Gorham to Andover (Roundtrip).. In Over My Head?????

[Jordan23]

Guys,
I am planning a hiking trip next week (8/26/13) where i intend to take the bus to Gorham and Hike to Andover (resupply) and head back the way i came. I am new to hiking and will be hiking alone. I am 26 and in good shape. I keep hearing that this portion may be considered one to the hardest sections of the AT.
Am I in over my head?
is this safe?
I hear the elevation gains and losses are extreme... am i going to fall down the mountain if i take a mis-step?

I'm looking for alternate route from Monson south to Rangeley, but getting there is a bit more difficult..

What do you think???? I could use some advice...

-Jordan

[hikerboy57]

knowing little about your experience and ability, its difficult to answer the question. If you've hiked the whites, you shouldnt have a problem. its not unsafe if you take your time, but it is difficult.short very steep sections are the norm, and even the flat sections have treacherous footing, roocks, roots and bog bridges that can be slick and slippery.
its also one of the most rewarding sections.
just take your time, maybe go one site to the next , and you'll have fun.

[Jordan23]

Hey Hikerboy57,
My experience with mountains is basically none.... I live in florida! I guess i'm more concerned about the level of expertise and experience required to hike this section. Can a in-shape male do this without experience? Are injuries common? Safety is my main concern.

Thanks for replying,
Jordan

[hikerboy57]

like i said. just take your time. when i did it a few years ago sobo, i took five days from grafton notch to gorha,m, probably could have done it in 3.the shelters/sites are only around 8 miles apart. without much experience in the mtns, you should plan conservative mpd.
you'll get a great workout, but you wont die.

[Slo-go'en]

It is hard to say. If this will be your first experiance with NH/Maine trail, it could be quite a shock. It is a difficult section with more than a few "***! How The #!** am I suppost to get over that!" moments. Weather is a big factor too, a rainy day can turn the trail from just difficult to down right dangerous. Plan 6-7 days, even though that is a lot of food to carry through there.

Once you get to Andover, I have a feeling your not going to want to turn around and do it again the other way. You could get a shuttle back to Gorham from Andover (which is expensive), but hitching isn't that hard.

If you taking the bus all the way from Florida, be sure to add in a couple of days to rest once you get here. That's like a 3 day bus ride and you'll be a zombie from lack of sleep.

[Jordan23]

It is hard to say. If this will be your first experiance with NH/Maine trail, it could be quite a shock. It is a difficult section with more than a few "***! How The #!** am I suppost to get over that!" moments. Weather is a big factor too, a rainy day can turn the trail from just difficult to down right dangerous. Plan 6-7 days, even though that is a lot of food to carry through there.

Once you get to Andover, I have a feeling your not going to want to turn around and do it again the other way. You could get a shuttle back to Gorham from Andover (which is expensive), but hitching isn't that hard.

If you taking the bus all the way from Florida, be sure to add in a couple of days to rest once you get here. That's like a 3 day bus ride and you'll be a zombie from lack of sleep.

Hey Slo-go'en,
Thanks for your post... I'm flying to Boston and then taking buses from there.
when you talk about those "***!" moments.. are you referring to the Mahoosuc Notch particularly or my intended hike altogether? haha? I mean... dont kids and women do this hike too? (not trying to be a jerk.. just saying)

Would you guys recommend sending a package to the post office to resupply or would the local stores have enough supplies?

-Jordan

[Slo-go'en]

It's not just the notch, Goose eye has a few tricky spots on it too, like the rebarb ladder up the side of a cliff. Climbing up and over Old Speck is a trip too. The 30 miles from Gorham to Grafton Notch has some of the most difficult parts of the AT to navigate. Since this will be your first experiance with this type of trail, it will be a learning experiance. You have to be constantly paying attention to where to step and will have to stop and think about how to get around, over or through various obsicales along the way. This all makes it a very rewarding hike, since it's not just mindless walking like much of the AT is. It also slows you way down. One mile an hour or less is typical for this streach.

