parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway.?
10) Bypass Three Ridges on the Mar Har Trail to Reeds Gap. 3 hr.
11) Hike to hogback rocks??? (I don't think this is any faster)
12) Road walk various parts of Skyline Drive.
13) A to Z Trail, Zealand to Mizpah 6 hr
14) Lake of the Clouds directly to Carter Hut. 10 hr.
15) Katahdin, Blueberry Trail sic.? 1hr?

[Starchild]

I think you can bypass McGaffies Knob / tinker cliffs and also a famous bald who's name eludes me just north of the Smokies.

[map man]

Take the Kimsey Creek Trail and Long Branch Trail from Deep Gap to Glassmine Gap in North Carolina (the route passes near Standing Indian Campground). The AT route is around 18 miles but the shortcut appears to be less than half that (and flatter as well). A disadvantage would be missing the Mt. Albert Fire Tower which I think is one of the most scenic spots on the AT in NC/TN.

[Dogwood]

How one arranges their hikes depends on what one's goals are for starters. If it was my goal to hike the AT in a shorter period of time I wouldn't do it by shortening the length of it lopping off miles. I recognize little need for doing that within typical AT thru-hiking timeframes. I would apply Skurka's "How to do a faster hike" principles getting it done with that approach instead. And, if by some chance I failed doing the entire 2167 miles I would have reason to come back to enjoy what I do in the context of why I do it.

[ARambler]

How one arranges their hikes depends on what one's goals are for starters. If it was my goal to hike the AT in a shorter period of time I wouldn't do it by shortening the length of it lopping off miles. I recognize little need for doing that within typical AT thru-hiking timeframes. I would apply Skurka's "How to do a faster hike" principles getting it done with that approach instead. And, if by some chance I failed doing the entire 2167 miles I would have reason to come back to enjoy what I do in the context of why I do it.

I don't know (and you probably are not self aware enough to know) if this is empowering or hate speech. It is clearly off topic.
I am aware of the concept of section hikes; I have spent 20 years doing two of them. I know I can split a 12 month thru hike over 2 calendar years and this may be what I do for the second time.
I can hike 5+% faster, but not sure I want to; How fast do I need to hike to be an educated hiker. It would be easy to hike 5+ % faster, if I was supported. I would like that. Are you interested in helping me?
I have not said I want to lop off miles. In fact, I want to do more miles, either on other trails or by doing some longer blue blazes that I have in mind. Can you read?
I admit that variety is a goal for doing new trails. How many times have you hiked the trail as a purist? Your join date, and response make me question if you are a modern Whiteblazer.

[gpburdelljr]

I'm confused by "...I have not said I want to lop off miles..." in post #5, and "...each alternative should be significantly shorter...." in post #1. The words in post #1 sure sounds like lopping off miles.

[rickb]

I am thinking you should head down the Dry River Trail out of Crawford Notch, and then head straight for Pinkham. That would be about 9% faster, and you wouldn't have to deal its the hassles of Presidentials. The first miles out of the notch are very flat, so you might even get into double digits.

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[jbbweeks]

I like where this thread is headed. All should seek the path less traveled if the AT is to survive. Have an open mind!


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[dudeijuststarted]

Consider a blue blaze down to Cade's Cove in the Smokies. I met a friend down there to hang out for a few days. It's a bear getting back up but Cade's Cove is super cool. Blasting through the Smokies IMO is a major waste of an opportunity.

Then of course you have the Virginia Creeper, which is used far more often than people admit, and also has a nice ice cream parlor in a Tom Sawyer-y little hamlet of a town which I think exemplifies the beauty of Appalachia. The AT straight NOBO of Damascus is kind of cool though too, but not as pretty as Creeper.

Some higher elevations have bad weather alternates which can come in handy if things get hairy. Not always less or more difficult, but generally safer from lightning.

Blue blazes are there for a reason. There are alot of things to be seen along the journey.

[AfterParty]

I'm all for this if some Blue blazing gets me better fishing opertunities.

[rafe]

Virginia Creeper Trail out of Damascus, for sure.

