What is your first week's itinerary?

[pyroman9]

Hey all!
Just plotting out my first few days of the hike, I am sure the rest will come as I adjust but I would like to have a basic plan first. I have not decided on whether or not I want to do the Approach trail. What are the huts that you have camped at in the past first?

If I do the approach I figure this
1st day - sleep at hawk mountain shelter
2nd day - sleep at woods hole (bear can truly needed?)
3rd day - blue mountain shelter
4th day - Hiawassee Gap

thoughts?

without approach i figure this
1st day - Gooch Mountain
2nd day - blood mountain ( again bear can?)
3rd day - blue mountain
4th day - hiawassee?

How easy is the terrain these first few days? Anywhere else recommended to camp?

Thanks

[Storm]

I can't speak for your fitness level so can't say this can't be done but unless your are in very good shape pushing 15 miles or more a day to start can be a huge mistake.

If you stay at Woods hole shelter without a bear vault you will be breaking the law. Your choice.

[pyroman9]

Being 23 and in pretty descent shape I can definitely handle 15 mile days. However it seems that I will get hung up at the stupid bear vault areas either way... or stop at a hostel neels gap... i just would rather avoid those.. but i guess i dont have a choice it seems.

[ARambler]

Of course these two itineraries are completely different. So, comparing them shows you can not plan well. I and a lot of other people think this level of planning is just fine, and would recommend that you do nothing now and see how things work out on the trail. If you are planning so many more miles than the average hiker, you should plan on buying extra food at Neels Gap.

Comments:
First day milages depend on start time and elevation gain that day. Strarting at 42 will save more than 8 miles (but add one backtrack mile).
Woods Hole to Blue Mountain is not reasonable especially with the extra time at Neels Gap.
You may want to consider staying at Neels Gap, not Blood.
Hiawassee Gap is Dicks Gap??
Rambler

[TOMP]

No itinerary, I am just starting with 5 days of food and my guide to find my resupplies when I need them. I also plan on doing 15 miles a day from the start but again no agenda.

[pyroman9]

Tomp, It will be cool to meet ya on the trail! I as also starting with 5 days of food, i just figured i should make some kind of game plan, but i suppose your theory works pretty well to. I have pretty much the same thought process but I feel so strange doing it like this lol. I am so used to planning my hikes day by day. This is going to be epic and amazing but at the same time a huge change for me! Cant wait

[strollingalong]

I'm going to have enough food on my back to take it slow and not do anything stupid to my body. I consider myself a verrry strong walker and I accidentally injured myself 2 months ago on what was a normal walk for me because I had 15kilos on my back when I normally have about 3. so far ive seen a couple of people who had everything planned out fail before the trail or on their first 2 days. and thats via the internet! god knows how many it actually happens to. come join the slow brigade

[Zandercroft]

TOMP and Pyroman9! When are you guys starting your thru? I am planning on doing the same (starting with 5 days worth of supplies and my guide book). I really haven't , and do not really want to plan the rest of my thru hike! haha. There is nothing like the freedom of not knowing where you will end up! :] Oh BTW I am staring April 4th.

[stranger]

Hey all!
Just plotting out my first few days of the hike, I am sure the rest will come as I adjust but I would like to have a basic plan first. I have not decided on whether or not I want to do the Approach trail. What are the huts that you have camped at in the past first?

If I do the approach I figure this
1st day - sleep at hawk mountain shelter
2nd day - sleep at woods hole (bear can truly needed?)
3rd day - blue mountain shelter
4th day - Hiawassee Gap

thoughts?

without approach i figure this
1st day - Gooch Mountain
2nd day - blood mountain ( again bear can?)
3rd day - blue mountain
4th day - hiawassee?

How easy is the terrain these first few days? Anywhere else recommended to camp?

Thanks

I did something similar to your second schedule in 2008. I might also say I started the trail with about 23 lbs (everything, all up), about 2000 miles experience, and in pretty good trail shape. I was 33 at the time and still smoking cigarettes.

