Forgotten Miles: Difficult Sections of the Appalachian Trail (that no one ever talks about)
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- Опубликовано: 23 янв 2024
- When you hear people talk about tough sections of the Appalachian Trail, you probably hear about the Whites, Vermud, Maine, the Virginia Roller Coaster, and the Pennsylvania rocks. But have you heard about these sections of the trail that are just as difficult?? Always remember, difficulty can depend heavily on weather and how you’re feeling emotionally and physically through any section, so to negate some of these factors, I checked in with Snapshot and MC on the sections they also thought were difficult that we hadn’t heard about prior to starting the trail. I start in Georgia and work my way to Maine, but I’ve also included an index (spoiler alert!) below if you want to skip around!
Index:
00:17 - Sassafras Mountain, GA
00:52 - Leaving the NOC, NC NoBo
1:35 - Entering the Smokies, NC
2:20 - Virginia is NOT FLAT (Southern PA is)
3:03 - VA Hwy 60 to Bald Knob, VA
3:51 - Three Ridges, VA
4:37 - PA Rt 22 out of Duncannon, PA
5:23 - Entering Port Clinton, PA going NoBo
6:20 - Lehigh Gap, PA
7:12 - Stairway to Heaven, NJ
8:20 - Connecticut
9:24 - Mt. Killington, VT
10:28 - Smarts Mountain & Mt. Cube, NH
11:45 - Vermud vs New Hampshire and Maine mud
12:30 - Hard parts within the Whites (that you don’t hear about)
15:44 - Southern Maine
17:12 - Water crossings in the Hundred Mile Wilderness, Maine
20:23 - Ascending and descending Mt. Katahdin, ME
Music:
Mindme / On Our Minds (Instrumental Version) / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
Mindme / Slow It Down (Instrumental Version) / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
Mindme / I’ll Get Up (Instrumental Version) / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
Mindme / Like That (Instrumental Version) / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
Mindme / Lasting (Instrumental Version) / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
Mindme / No Good For Each Other (Instrumental Version) / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
waykap / Like Paradise (Instrumental Version) / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
Nahra / Idiot (Instrumental Version) / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
Got serious shin splints on a section hike on the descent into Port Clinton. What I'll never forget is that there was a deer descending in front of us that actually fell and tumbled a bit. Yes, a deer can look embarrassed.
The poor deer! And your poor shins! That descent is really a doozy!
Climbing over the top rock ledge at Lehigh Gap scared the crap out of me.
My tramily and I all agreed we would definitely NOT want to do that SoBo! It was pretty fun, though, and it was a little preview of the Whites.
Finally an informative hiker! So tired of people starting out with the same over and over info.
I agree with sections you’ve covered. I haven’t finished so thanks for the heads up!
Glad to help! Happy Trails!
OMG Smarts and Cube!! Literally laughed so hard when you said "two mountains that you never really hear about" I was like, oh, shes totally gonna say smarts and cube. I remember how difficult they were, that second day out if Hanover was crazy, and theyre not really considered the Whites yet!
Yes! It’s just the “warm up” for the Whites that you didn’t know you were about to do!
I agree the decent into Port Clinton was kinda dangerous due to the steepness and loose gravel. Happy trails 😎👍✌️
Great video that no one ever talk about all the ups and downs on most of the trail and no one ever says how tough it can be in places. I agree on Sassafras but most of Ga. was all puds pointless up and downs. I did Ga NC and Tenn. and most of Va. in the 1970s all on vacations and weekend hikes so I never got trail legs until 2012 when I finally did the Whites and on. Every one planning on thru hiking needs to see this.
Thank you so much! The AT is definitely filled with PUDs. Some days seemed to be endlessly going up and down. The good part about PUDs is that they build those leg muscles! Happy trails!
Thank you! This is fantastic information concerning the less discussed hurdles one must overcome to complete the AT.
Happy trails!
Wow!
Thank you for all the info and the detail!!! Beautiful terrain and wonderful descriptions!
Loved this video! There’s so many “harder” sections that people seem to forget about. 🤓 St. John’s ledges kicked my butt! 😂 Hmmm, I need to examine my fall strategy more closely…your 100 mile wilderness section is enlightening. I need to plan differently for this.
