I’m typing this out on the Adirondack Trailways bus to Phoenicia for what may be our penultimate Long Path section hike before we finish this thing off. Realistically, the ratio of public transit to hiking time is just getting to be too much for weekend trips, even long weekends. This one will be four days and even that feels like only juuuust enough to justify the ~7 hours (round trip) of bus time. Total transit time (door to trail and back) is closer to 10 hours, if all goes according to plan. Plus, I’m just not sure whether there are any additional access points via public transportation after Palenville.
I’m still very proud of how much of this hike we’ve done just using public transit, with only very occasional cab/car rides that were optional and convenient bonuses but absolutely not required (in general) for completing the trail.
Pros: Cheaper than renting or owning and maintaining a car. Better for the environment and the climate. Can do point-to-point hikes without needing a shuttle. Don’t have to worry about trailhead parking. Decreases car congestion and (over)use impacts in and around parks. Don’t have to worry about drinking and driving if you go for a post-hike beer. Can sleep on the bus instead of driving/helping the driver stay alert. Bus/train bathrooms.
Cons: Entirely dependent on bus and train schedules, which can be limited/limiting. Slower than driving. Can’t store extra food or a change of clothes at the trailhead. Can be an uncomfortable or undignified way to travel (but not always!). Can’t stop at will for snacks, coffee, or rest stops. Bus/train bathrooms.
Car companies have long marketed driving as a vehicle of American independence, and the open road as a symbol of infinite possibilities and limitless opportunity. But public transit brings its own kind of freedom: the freedom from the encumbrance of however many tons the average American car (or, more realistically, SUV) weighs.
A car can be a convenience (that’s certainly what the car companies want you to think) but it can also be a hassle and a burden. Living outside that paradigm isn’t easy (and it certainly seems to get harder the further away one lives from NYC or other metro areas with robust public transit networks) but it is an invigorating challenge that comes with a slew of benefits.
And now for your periodic reminder that the Northville-Placid Trail in the Adirondacks was once accessible by train at both trailheads. I mean, that’s why they put the trailheads where they are! It’s a crime and a tragedy that that is no longer the case.
Reading list
Alex Abad-Santos in Vox on the Apple weather app.
Lola Fadulu in the New York Times on a trail reopening in Prospect Park.
Jennifer Bjorhus and Greg Stanley in the STAR TRIBUNE on how climate change canceled a marathon.
Livia Albeck-Ripka in the New York Times explaining why people can’t have nice things (beaches) if they won’t stop harassing wildlife.
One day I will be caught up on the backlog of links going back weeks—months!!—and send only current, fresh news, but today is not that day.