GA Section Hike Daily Mileage

[jefjejon70]

My brother and I plan to start hiking the AT with our father supporting in RV. Just a week or so a year. As an ultrarunner I'm pretty fit, but my brother less so and his vacation time is limited.
What sort of mileage can we expect to do a day so we can plan where my dad can park RV and pick us up?

Thanks!

[max patch]

I'm not clear if your dad is going to pick you up daily or at week's end.

If daily, the hiker hostel offers a service where you can hike GA by slackpacking; they pick you up every night and take you back to the hostel for the nite. Here is the schedule they offer; you can use it as a starting point and revise as you deem necessary:

http://www.hikerhostel.com/slackpack.php

[mgeiger]

A map of the USFS roads would be handy for the first 15mi, but Woody Gap (20mi) Neels Gap, Hogpen Gap, Unicoi Gap are pretty logical meeting points that are easy to get to.

[Malto]

Not to sound like a broken record...... There is no way someone can answer this. What does "less so" mean in regards to brothers fitness? Also BPing experience? Pack weight? Do you like to sleep till noon and stop by three. If you give a bit more detail you will get a better answer. There are folks that can easily do thirty mile days in Ga and others that find eight miles a day show stopping. Also, where are you starting Amacoloia Falls or Springer. And what time of year?

[fredmugs]

He can park the RV at Standing Indian campgroud and you can walk off the AT to the campground from a couple of different locations. From Springer you're looking at just over 100 miles.

[max patch]

The campground is seasonal and is closed til April. I suspect, but do not know, that it is gated during that time.

[Kerosene]

As gg-man notes, you need to provide a lot more context to be able to get better opinions. Lacking that, I'll make some assumptions to at least get you started. If your brother is at least in decent shape and is familiar with backpacking and carrying less than 20% of his bodyweight, then shoot for 10-12 mile days. From Amicalola Park, it's a nice 12 miles to Hickory Flatts Cemetery (where your RV might be able to meet you), another 12 to the top of Ramrock Mountain (Atlanta skyline view but no water), and another 12 miles to Neel Gap. At that point you can hit Low Gap Shelter (11), then Tray Mtn. Shelter (15), before finishing up at Dicks Creek Gap (10). As a fit soccer player and experienced backpacker hiking in early April 2004, I found the first 3 days to be very easy. I followed that with three nice 18-milers to finish up at Standing Indian, and I probably should have used up the rest of my vacation on the remaining easy 24 miles of trail to Winding Stair Gap.

Of course, if the weather is bad or you're out of shape or not used to backpacking then even 12-mile days can seem like a big challenge.