Starting AT hike on the BMT

[hailstreak]

Has anyone here ever done, or considered doing, the Benton Mackaye Trail to begin an AT thru hike? Is it easier, harder, the same? Is resupply more difficult?

I am thinking about starting my 2017 AT thru hike on the BMT. I had to abort my 2015 thru hike attempt at Newfound Gap due to illness and injury. I still want to do a Georgia to Maine hike in 2017 and figure that hiking the BMT will allow me to start again at Springer without having to retrace my steps for 200 miles. I can pick up the AT again near where I left off last time.

I know it wouldn't technically be an AT thru hike, but I'm not a purist and it would be nice to avoid the crowds for the first 200 miles.

Any thoughts?

[RabbitHole]

I also considered this for 2017, I'd also like to know more.

[thestin]

Check out Sgt. Rock's site. http://hikinghq.net/forum/forumdispl...-MacKaye-Trail

[10-K]

The biggest justification against it would be that it wouldn't be a pure AT hike because you wouldn't get on the AT until Davenport Gap.

So "starting an AT thru hike by missing the first 240ish miles of the AT" is a bit of an oxymoron.

To me, that's no big deal. But if you want to be able to say you passed every white blaze well... The PCT broke me of purism. What I really pay attention to now is having a continuous footpath more than refusing to deviate from the official route.

[skater]

Go for it. At worst, it's still a completed section hike when you finish, and you have a more interesting experience. It's actually a bit more challenging than a normal through hike. Fewer shelters, fewer resupply points. We actually encourage folks to try the BMT to help relieve the stress on the AT.

[Slo-go'en]

Using the BMT will take some more planning then if you stick to the AT. Resupply is farther apart and farther off the trail in most cases. No hostels to take a break in if the weather turns bad. If you plan an early start the BMT might not be a good idea. I'd wait until mid April when you'd have better weather.

The last time I was down there, I had thought about using the BMT route, but when the fork in the trail presented it's self, the weather had turned and I decided that sticking to the AT would be a more comfortable hike.

[Tipi Walter]

I've done the BMT from Dyer Gap in Georgia near Cohutta wilderness north to Fontana and used the two new reroutes---over Bob Bald and Hangover Mt and Yellow Creek Mt to Fontana. I guess I've done parts of this section both north and south over a hundred times on various routes.

Resupply is difficult on the BMT from Cohuttas north although some hikers hitch to Ducktown on hiway 64 (Ocoee River)---and find minimal food in Reliance on the Hiwassee River. From Hiwassee north is problematic. Green Cove on Tellico River has minimal food. Fontana of course is good. But this is what makes the BMT special---no rat box shelters in "my" section and some amount of remoteness (don't let the harley motorcycle noise pollution on the Cherohala Skyway (aka Cherohowler Monkey Septic Screamway) scare you off. You stay close to it for several days.

I laugh at the "pure AT hike" sentiment. Whether you hike the pure Appalachian Trail and get the patch or not is totally insignificant in my opinion. Pull four months on the BMT, pull a year on the AT, spend two years doing blue blazes off the AT, spend a month in the Mt Rogers backcountry---as long as you're outdoors what does it matter??????

[Dogwood]

"Has anyone here ever done, or considered doing, the Benton Mackaye(MacKaye) Trail to begin an AT thru hike?"

Yes. It has been done. It also has been done for the reasons you are considering - folks who quit their previous AT NOBO attempts but wanted to experience a different AT NOBO 200 or so mile beginning on further AT thru-hike attempts. However, a straight BMT only route from Springer MT to Davenport Gap area is a longer hike than the AT. Some will do the BMT starting at Springer Mt or Amicalola Falls SP on their otherwise straight AT NOBO thru-hikes not allowing themselves to be overcome doing someone else's hike. There have also been those who started their AT NOBO hikes at the Pinhoti Trail southern terminus in Alabama which ends at it's northern terminus at a BMT junction where there are options to continue hiking the BMT to GSMNP or to Springer Mt. A few have also started their AT thru-hikes in southern Florida doing IAT hikes.

