Difficulty of the approach trail?

[Gator 65]

I did the approach trail the last weekend of October as a "break in" hike to test my gear and myself. I was very tired by the time we got to the Springer shelter ( about 8 hrs). The next morning I caught my ride on FS road 42 back to the park. As far as " The level of difficulty" How does the approach trail stack up as compared to the trail from there (Springer) to Fontana Dam. is the approach trail more difficult than the rest of the trail to Fontana and what is the average time to get into Trail condition?

Thanks

[jersey joe]

I thought the approach trail was pretty difficult compared to the rest of the trail to fontana dam. There is a decent amount of uphill climbing to springer my pack was still heavy. I hadn't figured out all of the things I didn't need to be carrying yet. Gator, I'm sure you had some stuff in your pack you didn't need too.

[Phreak]

Approach Trail gives you a good idea of what to expect all the way to Fontana Dam.

There's no way for anyone to know how long it'll take you to get into trail condition.

[Lyle]

I thought that the approach trail was no harder than some of the other "strenuous" sections. There are steeper sections and there are rockier sections. Most of those are shorter tho' (not all).

Actually, I found that the grading in GA was pretty reasonable overall. I think NC has steeper climbs with more difficult footing. At least the "bad" sections in NC seemed more frequent. They don't seem to be as concerned with using switchbacks, more straight up one side of the mountain and straight down the other.

Keep in mind, that by the 5th day, you will start to feel more in-shape and by the end of two weeks, you should have some pretty good trail legs and be doing the tough stuff with more ease, at least you'll recover from it faster. Just go slow and when it gets tough, slow down. Take occasional breaks, and take on the mind set that it will be strenuous, but a "blank" of a lot of fun!

When I feel like I'm struggling up a mountain or at the end of a long day, I just think of all the benefits my body is exacting from the effort, I imagine and pay attention to how much stronger this is making me in the long run - helps me a lot to keep me motivated. I know that the next mountain will be just a little bit easier for all the work today. It is, after all, much more of a psychological game than a physical one.

[Nest]

I've heard that it takes your body two weeks to adjust to a strenuous life. After two weeks of hiking your body realizes this is how life will be, and starts producing more red blood cells, and you get more oxygen per heart beat and all that fancy science stuff.

[Serial 07]

i thought it was tough...

[Lone Wolf]

i thought it was fairly easy...

[ChinMusic]

I did the approach trail the last weekend of October as a "break in" hike to test my gear and myself. I was very tired by the time we got to the Springer shelter ( about 8 hrs).
What is important is....you did it. Your next 4 days will be similar.

I just did the section between Amicalola and Neels as a "test" myself. I pretended I was starting a thru. I felt the Approach Trail was similar to the next 30 miles. Sassafras and the two bumps after will get your attention on the 2nd day. Big Cedar was the steepest I remember as this climb made me pause a couple times. Just take small steps, rest, and repeat. You eventually get to the top....funny how it works that way......:D The approach to Blood was graded well and even though longer and more gain, seemed easier than Sassafras or Big Cedar. The decent off of Blood will test your deceleration muscles and knees.

My partner said there DEF are harder climbs between Neels and the Smokies with Albert Mt being the hardest. But again, take small steps, take breaks, and it to will end.

Congrats on doing the Approach Trail. That is a good sign.

[Lilred]

I did from Springer to Catawba Virginia before I did the approach trail. I was surprised by how relatively easy it was.

[TwistedToad]

i thought it was fairly easy...

You always make me laugh with what ever your answer is! TYVM!!

[Lone Wolf]

Tyvm?

[Phreak]

Tyvm?
Thank you very much ??? :confused:

[The Old Fhart]

Thank You Very Much.

[Jim Adams]

The approach trail is only hard if you haven't hiked further down the trail.:)

geek

[_terrapin_]

I started from the campground at AFSP... above the falls, I think. (Someone drove me there from the main building at the park entrance.) From there to Springer summit seemed like a pleasant but not entirely trivial walk... But what do I know? I had enough adrenaline in me to fuel a small army. It was a gorgeous day in early April.

[Egads]

The Approach is tough if you are out of shape, not so bad if you are in shape. There are much easier & also much worse sections on the AT.

The Approach trail is much worse for some because they are out of shape and they are carrying way too much. I took pity on a man who hiked up with a 75 lb pack. I could not convince him to let me drop some of his excess off at Mountain Crossings for him.

[Pony]

Am I the only one who thought the steps up the falls sucked? It wasn't too bad after that though.

[flagator]

The difficulty of any trail is relative. Your physical condition being the variable, I think the approach trail should give you a pretty accurate idea of what to expect in the miles to come.

[Blissful]

The Stecoah range (NOC to FOntana 30 mile section) is much tougher than the Approach trail, IMHO.

[Thinker]

The Stecoah range (NOC to FOntana 30 mile section) is much tougher than the Approach trail, IMHO.


