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alajones
04-02-2015, 10:06
My son and I will begin our years in the making conquest of the AT this summer. There is no way either of us can do a through hike so we will be tackling it in sections every summer. I've done plenty of day hikes, but no overnight backpacking (besides the Army) since the early 90's. I'm really overweight and will need to take it slow initially so I'm hoping to avg about 10 miles a day. I'm also trying to get organized so I don't find myself in a situation without supplies.

So after numerous website visits and reading journals, I've come up with what I think is a realistic itinerary that will get me from Amicolola Falls to the Nantahala Outdoor Center.

Day 1-3

Amicolola Falls to Neels Gap, resupply at Walasi-Yi center

Day 4-6

Neel's Gap to Dick's Creek, go into Hiawasee to resupply, stay at Budget Inn.

Day 7-9/10

Hiawasee to Standing Indian Campground
The question I need answered is: Is this a good spot for a mail resupply? I don't see it on any lists, but it seems like it would make sense.

Day 9/10-12/13

Standing Indian Campground to NOC.


The plan is I'm never more than 3 days away from resupplying/civilization. I'm trying to get a good feel for the AT. I'll obviously need to pick up my pace at some point or it will take me 15 years to hike the entire thing.

I plan on using my Army Ruck sack with a frame. I just don't see going out and buying an expensive pack to use once a year. I've got my sleeping pads and sleeping bags from the Army and I bought two one man tents. My son still needs a pack and I still need a good way to charge our phones. I saw a steamer that does it but it costs over $200.

Any tips on food (hot vs. cold) would be appreciated as well as any other bits of advice.

illabelle
04-02-2015, 11:11
Ain't nothing wrong with a 15-year plan. We have a 10-year plan, and we live a lot closer to the AT than you do.

Being overweight is not an obstacle to getting started, but it may make 10 mpd unachievable. The difficulty of the Georgia hills surprises a lot of people.

I would suggest taking your equipment on a weekend hike nearer your home to see how it feels lugging it around for 20-30 miles. You might decide to pick up some used equipment for your AT hike.

Best of luck to you!

Donde
04-02-2015, 11:18
That seems like a reasonable mileage plan, just plan your logistics to allow some flexibility and you will be good. As for the food issue it is mostly personal preference if you want to do the whole stoveless thing or not. If you want hot food you can make an alcohol stove for $5 or less (google it there are plans all over the internet) and they are plenty light. Or you can get a MSR pocket rocket for $25-$30 very efficient and reliable stove (there are lighter more efficient ones for more money). Over time if you guys really get into this keep your eyes open for a deal on a commercial sleeping bag because the MSS is stupid heavy (though it will keep you warm). Maybe the same thing for a ruck if you can find a Flash 62 or something on sale for $100-$150 it might be worth it to save 7 pounds or so versus a MOLLE (though if you are talking about an ALICE I think it is not nearly as bad). Have a good hike!

Odd Man Out
04-02-2015, 11:20
Our cases seem pretty similar. I took a 6 day AT hike last summer in VA near Roanoke. I too was a bit out of shape (6', 200 lbs). My only real exercise was taking a walk every evening, either in a park, around the neighborhood, or on a treadmill. Had backpacked a while ago, but not recently. I was planning on 12 miles per day, but that turned out to be a little optimistic. My knee got sore after a few days and had to take a day off, so plan on changing your plans. Coming from MI, I underestimated the impact of 2000 ft of elevation gain and loss per day. As for food, I carried too much, although I was in a section with no resupply options for 6 days. Going 3 days at a time is probably a good plan. Starting out you may not find yourself to be as hungry as you think. The huge food loads you read about apply to thru hikers who after they have been out for several weeks and their bodies have turned into calorie burning machines. Personally, I did invest in high quality, lightweight gear (Kalais pack, SMD tent, UG down top quilt), even if I only use it once a year. I cooked a hot dinner every night, but kept it simple. All other meals were no cooking. In the morning, I would boil water for coffee, but then quit even doing that after a few days.

Lyle
04-02-2015, 11:26
Overweight and out of shape is not prohibitive of doing the entire AT. As you already stated, slow and easy, determination, reduce as much weight as possible, and keep putting one foot in front of the other is all that is really necessary.