For a large scale overlay of both the BMT and AT noting various loop options using these two trails alone look here: http://www.bmta.org/pdfs/BMT-OverviewMap.pdf

For descriptions of some noted loops involving the BMT and AT and/or DRT look here: http://www.bmta.org/BMT-ATLoops.htm

For a much more detailed scale and showing many other options for a BMT/AT NOBO start look at all three National Geo TI maps: #777, #781, #289.

I applaud you because you are widening your idea of what the AT is and how it was conceived - as part of a system of unconnected trails - AND you are embracing more fully the concept of HYOH.

"Is it easier, harder, the same?"

Let's put it this way - the BMT from Springer Mt to Davenport Gap area is different in character in several possibly important ways than the AT from Springer Mt to Davenport Gap area. This has been analyzed many times so no need to regurgitate it all accept to say if opting for the BMT rather than the AT between these two locations you will have a lower overall elevation and much less/non crowded more remote feeling experience. One note worth mentioning is a few very early starting NOBO AT hikers will elect to take all or segments of the BMT rather than the overall higher elevation AT.

"Is resupply more difficult?"

NO, it is not. However, that may be the misconception of BMT resupply because it is way less analyzed or documented or known than AT resupply beta. IMO it is also a misconception to state there aren't ample documented opportunities to stay under a roof on a BMT thru-hike. However, you will not get the on trail AT lean to/shelter accommodations as is so common for AT hikers on the BMT. http://www.bmta.org/resupply.htm There are more options than these as far as resupply and under roof off trail accommodations but by looking at this alone does it seem to you there is a problem with resupply locations or getting to a hotel, CG, hostel, etc?

"I am thinking about starting my 2017 AT thru hike on the BMT. I had to abort my 2015 thru hike attempt at Newfound Gap due to illness and injury. I still want to do a Georgia to Maine hike in 2017 and figure that hiking the BMT will allow me to start again at Springer without having to retrace my steps for 200 miles. I can pick up the AT again near where I left off last time."

Yes, but the BMT in itself does not go through Newfound Gap so you have to decide how you will get to Newfound Gap and where you'll exit the BMT. There are so many options to continue on the AT from NFG though. For example, at the BMT crossing at Hwy 441 at Smokemont Visitors Center you could get off the BMT and hitch or shuttle to NFG to continue NOBO on the AT OR.....so many options within GSMNP!

"I know it wouldn't technically be an AT thru hike, but I'm not a purist and it would be nice to avoid the crowds for the first 200 miles."

Don't let someone define your thru-hike! You can easily complete the AT AND nab your AT 2000 mile Certificate AND while possibly bagging a BMT thru-hike in the process.

"Any thoughts?"

My opinions are based on experiencing: a Pinhoti Tr NOBO thru-hike that included continuing SOBO on the BMT to Springer Mt eventually ending at Amicalola falls SP, a GA NOBO Pinhoti Tr hike that took the BMT NOBO at the BMT/PT northern terminus junction to Big Creek in GSMNP taking the BMT all the way and then going SOBO on the AT back to Springer Mt, a BMT/AT Figure 8 521 mile Loop, a BMT completion done in large BMT only mileage segments, a AT NOBO thru-hike, several AT long section hikes beginning at Spring MT going past Davenport Gap, and more GSMNP hikes involving segments of the AT/BMT/MST/asst other GSMNP trails, etc than I will recall.

[Tipi Walter]

Dogwood says--

"Is resupply more difficult?"

NO, it is not."

Well, if you hike 30 mile days resupply isn't much of a concern, but if you pull 10 mile days you'll be hard pressed to find decent food choices. There is nothing in the Cohutta and once you get to Ocoee River it's a 7.6 mile hitch to Ducktown---and back.

20 miles later you hit Hiwassee River and Webb Bros store which has nothing worth eating in my opinion. It's a 6 mile hitch to Hiwassee Corner Market.