The HMW would probably be gorgeous in the fall, but water and cold are a good recipe for hypothermia. St. John’s Ledges has a butt-kicking descent! I remember doing that near the end of the day and wondering where that came from.
Fantastic video...I really enjoyed this....👍.
Thank you!
Yes! The cliff out of Palmerton and Madison! Mahoosuc Notch was fun, not that hard. I am surprised it has such a bad reputation. The hike the day before Mahoosuc was ridiculously difficult for me, probably the hardest day of the trail other than Katahdin. The Kinsman’s and the Wildcats were terrible too but I did do most of the Kinsman’s in the dark, so it might not have been so scary in daylight.
I did the Saddle Trail off Katahdin and videoed it. It was steep with lots of loose rocks, more a scree field. Then there was a lot of water and boulders on the more flat area. Not much trail. Still took us a long time to get down.
I can’t believe you did the Kinsmans in the dark! It was just as sketchy in the daytime! Thanks for the info about the Saddle Trail. I was going off of what we were told by the Monson ATC. I feel like all routes up and down Mama K are sketchy, but I couldn’t imagine ending such an epic hike any other way!
@@cobwebroseonthetrail2447 I only did them in the dark because they were so hard and took so long and there was nowhere to camp along the way. Definitely didn’t do it by choice. Not fun.
My hat is off to you!
Southern Rocky hiker here. I had no idea the AT had all those rocks & climbs. Thanks.
Rocks, roots, and climbs are the AT’s MO!
I felt so bad watching all of the AT hikers in the Whites in 2023. I swear it didn't stop raining all Summer. Coming off of Moosilauke is dangerous enough, via the AT, but all of the rain in '23, it looked like you were in a literal river.
The last push up Mt. Garfield is a bear, especially if you are short, like I am. I love that hike though I do it as a day hike via the Mt. Garfield trail.
Webster Cliff sucks. I grew up 20 minutes from Crawford Notch and worked at the Mt. Washington Hotel and lost track of how many times I have hiked Mt. Washington. I had never done Webster Cliff trail until this last fall and I will tell you, I will NOT do it again.
All true! The Whites were very whited out and rainy when we went through. We actually got better views leaving than we did while we were there!
Sit down, talk, each set your expectations with each other and the trail, set boundaries, set limits. Talk, honestly, then move forward, whether together to Katahdin, or together for a bit more, or solo. , but stay in touch. If the friendship means something to you both. Work on it. you're both trying to over come so much, you'll figure out whats best. Be true to yourselves and why you're out there. Good luck. Your videos are great and thanks for sharing. 😊😊
Thank you!
Thanks for the helpful tips as I plan my 2027 NOBO thru-hike. I'd like to descend Katahdin by the Saddle Trail with a reservation at the Chimney Pond bunkhouse; not sure how the logistics will work out so I can slackpack up with just my bivy, liner, and other overnight necessities. I'd have to Yogi a ride back for my gear the next day or walk it all!
You’ve got plenty of time to plan! Maybe you can make friends with someone who lives in Maine in the meantime. 😉 When we finished, we stayed at the AT Hostel in Millinocket, ME and got shuttled into and out of the park by my tramily’s family. That let us slackpack by leaving things at the hostel, and we could take whichever trail we wanted down the mountain. We’d planned to take Knife’s Edge, but it was a no-go with the wind, and we ended up descending Abol instead. Happy trails!
Great video , thank you
Thanks for watching!
We were SOBO out of Port Clinton and I remember thinking I was happy to be going up rather than down 😂. Some sketchy areas in New York too. Great video. Happy trails.🤘🏻🥾⛰️
I feel like SoBos would have a whole different list of difficult sections. There were a lot of places we hiked down and thought that we were glad to be going NoBo! 😂
Three Ridges, VA; Crocker Mountain, ME; Up to Cheoah was not bad, long & steep but smooth and well maintained; Wildcat, NH. Steepest on the AT and long & hard rock scrambling.
I did have fun in the Wildcats, though.
My knees were on fire after going down to Port Clinton. Mt Cube and Smarts Mt also kicked my butt! Got to the top after dark cause I was moving so slowly. Weather has sooo much to do with the difficulty. ALL of the really difficult sections for me included thunderstorms, trails that were rivers, and 85° blazing sun. I felt like I was going to die every minute after having to descend Mt Moosilauke in cold rainy conditions.
