View Full Version : Need advice and tips.
New here and first time posting. For years I've wanted to hike the AT. Never really had the time or money. Now I'm in my mid 30's and have decided to start section hiking it yearly. I don't have the time to do it any other way. I'm in good shape and periodically take 3-4 day backpacking trips. I plan on starting at the approach trail and for my first leg at least kinking into NC. Possibly going on in to Franklin. Is there a pick up point near the GA/NC line?? Also this will be my longest hike so curious on food recomendations. I will have roughly 10 days to work with. Thoughts and advice please.
Turtle-2013
07-04-2016, 19:14
Good Luck,
I'm a section hiker ... currently have completed from Amicalola to nearly NJ. In my earlier years I hiked out west, but about 6 years ago started seriously "section" hiking the AT. My best advise is go light, and have fun. It makes no difference whether you are hiking for the views, hiking to make the miles, hiking to get outdoors, hiking to increase your endurance or lose weight ... it can be a very rewarding experience however you approach it. Hike YOUR hike, not anyone elses.
That said ... IF I could have had 10 consecutive days, I could have easily made it from Amicalola to Winding Stair Gap in 10 days ... I actually did Amicalola to Dick's Creek Gap in 5 days (Dick's Creek Gap is the last road crossing in GA) in April'15 .... and then Stecoah Gap (north of Winding Stair) to Dick's Creek Gap in October'15. BUT... you may take longer ... most younger beginning thru hikers do ... or you may go faster ... I'm not particularly fast.
As to food ... you can get most of what you need from any grocery store ... just make sure it is light, and you like it. I can give you specific suggestions if you would like. you should probably plan on 5 days and resupply for the next 5 days.
Let me know how else I can give a fellow section hiker a hand!!!
Ron
MtDoraDave
07-05-2016, 07:25
Get AWOL's AT guide (or the other one that I'm not familiar with, but people like it, too). It shows where the water is, where the shelters are, where the resupply points are, it shows the elevation profile along the way so you can gauge how much time or water you'll need as you go, and has phone numbers for shuttles, hotels, hostels, etc.
With this guide, you can judge how far you may go in 10 days. I don't bang out long mile days, typically, so I did the approach trail to Dicks Creek Gap in a week. The next crossing, I believe, is the road that goes into Franklin. That would have taken me the 10 days you are allotting yourself. If you hike more miles per day, maybe you can get to the NOC in 10 days (mile 137.3)
Berserker
07-05-2016, 13:25
Another fellow section hiker here. As stated by another poster above get either AWOL's AT Guide or the Thru Hiking Companion. They both have similar info (they are just laid out differently), and are great for planning. They can also both be purchased as downloadable pdfs and are pretty cheap. So you can get the pdf and then print only the pages you need for the section your going to do. I also like to have the maps for where I am going so recommend getting those too. One other consideration is parking...that's always a big one with section hiking. Check out this site for info on all the parking spots: http://rohland.homedns.org:8008/at/at_menu.aspx.
My advice as far as getting started is to just plan what you think you can do, and then see how it goes. My style has morphed over the years I've been section hiking where I started by doing 15 - 20 mile weekends, which turned out to be too short, and then I planned too many miles on another trip a few years in and had to pull back the mileage. Now I'm dialed in to my personal sweet spot (12 - 15 miles a day), and I just plan around that. I'm at a point where I've done a little under 3/4 of the trail, and the rest of my sections are already basically planned out...only thing left is for me to just go do them.
Really appreciate the tips guys. Already have the books you all mentioned. It's gonna be a blast. I love the outdoors and been wanting to do this for a while.
Fireplug
07-12-2016, 14:01
Someone posted a list of shuttle drivers who will pick you up almost anywhere. Deep gap dicks creek gap and Franklin. I just did Neels gap to Fontana. Took me 5 minutes to get a ride into Franklin. Call the Outdoor 76 in Franklin they have a list of shuttle drivers.
Someone posted a list of shuttle drivers who will pick you up almost anywhere. Deep gap dicks creek gap and Franklin. I just did Neels gap to Fontana. Took me 5 minutes to get a ride into Franklin. Call the Outdoor 76 in Franklin they have a list of shuttle drivers.
I think its in Gambit Mcrae's sig, maybe?
illabelle
07-12-2016, 14:16
Someone posted a list of shuttle drivers who will pick you up almost anywhere. Deep gap dicks creek gap and Franklin. I just did Neels gap to Fontana. Took me 5 minutes to get a ride into Franklin. Call the Outdoor 76 in Franklin they have a list of shuttle drivers.
Link on this page, plus lots of other helpful info:
http://appalachiantrail.org/home/explore-the-trail/transportation-options
Hey! My husband and I literally just finished a 90 mile section hike of the AT - starting in Franklin and ending at Clingman's Dome in the Smokies. We ended up finishing it in 9 days (planned 10). We stayed at an AirBnb in Franklin and our host, Verna, took us to our starting point at Winding Stair Gap - she was awesome. On day 3, we passed through the Nantahala Outdoor Center and ended up getting a bunk (and a shower, and a burger, and a beer :)). Day 6 we ended up at Fontana Lodge/Village - cool spot. Like I said, we ended up at Clingman's Dome and caught a shuttle back to Franklin to stay with Verna again. Shuttle driver was Colin Gooder - I can give you his number if you want. He was great and also has a hostel in the area. As for food, we dehydrated our own jerky and fruit, portioned out bags of nuts, took Lara bars, made a paleo granola breakfast mix, and threw in a few store bought freeze dried meals. We shipped a resupply box to Fontana but didn't end up needing most of it. Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any questions or need any additional info. We had an absolute blast! :)
I'm another section hiker with a very similar story to yours. I started at Springer when I was 36, and the past seven years have taken me to the southern entrance of SNP, where I'll pick back up in October. My trips are usually in the 150-200 mile range because I only get 8-10 days out at a time.
Regarding your food, there is nothing in my pack that I have made as many drastic changes to over the years than the contents of my food bag. I sought advice ahead of time before I did the GA section...took things I thought I would like and things I like to eat at home...and hated almost all of it when I was only a couple of days in. I threw away 4 pounds of GORP at Neel Gap. No exaggeration. I thought that's what I should snack on when hiking, and it turns out I hate GORP when I'm hiking. The foods I tend to crave on a long AT section hike are pretty different than what I can get by with on a trip over a three day weekend.
I usually carry dehydrated meals for dinner (I love the food from hawkvittles.com), tuna or peanut butter wrapped in a tortilla for lunch, and lots of candy bars. I never drink coffee at home, but I've recently started craving it every morning when I'm backpacking, so now I carry it. Your tastes will change, but eventually you'll figure out a menu that works best for you. Every time you're in the middle of a section and think, "I wish I had brought...," you'll be that much wiser next year.