I also read multiple past ECT thru hikers’ trail journals and blogs to make sense of sections that lacked official guides. Total distances for each section  of Maine, New Brunswick, Quebec are provided, as are estimated time durations between sites for three different hiking paces. “Nimblewill Nomad” Eberhart (see Signpost, May 2001), the Eastern Continental Trail follows existing routes like the well-known Appalachian and Florida Trails, plus other regional trails and roads. The A.T. Guide is the most innovative trail guidebook ever developed.”. Conveniently, the two guides use corresponding sequential section numbers, so it is relatively easy to switch between them upon crossing the AL/GA state line. Here is all of the information that you will need to put together a successful thru hike: I had not heard of the ECT before I began research for my 2017 Florida Trail thru hike. This is good and bad. Benton MacKaye Trail Association, www.bmta.org. The first person to hike the ECT from Key West to Cap Gaspe was John … Mt. The International Appalachian Trail Chapter Leader I read and followed many past ECT thru hikers’ journeys to round out my research. This first section of the IAT is 138 miles long. From what I can tell, this is because the cost, time, and logistics of hopping ferries to get further north to what are essentially just very long and boring road walks, through not-so-hiker-friendly country is just not worth those extra miles to most people. Rock includes elevations, standard symbol and abbreviation systems, and easy to understand linear duel-directional mileages. RIP Tom Johnson PATC’s obituary of our Founding President. IAT-SIA – Maine Chapter All of the maps you will need for the short Benton Mackaye section are included in this guide. One unique aspect of the Quebec section is the option to camp in “refuges” on the trail. Katahdin to Quebec No big deal. At the time of writing, it is sold out on the BMT Guide website, but is available here for $13.95. GET Web Site Updates . Try the Eastern Continental Trail, an unofficial route stretching from Florida to Quebec. Because the Pinhoti Trail traverses both Alabama and Georgia, parts of it are managed by different organizations. 2021...2002 2019 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2010 2009 2007. It is also packed with tips for the trail and information on accommodations, resupplies, gear rentals, and much more. Benton Mackaye NOBO/SOBO Thru Hikers’ Guide by Ernest B. Engman aka “Sgt. They helped me decided what maps I would use. ^General information about the Pinhoti trail. Eastern Continental Trail ’16 Posts specifically pertaining to my 2016 ECT thru hike. Here are the stats: Number of links: Five existing trails, from north to south: International Appalachian Trail (New Brunswick and Quebec), Appalachian Trail, Benton MacKaye Trail, Pinhoti National Recreation Trail (Georgia and Alabama), and Florida National Scenic Trail. Benton Mackaye Trail Towns and Post Offices All of these hikers’ sites are linked below. You will be good from Key West to Alabama. Nimble Will Nomad’s Site: https://nimblewillnomad.com/ I played around with The Florida Trail App at home, but it never really clicked for me until I was actually out on the trail and could watch the little dot that represented me actually move in real time along the red line that represented the trail. Poul Jorgensen Brace yourself though, the cost of ‘the passport’ in 2017 was $425! I followed Jupiter’s journey right up until the day we crossed paths on the FT, him headed south, me headed north. Updated: 11/04/2020 There is an online form to fill out and send to the SIAT office with your estimated itinerary. They will contact you with details on how to complete the purchase. Hiking The Eastern Continental Trail 26-05-2009  American long distance hiker Paul Duffy recently arrived in Newfoundland to begin his 14 month, 6,000 mile quest to hike the Eastern Continental Trail from Crow Head, Newfoundland to Key West, Florida. Drop by now and then to follow his progress. Good luck Paul! For my purposes, the following are all of the sources I used to plan my route on the IAT portion my thru hike, from Cap Gaspé, Quebec to Mount Katahdin. Following it took me to a Free PDF created by John “Plugger” Stough in 2009. You can get it from the Maine Chapter of the IAT; it is free to download here. He wasn’t the first person to pioneer the route, but he did write the book on it. There are only two resources to consider if you decide not to just follow the plentiful white blazes and other hikers heading in your direction, The AT Guide and The AT App. The A.T. Guide is the guidebook of choice