[Alligator]

It might be easier to think of this in miles than hours, because speeds vary by hiker. If you want to cut 5-10%, then you want to cut about 110-220 miles out. I don't know how fast you hike, but suppose you would take 150 days. Then you are looking to save 7.5-15 days? Look for those big arcs on the map where the trail curves around and see if there are straighter runs. It's an interesting question to answer.

I haven't read Dogwood's suggestion of Skurka, but I think where he is going with that is to be more efficient. Consider this: If you are a strong hiker averaging 20 miles per day, 5% further is only one mile. At a two mile per hour pace you would only have to hike another 30 minutes to hit that target. AT 15 mpd, it's only 3/4 of a mile. And that's just 22.5 minutes of walking. If you are sure about how long you want to take, divide the days into the trail length and get a daily average. Then add 5-10% onto that every day and you will be done with the extra time you want.

I mention some of this to try to dial in what you want to accomplish here. A 5-10% savings isn't exactly leaving a lot of hiking time in the context of a long distance hike, roughly 8-15 days of extra hiking. You might not even want to do that after hiking 2000 or so miles? Not to throw off the exercise here at all, because you are asking for alternate routes but you did ask it in the context of saving time.

[gracebowen]

It may not meet your criteria and i don't know where it is.

Ive read in alot of journals where the at leaves the road goes over a hill and rejoins the same road.

If i ever hike ill probably skip that part if i notice it in time.

[ARambler]

It may not meet your criteria and i don't know where it is.

Ive read in alot of journals where the at leaves the road goes over a hill and rejoins the same road.

...

Yes, Maybe. The Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive in VA may have shorter/faster alternatives. It would be road walking, but not too bad midweek, and probably save less than an hour, but there might be several of them.
Do you remember the state?

[Dogwood]

Uhh, hate speech...clearly off topic? Lighten up.

Here's what you said, "most hikers take alternative routes. Most alternatives are significantly shorter (but a few take longer.) Some of the longer ones are shorter distance but take longer(as in time, correct?) due to more climb (and vise versa for the faster routes). It is typical for thru hikers to shorten their hike by 10%. I think most need to shorten their routes to finish within the short weather window. Other safety issues like the lack of water and frequent thunder storms affect route choice. Others want to stay with friends, or genuinely believe the official route has inferior scenery, or feel the shorter routes are needed for their budget (time?) constraints.

I'm thinking of hiking the AT with blue blazes and wonder how much faster a thru could be. If I can save 5% or more, I could schedule another hike.

It seemed to me like you were making the case for considering a shorter AT hike or hiking possibly faster.

I'm not the only one who thought that was what you were considering. Then the snide remark follows, "and you probably are not self aware enough to know." I too now feel confused scratching my head.

I'm confused by "...I have not said I want to lop off miles..." in post #5, and "...each alternative should be significantly shorter...." in post #1. The words in post #1 sure sounds like lopping off miles.

Enjoy your hike. I have no more to offer you.

[rickb]

First off, I would like to appologize for the prior poster's micro aggression.

As you have observed, the new and improved Whiteblaze has done a rather good job weeding out HH (hiker hate), trolls and even IHS (internet hiker sarcasm)-- but there remain a basket of DSKIAs.

But getting back on track..

Should you miss the turn off or elect not to follow my advise on how to bypass the Presidentials, I would suggest you consider taking the Pine Link trail off MADISON and head directly into Gorham.

There is is a blue blaze trail leads out of Gorham on the other side of the river reconnecting to the AT in the Mahoosucs so the benefit is clear: You will have succeeded in avoiding the entire Carter-Moriah range.

While cutting off small sections has its benefits -- Mt Height in that same stretch comes immediately to mind -- I think the bigger chunks might b a better way for you to reach your objective.

Have fun with this!

[Engine]

I left Whiteblaze for several years due to the negative posts, eg. Purist arguments. The "modern" Whiteblaze seems much better now, so I hope this thread does not degrade...

Welcome back...sorry things were so bad back then.

I don't know (and you probably are not self aware enough to know) if this is empowering or hate speech. It is clearly off topic...

Hmmmm, 2nd post after your return and you attack someone who was simply attempting to answer the question you posted. Maybe your leaving WB several years ago had less to do with others...

