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RedwoodRoots
01-19-2016, 16:21
I've heard some people say four or so... What's your first resupply point? how are you planning on resupplying?

soumodeler
01-19-2016, 16:42
Neel Gap at mile 31 is 3-4 days depending on if you are starting from Springer or Amicalola. Limited resupply (maildrop would be better) is available at Suches at Mile 21. Most people can make it to Neel Gap in 4 days.

Slo-go'en
01-19-2016, 16:59
2.5 days worth. Two nights, with a breakfast and snack for the 3d day, as you'll be at Neel Gap by lunch or early afternoon. Then the kind church group will come and feed you. Then pick up 2 or 3 days of slightly over priced grub at Mountain Crossings to get you to Hiawassee or the Hostel at Dicks Gap.

Lone Wolf
01-19-2016, 17:00
I've heard some people say four or so... What's your first resupply point? how are you planning on resupplying?

take 4....

RedwoodRoots
01-19-2016, 18:48
Thanks guys! Sounds like Neel Gap it is!

kayak karl
01-20-2016, 08:51
Like LW said 4 days. Some have taken 5 days to get to Neel, some never make it.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

colorado_rob
01-20-2016, 09:05
I carried enough to get me to Hiawasee (where I had a resupply box waiting), 5 days, kinda, but knowing I would probably stay at Neels Gap (I did) and get dinner and breakfast, I backed off to 4.5 days. I really didn't want to deal with buying stuff at an expensive store 2.5 days into my hike.

I realize not everyone follows this method, but I like walking into towns pretty much "empty". In 45 years of backpacking, this has never resulted in a bad situation. A couple/few times I've run significantly behind and had to slightly ration, stretch 2 days of food to 2.5 or 3, zero biggie, some seem to fear death in such situations, not sure why.

Trance
01-20-2016, 09:26
If you are attempting a thru hike and cant make it to Neel's Gap in 3 days, you need to reconsider.

That's only like 31 miles..... and Blood mountain isn't exactly a scramble..... I had more issues with the poor blazing on the way down.

* In regards to food..... I carried 5 days of food from the start. I resupplied the first time in Hiawassee. It's easy to get a ride into there from Dicks Creek I think..... Ron Haven and his crew will get you for free if you stay at their inn.

daddytwosticks
01-20-2016, 16:33
Keep in mind, your hiker appetite will probably not be kicked in yet. I'm just a section hiker, but I find my appetite severly depressed when I go on my typical section hikes. I always overestimate and take too much food. :)

kayak karl
01-20-2016, 17:49
If you are attempting a thru hike and cant make it to Neel's Gap in 3 days, you need to reconsider.

That's only like 31 miles..... and Blood mountain isn't exactly a scramble..... I had more issues with the poor blazing on the way down.

* In regards to food..... I carried 5 days of food from the start. I resupplied the first time in Hiawassee. It's easy to get a ride into there from Dicks Creek I think..... Ron Haven and his crew will get you for free if you stay at their inn.
A lot of hikers don't push it in the beginning and get there on the forth day. They don't need to reconsider just because they don't hike like you.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

The Cleaner
01-20-2016, 18:34
Many hikers lately only pack 3 days of food and stop at a hostel/motel every 3-4 days.Add trail magic at every gap in the first few weeks.Then they head for trail days in Damascus and go home after that...

Lone Wolf
01-20-2016, 18:42
If you are attempting a thru hike and cant make it to Neel's Gap in 3 days, you need to reconsider.


so not true. i've known dozens of hikers in the past 30 years that took 5-7 days to get to neel gap and go on to finish the trail

4Days
01-20-2016, 19:05
As a default I plan for 5 days. The first day is without Breakfast(pop tarts + instant breakfast mix with instant coffee) the last day is without Dinner(Romin noodles or rice sides with protein)+ a candy bar. Each day is about 3300 calories and 1.5 lbs. I try to plan 2 resupplies at a time. If I can carry fewer meals and snacks I will. This is my plan anyways, figured it out on the LT last summer.

4Days
01-20-2016, 19:06
As a default I plan for 5 days. The first day is without Breakfast(pop tarts + instant breakfast mix with instant coffee) the last day is without Dinner(Romin noodles or rice sides with protein)+ a candy bar. Each day is about 3300 calories and 1.5 lbs. I try to plan 2 resupplies at a time. If I can carry fewer meals and snacks I will. This is my plan anyways, figured it out on the LT last summer.