for hikes of any length on the Appalachian Trail. ^General information about the AT. ^General information about the IAT. THE ECT SECTIONS ARE: Section #1- Key West/Everglades Roadwalk (KER) 175 miles. Eastern Continental Trail. The Triple Crown of hiking means that you've done the Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachian Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail. Eastern Continental Trail, 8690 km, ongeveer 450 dagen. Though technically the ECT continues to follow the IAT all the way through Nova Scotia north to New Foundland, where it officially ends, most thru hikers either begin or end their attempt at Cap Gaspe in Quebec. After you summit Katahdin at the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, continue on the Knife Edge peak and out of Baxter State Park. After that the more difficult and remote aspects of the CDT really appeal to me but I figure it's best to save that for the epic finish. A thru-hike on this system of trails requires almost a year to complete.. History. There are 93 maps of towns on or near the trail showing where to find these services and detailed listings for businesses. This is the best set of directions I saw for the New Brunswick section of the IAT and it includes the trail route in a google maps window. In case you missed it, Emily is hiking from Florida to Quebec. Parkay”, Free, extremely detailed and professional Georgia Pinhoti Trail TOPO maps from “Mr. Soon after exiting, you begin the last piece of the puzzle of trails, the International Appalachian Trail! *Important to note that many updates have happened since 2009, including the addition of at least six new shelters*, Get John “Plugger” Stough’s Katahdin to Cap Gaspe Data Book here. LOTS of good data and information here, just a clumsy and somewhat confusing format. The ECT is a continuous footpath (almost), which crosses sixteen states and three Canadian provinces. IAT-SIA – New Brunswick Chapter Ryan “Guthook” Linn built the AT Guide App as well as the Florida Trail App (and a bunch of others), so using it is familiar and easy. It was simply the only way of life I could imagine. Drop me a line and let me know if you find other useful sources I can add here for future ECT hikers! Something like 15 countries and several territories are involved in trying to complete the IAT all the way through to Morocco! I chose to use the above guide for the Alabama road walk section only, implementing the two Pinhoti Trail guides and the Benton Mackaye directions below for their respective sections. Having an app makes hiking a trail so much easier. Quebec Hotels, hostels, and campgrounds can be found all along the way. You may need more…or less. The most up to date BMT guide is the 2017 – 2018 version, also by Sgt. Super detailed GPS plotted AL/GA Pinhoti Trail maps by Warren Johnson, aka “gubbool” Hiking Gear - 28. It’s unbelievable; check out all the chapters here! Get the New Brusnwick IAT section information here. The Benton Mackaye Trail (BMT) “I spent an entire year preparing for it, researching routes, finding the right kind of gear. Of the three the PCT was of course my highest priority just because it was my local trail. There are pamphlets with maps for each section, as well as more detailed topo maps for a few. www.florida-trail.org. As far as a guide, the best one out there is a small book offered by the SIAT called “The Companion”. The are shelters on the trail and several towns along the way. It lists distances in miles and kilometers between every official camp, motel, or stealth camp that John used or passed on the IAT. Talk about auto pilot! Pinhoti Trail Maps The trail’s elevation profile is included and every landmark is aligned to the profile. While putting together this page, I came upon a small, almost invisible link on the French Canadian SIAT website. It’s the highest, most remote, and, in many ways, most challenging of our National Scenic Trails. North and South bound directions are provided, but they are listed one after another, in two separate sections with reversed data/directions. It is 206.3 miles from Key West to the Florida Trail. Lil’ Buddha’s 2016 ECT Trail Journal: http://www.trailjournals.com/journal/19633 New Brunswick There are two separate guides, one for the Alabama Pinhoti Trail (APT) half, and one for the Georgia Pinhoti Trail (GPT) half. Here is all of the information that you will need to put together a … Yes, $425 is a lot of money, but I’m planning on staying at almost 20 of these shelters, so reserving them individually would be far more expensive. Even unsullied spots to bury your poop in the ground are becoming harder to find. It’s at the