dreamweaver21
05-18-2015, 23:13
I got back from a 260 or so mile section hike a week ago and thought I would post a quick report.
I did Springer to Newfound Gap in 2014. This year I did Newfound Gap to Damascus. At this rate I can finish the whole thing in 10-11 years :)
I ended up doing the whole thing in 13 days. I went up a shoe size and down a pants size in that time. My mileage went like this:
Day
Start Location
Stop Location
Start Time
Stop Time
Miles from Springer
Miles Hiked
Hours hiked
1
Newfound Gap
Tri Corner Knob
9:20
17:00
222.4
15.6
7:40
2
Tri Corner Knob
Painter Branch
7:00
18:30
242.8
20.4
11:30
3
Painter Branch
Big Rock Spring
7:30
18:20
264.8
22
10:50
4
Big Rock Spring
Hot Springs
7:00
11:30
273.9
9.1
4:30
5
Hot Springs
Big Firescald Knob
8:00
20:00
297.8
23.9
12:00
6
Big Firescald Knob
Big Bald
7:30
19:30
323.9
26.1
12:00
7
Big Bald
Erwin
7:00
19:00
342
18.1
12:00
8
Erwin
Campsite
7:30
19:00
365
23
11:30
9
Campsite
Elk Park
7:20
19:00
392.3
27.3
11:40
10
Elk Park
Moreland Gap Shelter
9:40
18:20
410.7
18.4
8:40
11
Moreland Gap Shelter
Vaneventer Shelter
7:00
19:00
434.5
23.8
12:00
12
Vaneventer Shelter
Campsite
7:00
18:30
461
26.5
11:30
13
Campsite
Damascus
8:00
11:00
467.4
6.4
3:00
When I left Newfound in 2014 it was rainy and cold. When I got there this year, more of the same. I pretty well hate the smokies. Worst part of my hike both years. I used AWalkInTheWoods shuttle to get me from Knoxville to Newfound Gap. The driver was on time and nice. I hit the trail about 9:20. The trail was mud, the views were nil and the shelter area was packed. I found a semi reasonable tent site at Tri corner and sat in my tent for 12 hours waiting for daylight to get out of there.
I swear as soon as I got out of the smokies, everything was better. The rain stopped. The sky cleared. There was a guy dropping off two hikers at Davenport Gap. They were high school kids that got picked up and treated to a Waffle House by a random retired guy. They were super pumped to be out having an adventure. I miss having that level of excitement about life... Apparently the trail magic guy that picked them up took them berry picking because they each had a 1 gallon ice cream container full of strawberries. I ate some plus some walnuts that I was given. Things were looking up! It was too early to stop at Green Corner road so I went and solo camped off the trail.
Max patch was gorgeous the next day. Probably one of the highlight views of my trip. I also started to get to know a couple of other hikers.
More uneventful hiking and I walked into Hot Springs and got set up at Laughing Heart Hostel. After laundry, shopping, food, etc. I went to the tavern for a drink. I was outside at a 4 top table by myself having a drink when 2 hikers I had walked with earlier showed up along with another that I had never met. They didn't ask to join me, they just sat down at the table. That is what is so neat about the AT. Later, some more hikers showed up and without thinking about it everyone is pulling tables together and ordering food and drinks. I had a good time swapping stories with a dozen or so new to me people but about dark I was ready to go to bed and they were ordering bottles of wine and pouring the whole bottle between 2 glasses. I was a bit hungover but I hiked out at 8 the next morning. I can't image they did and I never saw them again. I could totally see taking a zero in Hot Springs if I was the kind of person that took zeros.
I pushed it too many miles to get near Big Bald. I wasn't in a hurry really but I didn't see much for campsites and I had to walk until I found something. I camped in a cloud that night. Not so fun.
