Hiking the GSMNP..opinions?

[bmwsmity]

So I'm getting ready to do my next section, which is from Fontana to (hopefully) Max Patch, starting 9/5...

So far I'm thinking my stops will be as follows:

Day 1 - Fontana to Russel Field (13.5 mi)
Day 2 - Russel Field to Double Spring Gap (16.4mi)
Day 3 - Pecks Corner (21.2 mi)
Day 4 - Davenport Gap (20 mi)
Day 5 - Max Patch Summit, then back to Max Patch Rd? (14.9 mi)

I've hiked from Fontana to Shuckstack, so I know 13.5 mi is doable for me the first day.

Main question is, I really want to make it to Max Patch, but is Max Patch Rd a point that I can get a shuttle from?

Any idea what water is like in the park right now?

Any idea what kind of temps I should plan for clothing-wise? I'm thinkin I'm gonna bring my Cap 3 baselayer just in case when I get up around Clingmans...

And finally, any exceptional shuttle service to get from Max Patch to Fontana? Or vice versa? I like leaving my car at my destination rather than my departure point, but is there anywhere near Max Patch I can leave it?

worst case, I could just end near I-40 if need be... I'm gonna do the whole park, but Max Patch would be an extra treat for me.

Thanks! I'm so excited!

[bulldog49]

For the shuttle, call Curtis at Standing Bear Farm. He runs a great hostel located right on the trail just past Davenport Gap.



http://standingbearfarm.tripod.com/

[bulldog49]

Also, if I were doing that trip I would stay at Spence Field on day 1 and Mt. Collins on day 2 (if not still closed due to bear activity). Russell Field shelter's water source is polluted with horse crap (a horse trail crosses the spring).

I wouldn't worry about Clingman's being cool, not during the day. Day's will be warm and humid even at that elevation. Base layer might be handy for sleeping but Cap 3 is overkill imo.

[bulldog49]

Final thought, I would feel better about leaving my car at the dam instead of Max Patch. If you use Curtis you could also leave your car at the hostel and arrange for Curtis to pick you up at Max Patch. Curtis will know if there have been problems with vandalism at Max Patch.

[bigcranky]

Yeah, I would park at Standing Bear and get rides both ways.

[bulldog49]

If you don't plan to spend the night on Max Patch, you can drop your gear at SBF and slack pack to Max Patch.

[jorhawle]

I'm pretty sure Russell Field shelter is closed because of bears. You technically won't be a thru hiker, have you called and set up reservations? You could stay at Mollies shelter night 1 and probably still make it to double spring gap if you really push it. That third day is going to be a tough one for you...good luck!!!

[bmwsmity]

awesome input everyone...

yeah i'm thinking maybe doing Mollies shelter first night... the climb to Shuckstack is gonna be tough since my last time on the AT was in May... should get me nice and warmed up for a 18.9 mile to Double Spring the second day...

"cap 3 is overkill" - maybe... but i use a hammock... that considered, what kinda temps will i be facing overnight? Double springs is at 5,500'...

i've got down to about 60 degrees with just my silk bag liner, sleeping pad, and shorts and t-shirt in my hammock and was just fine... but this time i'll take my sleeping bag too... so maybe the cap 3 is overkill? i'd love to shed some weight... maybe get a cap 2 layer instead?

thanks!

[bmwsmity]

oh, and how's the water sources in the park now?

[Ox97GaMe]

Water in the park is ok at the moment. Mollies is reporting dry, but there is a flagged route to a spring 100 yrds below the piped spring. Should still be ok in 2 weeks, as we are forecast to get periodic showers over the next week.

Day 2 and Day 3 are pretty aggressive. Your planned day 2, although shorter miles than day 3, will be your toughest. The section between Spence and Derrick is the toughest AT in the park. You would be better served to try to push to Spence the first day if you can (from Mollies to Spence is not a bad hike) and set up to make that long afternoon pull from Derrick to Double Springs the next day.

If you make it to Davenport Gap shelter, I would suggest going ahead and hiking on out of the park. It is just .9 more, and there are some really nice campsites between Davenport Gap Rd and I-40.