bottom of this page. The ECT route hiked by most thru hikers, the acceptable amount of mileage to be considered a complete thru hike of the ECT is from Key West FL to Cap Gaspé, Quebec. Get the Alabama road walk to Appalachian Trail southern terminus directions here. Hikers using this guide know where they are on the trail, what views, streams and campsites are ahead, and whether they’ll be hiking uphill or downhill to get there. You can buy a pocket-sized paper version for $12.95 CAD at the bottom of the SIAT shop page here This guide is easy to follow NOBO or SOBO. Thru-hiking the CDT is … Political boundaries crossed: Sixteen states, two provinces. Alabama Road Walk Boom! The CDT, alongside the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail make up the triple crown of hiking. You can make reservations for each of the many refuges on the trail and pay per night, if you think you can guess exactly when you will be at a certain location. Cards means maps and the Combo #1 provides you with every map you will need for all of Quebec. While digging through all of the information out there, I came across Nimble Will Nomad’s trail journal and through even further deep diving, I discovered a hiker named Jupiter, who happened to be hiking the trail at that very moment and who, if his schedule worked out, would be completing a record-breaking speed hike of the Florida Trail section of the ECT on the same day I planned to start it. Access member exclusive content + more benefits → The majority of AT hikers, thru or section, do not fully understand or practice leave no trace principles. Hut tour grading T2, Mountain walk. You can get all of the maps in the SIAT shop individually, but I recommend first purchasing a $10 membership card, which will give you a discount in the store, and then purchasing the “Combo #1: All Cards”. Jupiter did a lot of homework for his own hike and his site provides an incredible amount of information and is a great place for a jump off point for your own research. The Continental Divide Trail (CDT) spans over 3,100 miles from Mexico to Canada and is one of the most significant trail systems in the world. LOTS of good data and information here, just a clumsy format and mildly confusing if you need to reverse the directions for a SOBO hike. In return for traffic generated from my website, I may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you. US/Canada Border to Matapedia, Quebec The KER begins at themonumentmarking the southernmost point on the eastern North American continent, inKey West, Florida. Name Eastern Continental Trail (ECT) Length of trail 8,690 km, 5,400 miles. Needless to say, I was intrigued. Access member exclusive content + more benefits →, Access member exclusive content + more benefits →, Easy Epics: 16 Drive-up Campsites Any Backpacker Will Love, National Scenic Trails: The Best 50 Miles. Hiking Season. Appalachian Trail Conference, (304) 535-6331; www.atconf.org. Thank you for your support. I refer to this format as directions rather than as a guide because mileages are broken up into sections, not listed in a linear “thru hike-style” running total. Sterling Coleman’s 2012 ECT trail Journal: http://www.trailjournals.com/journal/12834 Pioneered by John Brinda in 1997 and christened by M. J. “Nimblewill Nomad” Eberhart (see Signpost, May 2001), the Eastern Continental Trail follows existing routes like the well-known Appalachian and Florida Trails, plus other regional trails and roads. This Data sheet does not contain any actual directions, but can really help you speed up your planning process as far as time frame and logistics. Many of the ECT hiker blogs I’ve read note that blazing through New Brunswick is lacking, so I would zoom in on the trail map provided and screen shot some sections for reference. Traildino graad: SW, Inspannende wandeling, bergpad; Huttentrektocht graad: T2, Bergtocht. Savage Mountain Hiking Trail. There is also an Ocean-to-Lake trail spur that connects Lake Okeechobee with the Atlantic Ocean, and a path from Big Cypress National Preserve to Key West, part of the Eastern Continental Trail that links Key West with Cape Gaspé in Canada. Yogi is the OG of thru-hiking guidebooks, at least for the Triple Crown trails. From theatguide.com: Plus, I get the freedom to arrive whenever I feel like it. More information: International Appalachian Trail, (207) 865-6233; www.internationalat.org. What follows is a comprehensive list of every resource I used to plan my ECT thru hike. Not only is the trail mapped out in front of you to follow should you lose sight of blazing or get turned around, but pictures of upcoming campsites,  information on