I also plan on hiking less then 10 miles per day for the first 3 weeks, NOBO from HF

Sarcasm the elf
01-20-2016, 19:10
so not true. i've known dozens of hikers in the past 30 years that took 5-7 days to get to neel gap and go on to finish the trail

Plus pushing yourself to hard right at the start is a great way to get yourself injured, not to mention frustrated.

rafe
01-20-2016, 23:19
I've heard some people say four or so... What's your first resupply point? how are you planning on resupplying?

Doing the approach trail or no? Realistically, it adds a day. I'd carry four days of food in any case.

You can bring some sort of prepared meal for the first night out, for example a deli sandwich. That becomes SOP after a while.

Most folks are going pretty slow those first few days... ten miles per day is probably par for the course.

MuddyWaters
01-20-2016, 23:52
You dont need breakfast day 1, or dinner last day when reach resupply.. Even if it takes 4 days hiking, you only need 3.5 days food max. You also probably wont be that hungry and food will go farther.

bigcranky
01-21-2016, 08:55
It's only 31 miles to Neels Gap, which at a normal 4mph walking pace is only 7.5 hours. So realistically, you shouldn't need more than lunch and some snacks, or you're not a "real hiker" and will never make it to Maine.*

OK, sarcasm aside, if you start at Springer, planning to get to Neels Gap late on the fourth day is a reasonable plan. So that means you need three full days of food, a fourth lunch, and some extra trail snacks (you'll have breakfast in town before starting, and dinner at Neels). The four day hike plan is Springer > Hawk Mountain > Gooch Mountain > Lance Creek > Neels, about 8 miles per day. This is a reasonable mileage for a starting thru-hiker -- sure, some experienced long distance hikers will go farther, but so what? If you want to do the Approach Trail (which is great and I recommend it), add another day and plan to camp on the summit of Springer.

The main reason I recommend this itinerary is that it makes camping fairly simple. Those sites have tent pads and good water (and this concentrates the [over]use in those prepared places). In addition, in most cases trying to go a little farther results in hitting some tough climbs late in the day (Sassafras and Justus on day one, for example), or not being able to find a decent place to camp. Finally, for a beginning LD hiker, this pace helps prevent the common injuries that force people off the trail early -- mostly knee issues from overuse, in my experience.

(Again, experienced LD hikers can scoff at this, but people who are asking how many days of food to bring at the start probably need to start out a little more slowly.)





*On our first long section, in 2003, we started the Approach Trail, camped on Springer, and started hiking north on the AT the next morning. Around 9:30am we were passed by a hiker with a small day pack. He had started at the base of the Approach Trail that morning, and was planning to be in Neels Gap that evening. I never did catch his name, but he had hiked the PCT the previous season and seemed well prepared to hike very big miles on the AT. So the "one day to Neels Gap" isn't a total fantasy, but probably one hiker in a thousand can actually pull it off. BTW it took us five days to Neels including the Approach Trail.

ChefATLTCT
01-21-2016, 09:23
I did the approach trail so I went Springer to hawk to Gooch(gap) to woods hole. It was 2000, before bear can regs. So i got to neels early on day five and still had food in my pack. My recent trips in the last few years I have always carried to much food, I now find that for the first few days I can barely eat. By day three I find an appetite and then have to go home. after I became a experienced LDH I was able to hike springer to Justus to slaughter gap then neels getting in real early on day four. And back in 2000 to 2004 I dont remember all the trail magic down south

Trance
01-21-2016, 12:34
A lot of hikers don't push it in the beginning and get there on the forth day. They don't need to reconsider just because they don't hike like you.



Let's consider that a hiker starts hiking at 8am, and ends early at 5pm.

So 8hr x 3 day = 24hr
31miles / 24 hrs = 1.3 mph pace
5280ft mile / 60 minutes = 88ft a minute... or about 30 yards if you want to think of it in terms of a football field.

Springer starts at 3700ft, dips at the lowest to 2500ft and maxes out on Blood Mountain at 4400ft.
The average elevation is a little less than 3500.... not exactly a strenuous hike over three days by any means.

So of course people are going to say, HYOY.......

Trance
01-21-2016, 14:49
HYOH I meant.... not HYOY haha

Bronk
01-21-2016, 16:06
What is your experience level and what if you hit some bad weather. I figured it would take me 3 days max to get to Neels gap...it ended up taking me 6 days.

Trance
01-21-2016, 16:30
My first day on the AT, the Hiker Hostel dropped me off at Springer lot in a torrential downpour at 8amish with 10 others. I hiked to Springer summit, then from there to Gooch Gap by 5pm. Only one person from my original 10 made it to Gooch. Never saw the others again.

