Skip NY/NJ/EPa?

imported
#1

I’m thinking of skipping New Yawk, New Joisey, and the rocks of eastern Penn when I do my thru-hike. Just motorize from the CT/NY line to Dumcannon. Any reason why one shouldn’t?

I mean, WHY do this section of trale? Nobody seems to enjoy it, they just plow right through with a goal of getting to New England or Shenandoah. This section is conspicuously out of place on the AT anyway, going through suburban NY and Rockville, PA at an whopping elevation of 270 feet above sea level.

Is it really worth the extra 306 miles of drudgery just for:

–a view and a whif (gagh!) of the Big Apple
–an opportunity to rough it up with “youse guyz”
–chance of getting some sleazy Joisey tail at a trailside bar
–a walk through a Superfund waste site (tasy water!)
–best chance of mangling your ankle on the whole AT
–certainty of slicing the soles of your boots to shreds on PA razor blades

Jumble Jowls

#2

You might as well skip it. Lots of other hikers skip big sections and still call themselves “thru-hikers”. You only have a 1 in 10 chance of making it anyway so shorten the mileage.

Wolf

#3

…by eliminating a lot of superfluous steps. I mean, the real Kodak moments are Springer and Katahdin. In between is nothing but ‘rain and pain’ as they say. Just drive to the forest service parking lot and pop up to Springer, take some pics, sign in, and back on the road. Two miles walking and an hour tops. Take a nice leisurly drive north - be sure and hit Skyline Drive and maybe get a lift up Mt. Washington for the views - and make your way to Baxter State Park. Sure Katahdin is a bitch, but you gotta pay some dues if you want to be a 2000 miler. Pose on the sign, pop your champaigne, and bask in the glory of making it from Springer to K, a week of your life well spent. Your boots will stay brand new, no need for a tent or sleeping bag or that troublesome gear, minimal expense other than gas money. Oh, almost forgot the most important part - be sure to mail in to the ATC for your certificate and a patch. You’re a thruhiker now, wear it with pride!

Joel

#4

I’m a firm believer in, “Hike your own Hike,” so I can only relate to my experience through this tougher section.

I experienced bruised feet, sore ankles, blistering hot and humid days, dry springs, sleepless sweat-soaked nights, crotch rot, and was nearly forced off the Trail one horrible day just north of Duncannon–one of the worst days of my life.

In hindsight, would I have skipped this section or do I wish I had never hiked it? Not a f***ing chance!

I didn’t thru-hike because it was easy. I was hiking for no one but myself–a personal journey that only became richer because of the tougher days and miles. If I had skipped it, I would have missed the NJ firetowers, Bear Rocks, Boiling Springs, Yuengling, a secret shelter, wicked good delis, some of the best Trail Magic EVER, and most importantly, hiking with some of the most incredible people I met on the Trail.

So should you skip it? Sure, there’s nothing stopping you except yourself. Like I said, Hike your own hike. But who knows what you might end up missing in the long run.

Cap’n

#5

You’ve been listening to too many northbounders if you think that this section is the “worst” on the trail. From the sounds of it, you’ll be heading south…so this section won’t be anything like what they say. You’ll hit rocks that’re at least 10-times worse in Maine and New Hampshire. Coming from a northbounder, though, I will say that the PA-CT section was one of my favorites on the trail. It’s not just anywhere that you can cruise 20-mpd with relative ease. You climb 500-feet, cruise for 20 miles, drop 500-feet and repeat for miles and miles and miles. And while it’s definately not nearly as “backcountry” as some more remote areas of the trail (ha!), it provides a different and interesting scene of rural mid-Atlantic america. There’s really no reason to skip this section, but you’re free to hike the trail as you see it. Just be true to yourself.

-Howie

Hungry Howie

#6

I tried skipping NY, NJ, and Pennsylvania but I fell too many times. I decided that it was safer to just slow down and walk. It made a heck of a difference, and I really enjoyed walking instead of skipping.

Turtle

#7

The first piece of the AT I’ve tackled was the Eastern PA portion–short piece, just for fun with some very enthusiastic friends, one of whom has hiked this section several times b/c he likes it so much (!). To say it was rocky was like saying the ocean is wet…speaking of wet, it rained the entire time. I teetered precariously over wet rocks of the knife’s edge, wishing my pack was just a little lighter, and the treads on my boots a little more…grip-pier. I was terrified. Thank god, I should have been. This was a tad dangerous. It was also a lesson in life. You can do anything, a step at a time. I hated it in the moment, and loved it in the end.

Hike your own hike. Its all about the journey.

gumball

#8

First I’m cracking up at Turtle “skipping” through those states.

I will probably not thru-hike the AT, but I do have notions of section hiking the whole thing in my life. That said - based on input from many sources. This section is net very attractive and makes one wonder - you definitely don’t want to leave these sections 'til the end, but you also don’t want to spend 2 weeks of vacation time in your 50’s hiking through what has been described here. Hmmm.

I may just section hike inline from GA to ME which would solve the problem.

Coop

#9

Sissy!

Spanky

#10

Joel,you have the right idea except with the photo editing software available today it’s not nesc. to actually leave the house to put yourself there!

Onlyone

#11

Skip all you want. Just don’t call it a through hike. Many AT hikers have skipped ahead from Front Royal or Harper’s Ferry to Massachusetts or Vermont in the past.

TJ aka Teej

#12

You just will miss too much if you skip these miles.

You’ll miss the climb out of Palmerton, the Church of the Mountain
hostel, the NJ mosquitos and bears, a secret shelter, a mile-long
boardwalk, a great hostel in Vernon, blueberries, spectacular views
of NYC (from a SAFE distance), a zoo, cheap dinner with the friars,
and some great camping spots.
People complain about the rocks, but they’re not THAT bad, really.
My boots hardly got a scratch, really!-)
Rack up the easy miles!

Scamp

Scamp

#13

DON’T----
Every step of the trail is great, in one way or another. Those who skip sections are dealing with themselves.
I say “Those who skip sections are loosers.”
Don’t be one. Hike the whole trail. You won’t regret it.
Grampie-N->2001

Grampie

#14

I think my job is to tough, Ill just skip it for a while. Oh ya and my elderley parents, they dont need me, ill just forget to take care of them for a while…

But mister ATC I was hiking and I had to climb over some rocks and they were all wet and gross, and I did not want to see PA so i skipped it. By the way, can I have my 2000 miler patch…

My life got to hard so I decided to drop out and hike the Appalachian Trail…wait a minute…this is to rocky…and its New York…I think Ill skip up to Vermont…wait a minute this to tough…you mean I have to walk up these Mountains and down…Im skiping up to Maine…oh no this really sux, im finished here in Gorham, and by the way can i have my 2000 miler patch.

Chef