Then it's a 19 mile hike to Unicoi Gap which has nothing except a 5 mile hitch to Davis Market in Coker Creek. And then you have to hitch back.

23 miles to Tellico River with a 3 mile round trip roadwalk to Green Cove with a store with minimal food choices. You could hitch about 30 miles to Tellico Plains if you want a real grocery store.

[MuddyWaters]

Do it
Who the F cares if it's a "complete" thru hike or not?
What does that matter?
You already hiker it before, hiking a different 300 miles makes sense.

[hailstreak]

Thanks Dogwood, Tipi Walter, and others for the excellent info and opinions.

I am strongly leaning toward a BMT start next March. It doesn't seem to make much sense to hike the same 200+ miles I already have when another trail is right there and offers a new experience.

I never use shelters, so that is not a big deal. I won't miss the NOBO parade on the AT either. The re-supply concerns me a little. Also, the possibility that hitches may be more difficult. But I'm used to hiking in Florida with nobody and nothing around.

I'll probably do one of three things once I get to GSMNP: 1. Get on the AT at Fontana. 2. Connect to the AT via another park trail just before Newfound Gap. 3. Take the BMT all the way to Davenport Gap. Not sure yet.

[Dogwood]

For anyone familiar with resupply and supplementing on a 200+ mile hike as the OP is EVEN IF averaging 10 MPD no need to haul more than 5 maybe 6 days food between resupplying. If one has a speciality diet as I do as a pesce vegetarian BMT resupply isn't difficult either if one is willing to do a hitch to a small/med/large grocery store(Blue Ridge, Cherry Log, Ducktown, Cherokee, Fontana Village, Tellico Planes, etc) and/or with a willingness to bend their diets a bit. For example, even with my diet I found Webb Brothers and Hiawassee Outfitters to offer a few snack and/or a dinner entree options which in itself may not be a long multi day resupply but for supplementing it can work to get to a larger grocery store or mailed resupply box down the trail. Plus, now since the rerouted BMT goes by Fontana that offers a small grocery store and/or restaurant where something can be eaten and taken to the trail to lessen longer term trail food hauls. Plus, if all that strict on trail diet perhaps mailing a resupply box or two while buying along the way and one should be golden. There are solutions to resupply that is individually appropriate without much hassle on the BMT...

[Tipi Walter]

I found the solution to resupplies on my BMT hikes---I carry 21 days worth of food. I may go only 5 or 6 miles the first couple days due to the weight but soon my food weight is lighter and I can keep to the trek and never resupply. It's a pet peeve of mine but I dislike exchanging cash and meeting "civilians"(non-backpackers) and engaging in commerce or hitching or hiking roads with traffic or dealing with rolling tourists.

It's a good solution if you're willing to start out with 25 or 40 lbs of food. You never have to leave the woods until the very end.

[Dogwood]

We finally get to HYOH. That's what works for you. Something else may work for me. In the end individual trail logistics like resupply are dictated by a combination of the trail itself and each one's individual preferences. This is one of the GREAT aspects about backpacking. There is no one approach that optimally works for all people all the time on all variety of hikes. Backpacking can force a person into being a greater decision maker for how they will behave, owning their experience, how they treat others, what attitudes they will bring to the hike/hiking community/environment/trail towns, and yes, even how they will resupply. Backpacking does not have to be conducted in a follow the leader this is how so and so did it and this is how you should do it approach.

FWIW, I can fully appreciate the way you tend to do things for the reasons you do them. I do it myself at times for the very reasons you do. I keep my options open though. I don't judge a trail's character because it doesn't neatly fit into a optimal typical one way logistical approach. Hiking, including logistics, involves having some flexibility and open mindedness of considering different approaches.

[Dogwood]

I really would like to see less use of the mega analyzed and documented and closeness or on the trail resupply character of the AT as the standard by which resupply should be judged elsewhere. Should all relationships with the opposite sex be with women having long blond hair and blue eyes?