Yes!!!! So true! My body was displeased with every single hot and humid day during the summer!
Great video! Taking notes as we are headed into Northern VA for our next section…..and wholeheartedly agree with Mt Garfield and Madison. We did that SOBO, and either way….up or down a waterfall…and boulder field!
Those climbs were gnarly! Have an amazing time in Northern VA! My whole tramily loved VA! The roller coaster will kick your butt, but only because you’re coming out of the very gentle Shennies. Happy trails!!
I went down Dragon's Tooth is the pouring rain and was terrified!!! Nobody ever talks about that section.
Yes! That section is a knee-buster, especially in the rain! It doesn’t help either that the sign telling you it’s super strenuous is at the bottom of the climb going NoBo. 😂
Thanks for sharing the real deal of your arduous escapade. Now you get extra accolades of appreciation.🍦🍦🍦🍦 Very helpful. From your most wonderful educational insights, you never mentioned the sign “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here." Seemingly, to properly prepare for the AT, I need to successfully hike through Dante’s Inferno. If I do that, I will be well prepared.🤔 Cheers to you. Wishing peace and good fortune. Happy Trails!
That sign on top of Killington was SO ominous for us, especially considering what followed that day! Hiking the trail is definitely not for the faint-hearted. It will test you in every way, but I love it!
@@cobwebroseonthetrail2447 The other thing hikers don’t talk about is relieving one self on trail. Thanks for all you have done. Happy Trails!
With all the rain you had in 2023, seems like the whole trail was tough. BTW, Three Ridges does have some gorgeous views on the descent (NOBO) at Hanging Rock, but you're right, limited views at the top.
That view on the way down was really nice!
Good stuff
Thanks!
Great video and good lnfor
Thanks for watching!
Thank you!
Have fun out there!
Well done! Looking to backpack two, 100 mile, separate weeks, this summer somewhere between north of Virginia and South of Connecticut. Do you have any suggestions? I hike in the Whites all year long, so not looking for huge elevation. I loved this video. I'd love for you to do the same for the less challenging/best bang for your buck sections.
Thanks again!
That sounds like an amazing summer! If you’re looking for flatter, Southern PA is great! Our tramily pulled our longest single hiking day (25.2 miles) from Boiling Springs to Duncannon. It’s a nice stretch. Southern PA also has some Cadillac shelters, including the Quarry Gap Shelter (known for its “Inn Keeper”) and the Tumbling Run Shelters (Snoring and Non-Snoring). If you want to knock out more states on your trip, start in Harper’s Ferry! You can easily knock out WV, MD, and (I think) some of PA. Pretty much no where else on trail has the daily elevation gain and loss as the Whites, so you can really take your pick of places to hike. NY is beautiful and has a lot of fun rock scrambles and ridge walks (and is end to end less than 100 miles). You can experience the Warwick Drive In Theater (about 4 miles BEFORE the NY/NJ border when heading NoBo), Bellvale Farms Creamery, Canopus Lake Beach, the Lemon Squeezer, the famed RPH shelter, and the Dover Oak. Hope this helps! I’ll start prepping a best bang for your buck section video! Thanks for the idea!
Thank you! I’m hoping that all the ADKS hiking I do (⬆️, “Fuck switchbacks!” They said!) will help prepare me!
You’ve got this!
💪 Thank you!
Too bad you didn't have good views on Webster Cliffs, I loved that view. The climb out of Palmerton was a surprise, and I think the descent from Killington can definitely be a little concerning in wet conditions. Good video.
I wish we’d gotten the views from the cliffs too! The Whites were very white for us (socked in). I had a blast climbing out of Palmerton, but it was a surprise for us too! Thanks for watching!
Pond Mountain... That's all I have to say
Was that the mountain right before Boots Off Hostel? In TN? I remember that one as a slow, steady burn kind of climb.
agree on 3 ridges, lol
The struggle was real.
They have a mile marker every 10th of a mile?
No. I pulled my mileage from Far Out, and since you use your GPS with that, it does mileage to the tenths.
@@cobwebroseonthetrail2447 that makes sense. 😊