I stayed at Uncle Johnny's in Erwin. We had like 20 people in the 13 passenger van for our "town run". Another thing that I do on the AT that wouldn't happen in my normal life. A girl that I had passed a day before who was obviously having issues with the trail showed up at Johnny's. I asked her what happened and she said that she had gotten in some poison ivy and hitched up here to take a zero and recover. I don't know if she was on a tight budget or what but she was looking for a place to cook at Johnny's. I offered to buy her dinner in town but she was like, "I already rehydrated such and such." I don't know what she was eating but it looked like mud and I was like, "throw that crap away and lets go get some real food!" She wasn't having it though so the rest of us went and ate Italian or Mexican in town without her.
The 27 mile day into Elk Park was a mistake. I can do 18-22 day after day and be fine. Much over 22 really wears on me. By teh time I got to the road there was absolutely ZERO chance that I would set up my tent that night. I had already decided that. I stumbled up to the B&B and hostel to find the Hostel full and the B&B closed for the night. I rang the doorbell and the lady that answered the door was super nice. The conversation went something like this.
me - "Hello I would like a room"
her - "I'm sorry the hostel is full."
me - "Is there room in the B&B?"
her - "We aren't doing the B&B tonight"
me - "Do you know if there is a hotel around"
her - "No, we are out in the country, there aren't any"
me - "Do you know of a taxi service? I call one to take me to a hotel in another town"
her - "There aren't any taxis in town"
me - "Can you tell me the closest airport? I'll call a taxi from the airport to come get me. I walked 27 miles today. My feet are killing me and I am not sleeping in my tent tonight."
her - "Our B&B rooms are $140/ night and we are not cooking dinner tonight."
me - "That price doesn't scare me at all. All I want is a shower and a bed."
her - "Come on inside"
Super nice people and top three best breakfast I have ever had in my life the next morning. Totally worth it.
Later on, I did a resupply at Black Bear. Again, super nice family that runs it. I wish I had worked it out to stay there but I got in there before noon and didn't want to spend all day there.
I hit Damascus and ate a nice breakfast at Creekside Southern Cafe at the north end of the trail through town, also highly recommended, and used the local bike shop shuttle to get to Tri Cities airport. All in all a good trip!
I did Springer to Newfound Gap in 2014. This year I did Newfound Gap to Damascus. At this rate I can finish the whole thing in 10-11 years :)
I ended up doing the whole thing in 13 days. I went up a shoe size and down a pants size in that time. My mileage went like this:
Day
Start Location
Stop Location
Start Time
Stop Time
Miles from Springer
Miles Hiked
Hours hiked
1
Newfound Gap
Tri Corner Knob
9:20
17:00
222.4
15.6
7:40
2
Tri Corner Knob
Painter Branch
7:00
18:30
242.8
20.4
11:30
3
Painter Branch
Big Rock Spring
7:30
18:20
264.8
22
10:50
4
Big Rock Spring
Hot Springs
7:00
11:30
273.9
9.1
4:30
5
Hot Springs
Big Firescald Knob
8:00
20:00
297.8
23.9
12:00
6
Big Firescald Knob
Big Bald
7:30
19:30
323.9
26.1
12:00
7
Big Bald
Erwin
7:00
19:00
342
18.1
12:00
8
Erwin
Campsite
7:30
19:00
365
23
11:30
9
Campsite
Elk Park
7:20
19:00
392.3
27.3
11:40
10
Elk Park
Moreland Gap Shelter
9:40
18:20
410.7
18.4
8:40
11
Moreland Gap Shelter
Vaneventer Shelter
7:00
19:00
434.5
23.8
12:00
12
Vaneventer Shelter
Campsite
7:00
18:30
461
26.5
11:30
13
Campsite
Damascus
8:00
11:00
467.4
6.4
3:00
When I left Newfound in 2014 it was rainy and cold. When I got there this year, more of the same. I pretty well hate the smokies. Worst part of my hike both years. I used AWalkInTheWoods shuttle to get me from Knoxville to Newfound Gap. The driver was on time and nice. I hit the trail about 9:20. The trail was mud, the views were nil and the shelter area was packed. I found a semi reasonable tent site at Tri corner and sat in my tent for 12 hours waiting for daylight to get out of there.