I agree. This section was nicknamed A**Ram Ridge last year by a few people.

[Lone Wolf]

The Stecoah range (NOC to FOntana 30 mile section) is much tougher than the Approach trail, IMHO.

it was much tougher 20+ years ago. pretty tame now

[kilroy]

Am I the only one who thought the steps up the falls sucked? It wasn't too bad after that though.

Gods yes. I was certainly carrying too much, but by the time I got to the top my thighs were burning something fierce. I think they're the hardest part of the approach by far. On the way back from Springer, their not nearly so tough. :)

[nitewalker]

the aproach trail seemed like a walk in the park compared to the section from springer on in georgia. the aproach is steeper in the begining and tends to become easier as it goes on. it has switchbacks that make it rather easy to hike. after springer you will have steeper climbs and more of them. higher elevations as you move on makes for harder climbs...

TYVM...............nitewalker

[Dances with Mice]

I've always thought Frosty Mtn, on the Approach, is one of the hardest mountains in GA. Maybe it's just psychological, I don't even know how high it is. It's right outside the developed portion of the State Park. It's a straight fall-line trail, no switchbacks, the footpath is eroded, it's like walking in a long ditch full of large loose rocks. No views, no turns or curves, hard to even take your eyes off the ground because you have to step carefully. And then when you get to the camping area at the old fire tower site you think you're at the top but there's still more climbing to get to the summit. I don't like Frosty.

After that the rest of the Approach is a nice walk, the trail just rolls along the summit of the ridge. The climb up Springer from the south is a much better approach than the AT between the summit and the FS42 parking lot. From the south you'll start the climb in a quiet forest grove rather than a dusty parking lot, the path isn't worn and there's a couple of views along the way. You can see the vegetation change as you climb the mountain, the trees are distinctively stunted on the summit. Ending your day watching the sunset from the terminus is a nice start to the Trail.

[DavidNH]

I actually thought that the approach trail (2006) was fairly benign. In fact, when you cross the border from GA into NC you encounter way steeper terrain right off the bat!

To the extent the approach trail is hard, it must be because people are starting out, not yet in shape and perhaps they are carrying 70 pound of gear. If and when they get to Neels Gap they will be carrying no more than 40-50 pounds or less.

Although, I do remember one character, Gary, who carried something like 80 pounds of gear clear up to NH and ME. Heck, they guy was even carrying a lap top!!

DavidNH

[BobTheBuilder]

I did the approach trail in August 2005 as a shakedown before beginning my planned series of section hikes. Up one day, camp on top, back down the next. When I got to the top I was worn out and my knees were killing me. I thought it was pretty rough. Since then, I have done another 385 miles of section hikes heading north, so I guess you learn to adapt.

I still maintain that the second climb out of stecoah heading north is the worst climb so far.

[Bare Bear]

Actually the Approach Trail has some new switchbacks on it that make it easier now. All of the rain erosion damage is fixed alledgedly. I was up there in August and did a mile for grins and giggles and it was much nicer than I remembered it. Of course Sassafrass didn't seem as bad either. Maybe it all seemed easier because you know it did not kill you the first time?

[ChinMusic]

Maybe it all seemed easier because you know it did not kill you the first time?
That simple sentence is more important than you may think.

[Kirby]

In the grand scheme of things, not that hard. When I hiked it, however, I was not sure if I was going to survive.

Kirby

[john gault]

The Stecoah range (NOC to FOntana 30 mile section) is much tougher than the Approach trail, IMHO.
This is true, also if you start at Bly Gap going north you hit some really tough hills, much tougher than the approach trail.


it was much tougher 20+ years ago. pretty tame now
I don't know from experience, but this is probably true from all I've heard. I think Georgia/NC just learned what a switchback is, but I wish they never learned.

[Grampie]

For me I won't forget it. Left Amicalola Falls Park at 7:30 AM to begin my hike. I aspired to do a thru-hike but at 65 years old I didn't know how far I would go. I had told my wife that I would stay on the trail until I could hike no more do to physical reasons or just got tiard of what I was doing. Well, after hiking for about two hours I reached the top of Frosty Mountain. I sat down to take a break, thinking to myself, "this is tough. What am I doing here." At that point I made a pact with myself. I'll give it a week. After a few days I began to enjoy what I was doing. I did have some setbacks along the way but I completed my walk to Maine.

[weary]

i thought it was fairly easy...
I thought it was a lot easier than most of the mountains I had been climbing in Maine and New Hampshire over the decades.

[troglobil]

I never realized it was hard until I started reading posts on White Blazes.

[weary]

I never realized it was hard until I started reading posts on White Blazes.
Nor did I.

[BitBucket]

The best is yet to come...I hiked from Amicalola to Neel's in late September 2007 with a buddy of mine (he was 74). We did the approach trail in the pouring rain...

There will always be some ups and downs that will wear you out. At the end of each day it doesn't get much better than being on the AT.