Torrential downpour....... only to be followed by pitching my tent around Gooch in like 30deg, windy weather while I was wet.

The next day I went from Gooch to Neels Gap, it was beautiful out, and I stayed in the hostel.

My experience level prior was day hikes. I just stay active throughout the year and lift weights. I run a light pack, never over 30-35 with food and water.

Mind over matter my friend..... unless you have a physical disability. That is understandable.

Cotton Terry
01-21-2016, 16:31
AWOL has some "Hike Planning" spreadsheets on his website - 12, 15 and 18 mile day averages. I use them for reference, only, but they give some good suggestions for resupply.

http://www.theatguide.com/#

ryneoh1040
01-26-2016, 22:40
Plus pushing yourself to hard right at the start is a great way to get yourself injured, not to mention frustrated.

Listen to this it's the most accurate thing in this thread. I got tendonitis in both of my feet last year by overextending myself at the beginning of the trail. Take it slow. Especially the first few weeks. I ended up doing 160 miles while the family of 3 who were always behind me stopped at mile 500. It really is about finding your own pace and allowing yourself the time to adjust. I know these forums are a great point of reference but in the end the trail is your own and you have to make sure you keep that perspective.

Water Rat
01-26-2016, 22:57
Start slow and let your body get used to the trail and the weight you are carrying. Plan on 4 days of meals. If you end up getting to Neel Gap early, you won't have been carrying all that much extra food weight.

Most of all... This is not a race. You don't get a special prize if you make it to Neel Gap in 2 days and you don't get kicked off the trail if you take 5 days to get there. Take it at your speed. You are in this for 2,000 + miles and it is way too easy to get sucked into the "must make big miles now" mentality. Your brain and your body are what will get you to Maine, but you have to take care of both in order for that to happen.

RumpusParable
01-29-2016, 12:33
Being vegan I'm starting out with an epic 7 days worth with snacks while hiking and extra refills in each bounce box + resupply from "support team" in Boston mailing me anything I can't easily have mailed to next drop location. This is all because even at a break/town I may have resupply difficulties. I believe after the first bit of the trek I'll drop down to 4-5 days worth with snacks as my snacks are high calorie for weight, but that first or two trips between resupply locations I'm going to be testing what works for me.

Also so have a 3 liter water bladder though plan to only run it at 2 liters at start. Need that extra liter capacity during hot times since I've past been a heat casualty and must take extra water in.

So so heavy on food here at first, adjusting once I find what works for my dietary habits.

lonehiker
01-29-2016, 18:02
Mr Tarlin's resupply articles are a good source for planning your re-supply and how many days of supplies you might want to consider carrying.

egilbe
01-29-2016, 20:31
I figure 1mph, for 10 hours and it seems to work out ok, at least up here in Maine

CarlZ993
01-29-2016, 22:44
Beginning to Neels Gap? A lot depends on whether or not you're doing the approach trail and your fitness level. As previously stated, the Approach Trail would probably add a day. I didn't do the Approach & planned on 3 days food (minus 1st day's breakfast & last day's dinner). I didn't find the trail too hard in the beginning other than losing my way down wet & slick Blood Mtn. That was irritating. (Where is the #%@* trail?)

Note: My itinerary in the signature box below includes times I started & ended hiking each as well as all my resupplies that I needed.

ronen.schatsky
01-30-2016, 00:02
What about a resupply at Woody Gap, at mile 21.8? The new Woody Gap Outfitters will sell food, and so will Wolfpen Country Store in Suches (only a short hitch-hike or road-hike away). The more resupply stops, the lower pack weight is.
Since no one else has really mentioned this as a resupply alternative, though, I'm wondering if there's something I'm missing that would make this a bad idea.

soumodeler
01-30-2016, 09:53
The store at Suches has a limited resupply. Great for a pizza and drinks, not so great for a full resupply. That being said, it has enough to get you a days worth of food to get to Neel Gap.

rafe
01-30-2016, 10:03
I figure 1mph, for 10 hours and it seems to work out ok, at least up here in Maine

Yep, for Maine and New Hampshire (and the northern half of the Long Trail) with a three-day pack, those are the numbers I use.

In perfect conditions and mellow, graded trail (eg. SNP or southern MD) I can do up to 1.7 mile/hour.

10 hours per day is also a useful figure, for summer.