I swear as soon as I got out of the smokies, everything was better. The rain stopped. The sky cleared. There was a guy dropping off two hikers at Davenport Gap. They were high school kids that got picked up and treated to a Waffle House by a random retired guy. They were super pumped to be out having an adventure. I miss having that level of excitement about life... Apparently the trail magic guy that picked them up took them berry picking because they each had a 1 gallon ice cream container full of strawberries. I ate some plus some walnuts that I was given. Things were looking up! It was too early to stop at Green Corner road so I went and solo camped off the trail.
Max patch was gorgeous the next day. Probably one of the highlight views of my trip. I also started to get to know a couple of other hikers.
More uneventful hiking and I walked into Hot Springs and got set up at Laughing Heart Hostel. After laundry, shopping, food, etc. I went to the tavern for a drink. I was outside at a 4 top table by myself having a drink when 2 hikers I had walked with earlier showed up along with another that I had never met. They didn't ask to join me, they just sat down at the table. That is what is so neat about the AT. Later, some more hikers showed up and without thinking about it everyone is pulling tables together and ordering food and drinks. I had a good time swapping stories with a dozen or so new to me people but about dark I was ready to go to bed and they were ordering bottles of wine and pouring the whole bottle between 2 glasses. I was a bit hungover but I hiked out at 8 the next morning. I can't image they did and I never saw them again. I could totally see taking a zero in Hot Springs if I was the kind of person that took zeros.
I pushed it too many miles to get near Big Bald. I wasn't in a hurry really but I didn't see much for campsites and I had to walk until I found something. I camped in a cloud that night. Not so fun.
I stayed at Uncle Johnny's in Erwin. We had like 20 people in the 13 passenger van for our "town run". Another thing that I do on the AT that wouldn't happen in my normal life. A girl that I had passed a day before who was obviously having issues with the trail showed up at Johnny's. I asked her what happened and she said that she had gotten in some poison ivy and hitched up here to take a zero and recover. I don't know if she was on a tight budget or what but she was looking for a place to cook at Johnny's. I offered to buy her dinner in town but she was like, "I already rehydrated such and such." I don't know what she was eating but it looked like mud and I was like, "throw that crap away and lets go get some real food!" She wasn't having it though so the rest of us went and ate Italian or Mexican in town without her.
The 27 mile day into Elk Park was a mistake. I can do 18-22 day after day and be fine. Much over 22 really wears on me. By teh time I got to the road there was absolutely ZERO chance that I would set up my tent that night. I had already decided that. I stumbled up to the B&B and hostel to find the Hostel full and the B&B closed for the night. I rang the doorbell and the lady that answered the door was super nice. The conversation went something like this.
me - "Hello I would like a room"
her - "I'm sorry the hostel is full."
me - "Is there room in the B&B?"
her - "We aren't doing the B&B tonight"
me - "Do you know if there is a hotel around"
her - "No, we are out in the country, there aren't any"
me - "Do you know of a taxi service? I call one to take me to a hotel in another town"
her - "There aren't any taxis in town"
me - "Can you tell me the closest airport? I'll call a taxi from the airport to come get me. I walked 27 miles today. My feet are killing me and I am not sleeping in my tent tonight."
her - "Our B&B rooms are $140/ night and we are not cooking dinner tonight."
me - "That price doesn't scare me at all. All I want is a shower and a bed."
her - "Come on inside"
Super nice people and top three best breakfast I have ever had in my life the next morning. Totally worth it.
Later on, I did a resupply at Black Bear. Again, super nice family that runs it. I wish I had worked it out to stay there but I got in there before noon and didn't want to spend all day there.
I hit Damascus and ate a nice breakfast at Creekside Southern Cafe at the north end of the trail through town, also highly recommended, and used the local bike shop shuttle to get to Tri Cities airport. All in all a good trip!