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Need Advice: 6 day hike SoBo

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    • Need Advice: 6 day hike SoBo

      Hi,
      I am traveling to Boston from India, am moderately fit and looking for a 6 days (Mon June 10 - June 15) hike on the AT.
      I was hoping to start from Mt. Katahdin, but am unsure if I can cross the 100 mile wilderness in the short time I have. Hence I am now considering section hiking on the Maine or Connecticut stretches. Any suggestions on which section is a better idea to hike?
      I am a long distance runner and am guessing should be able to hike 10-12miles a day.
      Main considerations - scenic, possible to take public transport to a trailhead as I will not be driving. If I can get company on the hike, even better!

      Thanks!
      Ajay
    • Hello Ajay,

      From Boston it is still a long drive to the 100 mile wilderness, so just getting there and back and jet lag will eat up much of your time. I would consider something closer to Boston.

      Please keep in mind that early June is prime bug season, definitely bring a head net. You could consider a section hike of the White Mountains in New Hampshire, or a section of Southern Maine, but early June can still seem like winter there, so be prepared for the cold and any kind of weather. Southern Vermont or the Berkshires in Massachusetts may be another consideration at that time of year, but again, it will be buggy and probably still muddy.

      Public transportation in America is not that great, so getting to trailheads without driving or a ride can be problematic. There are a few options for getting to a trail head, but not many where you can hike for six days and then reach another trailhead with public transportation. And if all you have are six days total, it will be more like two days of transportation to get there and back, and only four days of hiking.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”


      John Greenleaf Whittier
    • If you have not already bought your plane tickets, might be a better option to see if you could wait until next year and a save up that week to go with another week. Two weeks would make your trip a whole more worthwhile if possible.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Since no body in their right mind endures a flight from India to Boston for only a six-day vacation, I am guessing he has some other things he plans to do along the way. If the tickets are not booked, he might consider flying to New York where conditions should be a lot nicer in June and he can get better public transportation access to the trail.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”


      John Greenleaf Whittier
    • Hello folks,

      Thanks @IMScotty, for the suggestions! Would it be a better idea to just go on day hikes close to Boston then?
      My other plan was to bike around on the Rails to Trails routes. It would be great if i could find a tool that can connect different trails end to end create a longer trail.

      @Astro I am in the U.S for a week longer but have other engagements too :).

      ~ Ajay