ki0eh
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Post by ki0eh on Sept 23, 2014 10:33:36 GMT -5
Guy on Facebook is looking for a 40-50 mile circuit backpack about 2 hr from Philly. He wondered if there would be one in the Poconos. I'm thinking the Michaux is the closest bet for him, within the rules most of us can deal with for backpacking.
What would be an ideal Michaux circuit of this length, on blazed/maintained trails (no bushwhacking), with minimal forest roads or re-hiking?
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MRHyker
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Post by MRHyker on Sept 23, 2014 10:53:22 GMT -5
I don't think it can be done w/o a lot of re-hiking. One could use the AT as a backbone and splice together a bunch of the day hikes and/or over-nights on my site starting at Old Forge and hiking north to Pole Steeple but there are miles of AT in between with no other "maintained" Trail. Aegis or somebody might be able to confirm this but I though I heard somewhere that the old AT south of Caledonia has been blazed blue and is now being maintained. Any truth to that? That would eliminate a fair amount of retracing previously hiked trail. Anyway, it would look like a chain with a few repeat parts. This is assuming not using social trails, bushwhacks, roads or forest roads or ATV trails. Counting on my fingers here - 4 shelters - Tumbling Run, Quarry Gap, Birch Knob and Tom's Run. I might have missed one. Haven't tried to figure out the mileage. If the person is interested I could do a rough map for him.
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ki0eh
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Post by ki0eh on Sept 23, 2014 14:05:55 GMT -5
I would count the Michaux ATV trails as being maintained/followable by a city slicker. And yes the "old A.T." south of Caledonia would count too.
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Post by Admin on Sept 23, 2014 14:18:21 GMT -5
Aegis is the man with the ATV trail knowledge. Is that old AT section maintained?
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Post by AegisIII on Sept 23, 2014 21:12:10 GMT -5
My first thought is that this could be easily done, even if you are trying to stick with official trails for the most part. Could do the AT from Caledonia to Pine Grove Furnace, then a set of ATV, snowmobile, and shared use trails back to Caledonia. Even easier if using unofficial trails. He would need the ATV map and the Flat Rock Shared Use Trail System map. Probably would still need to use some unofficial trails, but nothing that would be a major navigation challenge (unless he wants one).
And the old AT route south of Caledonia is now the Racoon Run Trail, also called by some the Secret Trail (I have no idea why), which makes a 10-11 mile loop with the AT.
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MRHyker
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Post by MRHyker on Sept 24, 2014 6:56:32 GMT -5
Is the Raccoon Run Tr on the newer PATC maps? Looking for something new to fo in that area.
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ki0eh
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Post by ki0eh on Sept 24, 2014 12:36:20 GMT -5
I believe that and the ATV trails are shown on the relevant PATC maps. If I could reach the map file cabinet I might be able to confirm.
I have heard a new privately printed Michaux map is coming out although I have not yet seen it.
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MRHyker
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Post by MRHyker on Sept 24, 2014 13:10:41 GMT -5
Do you need a chair to stand on?
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Post by AegisIII on Sept 24, 2014 21:18:24 GMT -5
The ATV and Racoon Run Trails were on the maps from around 2000, so they should also be on the more recent ones. The shared use trails were not on those maps then, and I think also not on the next-most-recent. I do think PATC recently GPS'd them, so they'll likely be on the next Map 2/3.
Mike, feel free to wander around my Picassa photo albums of the numerous Michaux hikes I've done; I'm sure they'll be more than a few that you'd like.
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