Where should we section hike 3/8-3/29?

[cheeks]

My wife and I are planning a section hike on the AT 3/8-3/29. This will be a warm-up for a PCT thru-hike this season so the goal of the hike is to increase fitness and test gear. Our original plan was to hike south from the Mason/Dixon line and see how far we could get. This is most convenient for us because my family lives in Washington D.C and they could shuttle us to and from the trail. We are concerned that the trail conditions will be much more difficult than usual this year because of the record snow in the mid-Atlantic. Do any locals have a prediction of how the trail will be in early March.

The other option is head down to Springer and head north. The downside of this idea is the expense of travel to and from the trail. We need to make a decision soon so we can buy the cheaper bus tickets.

[Cookerhiker]

I'm unclear why those are your only 2 options. Granted, any backpacking helps with conditioning but if you want to "increase fitness" then I suggest a more challenging section than starting at Pen Mar.

How about taking a bus to Roanoke and starting north at Daleville? It's a little less than 300 miles to Harpers Ferry which may be a stretch for your timeframe. But the closer you get, the easier it is for your family to pick you up if/when you have to bail. And as you probably know, once reaching HF you can get MARC into DC.

The hike will have its challenging moments but it's not constant up-and-down.

Re snow, you're correct - there's a lot right now. Makes the decision tougher for you. FWIW, I hiked in Southwestern VA for 5 days in snow with some drifts thigh-high. I did fine but couldn't make the same mileage as I would in Spring. Keep checking here on WB with folks who live near the Trail corridor.

Hope it works for you.

[garlic08]

For a PCT warm-up, I'd recommend looking for less hill-climbing (though certainly that can't hurt), longer days on your feet (work up to 20+ miles if possible), and carrying lots of water (4+ liters). From what I've seen of the DC area, the canal paths might fit the bill as well as the AT. I warmed up for the PCT around the Denver area during a record snow year, and the irrigation canal paths around the city turned out to be absolutely perfect. I put on my pack and walked several consecutive 20-mile days from home. The year before I did a desert shake-down for gear in New Mexico. Best of luck and have a great time on the PCT.

[Spirit Walker]

Cheeks, we're in the same position: using the AT to train for the PCT. Garlic is right that the canal is somewhat similar to the PCT, being flat and easy, but it also gets really boring after a while. The view rarely changes. We've been doing a lot of dayhikes on it thiswinter, since we live nearby and it melts out faster than the AT. However, we decided to fly to Atlanta March 1 and hike north as far as we can get in six weeks. 1) It's a lot more interesting than the canal. 2) We haven't hiked that section since our thruhike, many years ago. 3) we haven't gotten out as much as we'd hoped this winter, thanks to the monster snows and on the AT you can do short days starting out. FWIW, airline tickets from BWI to Atlanta were only $69 (+ tax) each.

[Spokes]

Grayson Highlands area.