[peakbagger]

Keeping political comments aside as this is straight forward thread, there are several blue blaze options in the whites that meet the OPs requirements . I don't advocate them but list them as an academic exercise.

Just south of Zealand Falls hut, take the A to Z trail up over the col between Tom and Willey to the Highland Center in Crawford's Notch, then take the Crawford path to the summit of Mt Pierce where the AT rejoins the Crawford Path. This avoids a flat but scenic section of the AT around Mt Willey and Ethan Pond. It also avoids the continuous steep climb up out of Crawford Notch with the subsequent scenic walk along the Webster Cliff trail, Mt Jackson and Mitzpah Spring Hut (There is spur trail off of Crawford Path that would allow Mitzpah Spring hut or the adjacent Nauman tentsite to be accessed). I would guess a savings of 1.5 days

There are several options off the section of Crawford path north of Lake of the Clouds Hut to cut over to Tuckerman's Ravine. Tuckerman's Ravine trail will then take the hiker down to the AMC Pinkham Notch facility and rejoin the AT. This skips the arguably most scenic above tree line continuous stretch of the AT. I would guess 2 days savings.

If the OP would accept former AT routes that have been replaced, the stretch from Mt Moriah to Mt Hayes in or near Gorham NH would most likely apply. The vast majority of thru hikers resupply in Gorham yet the AT was relocated around the town in the seventies. The old route through town still exists. On the summit of Mt Moriah, the hiker would head down off the ridge via the Carter Moriah Trail. There were several iterations of the AT through Gorham but the best one would be to head down Bangor Street a short distance and take a left off the street and then head over the Peabody River via the swinging bridge a cable supported bridge. The hiker would then take a right onto a town road (I dont have map handy with its name). Follow the road to Rt 16 and take a right onto RT 16. There is a sidewalk. At the junction of RT 2 you will pass an Inn with "The Barn" a long term traditional AT stop for thru hikers with very basic accommodations. Take a left onto main street and follow until the intersection where RT 2 goes west. You will pass Hiker Paradise another long term AT hostel that is less traditional then The Barn. Follow RT 16 north to a large railroad Trestle over the road. This is the start of the Mahoosuc trail. It is poorly marked for the first 1.5 miles but if you look at map the route is obvious. Cross the river under the trestle and then climb up a steep slope to the old railroad bed. Follow the railroad bed over another section of the river and take a sharp right and go back in the woods. After a short walk through the woods on you will come out on dirt road, take a right and follow the road paralleling the canal that feeds a hydro plant. Just prior to the Hydro station, the Mahoosus trail takes a sharp left off the road. There is AMC sign and then the trail is blazed to the intersection of the AT at the top of Mt Hayes. You will pass a spur to Mascot Pond which is very scenic spot and great place to camp. You also pass the open ledges on Mt Hayes which have a very nice view looking south to the Presidentials. This route is arguably more scenic than the current AT route around town and inevitably thru hikers end up going into Gorham for resupply anyhow. I would expect a half day savings for the trail routing and possibly and the possibility of 4 to 8 hour savings for not doing an out and back from the Rattle River AT crossing that most thru hikers would do.

[Don H]

Next time I'll take the Gulf Hagas trail but that adds 4.5 miles.

[stumpknocker]

Rambler....you listed way more alternatives in your first post than I could think of.
The few we talked about last week you have already listed, so I won't be of much help.
Maybe Lone Wolf will see this and help. I think he probably knows more blue blaze trails than anyone.
The second time I ran into him was north of Lehigh Gap somewhere. He and Gypsy were on a blue blaze that crossed the AT...we met at that junction.
Another time years later was when he met me at the end of one of my thru hikes. I had flipped from Catawba, VA. and he met me a few miles north of there. He wanted to take a blue blaze from there, but I wanted to stay on trail.
My point is that he KNOWS blue blazes along the AT!

The CDT is the one trail that really frees your thinking on walking trails and making your own route. I can see why Rambler wants to do this on the AT.
For those of you that don't know him, he has done that trail 3 times...along with the PCT and the AT at least three times each. In fact, I only know of two other people that have more miles hiked than Rambler does.
He knows he can make more miles on the actual trail each day, so he doesn't need those kind of suggestions. He's looking for alternative route suggestions that he may use.