Connecticut Mohawk loop advice

[tdoczi]

I’ve thought about the same thing, the biggest logistical challenge is that you technically need a free permit from CT DEEP to camp overnight on the Mohawk. That said, maybe it would reassure the purists that some of the original USGS style A.T. markers are still in place on the Mohawk:

Attachment 44647

isnt it possible to hike the whole mohawk trail in a day? the loop is less than 40 miles if am remembering right and i would guess the mohawk part of the loop is in the range of half that?

thats part of why ive never got around to it. its stuck in some sort of in between of either needing to use a shuttle to do a day hike, making some sort sort of weird day and a half trip out of it, or doing like i did with the AT proper through there and chopping it up into a few of out and back day hikes or loops if possible.

[LazyLightning]

While you may technically need a permit, I don't think it would be frowned upon if you stayed at a shelter giving the right of way to anybody else that showed up. When I was hiking the trail last year with my buddy I ran into a ridge runner who asked if we were doing the loop, to which I replied just a short 2 day trip doing a small section. It was cold and he was like "yea we were supposed to camp to but chickened out" and even mentioned the shelters not asking nothing about a permit or anything... maybe he assumed we had a permit but was real cool, seems pretty laid back like nobody's gonna bust your stones for showing up for a place to stay, especially if you got a tent/hammock or your own means of a shelter in case its crowded.... but then again it was freezing out, not sure how popular it gets.

They do close the section Mohawk Trail from the end of Dark Entry Rd. going north to Jewel St. (4.9 miles) for a week or a little more around Halloween. I first noticed that when I got to the end of Dark Entry Rd. last year a few days before Halloween, and I'm not saying it's right but we decided to "get in the woods before the neighbors see" instead of road walking back to the truck. We were not going to Dudley but I did know about it. We get in the woods out of sight and decide it's time for a safety break, then two women come walking down the trail who I first thought were neighbors. Then they start talking about how there going to Dudley and this and that and we pretended we never heard of it still thinking its likely neighbors pretending. So they move on and we pass them a short time later heading back saying "we saw a dark shadow ahead and we were afraid to go any further" …. of course they were nowhere near Dudley but it showed me people still come up for that, we were sitting down less then 10 min and ran into somebody. We also saw a family hiking that closed section the same day and more then one entry in a hiking journal in that section that was dated during the closed time. I'm not telling anyone to go there then and I wouldn't plan on it again, I'm just saying what I saw and experienced there.

It is a very nice section, more road walking but still more miles off roads then the AT relocation. At least we got a nice loop out of it and not just a lost section of trail...

[LazyLightning]

isnt it possible to hike the whole mohawk trail in a day? the loop is less than 40 miles if am remembering right and i would guess the mohawk part of the loop is in the range of half that?

thats part of why ive never got around to it. its stuck in some sort of in between of either needing to use a shuttle to do a day hike, making some sort sort of weird day and a half trip out of it, or doing like i did with the AT proper through there and chopping it up into a few of out and back day hikes or loops if possible.

Mohawk is 25.7 and the AT in-between is 13.7

[Just Tom]

My son and I did some trail work on the Mohawk and met the owner of the land (he was part of the crew) and he showed us some of the the damage and graffiti he has to deal with. I don't blame him for trying to close it during those high-abuse times.

[Chris gagnier]

I’m planning on doing the AT Mohawk loop in mid to late September. I’m a little nervous that because not a lot of people use it anymore that trail blaze is not clear and will get lost. Any advice will help. Thank you

[Chris gagnier]

Are the blazes easy to follow

[LazyLightning]

No worries on that most CT blue blazed trails are marked well and easy to follow, probably even blazed more frequently then the AT itself. The blazes will be clear and not close to worn out, maybe blow downs to deal with but the trails are kept up with pretty good. Maybe other intersecting trails around but should be marked good at intersections... there is one other blue blazed trail on Mohawk Mountain (Mattatuck Trail) that heads south but should be no problem.

[LazyLightning]

just got done with this loop since early friday morning, catching a little rain on the way out but what a beautiful weekend for November otherwise. The Mohawk Trail was actually not blazed as well and hard to follow in a few spots contradicting my earlier post, mostly in the northeast corner of it. Also lots of blow downs right now. The tornado damage and recent clearing that was done around Belters Bump is pretty impressive. Didn't see many people out and nobody since late Saturday afternoon. Only other backpackers I ran into was a friend that was a total surprise, leap frogged a little then they passed.