Gorham has a Save-a-lot and a super Walmart, so buying food there is not a problem. Unfortunetly, thier a few miles up the road from down town, so you'll loose some time in the morning getting food. You don't get to Gorham until about 9 PM and its too late to get to the stores then.

Andover has a small general store with mininual selection, but thier used to hikers and what they want. (it's also the resturant and gas station) There is no resupply between Gorham and Andover.

[T.S.Kobzol]

This reminds me of friends who have zero hiking experience and decide on a whim to go hiking. The closest trails from where I live are the White Mountains. Guess where they decide to go? Mt.Washington.

Why, would you want to go from Gorham to Andover and back as your 'initiation hike' ?

On the other hand, people survived more perilous conditions but I'm just puzzled anyway.

[illabelle]

Jordan,
You said that you're new to hiking, not just new to rough mountains. What's not been said is that to backpack ANYWHERE on the AT, you'll need a certain amount of equipment and knowledge. The area you propose to hike has inherent dangers that must be understood - some related to the ruggedness of the trail, and some related to the weather at that elevation (think lightning on exposed rock with nowhere to hide; think cold and wet and wind and hypothermia). Yes, women and children hike this area, but they don't do it without proper equipment and knowledge.

I recommend that you come up with a backup plan, maybe an alternate destination. Many people new to the Trail start out in Shenandoah National Park (central VA). It's a very nice area to learn the fundamentals. Of course there are many who start at Springer as well, but a high percentage drop out at the first opportunity.

We want you to be successful and enjoy your hike.

[hikerboy57]

jordan, how much time do you have to hike?

[SouthMark]

I took a friend to Maine last year to hike from Monson to Stratton, a lot easier than Gorham to Andover. On the third day my friend sat down on a slab of granite on Pleasant Pond Mtn and said "if this had been my first backpacking trip, it would be my last". Like the above said, just take your time and enjoy. When you reach Andover if you do not want to hike back just catch up with David at the Pine Ellis hostel for a shuttle back to Gorham. Pine Ells about two blocks from the general store/deli in Andover.

[Chaco Taco]

Hey Hikerboy57,
My experience with mountains is basically none.... I live in florida! I guess i'm more concerned about the level of expertise and experience required to hike this section. Can a in-shape male do this without experience? Are injuries common? Safety is my main concern.

Thanks for replying,
Jordan

I responded on the other thread and thought you had some backpacking experience but still a newbie. If safety is your main concern, go hike in The Whites. If you do the Mahoosucs as your first section, you may hate hiking afterwards.

[Jordan23]

jordan, how much time do you have to hike?

I don't have a set time really... I was thinking 2 weeks in my head. I have no obligations to be anywhere right now. Five days or so to get there and 5 back with some free days? If I exceed that it's not really a big deal.

-Jordan

[TEXMAN]

Last week I did a 3 day hike with my two grandsons ages 10 and 13 ..we went from Gorham (Rt 2) to Pinkham notch ...This is the opposite way you are planning on going but it is still very difficult ...several 4000 ft plus peaks , elevation gains of 1500 - 3000 ft in a mile or two ... BUT it has several trails crossing the AT where you can get off and down to the road in an emergency ... a much better choice if you ask me......also you could stay at Carter Dome Hut and get a dinner and breakfast thus reducing your need to carry so much food ....as far as hiking alone goes, I would not recommend it for a beginner but I did it .....As far as physically being able to complete the hike , yes my grandsons did fine but we averaged 1 mile per hour for all 3 days ..Old Man River

[Rasty]

Only piece of advise is to go slower then you want to go. Your knees may still be soft.

[Rain Man]

I am planning a hiking trip next week (8/26/13) where i intend to take the bus to Gorham and Hike to Andover (resupply) and head back the way i came. I am new to hiking and will be hiking alone. I am 26 and in good shape. I keep hearing that this portion may be considered one to the hardest sections of the AT. Am I in over my head? is this safe?
I hear the elevation gains and losses are extreme... am i going to fall down the mountain if i take a mis-step? ...