Water Rat
01-30-2016, 10:08
What about a resupply at Woody Gap, at mile 21.8? The new Woody Gap Outfitters will sell food, and so will Wolfpen Country Store in Suches (only a short hitch-hike or road-hike away). The more resupply stops, the lower pack weight is.
Since no one else has really mentioned this as a resupply alternative, though, I'm wondering if there's something I'm missing that would make this a bad idea.

The new Woody Gap Outfitters is just that - new. Until word of mouth gets around (as it always does), many might not know of its existence.

In the over 2,000 miles of trail, you will discover that smaller stores often mean less choices for resupply (especially if you are right behind a group of hikers), and higher costs. Also to be factored in - the more town trips you make, the longer the trip. Not a bad thing if you have the time for it, but that extra time will be spent getting to and from the trail.

There's no right way, or wrong way to resupply... Just ways that are more popular due to distance, selection, pricing. Many hikers want to make stops that will allow them to get as much done in the least amount of time possible.

capehiker
01-30-2016, 12:08
5 full days of food starting at Springer and first resupply at Hiawassee (will use Mountain Crossings as a place to nosh some food). I am using Zero Day Resupply for my first resupply and depending on how that goes, will use them throughout the hike.

Turk6177
01-30-2016, 13:23
I agree that you appetite will not be kicked in yet. A lot of people over pack food to start. I would start with 3 days food if you are not doing the approach trail. Remember, you will be eating breakfast before leaving on day one, and probably dinner off the trail on the last day. That is two less meals you can carry. You should be able to easily resupply for two or three days in Neels Gap and then do a full resupply in Hiawassee (Dicks Creek Gap) that will get you to Franklin. Some people forego Franklin and go straight through to the NOC. I didn't see NOC in the spring, so I don't know how the store is stocked, but it has a sizable general store. The outfitter has a bunch of mountain house type meals but they are a little pricey.

Miami Joe
02-03-2016, 02:04
Let's consider that a hiker starts hiking at 8am, and ends early at 5pm.

So 8hr x 3 day = 24hr
31miles / 24 hrs = 1.3 mph pace
5280ft mile / 60 minutes = 88ft a minute... or about 30 yards if you want to think of it in terms of a football field.

Springer starts at 3700ft, dips at the lowest to 2500ft and maxes out on Blood Mountain at 4400ft.
The average elevation is a little less than 3500.... not exactly a strenuous hike over three days by any means.

So of course people are going to say, HYOY.......

I bet you're great company on the trail.

Conductor
02-03-2016, 09:32
I'll probably carry 3.5 days of food accounting for starting at Springer, the 8 (approx) mile campsite dispersal, potential trail magic, and the last evening at Neel gap. Doing hiking arithmetic doesn't really work on the trail, unless you plan to stealth camp every night. A lot of it has to do with predetermined intervals. Distances between campsites and resupply, which are inconsistent.

Kanith
02-05-2016, 12:47
Hi. I'm 77 yrs old and plan on flip-flop from HF. I wonder about resupply. I'm an ultra light hammock camper. Any advice? Starting 4/12/2016. I plan on spending a few days near Ed Garvey shelter to recuperate before continuing. Name's Kanith.

Kanith
02-05-2016, 12:50
Love that auote��

bemental
02-05-2016, 13:09
I bet you're great company on the trail.

Hehe, nice.

CamelMan
02-23-2016, 23:16
Being vegan I'm starting out with an epic 7 days worth.... This is all because even at a break/town I may have resupply difficulties.

I'm also vegan and wonder how this is going to work out. (Maybe it deserves its own thread.) On the trail I just eat instant and dry versions of the same things I eat at home, and I managed to eat completely vegan from Springer to Fontana in 2010 without any gymnastics. I didn't ask what was in the pizza crust at the Pizza Hut in Franklin, though. (It's probably the first time anyone ordered a cheeseless pizza there.) I resupplied at grocery stores in Dahlonego, Hiawassee, and Franklin, IIRC.

Not being experienced, I carried way too much food from Springer. I don't remember buying any food at Neel, nor was there a whole lot to buy beside premade crap. On the plus side, lots of hiker box finds are vegan. (Bring enough fuel.) Convenience stores have plenty of unhealthy vegan food just as they do nonvegan, so if other people are stuck eating snickers bars we can eat fritos and twizzlers.