The other thing to be aware of is that you wont be allowed to set up your hammock at the shelters if the ridgerunner is at the shelter. You will want to have some sort of sleeping pad with you just in case you are required to stay in the shelter.

[bmwsmity]

Thanks Ox,

Spence would probably be doable day one for sure... I might do that...

And, I'm taking my new NeoAir pad (if it comes in time) with me so I have the option of using the shelters too

So is the tough section just super steep short climbs? Looking at the elevation profile it doesnt look too bad... but I know how it can be very deceiving..

Also, my pack should be around 18 lbs, so climbs aren't too bad for me so maybe that day 2 wont be too bad?

[Morning Glory]

I just finished a 7 day NOBO trip of GSMNP yesterday. It is still very warm at night, even in the high elevations. The coolest temperature reading I got was 54, and that was about 7:30 Monday morning on my way up Clingmans Dome. The days averaged in the mid to high 60s in elevations about 4500ft. during the day, and at night it got down to around 60. My 50 degree bag was perfect for me. Water was almost non-existent from the dam up to Mollies Ridge. The spring at Mollies was dry.

[bmwsmity]

awesome morning glory!! thanks for the info... gonna save me some weight for sure (except for the extra water i'm bringing now lol)

[bmwsmity]

So I called to reserve my shelters, and Double Springs and Silers were full, so now I'm hikin to Spence, then Mt Collins (19.8), then Pecks (14.9), then Davenport (20.0)... If I feel up to it, gonna continue to Roaring Fork on day 5 then head back to Max Patch rd for shuttle back to Standing Bear (those folks are AWESOME by the way!) can't believe they shuttle all the way to Fontana!

[Morning Glory]

So I called to reserve my shelters, and Double Springs and Silers were full, so now I'm hikin to Spence, then Mt Collins (19.8), then Pecks (14.9), then Davenport (20.0)... If I feel up to it, gonna continue to Roaring Fork on day 5 then head back to Max Patch rd for shuttle back to Standing Bear (those folks are AWESOME by the way!) can't believe they shuttle all the way to Fontana!

BTW...I find your schedule to be very ambitious, but you're probably in much better shape than I am. I think day 2 is really going to be tough.

[bmwsmity]

BTW...I find your schedule to be very ambitious, but you're probably in much better shape than I am. I think day 2 is really going to be tough.

It is gonna be very tough... but, my pack is only 17 lbs, which helps...and I wear trail runners, which also helps.

Hiking for 11 days in snow from Springer to the NOC with a 35 lb pack has made dry surface hiking with 17lbs seem like a cake walk LOL... after postholing over Wayah for 5+ miles, and coming out of Neels Gap with howling wind at 20 degrees crossing waist high snow drifts, my mental state is pretty hardened now haha...

[10-K]

Just an FYI - you can totally disregard the elevation profile if you're looking at the one on National Geographic map #229. I found it to be totally unreliable.

[bmwsmity]

looks like a similar section i've done is from Low Gap to Tray Mtn... which is 5,200' of elevation gain in 14.9 miles...or 349' per mile...

from spence to mt collins is a WHOPPING 6,960' of elevation gain over 19.8 miles... or 351.5' per mile... so basically, same steepness, but for 5 more miles...

considering the Low Gap to Tray section was ALL in 6-8" of snow, and with about 30 lb pack.. i'm thinking with my current set up i should be good for another 5 miles... (but I will definitely sleep like a baby!)

if you haven't noticed, i'm a total nerd about the numbers when it comes to my hikes...

[bmwsmity]

actually, day one should be shorter, but tougher than day two... 16.9 miles and 6,435' elev gain, which is about 381' per mile...

yikes... 13,395' of elev gain in two days!

good thing i love challenges...

[bmwsmity]

Just an FYI - you can totally disregard the elevation profile if you're looking at the one on National Geographic map #229. I found it to be totally unreliable.

i use an elevation profile from some website, which is kinda decent..lol..

i think my new favorite on gauging difficulty is this thread where someone figured out how many feet of elevation gain per mile each section is... i'm in nerd heaven!

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=31293