Can i bike the appalachian trail

I do have to say that the first five mile section of the IMT is in very rough shape. Not sure whether to blame it on the record rainfall this year or the horses that make their ways along this same path. Luckily the mucky part concluded fairly quickly and the single track began. For decades people have ventured to solo hike the Appalachian Trail as a means to restore mental fortitude.

I once backpacked a chunk of it to overcome some ghosts myself. Bikepacking solo is kind of like therapy. Being completely alone in the middle of nowhere seems to take things that were joggling around your skull and put them back in order.

Why is that? I found myself lazily sitting on the forest floor a few of times studying tiny bits of flora, frogs and fungi. It could be the silence that comes with solitude. I actually carried on a conversation with a small murder of crows for five or ten minutes at one point. It was kind of like they were following me along the ridge for a mile or so.

If you botch a line on a rocky descent, you are the only person who can drag your ass several miles out of the woods. On a different level, beating the shit out of oneself is also therapeutic, I guess.

The final 6 miles of the IMT dropped over 1, feet of rocky, and sometimes flowing, goodness. Whoever thought that the hiking is a good training for cycling, will be disappointed.

The legs will hurt and you will have a sore but. After the Shenandoah National Park the hills are lower, but you get a rolling landscape with infinite small hills. You cycle through the industrial landscape of small farms and red barns. Part 3: Canoe, the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, 1, kilometers Old Forge is the starting point of The Northern Forest Canoe Trail , a 1, kilometer long canoe trail, once the trade routes of the indigenous peoples. It is the longest mapped canoe trip in the US and a unique mix of culture and nature.

It is also one of the toughest canoe trips in the world with kilometers of upstream travelling and nearly kilometers of portages. But don't worry, after cycling and hiking, canoeing is relaxing and enjoying. Physically you are in top condition and mentally you have had enough difficult moments to overcome the trail.

On the way you will pass Mount Kathadin, the official end point of the Appalachian Trail, but the end of the canoe trip and the Alternative Appalachian Trail is in Fort Kent in northern Maine.

The AAT has no exact distance because there are so many different options with the cycling part. We covered the following distances: - Hiking : kilometers, 46 days. On average more than 25 kilometers per day. These are tough and long walking days.

On average more than kilometers per day. This was too much, but because we didn't want to start the canoe trip too late, we were in a hurry. Take at least an extra week for cycling.

A normal average with occasional long days. In total we covered 3, kilometers in days. We took three rest days between walking and cycling, while we needed nine days between cycling and canoeing. The preparation for canoeing took much more time because it was completely new to us.

We recommend a minimum of four months for the Alternative Appalachian Trail. To complete a thru-hike within six months, most hikers start in March or April. The start date for the Alternative Appalachian Trail is not that strict. The end date is determined by the start of the winter in the north. From October the temperature drops with nights below freezing and the chance on snow.

We got out of the canoe on October 7 and had a very cold last week. It is possible to be in the water until the end of October, but you will need more winter clothing on the last part.

Our starting date was 9 June, so we started hiking late and with time pressure. We had long and tough days while hiking and cycling to start the canoe trip in time. Our advice is to start no later than the end of May. The Alternative Appalachian Trail is not only a physical and mental challenge, but also logistically it is not easy. We arrived in Georgia by bike and changed our bikes for the backpacks. Thanks to the help of a number of trail angels, our bikes were waiting for us in Virginia, so we could quickly cycle to Old Forge.

The start of the AT in Springer Mountain is only accessible by private transport. There are enough taxi services that offer this trip. After 1, kilometers you will arrive in Paerisburg where the trail almost goes through the village, a lot easier.

The growth of ultra-endurance versions of all outdoor recreation, from cycling to trail running to kayaking and multi-sport adventure racing certainly suggests so.

It is not too hard to imagine riders young and old packing up their bikes for rite of passage on the Great Eastern Mountain Bike Trail just as hikers have been doing on the A. Even though the vast majority of hikers will never thru-hike the A. Just as hikers section hike the A. Section riding is one option, as is creating a system of spoke trails connecting hubs of trail systems so one could spend a couple days exploring a contained system of trails before moving down the spoke to the next hub.

The applications seem to be endless, but there is still a lot of work to do to get there. Volunteers are always needed to assist in maintaining portions of the Virginia Mountain Bike Trail. Visit www. This is a distance of about 2, miles, although the route is in constant flux and not well posted.

Ninety percent of the route is on unpaved roads and trails with over , feet of elevation change along the way, making weather and supply access the biggest hurdles in any attempted thru-ride—that and bear attacks.

Two races take place every year to test the mettle of riders: the Tour Divide Race follows the entire route, while the Great Divide Race follows only that portion in the U. The Colorado Trail runs east to west across the state from Denver to Durango, covering miles, about half of which is shared with the Continental Divide Trail.

Mountain bikers are permitted on most of the trail, although not on the portions that travel through wilderness areas. The trail rises above tree line in several spots and runs through six mountain ranges. Completed in , the Arizona National Scenic trail runs north from the Mexico border through Arizona to its northern border with Utah.

The trail passes through a wide variety of landscapes and ecosystems on its mile route, from the deserts of the south to the San Francisco Peaks of the North. Blue Ridge Outdoors is your guide to fly fishing, the Appalachian Trail, biking, travel, and more in the Blue Ridge and beyond. Find an Adventure. Home Biking. The Big Ride.