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Post by mcziegler on Mar 21, 2017 17:33:42 GMT -8
Hi all! I'll be finishing grad school in mid-August of 2017 and am hoping to do a hike for 6 to 8 weeks starting at that time. Before I get into the nitty-gritty of planning said hike, I'm reaching out to different trail forums across the country to find a trail/region that would be feasible and fantastic, and so am asking for your wisdom to learn of any long distance trails that could be an option for what I'm looking for. I'm thinking about the Northeast, and have been looking and interested in the Cohos Trail with connections to the Sentiers Frontalier in Canada, but that will only give me about half the distance I'm looking for. I'm open to any suggestions, and combining a handful of long trails to make for a great couple months. Thanks for your willingness to advise! (If you are, in fact, willing  First, a bit about myself. I'm an experienced back-packer, but this hike will definitely be my most serous undertaking. I've done about 12 solo multi-day back packing trips in my life, with the longest being a 9 day hike in Banff, CA. I'm generally in good shape (15ish miles per day on standard terrain), have accumulated good gear, and will need to improve my navigation skills. I'm confident in my backpacking abilities, but would want to be realistic about not getting in over my head. My goals would be diversity of terrain (lakes, mountains, rivers, forests, etc..), remoteness, avoid overly-complicated logistics (complex re-supplies, etc...). I'm not trying to be crazy-intense with daily average miles ( plus or minus 15 per day), and would love if the trail/s I hike has the option to set up camp for 2 or 3 days in some places where I can do some pack-less exploring. Using those calculations, I'd be looking at a combination of trails that would add up to about 500 miles. My schedule's still up in the air, but the earliest I could start would be about August 7 and the latest I could go would be October 14. Sorry for my overly vague request, but if you've made it this far and are willing to offer your advice: If you were a guy in my situation, what trails might you try and hike? I'm open to any clarifying questions you may have, and am very grateful for your consideration here. You might just tip me off towards the best hike of my life! Take care, Mike |
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Post by vinovampire on Mar 22, 2017 5:02:02 GMT -8
Hi Mike, welcome to the forum! Congratulations on your impending completion of grad school. Sounds like a very exciting time ahead of you this summer. It sounds like you've done some research, but I would suggest looking at your trip in two segments. You might want to consider doing the famous 272-mile Vermont Long Trail. Most people seem to take three or four weeks to complete the trail end-to-end. People will sometimes complicate things, but hitching into towns is relative easy in VT, so the only logistical matter you will need to deal with is getting to the trailhead. Once you have that under your belt, if you're still feeling good enough to continue, you could head over to the second segment of the trip. If it were me, I would actually go back to where the AT splits from the LT, and complete the 44.6 miles of the AT in Vermont. From there, I would head into New Hampshire and follow the AT towards Maine. If that doesn't appeal to you, then doing the Cohos could be the second segment. Good luck with you plotting and planning! I'm sure no matter what you plan to do, you'll have a great time. |
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Post by Coolkat on Mar 22, 2017 5:11:37 GMT -8
I know this post in the "Northeast" section but let me suggest the NCT across Michigan's UP and into northern Minnesota where it joins the KEK and BRT for some really remote places. That time of the year most of the bugs should be gone also. Just a thought.
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walkswithblackflies
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Resident terrorist-supporting eco-freak bootlicker
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Post by walkswithblackflies on Mar 22, 2017 5:18:00 GMT -8
I second Vino's suggestion. Only other "worthy" options IMO is a long segment of the AT, or the Finger Lakes Trail (which might work better if you're going into October).
ETA: Northville-Placid Trail would be another option. |
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daveg
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Post by daveg on Mar 22, 2017 8:20:22 GMT -8
I like Vino's Long Trail-AT hike idea except, with a mid-September start, hiking north on the AT after finishing the Long Trail would put you in the White Mountains in mid-October and the weather can be real iffy at that time.
Some other options:
Option 1 -- Begin at the northern terminus of the Long Trail in mid-September. It would take two weeks or so to get to Sherburne Pass (where the Long Trail joins the AT). Then hike the AT south (which is also the last 100 miles of the Long Trail) until you decide to stop. The crowds on the AT will be gone by then. The AT through the Green Mountains in Vermont is nice (but not as scenic as in NH and Maine, IMHO) and MA and CT are decent if you get that far.
Option 2 -- Can you start late August or the beginning of September? That would get you to Sherburne Pass mid-September. If you hiked north on the AT from there, you could be through the Whites by early October (if the weather cooperated) and continue hiking north into Maine until you decide to stop.
