Pre-Planning a Section Hike For Next Year - Suggestions Welcome!

[brancaster]

Hey all!

I've actually been intending to plan a thru-hike for the better part of a year, but my career has taken me in a different direction. Because of this, I intend to plan a 4 day section hike earlier next year sometime and would like some suggestions!

I live in Florida, so to save time/money I would like to drive to a Georgia or North Carolina section of the AT for my section hike. I've never hiked in these areas, so I would really appreciate it if anyone could point me in the direction of the most beautiful or otherwise interesting parts of the trail here!

I plan to drive to a trail head sometime in late April (most likely, is there a better time of year in these parts?), park, hike a section of the AT for two days, and then loop back to the original trail head with the remaining two days.

Thanks for any help!

[theoilman]

My choice is May over April. April you will still encounter below freezing nights, and my old bones don't like it as cold any more. In May you still might get frost on some nights, but it is warming up some.
Also, I go 1 way and use a shuttle (prefer to park at the end of my section and be shuttled to my starting point).

[brancaster]

My choice is May over April. April you will still encounter below freezing nights, and my old bones don't like it as cold any more. In May you still might get frost on some nights, but it is warming up some.
Also, I go 1 way and use a shuttle (prefer to park at the end of my section and be shuttled to my starting point).

I don't mind the cold, I actually quite enjoy brisk mornings, but if I'll still get that in May I might opt to go one month later.

As for the shuttle idea - I did think of that, but I didn't really know how common shuttles are along trailheads for the AT. Is it something I would come across readily? I would love the extra 2 days of hiking onward!

And thanks!

[illabelle]

I don't mind the cold, I actually quite enjoy brisk mornings, but if I'll still get that in May I might opt to go one month later.

As for the shuttle idea - I did think of that, but I didn't really know how common shuttles are along trailheads for the AT. Is it something I would come across readily? I would love the extra 2 days of hiking onward!

And thanks!

Explore this website for a wealth of information about the AT. This page has a link to a shuttle list. Find the portion of the trail you'll be on, give someone a call, and work out the details. Works quite well.
http://www.appalachiantrail.org/hiking/find-a-hike/parking-shuttles-transportation

[brancaster]

Explore this website for a wealth of information about the AT. This page has a link to a shuttle list. Find the portion of the trail you'll be on, give someone a call, and work out the details. Works quite well.
http://www.appalachiantrail.org/hiking/find-a-hike/parking-shuttles-transportation

Thanks for the tip! I've done a bunch of research on shuttles after theoilman pointed me in that direction.

I also looked into some hikes. I'm particularly interested in hiking from Newfound Gap to Fontana Dam. Is there anything in the same area that is better than this?

[Kerosene]

Depends on how long you want to be out. My 20-year old daughter, a newbie at the time, and I went from Standing Indian to Winding Stair Gap in May 2011, and then from there to Fontana Dam in May 2012. Mid-May is a lovely time of year down there, although it will likely be colder atop the ridgeline of the Smokies. Mid-October is also pretty nice. Also, you will have less competition from aspiring northbound thru-hikers if you hike later in May.

I enjoyed the Newfound Gap to Davenport Gap (actually Max Patch a day further north) section, where you have some great views from Charlies Bunion and Mt. Cammerer, Snowbird and Max Patch. If you want to avoid the challenge of reserving shelters in GSMNP, then you might consider hiking from Davenport Gap to Hot Springs, which is a popular section almost any time of year.

I've found that most flatlanders don't understand what it means to hike up a steep mountain with a pack on your back. Start out a bit slower and give yourself time to adjust to the effort (which is mostly mental in my opinion, at least for someone in decent shape).

[brancaster]

Depends on how long you want to be out. My 20-year old daughter, a newbie at the time, and I went from Standing Indian to Winding Stair Gap in May 2011, and then from there to Fontana Dam in May 2012. Mid-May is a lovely time of year down there, although it will likely be colder atop the ridgeline of the Smokies. Mid-October is also pretty nice. Also, you will have less competition from aspiring northbound thru-hikers if you hike later in May.

I enjoyed the Newfound Gap to Davenport Gap (actually Max Patch a day further north) section, where you have some great views from Charlies Bunion and Mt. Cammerer, Snowbird and Max Patch. If you want to avoid the challenge of reserving shelters in GSMNP, then you might consider hiking from Davenport Gap to Hot Springs, which is a popular section almost any time of year.

I've found that most flatlanders don't understand what it means to hike up a steep mountain with a pack on your back. Start out a bit slower and give yourself time to adjust to the effort (which is mostly mental in my opinion, at least for someone in decent shape).


I plan on being out for 3-4 days. I feel that at a leisurely pace, hiking from Newfound Gap to Fontana Dam should take around that time. It's about 13 miles a day to make it in 3 days.