Hike of the Week 6/17/2004

Appalachian Trail, Part 2: Through-hikers

Location:  Appalachian Mountain chain, eastern seaboard

Length:  2,169 miles

Rating:  Off the scale!

Dogs:  Allowed on a leash

Map:  Map 1-6, Appalachian Trail Map Set

Features: Mountain ranges, hills, rivers, lakes, streams, waterfalls, views, vistas, sunrises, sunsets, moon rises, birds, butterflies, bears, trail shelters, "trail towns,'' a "hiker community.''

Watch out for:

Background:

This is the second in a multi-part Hike of the Week series on the Appalachian Trail. The AT crosses through 32 miles of Dutchess County. It is around this time of year that "through-hikers" make their way past our section of the AT. "Through-hikers" are those hearty hikers attempting to traverse the entire length of the AT.

Hike Description:

Every year, about 3,000 Appalachian Trail "through-hikers" leave Springer Mountain, Ga., in March or April. Ask any one of them where they are heading, and the answer will be "Katahdin." Every year, about 10-15 percent of them will actually reach Katahdin, becoming "2,000-milers.'' Some of them don't make it through Georgia, and by the middle of Virginia only 50 percent have survived. The survivors become a tight-knit "trail community,'' spending nights together at the approximately 250 trail shelters located approximately a day's hike apart all along the trail. Many of the shelters have trail registers, where hikers note their passing, and share thoughts and experiences, and relay messages to each other. The registers, and verbal exchanges, between north- and south-bound hikers constitute a Trail "grapevine.'' Any happening of any consequence along the Trail very quickly spreads from Maine to Georgia.

Hot Tip: Most of the through-hikers that get here stop at the Mountain Top Deli, Leetown Road, Stormville. They are easy to pick out from the locals.

How to get there: 

The trail runs 80-plus miles through lower New York State and traverses Dutchess County for 32 miles in a southwest to northeast direction. It is accessible at several county highway crossings, including Hortontown Road, Long Hill Road, Miller Hill Road, Hosner Mountain Road, Route 52, Grape Hollow Road, Route 55, West Dover Road and Route 22.

About the New York - New Jersey Trail Conference : The NY-NJ Trail Conference is a federation of hiking clubs, environmental organizations and individual members who volunteer their time and resources to build and maintain hiking trails and protect related open space in the bi-state region.

Information : For a more detailed description of this hike including a map, visit www.nynjtc.org and click on Hike of the Week. For information on NYNJTC activities, call 201-512-9348 or email info@nynjtc.org.

Hike of the Week is a regular feature in the Poughkeepsie Journal Players section, call 845-437-4848. This hike is contributed by Ralph Ferrusi of Stormville, an avid hiker, member of the NYNJTC and 4,000-mile AT hiker.

V3 Last updated: June 17, 2004   Copyright © 1996-2004  New York-New Jersey Trail Conference Privacy Statement.