all distances and resupplies, and all of the other information you could possibly need on the trail are all there, packed into your phone…at zero weight penalty! Guthook’s AT Guide APP I would consider it a must for planning this section. This 2,100 mile trek takes in everything from Mt. ^Addresses and locations of the towns and Post Offices the trail passes in Alabama. I found a pdf of the 2011 edition free online. You can get it from the Maine Chapter of the IAT; it is free to download here, Get the New Brusnwick IAT section information here, https://jupiterhikes.wordpress.com/eastern-continental-trail/, http://www.trailjournals.com/journal/12834, http://www.trailjournals.com/journal/19276, http://www.trailjournals.com/journal/19633, https://byrslf.co/trail-journal-eastern-continental-trail-2018-days-0-7-1-15-1-22-b9bae51baed8. The impact on the environment from so many hikers on the trail each season is pretty apparent. It is very rudementary, using clip art and black and white photo-copied pages. Eastern Continental Trail . You may “check in” at 3pm and must “check out” by 10am. The Great Eastern Trail is a project of the Great Eastern Trail Association, working with the American Hiking Society and local trail partners, to create America’s newest long distance trail for hikers from Alabama to New York! His company self publishes both North Bound and South Bound data books each year with new updates and additions. Rock” Alabama Pinhoti Trail (APT) NOBO Directions So the Eastern Continental Trail has been... interesting so far. I never had any intention of hiking the Eastern Continental Trail, but the moment I heard about it, something in my gut told me I had to do it,” he said, shaking his head and smiling. Also, if you don’t fancy hiking alone, you are more or less guaranteed company on the trail if you hike during the typical ‘season’ of March – October. Though the Internet is now an invaluable resource for hikers, and a number of other authors have created their own guide books, Yogi’s Continental Divide Trail Handbook still stands as one of the best resources for CDT thru-hikers. The IAT follows the rest of the Appalachian Mountain Range through to Nova Scotia and even further now, into Europe, since some of their mountain ranges were part of the Appalachian chain when our continents were beside each other on Pangea. Rock. Resources for The Florida Trail Maine Northern terminus: Waterton Lake Highest Elevation:14,278 ft (Grays Peak CO) Lowest Elevation:4,200 ft The Continental Divide Trail (CDT) is a long-distance trail that runs from the Canadian border to the Mexican border. Alabama Pinhoti Trail Towns and Post Offices That should be everything you need to plan for and follow the ECT from Key West to Cap Gaspe. Check out gubbool’s epic travels at his website, Lifeat2mph.com, Free, extremely detailed and professional Alabama Pinhoti Trail TOPO maps from “Mr. Check out gubbool’s epic travels at his website, Lifeat2mph.com. Before I hiked The Florida Trail, I had never used an App on a phone to navigate. Updated; Hiker Trail Name; Start; Finish; First Name; Last Name; Entries; Photos; Gear; Direction; Sort . Talladega National Forest (Pinhoti Trail), (256) 362-2909; www.southernregion.fs.fed.us/alabama. The Florida Trail Guide includes the data for the Overseas Heritage Trail and following connector from Key West all the way to Big Cypress, as well as all of the information on the FT itself. His site is great; awesome video, photographs, gear lists, stats, trail babble, and most importantly, planning info! Alternately, you can purchase “The Passport”, which allows you access to every shelter on the trial, on any date, for one flat fee. This is “the definitive publication for those hiking the entire trail”. Taking second place in length is 5,400-mile Eastern Continental trail. The Pinhoti Trail (PT) Nimble Will Nomad’s site nimblewillnomad.com was also extremely helpful. If ever there was a marathon trail that offered a variety of hiking and backpacking opportunities throughout 14 eastern states, the Appalachian Trail is it. © 2021 Pocket Outdoor Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Description. All of the shelters, towns, and landmarks are listed with distances between each provided in kilometers and miles. So, you've saved up enough cash or gotten that new credit card, figured out how to get the time off from work, and you are ready to start planning your next big adventure on The Eastern Continental Trail! They are listed in order from south to north. Undeterred, he chose the Eastern Continental Trail, a 5,400 mile beast that starts in the Florida Keys and ends in Newfoundland, Canada. Alabama