Trip home mid Hike

[Grand Poobah]

So I am starting my SB trek on or around July 22. I will have to leave the trail and get back home to Atlanta for a few days in October. Is there anyway to guess how far I will be so that I can book a flight/bus ride/any mode of transportation to get home? I plan to complete in 4-4.5 months. I know it will be a slower start than finish, but having trouble trying to figure it out. Any suggestions?

[Slo-go'en]

There is absolutely no way to predict that. You might not even still be on the trail in October. However, if you are still on the trail, I'd guess you'd be getting close to, or in Massachusetts. In which case, getting to Boston and then on a bus to Atlanta would not be hard to arrange at the time you need to do so.

[oldbear]

I was born and raised in NYC and I am very familar w/getting around the northeast by car plane , train , bus and hitchhiking to get my pack laden self around .
I agree w/ slo-go-em that it's a little early and a little optomistic to start making reservations
It's 588mi from Baxter Pk to the VT / MA line
Rt 9 is just north of that
You can hitch east on Rt 9 to Brattleboro VT
Where you have options to ATL
1) Hitchhike down I-91 to Windor Locks CT / Bradley International Airport BDL
2 ) You can take Amtrak or Greyhound to BDL
3) You can take Amtrak or Greyhound to BDL
FYI
All 3 NYC airports EWR , LGA JFK are easily accessible using public transport from Penn Station , The Port Authority Bus Terminal or Grand Central Station
Continuing south on the AT an basically paralleling US RT 7 you can find Bonanza Buses coming out of Pittsfield , Lenox , Stockbridge and Great Barrington MA
If you can get to Danbury CT there are commuter trains and buses that wii get you to NYC
Pawling NY has a REGULAR Metro North stop ( don't use the Appalachian Trail stop bc it gets extremely infrequent service )
Beacon NY has a Metro North stop
http://www.mta.info/mnr/html/mnrmap.htm
If you're using Metro-North and flying out of LGA then get off at 125 St and take the M-60 bus to LGA
If you're hungry and have time get off at the first stop over the bridge and grab a bite at the Neptune Diner
Bear Mountain has public transportation to NYC including a boat
Heading farther SW
You can use public transport from Port Jervis NY to NYC and in fact you don't have to go into Manhattan to get to EWR ; Use New Jersey Transit
From Delaware Water Gap ; Martz Buslines runs scheduled service to NYC
From Harrisburg Amtrak or Greyhound offer service to DC , Baltimore or NYC
Once you get south of Harrisburg your airport options via public transportation change to DCA and BWI