Hello all and thanks for reading. After waffling on whether or not to do our annual sprink hike, my friend and I decided we are going to hit Shen. It is only about 2.5 weeks out at this point. He was thinking of us going from Thornton gap to Swift run gap. I have just started researching it on my end. Any advice, tips, et cetera would be appreciated. We are going to have 1 vehicle. We can either do a loop or hitch hike or shuttle or whatever.

How are the water levels around this area? Are there bug concerns in early April?

Is the shelter situation similar to the SMNP where you aren't supposed to pitch your tent unless the shelter is full?

Thanks in advance for any advice