What do you think???? I could use some advice...

I just returned yesterday from hiking 66 miles from Mt. Washington to Grafton Notch. Yes, you are tackling one of the hardest sections of the AT. Since you asked, if you are new to hiking and going alone, this is a bad idea and you are in over your head, IMHO. Is it safe? Not compared to most other sections of the AT, no. Elevations are not only extreme, but near-vertical on some pitches and go on for one-to-two thousand feet in places. Yes, you can fall down the mountain if you take a mis-step.

If you'd like to see some photos, here you go: photo album of Rain Man's NH/ME 2013 trip, though they simply can't capture the steepness.

My advice? Head to Georgia and see how you do. Closer. The bus ride will be bearable. More reasonable for a novice. And still a heck of a lot of fun. And that other section will be there next year.

If you do go, I recommend the White Mountains Lodge & Hostel on the AT just outside Gorham as a great place to stay, ship a box to, rely on for a shuttle to town, get to know other hikers, etc.

RainMan

.

[hikerboy57]

I responded on the other thread and thought you had some backpacking experience but still a newbie. If safety is your main concern, go hike in The Whites. If you do the Mahoosucs as your first section, you may hate hiking afterwards.

+2. the more i think about it, yes you'd be in over your head.plenty of great loops in the whites you can do. or try the grafton loop trail, which is much easier than the stretch you had outlined, and can be done 3-4 days if you're in shpae, 5-6 days if you're really taking it slow.http://www.matc.org/for-hikers/grafton-loop-trail/

[HighLiner]

I just finished a three week section hike from Kinsman Notch (Lincoln NH) to Monson, Maine. That was by far the hardest 275 miles I have ever completed. Rain Man is spot on. The ups for me averaged less than 1 mph and when I got to the top I at times actually dreaded the downhills. The Osgood trail was particularly bad. I'm a seasoned hiker and fell several times as it rained every day during my first week of hiking. The downhills were simply brutal. Nothing South on the AT compares. The scenery, however, is nothing less than breathtaking! Next year, Monson to Katadhin; I can't wait!

PS; somebody do future hikers a great service and paint some strategically placed stealth blazes in the Whites! HighLiner

[illabelle]

Very much agree!
And wonderful photos, Rain Man! Several of them are quite instructive as to the steepness.

I just returned yesterday from hiking 66 miles from Mt. Washington to Grafton Notch. Yes, you are tackling one of the hardest sections of the AT. Since you asked, if you are new to hiking and going alone, this is a bad idea and you are in over your head, IMHO. Is it safe? Not compared to most other sections of the AT, no. Elevations are not only extreme, but near-vertical on some pitches and go on for one-to-two thousand feet in places. Yes, you can fall down the mountain if you take a mis-step.

If you'd like to see some photos, here you go: photo album of Rain Man's NH/ME 2013 trip, though they simply can't capture the steepness.

My advice? Head to Georgia and see how you do. Closer. The bus ride will be bearable. More reasonable for a novice. And still a heck of a lot of fun. And that other section will be there next year.

If you do go, I recommend the White Mountains Lodge & Hostel on the AT just outside Gorham as a great place to stay, ship a box to, rely on for a shuttle to town, get to know other hikers, etc.

RainMan

.

[rickb]

You are 26, so much of the advise posted above does not have to apply.

The notch itself is more of a novelty than anything else. For those of us who feel pain climbing up on a kitchen counter to replace a light fixture (me, yesterday) it could be difficult. For those of us who get uneasy climbing a ladder to to clean out one's gutters (me, 20 years ago) there may be some small sensation of exposure in other spots along that section.

But you said you were 26, right?

That said, the section you picked is more logistically challenging than some, and the pot of gold at the top of each of the many ups and down and ups and downs is not nearly as mind blowing as some other trails in the Whites. That makes each climb (trudge up would be a better word) harder- and especially hard on the way back, I would think.

How did you zero in on this section, anyway?