Roadwalk – This not only The Alabama Hiking Trail Society provides detailed maps for every section of the road walk here. On the other hand, the Appalachian Trail being one of the most popular and famous trails in the country means there are endless resources available to help you plan for and hike the trail! Dit pad is ook bekend als ECT. The Appalachian Trail As always, I welcome this transition, but each time I do so with a small dose of seemingly incurable apprehension. Rock”, Benton Mackaye Trail Towns and Post Offices. Also, turns, directions, and descriptions are written out instead of using symbols or abbreviations. Directions are typed in short paragraphs for each section and are not very descriptive. pjorgensen@sentiernbtrail.com. The Quebec portion of the IAT consists of several different regions: Matapedia Valley, Matane Wildlife Reserve, Gaspesie Park, and the Forillon National Park of Canada. View sammertimesaunters’s profile on Instagram, View UCmf0pM4DO73Alg1KJ4-X7Bg’s profile on YouTube, How to Plan for and Hike the Mountains to Sea Trail, How to Plan for and Hike The Florida Trail, How to Plan for and Hike The Eastern Continental Trail, One Day of Food on the Mountains to Sea Trail 2012, One Day of Food on The Florida Trail 2017, One Day of Food on The Eastern Continental Trail 2018, Super detailed GPS plotted Alabama Road Walk maps by Warren Johnson, aka “gubbool”, Alabama Pinhoti Trail (APT) NOBO Directions, Alabama Pinhoti Trail Towns and Post Offices, Georgia Pinhoti Trail (GPT) NOBO/SOBO  Directions, Super detailed GPS plotted AL/GA Pinhoti Trail maps by Warren Johnson, aka “gubbool”, Free, extremely detailed and professional, Benton Mackaye NOBO/SOBO Thru Hikers’ Guide by Ernest B. Engman aka “Sgt. Wandelkaarten en wandelgidsen, individuele reizen en wandeltrektochten. I refer to this as a guide because Sgt. I wish I had found it sooner. It’s unbelievable; check out all the chapters here! “In 2003, software engineer David Miller left his job, family, and friends to hike 2172 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Looking for a lofty challenge? Personally, I have decided to just use the 2011 version, and rely on my sense of direction to navigate any updates/changes I may encounter. Guides These links guide you to other websites where you can further research and purchase items. When he arrived at the Alabama state line, he decided to keep walking, and his journey finally ended after he crossed the Canadian border. Hike or backpack to the Savage River. That’s it! The A.T. Guide answers all of your questions about how to get rides, where to stay, and where to get supplies. Get all of Guthook’s Guides here for Apple. Having thru-hiked the CDT twice herself, as well as numerous … Pioneered by John Brinda in 1997 and christened by M. J. Florida Trail Association, (800) 343-1882; www.florida-trail.org. If you are bringing your phone with you on the Appalachian Trail anyway, I highly encourage you to use this app! From there, the roadwalk continues north on US1 to Florida City/Homestead. I can’t thank him enough. The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (in short Continental Divide Trail (CDT)) is a United States National Scenic Trail running 3,100 miles (5,000 km) between Chihuahua and Alberta.It follows the Continental Divide of the Americas along the Rocky Mountains and traverses five U.S. states — Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. In 1997, a young man named John Brinda set out from Key West to explore the Florida Trail, and the adventure led him to the panhandle and Pensacola. Also, there are some rules: You must give up your spot in a refuge to anyone who has made an actual reservation on that day, if the shelter gets “overbooked”. Jupiter has a section devoted to his 2016 – 2017 ECT thru hike on his hiking website: Jupiterhikes.com. Also, turns, directions, and descriptions are written out instead of using symbols or abbreviations. He was one of only two people to complete the ECT that year. The maps and membership cards are available here, at the SIAT shop. There are many guides out there, but by far the most popular is the annual guide released by David “Awol” Miller. The Trail is part of the Eastern Continental Divide Loop, a multi-modal adventure recognized as a segment of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail. Katahdin to the US/Canada Border  This will take you to my Florida Trail info page, which compiles all the necessary links to reference for a successful thru hike of the FT. Sources include maps, guides, apps, local chapter info, and links to Florida Trail associations and Florida hiking websites.