Option 3 -- Start in Gorham, NH in mid-September and hike south on the AT. That would get you through the Whites by the beginning of October. Then, when you get to Sherburne Pass, hike north on the Long Trail. If you wanted a longer hike you could start in southern Maine but with a greater risk of hitting bad weather in the Whites. This itinerary would probably also put you in the crowds on the AT for a while (NOBO thru-hikers finishing up and day and section hikers out for a fall hike) but they will be spread out except at the shelters at night.
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Post by vinovampire on Mar 22, 2017 10:48:05 GMT -8
I like Vino's Long Trail-AT hike idea except, with a mid-September start, hiking north on the AT after finishing the Long Trail would put you in the White Mountains in mid-October and the weather can be real iffy at that time. Hi daveg-- I might have missed something, but I thought the OP said that the "earliest I could start would be about August 7 and the latest I could go would be October 14." I think the OP will be able to get an earlier start than mid-September. That being said, heading north-to-south is definitely a safer bet when it comes to weather. Good suggestions! All three of your options are interesting choices. |
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daveg
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Post by daveg on Mar 22, 2017 12:52:59 GMT -8
Hi daveg-- I might have missed something, but I thought the OP said that the "earliest I could start would be about August 7 and the latest I could go would be October 14." I think the OP will be able to get an earlier start than mid-September. You are correct Vino. I misread the subject line as September 17 (rather than September 2017) and locked on to that and then completely overlooked the August 7 to October 14 range in the text of the post. That's a beautiful part of the country to hike and I think any LT-AT itinerary that gets the OP through the Whites -- ideally before mid-September and preferably before October -- would work. But the AT will be crowded in August and early September and that may make a difference. |
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Post by mcziegler on Mar 22, 2017 13:11:45 GMT -8
Wow, thanks for these great responses - and with such speed! I really appreciate the ideas, and now have some more narrowed down options to get cracking on. A lot of these routes suggestions are pretty new to me (being from Wisco and unfamiliar with the NE), which is exactly why I'm reaching out to you all. Now that I have a few ideas to hone in on, I can research a bit on my own and get a better idea of some less-vague questions to ask. Thanks for real - wahoo! And I'm still open to any other ideas folks may have
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Post by jmitch on Mar 23, 2017 8:31:06 GMT -8
PA's Mid State Trail. Fairly isolated and uncrowded, but resupplies shouldn't be difficult. Sept is an ideal time to go, weather still decent, bugs are decreasing, fall colors coming in. Many great views, some lakes, canyons, gorges, waterfalls, state parks, rocky ridges. www.hike-mst.org/ |
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Post by pedxing on Apr 6, 2017 6:39:37 GMT -8
I basically agree with what others have said. If I had 6-8 weeks, I'd either try to do a U shaped hike - Cohos Trail linking to the AT (perhaps using non-AT trails until almost across I-93, then the AT to Maine Junction and then north on the Long Trail. Going in the opposite direction would give you the option of continuing into Canada upon finishing the Cohos.
My other choice would be to take the Cohos (or the LT) south and then follow the AT North as far as I had time to.
If I wanted to avoid hiking in Northern New England into October, I might just start the AT in Katahdin. Personally, I'm not a big fan of the AT in Mass or Connecticut.
Personally, I love the LT (especially North of the Maine Junction). The Cohos is remote and unique, though the foot path can get far muddier and messier than the LT ever does. I also adore the AT in Maine. The AT in New Hampshire is grand, but there is a lot more foot traffic than in Maine.
The LT has a reputation for mud, but in the four times I've done it End to End, including once with record water levels in the rivers and lakes, I never found the mud and muck oppressive. I did both times I hiked the Cohos, some of that was bad luck - but some is the nature of the trail. (I've got some journals at trailjournals.com under this user name if you are curious).
If you like stopping to swim, the southern portion of the LT (also part of the AT has lots of great spots and there are also some great places along the northern parts of the Maine AT in the 100 mile wilderness. Definitely take a good look at the side trails. For example if you head south after finishing the Cohos, try to go through some of the Pemigawassett wilderness and visit the Bonds.
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null
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Post by null on Apr 8, 2017 10:28:18 GMT -8
I never found the mud and muck oppressive. I did both times I hiked the Cohos, some of that was bad luck - but some is the nature of the trail. I hiked a Northern section of the Cohos trail years ago and also found a lot of mud. Near the end of the trip, I sunk in the mud to my waist. |
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