View Full Version : BMT vs Pinhoti
For those of you who have hiked both, which would you recommend? Although I'd love to get out more often, life currently only allows me a few weeks each year. I've been chipping away at the AT each spring for a few years now, and will have finished about 700 miles after my next section in May. But at only around 200 miles per trip, it's going to be a while until I'm standing on Katahdin. So I decided to start hiking other (shorter) trails each fall in order to experience the gratification of actually finishing one, and last year I started with the Foothills Trail. This fall, I plan to do either the BMT or the Pinhoti Trail, but I can't decide on which. Anyone want to try to sell me on one or the other?
I've hiked both and they're very different hikes.
The Alabama Pinhoti is a low altitude mountain hike on well blazed and maintained trail. Water sources, camping and resupply are pretty simple and straightforward. It's an easy hike I'd recommend to anyone.
The BMT is a bit more challenging, both in terms of terrain and navigation as well as resupply. You have to pay attention, particularly after you leave Georgia. It's not difficult and most anyone could hike it but it has a wilder feel (for lack of a better word). I don't think you have to have a ton of experience to thru hike the BMT but it's not a beginner hike either.
You'd probably see more people on the Pinhoti but neither struck me as busy. If you want a challenge, hike the BMT. If you want to hike, cruise along, and zone out - hike the Pinhoti would be my recommendation. You wouldn't go wrong with either.
The Georgia Pinhoti is a patchwork of connected trails, forest roads, paved roads, and rail-trails linked together that runs from Cave Spring to the northern terminus at the BMT. It's a piece of work....
The Solemates
03-19-2014, 13:12
i've hiked the whole AL pinhoti and part of the BMT. i would recommend the BMT for a more scenic hike. you may also want to look into the Bartram, which is an excellent trail of similar distance in this area of the country.
In 2013 I was in your predicament Tagg. I couldn't get the time off from work and other commitments to do a 4-6 month thru-hike which is typically my hiking preference. However, I did have a couple of multi month blocks of time where I could squeeze in a short thru-hike though but only during winter and the fall. I had the hiking bug and felt I had to get outside. I looked for warmer winter weather or lower elevation trails. I hiked the Foothills Tr in Jan, took a couple wks off, then went to Alabama to hike the PT NOBO. I hiked the PT and then continued on the BMT to Springer Mt as one hike. This was a wonderful uncrowded winter hike; I had the PT to myself the whole way! Blister Bob, Mother Nature's Son, 10-k, and a few others at the PT Alliance/Alabama Trails sites and here on WB helped me with my hike. Some heavily traveled(busy) multi-laned paved road walking miles in GA though that didn't particularly appeal to me but c'est la vie. I did two worthy side trip hikes - the Chinabee Silent Trail Loop in Cheaha SP(with a stop to the highest pt in Alabama) and Fort Mt SP in GA checking out the overlooks and structures and hiking all the trails even managing to catch some fish in the small lake. All total that was somewhere about a 460 mile 4 1/2 wk hike. My guess is the weather for a late fall hike like this, as the leaves are mostly off the trees, would be ideal hiking conditions providing good views. Although the PT isn't a dry trail do be mindful of your water sources in the fall after a dry summer/early fall. The Al PT has shelters for some of its distance. Ga PT has only two. BMT has only two. None of these trails are a total hike from one lean-to to the next lean-to.
I was able to snag a few months off in the fall, I was in the Atlanta area at the time, and wanted an east coast hike I never did but had some familiarity with in the general area. BMT/AT 500 mile Loop fit the ticket. The BMT, like the Bartram Tr(I've almost done all of that but in pieces), can get a bit overgrown in a few places with brambles. Other parts of the BMT are like hiking on the super hiking highway of the AT. While I agree with 10-K the navigation(finding the way) for the BMT is a bit harder than the PT the BMT currently has better trail resources: ie;easy to find maps( I used, trail descriptions, logistical beta, resupply info, etc. My BMT/AT Loop was a sweaty humid VERY RAINY slugfest. I don't recommend the PT or BMT for summer hikes unless you enjoy humidity. If it's a warm fall you might think about the Bartram Tr since it's largely a ridgeline hike possibly being a little cooler. The BMT is IMHO an east coast south east forested hike that has a wilder more remote feel than either the Ga PT or AT. If you're willing to piece trails together with the BMT it offers plenty of opportunities for loop and pt 2 pt hikes: ie; the Benton Mckaye Tr connects with the AT, PT, Duncan Ridge Tr, John Muir Trail(the east coast one), Coker Falls, Unicoi Tr, GSMNP, Mountains To Sea Tr, Great Eastern Tr, etc. For example, I added 110 Great Smoky Mts NP miles to my 500 mile BMT/AT Loop.
Just Bill
03-19-2014, 19:17
Not many late season/Winter hikes out there as DW suggests- since the topic came up-
Is the PT a year rounder, or even a better choice for a Northerner in fall/winter? I know anything can happen but with the slightly lower elevations PT sounds like other than a serious freak storm (which seems to be hapening with freakish regularity lately) that it would be an excellent choice to look into.
On the flipside- when do things start to get too messy with the winter/spring transition- or does it? Early spring backpacking is probably my least favorite.
Not to start a fight- but dipping into the twenties and occassionally snowing is late shoulder season for me. With the horid temps this winter in Chicago even 20 and snowing sounds wonderful.
You wouldn't want to hike the Alabama Pinhoti trail in the summertime, for sure. Well... maybe that's being too strong but if I had to pick a season to hike it, summer would not be on the list. Winter would be my choice but if you like milder weather fall or spring - spring would be wetter.
Just Bill
03-19-2014, 19:22
Winter sounds right, especially as your winter is my fall. :)
Sounds very much like Southern Illinois where even the rangers don't go out in August.
Just Bill
03-19-2014, 19:22
I'll have to dig up your write up again 10-K, I breezed through it before but will have to take another look.
Thanks
You wouldn't want to hike the Alabama Pinhoti trail in the summertime, for sure. Well... maybe that's being too strong but if I had to pick a season to hike it, summer would not be on the list. Winter would be my choice but if you like milder weather fall or spring - spring would be wetter.
Why is that? Too hot? Too buggy?
It would be hot, yes... Southern hot.... :)
Hot yes but also humahumahumid. Sweat fest. You'd get more shade on the BMT for a summer hike but still a humid summer time sweat fest.
PT, BMT, FHT, and Shetowee Trace would all be doable with a decent weather window in winter and of course in early spring(being mindful of the BMT fords though) and during fall.
That's exactly what I encountered for Jan/Feb PT night time lows- in the 20's JB. Only had rain a few times and a light snow sprinkle twice. From what you are saying JB I'd say the PT is pretty close to a yr rounder for you.
If desiring to travel a bit one might consider A NON SUMMER thru-hike of the Ozark Highlands, Ouachita, or Ozark Trails. Heck do all three one after the other or bushwack from the Ozark Highlands eastern terminus to the Ozark Trail's western terminus.
JB, a few AT thru-hikers have started at the PT southern terminus in Feb and just continue onto the AT via the BMT which connects at Springer MT. There are two that are doing it now. Th epair of hikers calling themselves "AT Conquered"
Drybones
03-20-2014, 18:08
It would be hot, yes... Southern hot.... :)
And southern humid.
And southern humid.
That's what I meant! :)