Early-Mid February Hike - Foothills Trail?

[Coffee]

I'm interested in spending a week or so backpacking in the early-mid February timeframe next year. This will also be a final gear shakedown for the PCT. My reading so far leads me to believe that the Foothills Trail might be a good option for that time of year, although I am open to suggestions. I also have looked at the Florida Trail, specifically Ocala National Forest which seems to have reasonable access from Orlando. But I can easily drive to either Foothills Trail terminus in about 8 hours while going to Florida would more likely than not involve catching a flight.

I'm looking for something that doesn't have a huge amount of logistical issues and has low probability of below freezing and/or snowy winter weather. Of course, I can get to many parts of the AT with much less driving but the weather is more likely to be cold and snowy.

I'm thinking that the Foothills Trail could be comfortably hiked in 3-4 days.

[The Solemates]

I've done the foothills in 4 days, but for me that is humping it and I would consider myself a strong hiker. As long as you are comfortable with hiking 20-25 mpd, 3-4 days is doable. I'd personally take 5 days for a more enjoyable hike. Thats still over 15 mpd, and with the shorter days in February that's still a good pace.

Regarding weather, its a crapshoot. Its still the appalachians and it can get nasty. I've certainly hiked in plenty of snow in this area. It WILL BE below freezing at night. Days may never get above freezing or it may be 60 degrees.

Between the foothills and Florida trails, I'd do the foothills.

[Coffee]

Good point on the shorter February days. Based on the elevation profile and trail description, I think that four days could be reasonable but an extra day of food could make it more flexible while on trail. I have been meaning to hike the Foothills trail for a while so maybe this is a good opportunity.

[Rain Man]

I've hiked the FT, and in my own opinion, there's no way to hike the FT "comfortably" in 3-4 days mid-winter. Of course, YMMV.

Also, I would not say there is a "low probability" of below freezing weather in the SC/NC mountains in early-mid February over the course of a week, having grown up in the area.

Perhaps the Pinhoti Trail further south in Alabama?

Rain Man

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[Mobius]

I hiked it between Christmas and New Years last year. I happened upon a nice weather spell and only had one night below freezing and only a little rain at night. I did it in 5 days "door to door" (4 full hiking days + about 2 hours of hiking the last day) and was hiking dawn to dusk each day. Three days sounds unreasonable.

[AO2134]

Can it be done in 3 days? I think so. In perfect weather with longer days. Sure.

I'd plan for 5, and shoot for 4 days.

I recently section hiked this trail over 3 weekends, 5 days. I know I could have been done in 4 days. 3 days would have been pushing it.

[Coffee]

So I think that I'll plan on a short first day, allowing for the drive down and a shuttle plus four additional days to get back to my car. Speaking of shuttles does anyone know the going rate for getting from one terminus to the other?

[Mountain Dog]

I prefer the Pinhoti over the FT but for that time of year, I'd do the FT. You'll need to prepare for sub freezing weather regardless of the trail you pick. The advantage of the FT is it has shuttle support and the Pinhoti does not. Also, you can park your car at the mid point. Parking at the mid point will require two shuttles but you can minimize weight (food) while still being able to readjust your gear based on weather changes. If this is a shake down for the PCT then the FT would be a better match than the flatter and warmer Florida Trail.

[Mountain Dog]

So I think that I'll plan on a short first day, allowing for the drive down and a shuttle plus four additional days to get back to my car. Speaking of shuttles does anyone know the going rate for getting from one terminus to the other?

The Foothills Trail web site has a list of shuttle drivers and they can answer your question about price. They are a friendly bunch and might not even charge.

[Mountain Dog]

Here( http://www.foothillstrail.org/shuttle-service )is the link to FT shuttle people, both volunteers and commercial.

[AO2134]

I paid 40$ for bad creek to Oconee.

[meat803]

I just thru hiked this trail in November. I have section hiked this trail half a dozen times or so. My 2 cents-

Nicholson Ford rd. to Burrell's Ford are long miles. I have hiked that section twice and both times I had a serious case of the "are we there yet, jeez" Not hard miles. Just seem to be understated. This is where it it joined with the Chatooga River Trail.

4 days is going to push it for a thru. I wouldn't plan on doing any side trails. No big loss as the trail itself is beautiful enough and you can save things like lower whitewater falls for another day.

There are heated bathrooms at upper white water falls area. You can lock it from the inside as well. Good spot to get out of the rain, clean up, and even stealth camp.

Speaking of rain, I have never hiked the foothills and didn't get some rain. Plan on it. Jocassee Gorge is a rain forest.

Burrell's Ford always has loud obnoxious campers in the campground. I recommend staying away.

On my thru I saw half a dozen piles of bear scat on trail. Never saw any bears but they are definitely there.

I recommend going Oconee to Table Rock. Your first day will be a short one due to getting there and shuttling. Oconee side has plenty of camping within 10 miles of start. If you go the other way I would say the first camp spot is dry and just past pinnacle mountain.

The trail is wonderful and most sections I did 20+ mile days no problem. Water everywhere so you never have to carry more than half a liter. You can be loose with daily goals as campsites and water are abundant.

Antigravity gear has a great pocket map of the trail. I think you can buy it at either state park office where you will get your parking permit. Or you can just go to their website and buy it direct.

Send me a message if you want and I can answer any questions. Like I said, I just thru hiked it last month and have section hiked just about the whole thing. It is my favorite trail to date.

[Coffee]

Thanks for the information. This is very helpful. At the moment, whether I do the foothills trail partly depends on whether I still have my car at that time. I'm selling my car prior to my PCT thru hike so if it is gone by then, I'll probably do a winter hike on the AT either north or south of Harpers Ferry which I can get to by train. I guess some winter experience on the AT wouldn't be a bad thing but the foothills trail sure sounds promising as well.

