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HASH hike

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    • HASH hike

      I am planning for what I am calling a HASH hike beginning in Late February. Half @$% Section Hike. I will be 62, and my job has offered me a 3 month personal leave of absence. Perhaps they too can see that I am growing older, and it is time. I believe I can hike from Amicalola to Harpers Ferry in three months. About 250 miles of this will be going over familiar trail from earlier section hikes. I can receive the same amount of leave for the next summer to hopefully finish the trail from Harpers Ferry to Katahdin. I have the gear I will need, with the addition of a recently purchased 0 degree sleeping bag. I am seeking advice from those of you who have done long hikes. Resupply Boxes, Bounce Box, none? My longest backpacking journey was a month on the Ice Age Trail in my home state.

      The post was edited 2 times, last by Forward ().

    • I used resupply boxes mailed to the P.O. on my thru and if I were to do another one I wouldn't do it again. Still had to go to the grocery store almost every single time anyway for cheese and bagels and whatever else looked good at the time. The only advantage the resupply boxes had was that it made my wife feel like she was part of my hike as she was the one preparing and mailing the boxes.

      And as one who considers backpacking a 3 season sport, I'd start a month later.
      2,000 miler

    • Thanks for the advice, Max Patch. Would you say having to time your hike to the post office hours is a consideration also? I would need to be back to my job in June 2024, but do realize that it could be a cold start. Beginning of March, perhaps? I believe I can do an overall 12 mile average, slower starting miles, picking up distance as I go along. That is 89 days to Harpers Ferry without zeros. We shall see how it comes together. More zeros due to weather with an early start anyway?

    • Wintergreen wrote:

      Thanks for the advice, Max Patch. Would you say having to time your hike to the post office hours is a consideration also? I would need to be back to my job in June 2024, but do realize that it could be a cold start. Beginning of March, perhaps? I believe I can do an overall 12 mile average, slower starting miles, picking up distance as I go along. That is 89 days to Harpers Ferry without zeros. We shall see how it comes together. More zeros due to weather with an early start anyway?
      Unless you have specific dietary requirements, you can just resupply as you go. If you do mail food drops, do not send them to a PO, send them instead to a hostel. This way if you get into town Friday just to learn the PO isn't open until Monday, you don't have to wait for it.

      You can get mailing labels and business addresses here at aldha.org/labels/at
      its all good

    • Wintergreen wrote:

      Thanks for the advice, Max Patch. Would you say having to time your hike to the post office hours is a consideration also? I would need to be back to my job in June 2024, but do realize that it could be a cold start. Beginning of March, perhaps? I believe I can do an overall 12 mile average, slower starting miles, picking up distance as I go along. That is 89 days to Harpers Ferry without zeros. We shall see how it comes together. More zeros due to weather with an early start anyway?
      One would think so but coordinating with post office hours was rarely an issue. If you hit town on Sunday, you're going to spend the night there anyway (at least I always did) so waiting til Monday to get to the post office was only a minor inconvenience.

      It gets cold in the sunny south in the winter. Its easy (and common) to justify a night in a hostel or hotel becasue of the weather.

      I'd plan on a zero a week. Towns are great for resupply, clean clothes, hot showers, and restauarant food. I always enjoyed time spent in towns.
      2,000 miler

    • Never sent anything to a Post Office. Always sent to hostels (or cheap motels) unless there was a Walmart in town.

      Strongly recommend getting shuttle to FS42 Big Stamp and avoid wasting a day on Approach Trail. Done both, and the former is much better.

      Late Feb and March can be really cold, but I believe you are from WI and not FL like me, so maybe that won't be so bad for you.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • Astro, thanks for the advice. I have hiked from Amicalola to Neel Gap in 2015. Our shuttle driver, Ron, advised that it was very dry and water sources were frequently dry or iffy. He advised that we take the Len Foote trail, which we did. My eldest and youngest sons (2 of 4) were with me, and the eldest is an architect, so he really enjoyed our 1/2 hour break at the Hike Inn. We stayed at the Black Gap shelter that night. I want to experience the approach trail even if it isn't exciting, thinking I won't likely be back another time.

      Yes, I am from Central Wisconsin where we frequently reach -20 in the winters. I have retired from teaching, having taught in a small rural school in a community of 600, and we made the kids go out for recess unless it was below 0 degrees or below. We didn't call off school for cold unless we had a wind chill warning, which was -35 or below. We usually had one or more of these days off in a year. I had the opportunity to try my 0 degree bag when we had a night of frost in mid May. I was so warm that I unzipped the bag part way, and I do have a 20 degree liner as well.

      That being said, I won't take chances with cold if i can help it, but want to be prepared.

      I really appreciate this group. :)

      The post was edited 4 times, last by Forward ().