First Long Trip Advice

Hi All,

I am looking for advice on deciding the route of my first long walk/hike. I'm only debating the starting location because I live in Hancock, Md. so my ending point is locked in. I want to do a 2-day, 1-night hike/walk that is between 25-40 miles total with an overnight primitive style camp somewhere along the route (sleeping in a hammock under a tarp). I plan to be dropped off on a Friday morning and then pretty much walk to my house in Hancock and expecting to get home sometime in the evening on Saturday.

Although I consider myself to be in decent shape, I've been "training" for the walk portion for about 6 months by walking 2.5 miles every day on my lunchbreak, and 1 or 2 times a month I walk 10 - 12 miles with about 10 lbs. of gear on me in about 3 - 3.5 hours. Which is about the pace and weight of gear I plan on bringing.

As for the route advice, I am thinking about doing a Paw Paw Wv. - Hancock, Md. trip with camping in Little Orleans, Md. Total distance is 32 miles. Day 1 starts in Paw Paw and will be 15.6 Miles to Little Orleans where I will stop and set up a small camp for overnight. Then, waking up and walking the remainder of the 16.4 miles to Hancock, and then probably another 1.5 miles to my house from the trail.

Does anyone have a different route of about the same distance and ending point?

Does this seem to be to too ambitious or too conservative for a first-time long walk/hike?

Any advice at all? I feel like I'm just getting started, but I'm not a novice at walking long distances or with camping, but with the walking and camping together?

An obvious alternative route would be south of Hancock beginning in Williamsport. It’s a slightly shorter route (25 + 1.5) than the one you proffered There is an overnight campgound about halfway at the Fort Frederick State Park. Having not stayed there, I don’t know if it can accomodate a hammock.

I’ll add some further comments later.

If you wish a somewhat longer trek, you could start a little further south beginning at the McMahon's Mill Recreation Area (approximately 36.5 miles south of Hancock) or even at Dam 4 (40 miles south) and return to Hancock. From there you could ovenight camp at McCoy's Landing State Campground (public pay) or the North Mountain primitive Hiker/Biker campsite.

I'm a biker not a hiker so I can't comment on the feasibility of your first hiking/camping adventure. Its easily done of course in one day on a bike.

I would note that there was a bridge over a creek out on the Towpath north of Hancock last summer. You may well be able to find a way to hike around it successfully. Alternatively, you can circumvent that bridge by hiking northbound on the parallel Western Maryland Rail Trail.

Don't forget some bug repellent for those pesky mosquitos that seem to come out at dusk. Also there's little or no opportunity to obtain water in these areas so plan on taking what you may need or a filter to make some along the way.