Anyway, Springer to Neel also took me 3 days, with stops at Hawk Mtn Shelter (7.6 mi day), Woody Gap (12.3 mi day), and Neel Gap (10.6 mi day).

egilbe
02-24-2016, 00:16
I'm also vegan and wonder how this is going to work out. (Maybe it deserves its own thread.) On the trail I just eat instant and dry versions of the same things I eat at home, and I managed to eat completely vegan from Springer to Fontana in 2010 without any gymnastics. I didn't ask what was in the pizza crust at the Pizza Hut in Franklin, though. (It's probably the first time anyone ordered a cheeseless pizza there.) I resupplied at grocery stores in Dahlonego, Hiawassee, and Franklin, IIRC.

Not being experienced, I carried way too much food from Springer. I don't remember buying any food at Neel, nor was there a whole lot to buy beside premade crap. On the plus side, lots of hiker box finds are vegan. (Bring enough fuel.) Convenience stores have plenty of unhealthy vegan food just as they do nonvegan, so if other people are stuck eating snickers bars we can eat fritos and twizzlers.

Anyway, Springer to Neel also took me 3 days, with stops at Hawk Mtn Shelter (7.6 mi day), Woody Gap (12.3 mi day), and Neel Gap (10.6 mi day).

Im going to ruin twizzlers for you. Glycerin can be made from animal by-products.

http://m.wikihow.com/Make-Glycerin

evyck da fleet
02-24-2016, 01:13
Took six days of food from the start of the Approach Trail to get to Hiawassee for first resupply. I still stopped at Neel's Gap, although I hadn't planned on it, to get out of the rain and buy some overpriced bagels for breakfasts since I gave up on the cereal with Nido thing pretty quickly. It took me six days and I wound up with a day of food left thanks to staying at Neels and eating dinner and breakfast there.

I was pretty much in the minority of trying to go 4-5 days between town stops. Most hikers I met were on a resupply every three days or thereabout schedule.

rocketsocks
02-24-2016, 01:17
Im going to ruin twizzlers for you. Glycerin can be made from animal by-products.

http://m.wikihow.com/Make-GlycerinWow...that blows! :D

TiHiker
02-24-2016, 01:19
I'm new to WhiteBlaze, but not new to LD hiking. There seems to be a number of folks who scoff at those who aren't UL or ready to punch out 20+ miles a day. What happened to "Hike your own Hike". Not everyone hits the AT to set a land speed record. As Big Cranky mentioned better to start out slow so you don't overexert and end up injuring yourself in the first week, maybe take an extra day of provisions (1-2lbs) given that weather is unpredictable, and adjust your needs moving north based on how you progress from point to point. Remember only ~25% of those who start each year make the entire journey from Springer to Katahdin (or vice versa) and the biggest reason most don't make it, is injury.

rocketsocks
02-24-2016, 01:38
I'm new to WhiteBlaze, but not new to LD hiking. There seems to be a number of folks who scoff at those who aren't UL or ready to punch out 20+ miles a day. What happened to "Hike your own Hike". Not everyone hits the AT to set a land speed record. As Big Cranky mentioned better to start out slow so you don't overexert and end up injuring yourself in the first week, maybe take an extra day of provisions (1-2lbs) given that weather is unpredictable, and adjust your needs moving north based on how you progress from point to point. Remember only ~25% of those who start each year make the entire journey from Springer to Katahdin (or vice versa) and the biggest reason most don't make it, is injury.i don't think I even heard someone come here and say "the doctor told me to take 2 1/2 lbs out of my pack or my back will break and I'll never hike again"

CamelMan
02-24-2016, 16:08
Glycerin can be made from animal by-products.

Thanks, I didn't realize that.

evyck da fleet
02-24-2016, 21:43
I'm new to WhiteBlaze, but not new to LD hiking. There seems to be a number of folks who scoff at those who aren't UL or ready to punch out 20+ miles a day. What happened to "Hike your own Hike". Not everyone hits the AT to set a land speed record. As Big Cranky mentioned better to start out slow so you don't overexert and end up injuring yourself in the first week, maybe take an extra day of provisions (1-2lbs) given that weather is unpredictable, and adjust your needs moving north based on how you progress from point to point. Remember only ~25% of those who start each year make the entire journey from Springer to Katahdin (or vice versa) and the biggest reason most don't make it, is injury.

There's a middle ground between cranking out 20s from day 1 and taking a week to get to Neels Gap. There's nothing wrong with advocating that people try a few test hikes before they hit the AT and are therefore able to get to Neels Gap in 3 or 4 days. It might help raise that 25% rate which is more likely not due to injury but due to unpreparedness/not being the fun walk in the park dream they thought it would be. There's a reason the AT's completion rate is much lower than the PCT and other LD hikes.