Day 1 - Springer to Gooch Gap, not a bad day IMO, even had an incident where I found someone who broke their arm and had to spend about 90 minutes with them, and carried their pack out one mile to a woods road, interesting day, also there was a 1 mile backtrack to Springer

Day 2 - Gooch to Neels Gap, stayed at Blood Mountain Cabins with 3 others, much better deal than Neels Gap hostel, 0.3 miles to the right when looking at Mountain Crossings

Day 3 - Neels to Blue Mountain, about 19 miles, not too bad, nothing too challenging in there, Blue Mountain always gets a cold wind blowing in

Day 4 - Blue Mountain to Hiawassee, about 18 miles, was in town by 5pm

Day 5 - 16 miles up to Standing Indian Shelter

Day 6 - 20 miles to Rock Gap, Albert Mountain isn't that bad, wouldn't recommend Rock Gap as a destination, get water and move on

Day 7 - 4 miles into Franklin, took rest of day off

I would learn the PCT method of hanging food and avoid that area that requires bear cans.

DO NOT stay at Blood Mountain, it's terrible - barely usuable, good campsites just past Neels Gap.

[Frog]

Don.t make big plans ahead of the hike. Just get up early and camp early. This time of year all sites fill up quickly. Some days you hike big miles but you can wear your knees out or do like some others i saw and they did big miles early and had such big blisters that they could not walk by the time they got to the N C border. Take care of the feet and knees and you will be find. Never Ignore sore feet. Ga has a lot of PUDS up and down and after you get started you can make plans daily .

[strollingalong]

TOMP and Pyroman9! When are you guys starting your thru? I am planning on doing the same (starting with 5 days worth of supplies and my guide book). I really haven't , and do not really want to plan the rest of my thru hike! haha. There is nothing like the freedom of not knowing where you will end up! :] Oh BTW I am staring April 4th.

Starting same day. see ya there... no approach

[pyroman9]

Starting March 16th.

[LDog]

To avoid the bear can area, consider camping at Lance Creek, 24.3 mi fm Springer and 2.4 mi fm Jarrad Gap.

[Don H]

No itinerary, I am just starting with 5 days of food and my guide to find my resupplies when I need them. I also plan on doing 15 miles a day from the start but again no agenda.

This is the best plan!

[TOMP]

Tomp, It will be cool to meet ya on the trail! I as also starting with 5 days of food, i just figured i should make some kind of game plan, but i suppose your theory works pretty well to. I have pretty much the same thought process but I feel so strange doing it like this lol. I am so used to planning my hikes day by day. This is going to be epic and amazing but at the same time a huge change for me! Cant wait

I am starting on March 12th, look for me in the registers. I just figure its more realistic not to plan every day but just keep in mind how much food I have and where my next resupply options are. I also dont plan to use every resupply opportunity but rather just as needed.

The problem with planning is the reality probably wont match the hypothetical. So I plan to do more of a "Forest Gump" approach: sleep when im tired, eat when im hungry, and hike the rest of the time. I dont even really care about hitting a camp shelter, instead I will just keep enough water to sleep and make breakfast and set up camp where ever I am about an hour before sundown.

1 week to go, I keep having vid hiking dreams every night now. I am ready to go.

[Pages]

walk until i get tired. stop. enjoy. eat. sleep. repeat. no scheduled stops anywhere.

[Pages]

forgot to mention i'll be prepared for 5-6 days to neels gap. i know that is only 5 - 6 miles a day. most people take 2-4 days. don't care. i'm breaking in slow and easy.

[MuddyWaters]

Its a good thought process, to familiarize yourself with the distances and what you think is possible.

It works for about the first day or two sometimes. It wont take long till you have to play things by ear. You will either be ahead of or behind the schedule you planned.

There is a limit to how much you need to plan unless you have a very tight schedule to be somewhere, limted # days, etc.

[Country Roads]

My experience with itineraries: I was "off script" on day one. Pack a bit more food than you think and then just start hiking. Also, the climbs just might surprise you. I know everyone wants to do miles, but why hurry. Also, maybe you can do 15 miles a day, but most folks are not ready to do 15 miles a day every day for 6 months from the get go. Be kind to your body and do the miles your body says it can do THAT DAY and let the next take care of itself. Mile obession has probably put more people off trail than the weather, terrain, etc.

[Pedaling Fool]

First Week's Itinerary: Walk
Second Week's Itinerary: Walk
Third Week's Itinerary: Walk
...