You've already done the hard part...just take it a day at a time and enjoy the walk...most of what you will encounter in GA will be comparable to what you've already done...

[Cookerhiker]

I felt at the time that the approach trail was a microcosm of the Georgia AT - about the same level of difficulty. And I didn't find the Bly Gap ascent into NC all that more difficult - perhaps because by then I had a week of hiking under my belt.

[Analogman]

I've heard that it takes your body two weeks to adjust to a strenuous life. After two weeks of hiking your body realizes this is how life will be, and starts producing more red blood cells, and you get more oxygen per heart beat and all that fancy science stuff.

I've heard the same thing, only that it can take up to four weeks, depending on the individual. I hope I read wrong!

[Kirby]

I thought it was a lot easier than most of the mountains I had been climbing in Maine and New Hampshire over the decades.

I firmly agree, smooth sailing in comparison to the hell the trail throws at you in the far north. It's like Albert mountain's NOBO ascent....for 350 miles.

Kirby

[weary]

I firmly agree, smooth sailing in comparison to the hell the trail throws at you in the far north. It's like Albert mountain's NOBO ascent....for 350 miles.
Kirby
I think of northern New Egland as heaven, rather than hell. But our mountains sure are a challenge -- both to climb and to protect.

Weary www.matlt.org

[Slo-go'en]

If the approch trail is your first experiance at hiking/backpacking - it will seem pretty hard. For experianced hikers, its just another hill and not too bad a one at that. There are many much harder climbs ahead of you, some not all that far up the trail.

I finally got around to doing the approch trail last spring, just to see what all the fuss was about. I cheated a little and started from the Lodge, as I had spent the night there with my parents, who drove me up from Florida, after visting with them for a fews days. Starting from the Lodge skips the really steep climb up along the falls, but you miss the falls, which I hear are pretty nice. The main problem I had was just finding the damn trail from the Lodge. It wasn't marked very clearly.

I was going to stop at the Springer shelter, but for various reasons (mainly a not too friendly dog) I pushed on to the Stover Creek shelter. Although I didn't leave the Lodge until 10:30 am, I got to Stover Creek well before dark and meet a number of people there that took 2-3 days just to get that far!

[_terrapin_]

I'd echo the thoughts of the last several posts. If you've hiked in the Whites or Maine, the approach trail isn't tough at all. But mapman has some interesting stats (wish I could find the link...) it seems that Georgia ranks pretty high (among the 14 AT states) in vertical rise & fall per trail mile. Bly Gap (imo) is harder than anything in GA.

[Bulldawg]

If the approch trail is your first experiance at hiking/backpacking - it will seem pretty hard. For experianced hikers, its just another hill and not too bad a one at that. There are many much harder climbs ahead of you, some not all that far up the trail.

I finally got around to doing the approch trail last spring, just to see what all the fuss was about. I cheated a little and started from the Lodge, as I had spent the night there with my parents, who drove me up from Florida, after visting with them for a fews days. Starting from the Lodge skips the really steep climb up along the falls, but you miss the falls, which I hear are pretty nice. The main problem I had was just finding the damn trail from the Lodge. It wasn't marked very clearly.

I was going to stop at the Springer shelter, but for various reasons (mainly a not too friendly dog) I pushed on to the Stover Creek shelter. Although I didn't leave the Lodge until 10:30 am, I got to Stover Creek well before dark and meet a number of people there that took 2-3 days just to get that far!

I met some guys on Springer back in late summer who had taken 2 full days to get to the summit from AFSP.


I'd echo the thoughts of the last several posts. If you've hiked in the Whites or Maine, the approach trail isn't tough at all. But mapman has some interesting stats (wish I could find the link...) it seems that Georgia ranks pretty high (among the 14 AT states) in vertical rise & fall per trail mile. Bly Gap (imo) is harder than anything in GA.

Getting to Bly Gap is basically in Georgia. Bly Gap is only .2 north of the state line.

[Cookerhiker]

My recollection of Georgia was nearly constant up-and-down. The only exception of any length I remember was about 3 miles of gradual terrain out of Low Gap Shelter.

[Bulldawg]

My recollection of Georgia was nearly constant up-and-down. The only exception of any length I remember was about 3 miles of gradual terrain out of Low Gap Shelter.

The trail from Hogpen to Blue Mountain is fairly easy and then the area from the north side of Tray to Dismal Mountain are pretty easy. In fact, now that I think of it, the area from the north side of Cedar Mtn to almost Blood is fairly easy as well.

Now I hiked Wednesday from Wayah Gap to Wayah Bald and back, now that was a tough hike. Only difference from Georgia though IMO was the almost total lack of switchbacks.

[Kirby]

I think of northern New Egland as heaven, rather than hell. But our mountains sure are a challenge -- both to climb and to protect.

Weary www.matlt.org

Don't get me wrong, the mountains of northern NE are amazing, just in-your-face difficult. More rewarding though.

Kirby