[Coffee]

I just ordered the guidebook and map!

I'm thinking of pushing the Foothills trail hike into early or mid March in the hopes of better weather. Would I be likely to experience more favorable conditions in March rather than February? One advantage is more daylight hours so I'll have a better chance of hitting the miles I am hoping for each day.

I no longer have a car so I'm also trying to choose between flying from BWI into Greenville (surprisingly very cheap via Southwest) or renting a car and driving. The issue with flying, of course, is dealing with shuttle logistics. I'm going to contact some of the shuttle providers to get an idea of the costs of a shuttle from the airport to Oconee and then from Table Rock back to the airport ... could very well be more expensive than renting a car and driving ...

Another question: Anyone camp at Table Rock after the hike? I see that the campground has showers and laundry but I'm not sure about any food service? Would it be better to shuttle back to an airport hotel for the night or hitch to a nearby town? Is hitching from Table Rock a realistic idea?

Thanks!!

[meat803]

Go to the foothills website and contact some of their shuttle providers. They can answer you questions more in depth and help you plan.

Im not sure about the difference between March and Feburary. I do know it will be cold, and as I have said prepare for wet.

Table Rock does have camping. I believe they even have a shelter or two on connecting trails.

[Treehugger]

Coffee. If you are interested in riding down with me PM me. I am planning similar time frames albeit not 3-4 days. 5-6 more likely.


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[evan_rolltide]

My brother and I hiked the foothills trail this year in 4 days, ending on New Year's Day. It was cold, but we never had a hard freeze. It rained substantially the first 2 days. We hiked Oconee to Table Rock. Impending rain clouds motivated us to hike 27 miles the last day and we made the quick drive up to Asheville where we got a nice hotel and some great food and beer.

[Dogwood]

This thread and HeartFire's recent one should be joined into one thread.

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...oothills-trail

Should go without saying but of course March will be warmer than Feb. Instead of attempting for everyone to personally qualify weather for each month go to the Table Rock SP website and pull up the surrounding historical weather patterns for those months. Just click on the weather data and check it out from the TR SP website http://www.southcarolinaparks.com/ta...roduction.aspx You could also, as said in the other thread, check out weather for nearby Caesars Head SP. I gave the link on that thread. Weather here is probably even more similar to FHT weather than Pickens SC as given at th TR SP site but not by much. Also check out the Jones Gap SP nearby website. http://www.southcarolinaparks.com/jo...roduction.aspx

Yes there is nice camping, picnic shelters(some screened), and cabins at Table Rock SP.

I've been to and through TR SP more times than I can recall coming in from Asheville, NC, Greenville SC, and Atlanta GA. I always used public transportation, shuttles(as said check out the FHT website, Heyward Douglas is a great guy, close by, and can provide much beta deepening the experience of a FHT hike, very reasonably priced too), getting drooped off and/or picked up by friends/relatives, and hitching or some combination of these to facilitate my FHT hikes. I've never driven one of my own vehicles to hike in this area.

http://www.foothillstrail.org/

With the increasing interest on WB about the FHT I sincerely hope a greater number of users will consider supporting this wonderful trail.

As awesome as the FHT is with the beauty of it hitting so many SP's and Wildlife Areas/Preserves, waterfalls, scenery, etc, FWIW, the FHT, although named, is really only a 80 mile or so section of trail in a MUCH MUCH larger interconnected trail system possibly providing for a much much longer hike than 80 miles when combined with other trails - Bartram, BMT, Chattooga River, Palmetto, Pinhoti, AT, Mountains to Sea, etc. while also considering other as yet unnamed and widely recognized trails/routes as part of the entire hike. I'm waiting for some ambitious out side of the box big thinking long distance hiker to step up and connect segments of these and other various trails/routes doing a 1000 mile + hike, possibly even a 3000+ mile hike.

I really like what the ever ambitious "real hiker" Cam Honan "Swami' did as one of his Long 12 Hikes with one of the hikes being the Southeastern Serpentine Trail(Route). http://www.thehikinglife.com/2014/10...-sst-usa-2011/ That inspired me! I'm surprised more long distance hikers, especially the east coasters, haven't taken greater advantage of this HUGE interconnected trail system doing a pt to pt MUCH LONGER HIKE than just the FHT or something akin to a LARGE Southeastern or Eastern Loop akin to what the always very inventive and ultra enduring and BIG thinking Andrew Skurka, another "real hiker", did with the Great Western Loop. That also inspired me to get the creative juices flowing!

Hopefully, I've enticed someone to expand their hiking opps.

[Coffee]

Thanks Dogwood and everyone else who provided input. I'm itching to get on the trail so I'll be doing the hike the second week of February. Planning on roughly 4-4 1/2 days. I looked up the weather resources and I feel like I should be equipped to comfortably handle the likely conditions for the hike. That being said, I'm not an expert in winter hiking and even though the temperature figures seem OK, I'll probably pack a fleece vest I normally wouldn't carry just to be on the safer side (if I need more warmth while actually moving than my smartwool base layer and rain shell). The extra weight is OK since I'm partly hiking this trail to prep for the PCT where the water load is going to make my pack pretty heavy in Southern California.

[Coffee]

Just finished the Foothills Trail this afternoon. Four outstanding days of hiking! Only met two backpackers on the entire hike. I'm not sure why this trail isn't more popular. I'd like to start from Cesar's Head SP and connect to the Bartram Trail and AT at some point. Maybe a fall hike!