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  1. #1
    GSMNP 900 Miler rmitchell's Avatar
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    Default Northbound LASH from Harpers Ferry

    So far I have section hiked from Springer to Harpers Ferry, usually in week long sessions. Now I have the opportunity to go out for a longer period of time. At this time though I don't want to attempt a full thru hike. But I would like to walk north for 4 to 6 weeks beginning early or mid May 2020.



    For the sections that I've done so far I have used my car and a shuttle service but I don't think that will work well for a longer period.




    My plan is to fly to Washington DC then take a train or shuttle to Harpers Ferry. In Harpers Ferry I would pick up alcohol for my stove then head north. I don't plan on mail drops but plan to re-supply about every 4 or 5 days.




    Depending on how the hike goes I plan to walk to Pawling , NY. My questions mostly have to do with the logistics of the getting back home.

    To return home I thinking of taking the Metro train to New York City then fly back to Knoxville.


    Is it difficult to travel with a pack on the metro? I would likely need to pick up a duffel bag or a box to fly with my pack back home.


    If I don't get as far as Pawling I could possibly shuttle to Scranton or Philadelphia then fly home. Or if things go really well and I want to continue further I could be open to flying back from somewhere else such as Albany or Hartford.



    Round trip tickets are less expensive but I don't want to be bound by a tight schedule. Thoughts?
    Last edited by rmitchell; 12-20-2019 at 01:45.

  2. #2
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    Default

    Hey man. I hiked from HF to Pawling couple years ago. it's a good section to hike. I stayed at the motel in Wingdale. Caught the metro from there into NYC. Easy ride with your pack. No problems. Just carry on. Buy your tickets online. I think they were a couple bucks cheaper and you dont have to carry paper ticket. I took Amtrak home from NYC. Yes, every time i have flown I just get a cheap duffel for my pack.

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  3. #3
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    Greyhound is your cheapest way home, and not that bad if you can take a nap in a bus, just very long. I did a section from Newfound Gap to Springer in 2015, so I took the Greyhound from NYC to Knoxville. I think it was about 15 hours journey but most of it was at night.

  4. #4

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    I did HF to Delaware Water Gap last year. There is a commuter bus to NYC from the water gap (station about 1/2 mile north of town center). That's a good option if you decide you've had enough. A bus leaves for NYC about once an hour starting at 5AM until noon if I remember right.

    Going to Pawling adds about another week to the trip.


    For getting to HF, I always take the Amtrak, it's like $12. Since I take the train to DC, it's easy to add it to the trip. Never have figured out the MART train system. You get to NF about 5:30 PM. That's late enough you might want to stay at a hostel ( I recommend Teahorse) so you can start out fresh in the morning. Last year I decide to huff it to the first shelter and made just before I couldn't see my feet anymore. But that was April 18th, so it was still getting dark early.


    I would recommend doing this section in the spring when it's still cool and damp. Doing it in the summer when it's hot and humid is not fun.
    Last edited by Slo-go'en; 12-20-2019 at 10:37.
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  5. #5
    Registered User colorado_rob's Avatar
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    Just another data point, I did Front Royal (just south of Harper's) to mid-New Jersey last year. To get back home, we caught a train in Port Jarvis NY (just a couple miles from the trail in NJ, near High Point) to Newark Airport, and it worked out great. There are zero problems travelling with a pack on the NY train system. I assume the trains from Port Jarvis NY is part of the same train system as from Pawling NY, just a different line. I don't recall how many trail miles it is from Port Jarvis NY (Highpoint NJ) to Pawling, but if you're running behind, maybe stopping at Port Jarvis would work too, or someplace a little further with easy access to Port Jarvis. It's not really a trail town, but I liked the town of Port Jarvis, the Erie Hotel is cool.

    And Newark NJ airport generally has pretty reasonable flights to all locations. SW air has lots of flights form there.

    And yeah, as Slo says, spring is a great time to do this section; early-mid May should be perfect.

    And finally, I haven't noticed any increase in airfares in recent years when you buy one way vs. roundtrip, at least on the airlines I fly on.

  6. #6

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    I would suggest early May. By late May, it's getting hot real quick.
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