Hit the Pavement

[Jack Tarlin]

I seem to remember this coming up awhile ago, but I can't remember how it was resolved.

Does anyone know what the longest stretch of continously PAVED A.T. might be, i.e. where is the longest stretch of the present trail where you're walking on sidewalks or streets? (Long dirt-road stretches like the Housatonic River or along the C&O canal don't count).

Off the top of my head, my candidates would be:

*From where you leave the woods in Norwich VT to where you re-enter them
as you leave Hanover

*From where you enter Duncannon til you leave it

*From the base of Bear Mountain to where you leave Rt.9 after crossing
the Hudson River

*From where you leave the woods as you enter Delaware Water Gap to
where you re-enter them in New Jersey after crossing the Delaware River

The last one seems to me to be the longest paved stretch, but anyone have any other ideas?

[Chef2000]

I think Dalton is at least one mile from the lumber yard to the trail head past the DPW

[Nean]

They all cross rivers, but other than that....
You may have to hike the trail again and bring the wheel Jack

[MOWGLI]

The Androscoggin River road walk near Gorham was about one mile. Has that been eliminated?

[Nean]

Not unless they did it in the last year or so.

[Alligator]

How about heading north into the Wallkill Wildlife Refuge in NJ? I lost that map.

[colbys]

isnt damascus overa mile or so on a road past dots?.11 years since a thru fogs my memory..

[MOWGLI]

The NJ walk is considerably less than a mile - probably about .5. but it can be a very dangerous one. I hope people walk facing traffic there, as there is no sidewalk.

[Roland]

The Androscoggin River road walk near Gorham was about one mile. Has that been eliminated?

You're right, MOWGLI16, there's about a mile of road walk between the trail-crossing on US 2 and where it re-enters the woods across the Androscoggin River.

The Trail uses the bridge adjacent to the Shelburne Powerhouse. Since this is the only bridge nearby, I don't expect this road walk will be eliminated in the foreseeable future.

[Ridge]

Duncannon is further than Del Water Gap which I think is about the same as Damascus. But, I was thinking a road walk, could have been a detour, Somewhere in Pa(other than Duncannon) was a heck of a long way.

[weary]

I seem to remember this coming up awhile ago, but I can't remember how it was resolved.

Does anyone know what the longest stretch of continously PAVED A.T. might be, i.e. where is the longest stretch of the present trail where you're walking on sidewalks or streets? (Long dirt-road stretches like the Housatonic River or along the C&O canal don't count).

Off the top of my head, my candidates would be:

*From where you leave the woods in Norwich VT to where you re-enter them
as you leave Hanover

*From where you enter Duncannon til you leave it

*From the base of Bear Mountain to where you leave Rt.9 after crossing
the Hudson River

*From where you leave the woods as you enter Delaware Water Gap to
where you re-enter them in New Jersey after crossing the Delaware River

The last one seems to me to be the longest paved stretch, but anyone have any other ideas?

Well the longest road walk I can remember in 1993 was Damascus. The bridge over the Hudson certainly comes close, or maybe longer. But I thought of that as more as "the only possible route" not as a deliberate route ro avoid "wildness." Remember, "In wildness is the Preservation of the world...:" Henry Thoreau.

Some have critisized the bypass of Monson. But had the trail continued through town it would have been the most serious tar road bypass. Around six miles, as I remember.

No one who doesn't want an ATC 2,000-miler patch, should feel obligated to use the official ATC/Monson bypass trail (HYOH), but failing to do so certainly eliminates, wisely, or unwisely, a lot of white blazes -- while allowing one to pass what used to be that trail icon, "Shaw's."

[Lone Wolf]

I really love the old PA 16+ mile road walk. Classic.

[MOWGLI]

I really love the old PA 16+ mile road walk. Classic.

The Cumberland Valley was probably one of my very favorite places on the entire trail. Top 5 easily.

[Lone Wolf]

Ice Cream lady (Bonnie), Musser Farm, The strawberry farm, the truck stop, the sub shop.

[lobster]

LW,

That's a very nice picture of yourself!

[Tin Man]

The Norwich to Hanover road section appears to be 3 miles in the official AT Guide. I know it seemed like a long, uncomfortable road walk just from Norwich to the Green in Hanover this past fall - a lot longer than the Dalton road walk. I didn't care for all that pavement and tried to get on the grass where I could.

[dperry]

My rough measurements, based on figures from my Maptech CD's (both the guide information and actually measuring it on the maps) and the AT Database:

Norwich/Hanover: 3 miles
Duncannon: 3 miles
Delaware Water Gap: 2 miles
Dalton: 1.5 miles
Damascus: 1.5 miles
Fontana Dam: 1.5 miles
Bear Mountain: 1.4 miles
Hot Springs: 0.8 miles
North Adams: 0.8 miles
Androscoggin River near Gorham: 0.7 miles
Cheshire: 0.6 miles

[The Solemates]

My vote is for duncannon. thats quite a ways through town, across both bridges, and up towards the mountain. it may be about the same as hanover, but it seemed longer to me.

[Kerosene]

I'd put Norwich/Hanover and Duncannon at the top of the list also. DWG is definitely less than 2 miles.

[Kerosene]

I really love the old PA 16+ mile road walk. Classic.

it was always 17 miles in my mind.

This was my wife's second day of her first backpacking trip, having started in Duncannon in June 1979. Fortunately it wasn't too, too warm. My wife remembers buying strawberries along the way, but I was very focused on getting back to the mountains.

We did a 20-miler a week later, after which her knee started bothering and which contributed to her never backpacking again (that and the lack of a shower).