The great thing is its your hike and you can make it as hard or easy as you want from the start.

RedwoodRoots
02-26-2016, 16:04
What is your experience level and what if you hit some bad weather. I figured it would take me 3 days max to get to Neels gap...it ended up taking me 6 days.

I'd consider myself a pretty experienced backpacker, but When I do short weekend trips I normally stick to around 10 or less miles/day (granted, that is at elevation, but on more graded trails), so that's how I plan on starting out on the AT. I was really just wondering what is the best "first" resupply point. I think at this point I'll pack 4 days of food. I'll probably make it in 2.5-3 days, but it's not that much extra and my base weight is decently low so I'd rather not get stuck in a ice storm without food! (I am leaving with the bubble on March 15th. Cringe, I know, but it's what worked out with the leave of absence I was able to get from work)

RedwoodRoots
02-26-2016, 16:07
Thanks! I've always been more of a tortoise than a hare anyway! I don't hike fast but I tend not to wear out as fast as my friends who like to hike quickly. We generally all end up finishing hikes at the same time anyway, and while I feel like I could go another few miles, they are all pooped. So I like my strategy.

Abatis1948
02-26-2016, 17:32
I'm new to WhiteBlaze, but not new to LD hiking. There seems to be a number of folks who scoff at those who aren't UL or ready to punch out 20+ miles a day. What happened to "Hike your own Hike". Not everyone hits the AT to set a land speed record. As Big Cranky mentioned better to start out slow so you don't overexert and end up injuring yourself in the first week, maybe take an extra day of provisions (1-2lbs) given that weather is unpredictable, and adjust your needs moving north based on how you progress from point to point. Remember only ~25% of those who start each year make the entire journey from Springer to Katahdin (or vice versa) and the biggest reason most don't make it, is injury.

+1 On your statement. The one thing I learned about WB over the years is that you have to have tough skin. Some feel if you can't hike 30 miles a day with a 5 pound pack you are not a real hiker. Just read what they have to say and move on to the next post. Someone will post what you are looking for.

Another Kevin
02-26-2016, 17:42
I started out with a 4-day food supply, planning to do 8-12 miles a day between Lake Placid and Long Lake (just under 40 miles). (Breakfast on day 1 and dinner on day 4 in town, but an extra meal to be prepared for a delay.) Called it pretty well, and arrived with the extra meal in my bag. I think I might actually have picked up the pace and pushed through to Lake Durant if I hadn't run into a jungle of blowdown in the Cold River valley. It must have taken an exhausting half-day just to cover the few miles from Ouluska Pass to the Cold River bridge.

Oh, you meant starting out on the A-T? :) Well, let me share my clueless thinking. :)

I think I'd plan the same 8-12 miles a day. I'm in no hurry. On the Northville-Placid, which was the subject of my silly comment above, I might make that 10-15. It's faster going on that than I anticipated. I managed one 15-mile day, sixty or so miles later, even after hurting a knee.

I'm a clueless weekender. That said, I've done a bunch of clueless three- and four-day weekends, and I hear that a thru-hike is just a bunch of short section hikes chained together. I figure that in the unlikely event I were ever to attempt a thru hike, starting at a gentle pace such as I've described and listening to my body would be the best plan. That would mean the same 4-day supply from the Approach Trail to Neels Gap, if I read the mileage tables correctly, and would be a 40ish-mile section. IIf it were to go better than expected maybe I'd push through to Hogpen Gap. Unicoi Gap would be a sixty-mile section, which is more than I want to plan for right out of the gate, and Neels Gap has services right on trail.

Neels to Dick's Creek Gap would be another shortish section - with Top of Georgia right on trail again.

By then I'd have a good enough idea what's what to be able to plan a longer section to NOC - or not plan the longer section and look up the services near Standing Indian and Winding Stair Gap.

Adjust my thinking to your level of experience and fitness. I'm coming from the perspective of someone who does a fair number of weekend and short section hikes in reasonably tough mountain terrain. A loop of 18.4 miles and about 9000 feet of elevation change (including a couple of moderately challenging rock scrambles) made a fun overnighter for me. A flatlander might want to be even gentler. A real mountaineer would call me a wimp.

4eyes
02-28-2016, 18:56
When I went from Springer to Damascus, If I remember correctly, started with about 3 days worth. I was fine, you can easily resupply at Neel's or even in Suches,GA if you need to.