Where to go for 2 - 3 week summer hike?

“Advice/Input?

I think I'll have 2 - 3 weeks in August for a backpack trip. I need a good sized trip every year to maintain what's left of my sanity. There are a couple question marks (like a possible family trip to China) that will affect the timing of the trip and whether I can get a full 3 weeks.

I'd like to stick with something that's a days drive from Boston, max. I've done the LT, almost all of the AT in Northern New England and the Northville Placid trail. Should I aim for the LT in the reverse direction? Repeat some of the Maine or NH AT. Pick a stretch of the IAT. Some Canadian trail? Finger Lakes Trail. The AT south from Central Mass?

I'm figuring 170 - 300 miles. Ideally I'd take my younger dog (my best trail dog turned 100 last month and has retired), and maybe meet up with my wife for a few days in the hike. We live near Boston.”

“Killarney provincial park: La Cloche trail. generally takes a week to do the loop.”

“canada? in august? bleeeehhhhhhhhh”

“I do not know much about the Canadian trails within a days drive from Boston, having not researched it, but I do know they have some beautiful countryside up in that area.

Check out the Canadian Railroad sites (although the most scenic of those grand old lodges are really in the Canadian Rockies, a bit more than a days drive) and check out their site about the Canadian National Hiking Trails: http://www.canadatrails.ca/hiking/index.html”

“The Mid State Trail of Pennsylvania will fit your distance goals. By August, the gap near the NY border will be reduced to a 1/2 day roadwalk. http://www.hike-mst.org/mst.htm”

“what's wrong crash? too hot for ya?

8)”

“Great Smokies- 800+ miles trail

Combination AT, Bartram, Chunky Gal, etc trails in SW NC could be 150+ miles.

Plus we have sweet tea!!”

“If you're willing to do a days drive from Boston then I'd condiser either the area of TN/NC north of the Smokies on the AT and see how far north you can get. Another option would be pretty much anything in Virginia on the AT.”

“The main reason I'm suggesting something southern is that it's less likely that you've hiked those areas. In August it's dang hot down here, but above 3000' you'll likely never see it much over 80°. If you stay mostly over 70° it'll be in the upper 60's/low 70's.

There is also the Black Mtns north of Asheville. They're much more rugged than anything else down here and likely less crowded.

I avoided suggesting the Smokies themself because of crowds. On second though, if you're out for 300 miles then you'll probably welcome the company at night.

If Smokies area then there aren't many convenient areas for Ellen to fly into. If VA then Roanoke isn't too bad to fly into.”

“It's a little more of a drive than you want, but do a thru hike of the Superior Hiking Trail. It's 205 to 240 miles long (depending on whether the Duluth to Two Harbors section is complete), great views, lots of water falls and somewhat reminiscent of the AT. There are even spots to get off the trail to do a resupply or maildrop.”

“Crap, I meant to say that if you stay over 5000' it'll be upper 60's/low 70's”

“Spend 3 days bacpacking Pictured Rocks in the UP, then, head out to Isle Royale for another week and a half of backpacking. You can't go wrong ped!”

“Ohhhh, that sounds like a good idea BB.”

“Mid State is a very nice trail, rugged, tons of vistas, old growth forest, gorges and canyons, rocky ridges.”

“With that much time to hike dream big man! Get a cheap flight to Las Vagas. Rent a economy car and drive through Death Valley and go do the JMT or one of the hikes around Whitney. You may never have a free two or three week block of time again. GO FOR IT!
last edited: 4/07/07 9:58:54 AM”

“Thanks for the ideas. Some like the JMT and southern AT are on my to do list. Some like La cloche, Pictured Rock, Black Mtns, and Mid-State are totally new, but look great. Smokies, Isle Royale (my sister did a summer internship there long ago). Others like Smokies and Superior Hiking Trail have been on my radar, but I'll learn more. It definitely gives me new ideas to look into and trails to think about being on. Food for some great plans and some great day dreams. Planning and considering trails is backpacker foreplay - and definitely fun.

I definitely want to do the JMT someday, but it takes planning.

I should be able to get a few weeks off every summer, I've got a mix of college teaching, forensic consulting and per diem emergency psych. work. I don't teach summers and the psychaitrist I do consulting with takes most Augusts off. When money is tight, I'll do the emergency work and cover lots of people's vacations when its not - and since I live cheaply and work more than full time most of the year, I hope to avoid that. Besides I really will go even more completely nuts if I don't get out for big trip once a year. Planning and reminiscing helps during the times in between.