I wouldn't even balk at 6 or 7 miles per day for the first trip. If you take trips consistently - I would recommend two per year minimum (spring and fall) - and you do just a modicum of exercise the rest of the year, I would bet your mileage will increase to 12 to 15 miles per day naturally, without endangering yourself or becoming miserable.

Two or three week trips each time work great. It takes about a week to get your trail legs back, then a week of good hiking. The more you do it, and the more consistently you take trips, the better off you will be. Even for section hiking, 85-90% of the effort is mental.

Stay flexible on your hikes, adjust to the situation, and don't get discouraged when things don't go as planned. Remember you are there because you want to be, and to have a good time.

I'm currently in my 34th year of hiking the AT, not done yet. I hike plenty of other trails as well. It's actually been a year and a half since I set foot on the AT, but I don't worry about it. The JMT has taken precedence, and I will be finishing that up this coming summer. Probably will start concentrating on the AT again next year - Still have part of Vermont, and points north to complete - no rush, the trail isn't going anywhere.

Good Luck and HAVE FUN!!!!!!

Slo-go'en
04-02-2015, 13:04
To answer one of your questions, Standing Indian campground is not a good place to send a package and is quite a difficult detour to get to. Unfortunately, the section between Hiawassee and Franklin is fairly difficult and is 40 miles. But if you do it in 4 nights, (5 days) it isn't too bad.

bigcranky
04-02-2015, 13:45
Day 1-3
Amicolola Falls to Neels Gap, resupply at Walasi-Yi center

Day 4-6
Neel's Gap to Dick's Creek, go into Hiawasee to resupply, stay at Budget Inn.

Day 7-9/10
Hiawasee to Standing Indian Campground
The question I need answered is: Is this a good spot for a mail resupply? I don't see it on any lists, but it seems like it would make sense.

Day 9/10-12/13
Standing Indian Campground to NOC.


Starting at the falls, it's almost 40 miles to Neels Gap. It's 30 from the top of Springer. I don't think either of those is a 3-day hike under the circumstances. Given how the mileage breaks down, with camping areas and water, a reasonable pace for a beginner would be AFSP>Springer>Hawk>Gooch>Lance Creek>Neels, which is 5 days at about 8 miles per day. With that itinerary Day 2 is fairly easy, but the others are not. Sure, experienced long distance hikers will chime in here and tell you that "Georgia is easy" and that anyone can get to Neels Gap in 3 days, but that is emphatically not the case.

From Neels to DCG is doable in three days, longish days again. The first day to Low Gap isn't bad, but on day 2 you have to make it to Tray Mountain or beyond; stopping at Blue Mountain leaves too many miles on day 3. That last few miles to Tray are damn tough (though the morning from Low Gap to Blue Mtn is relatively flat and easy). From there to DCG isn't bad.

No good resupply or mail drops at Standing Indian, though it might be worth a phone call to ask. The best bet is US 64/Winding Stair Gap into Franklin for a resuppy and night off. This would then be a 4-day minimum from DCG>WSG.

The 30 miles from Winding Stair to NOC are great, but again, very steep. The Nantahalas have some of the toughest terrain in the South. However, by this time you should be able to make 10 mpd without too much trouble. I always find myself getting my trail legs after the first week. When you get to NOC make sure to treat yourself to a meal at the restaurant.

Hope this helps. Take it easy and enjoy the hike.

tim.hiker
04-02-2015, 14:28
We did 11 miles on the AT trail and it was kind of hard and we was in good shape just didn't have much time walking with a pack on, advice from me to you is day hike with a full pack some before you go and you will be fine... u might get 10 miles a day tho.. but least your back wont hurt with a full pack.

perdidochas
04-02-2015, 14:34
My son and I will begin our years in the making conquest of the AT this summer. There is no way either of us can do a through hike so we will be tackling it in sections every summer. I've done plenty of day hikes, but no overnight backpacking (besides the Army) since the early 90's. I'm really overweight and will need to take it slow initially so I'm hoping to avg about 10 miles a day. I'm also trying to get organized so I don't find myself in a situation without supplies.

So after numerous website visits and reading journals, I've come up with what I think is a realistic itinerary that will get me from Amicolola Falls to the Nantahala Outdoor Center.

Day 1-3

Amicolola Falls to Neels Gap, resupply at Walasi-Yi center

Day 4-6

Neel's Gap to Dick's Creek, go into Hiawasee to resupply, stay at Budget Inn.

Day 7-9/10

Hiawasee to Standing Indian Campground
The question I need answered is: Is this a good spot for a mail resupply? I don't see it on any lists, but it seems like it would make sense.

Day 9/10-12/13

Standing Indian Campground to NOC.


The plan is I'm never more than 3 days away from resupplying/civilization. I'm trying to get a good feel for the AT. I'll obviously need to pick up my pace at some point or it will take me 15 years to hike the entire thing.

I plan on using my Army Ruck sack with a frame. I just don't see going out and buying an expensive pack to use once a year. I've got my sleeping pads and sleeping bags from the Army and I bought two one man tents. My son still needs a pack and I still need a good way to charge our phones. I saw a steamer that does it but it costs over $200.

Any tips on food (hot vs. cold) would be appreciated as well as any other bits of advice.

I'd rethink the pack and the sleeping bags. To charge your phones, get a rechargeable phone battery pack.

Food--I'd do Lipton sides, summer sausage, pepperoni (uncut), tuna packs, stovetop stuffing, grits, oatmeal, and maybe a few mountain houses for variety.

I'd try a couple of local overnights before trying this. Try hiking a couple of miles with a backpack, set up camp, etc. on a Saturday at a local state park.

Hiker Faith
04-02-2015, 21:23
Hi alajones! So far the best advice I've seen here is from bigcranky. I live in Georgia and have hiked the Springer the Franklin section a lot. I have been hiking on the AT for about 10 years now. I am overweight and a smoker to boot. I have spent years acquiring the gear I use in hiking. I do not have a ton of money to spend on new hiking gear, so I just purchased one new thing a year. I love REI because if you buy something and try it out and don't like it, you can return it, no questions asked, and get your money back or get something different. This year, I went through 4 pairs of hiking boots (buy em, try em, exchange em) at REI and they exchanged them every single time without a fuss. For that reason alone, I recommend buying from REI - you are sure to end up with gear you love rather than gear that just gets you by. And, even though you will only use the gear once a year, good gear will last for years. I used the same back pack for 8 years, same stove for 7 years, going on 3rd year with my tent and sleeping bag. As far as phone chargers, I carry a small 3oz charger that holds enough juice to charge my phone 3 times. Got it from Verizon store for about $80 four years ago, so I'm sure they are way cheaper now.
As far as mileage, bigcranky is pretty right on. From the approach trail to Neels Gap 5 days, Neels to Unicoi 2 1/2 days or go on to Dicks Creek for a total of 5 days, then Dicks Creek to Winding Stair 6 days. In the first section, you will have hard climb on day 1, two big climbs on day 3, and the BIG climb over Blood Mountain on day 5. But days 2 & 4 will be easier. After Neels Gap, day 1 one hard climb out of Tesnatee Gap (short but hard), day 2 rocky hike to Blue Mountain, day 3 long long descent from Blue Mtn to Unicoi Gap (and NEVER think that downhill is easy on the AT) where you can go to town or continue on to camp at the Cheesefactory site. Day 4 hard climb over Trey Mtn and Kelly Knob, Day 5 easy, quick hike to Dicks Creek to go to town or hostel. Section 3 - Day 1 short hike to Plum Orchard shelter or long hike to Bly Gap - one big long climb up Cowart Mountain. Day 2 hard climb out of Bly Gap but easier for the rest of the day. Day 3 long but gentle climb up Standing Indian mountain then climb up to Carter Gap Shelter, Day 4 lots of elevation gain all day and then the climb over Albert Mtn. Day 5 long but easy hike to Winding Stair Gap then a trip into Franklin to resupply and rethink why the heck you are doing this to yourself…. IMO it will take more than one week to get your trail legs - most hikers find that it takes three to five weeks to get 'em.
Don't worry about the mileage or how fast you think you should be going. Hike slow, take the time to really see what is around you, and above all take the time to enjoy what you are doing. If there is no joy in your hike, you will never hike.

bigcranky
04-02-2015, 22:43
Oh, man, I had blocked out that climb of Tesnatee Gap in my memory. Thought I was going to stroke out right there on the trail. Slowest. Half. Mile. Ever.

Thanks for reminding me :) (and thanks for the kind words.)