Sometimes when I'm on the computer looking at trail and gear info in the evening my wife jokingly (I hope) asks "are you looking at porn" - I tell her "yep! backpacker porn."”

“I wonder if it's possible to tie the AT in the Smokies to the Cumberland trail and do a huge loop.”

“Fly west, the flights below were $492.00 total round trip from Manchester, NH! I'll pick you up a the airport, you can do Pacific Crest Trail through Desolation Wilderness near Lake Tahoe, Tahoe-Yosemite trail, Upper part of John Muir Trail, the list goes on & on & on!


Depart Aug 12 Sun 1 MHT-MDW-SMF 1362 Depart Manchester (MHT) at 7:40 AM
Arrive in Chicago (MDW) at 9:05 AM
99 Change planes in Chicago (MDW) departing at 10:10 AM
Arrive in Sacramento (SMF) at 12:25 PM
Return Aug 24 Fri 2 SMF-MHT 82 Depart Sacramento (SMF) at 10:00 AM
Arrive in Manchester (MHT) at 10:25 PM”

“What solitary and wanderer said. Three weeks free is too good of a block of time to waste on lesser hikes. See the recent thread on Sierra Hikes, and do two or three of the 7 day or 9 day hikes. The Sierra Nevada are not to be missed. Also high on the list are the Wind Rivers, and you could do 3 different trips in great mountain ranges in Idaho.”

“What you should do is go to King of Prussia, PA and work for me so I can go hiking.”

“LOL @NG

Wanderer, Sol and Idaho have me tempted. The thing is I may have to do this very last minute, because I'm committed to trying to do a few other things. I almost committed to joining donnorton for the JMT this summer - but I couldn't do it. If I still have funds after other things, and have a good shot at getting the permits, I might still try for the JMT. I'm thinking I may need to grab the time when I can.

Oh yeah - I should prolly get all po'd about calling the trails around here "lesser trails" - I've run into folks from the West Coast who swore they preferred the Long Trail in Vt. But heck, the JMT is clearly more spectacular.”

“I cannot think of a way to connect the Cumberland and AT as there is no east/west connector. A few SE loops.

1) Iron Mt trail and AT. Use Damascus VA as a middle point. (The Iron Mt trail was the AT before relocations.) South of Damascus a loop of the 2 around Shady Valley is about 60 miles. (I'm in NYC and don't have my guidebooks.) The north of Damascus an Iron Mt/AT loop would be maybe 60+ miles. It all depends on where one crosses from one to the other: Beartree, Grindstone or the trail interscetion near the USFS office on VA 16. The Iron Mt trail gets very little use. Plus you would get to see Grayson Highlands and the oldest shelter on the AT at McQueen Knob.

2) Combine the AT, Chunky Gal, and Bartram trails. Start at the Nantahala Outdoor center in Wesser. In a big loop you would climb Cheoah, Tusquitee, Wine Spring, Wayah , and Wesser balds; Boetler peak, Standing Indian, and Albert mt. The climb up and down Cheoah is a nice way to start (4000+ then - gain). For extra miles you could do some trails in S Nantahala Widerness. Resupply in Franklin or rainbow Springs. I hope to do this this summer.

3) Benton MacKaye/AT loop. They intersect at Fontana and just north of Springer. This may be a little much. I think the loop is maybe 400 mile?

4)The Allegheny trail in WVA runs from AT at Pearis Mt (near Blacksburg Va) to Penn line. I think its 400 miles and lightly used. I was on a piece last July, pretty, thick; pretty thick. Ran into some fellas, had a spot of Monroe county distilled spirits. Smooth!

Shenadoah NP doesn't do much for me when there are other places I think are better. OMHO. e-mail with questions

p”

“Well, I'm sticking close to home for this hike. My retired trail dog had cancer. I decided she deserved a shot at a few extra years - so I had the surgery done - but that means not much travel money. The guy I do my consulting work for always takes a month off in the summer - so I still have the time - but I won't be going further than New York State. Will probably stick to New England.”

“I was having this very same discusion on my hike yesterday. I have summers off and in about 4 years I will also have a empty nest. (If they leave at 18) I'd definatly want to avoid the heat and humitity here in the midwest. I was thinking that would be a great time for Glacier or out west. I don't mind the dry heat so much.”