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View Full Version : Question: side hikes and camping, NC/TN border



KieferM
03-03-2017, 17:20
Hi White Blazers,

This looks like an amazing community, one I have just scratched the surface of. I have a few questions I hope you can help me with. I've tried to do due diligence in answering them with old threads, so if I missed some useful info already posted please point me there.

Some friends and I are looking trying to plan a three-day northbound hike ending at Max Patch. I've done the southbound portion through Hot Springs and loved it, and I'm eager to both do something different and to introduce Max Patch to my friends. We will have two cars so as long as we have a safe parking spot in the TN side of things we are flexible.

Here's my plan so far: park at Cosby Knob campground the morning we are leaving and hike the 2 miles to the AT and then the other ~9 to the I40 crossing at Waterville Road. I want to get out of the GSMNP so we can camp away from other people - shelters are great, but I'm interested in catching up with my old friends. Problem 1: anybody know if there are camping spots available relatively soon once we leave the GSMNP? For day one that starts with the drive, I don't want to plan too much walking.

Then we have two days to get to Max Patch, which is only 13 miles away, so that's problem two: finding some side attractions. I saw a mention of waterfalls somewhere, but I'm having trouble tracking down something to add ~6 miles to our trip.

Finally, if we go in the next couple weeks, will there be potential snow, ice, mud? Central NC has been having 70 and 80° days, but I know the mountains are a different game.

I'm open to other suggestions - one possibility is to start deeper in the GSMNP and plan to reserve a backcountry campsite, but I don't see any of those along the AT near the NC border, and then I'm dealing with parking again.

Much thanks for your input.

Slo-go'en
03-03-2017, 18:33
Well, there are several campsites a mile or so up the side of Snowbird. After that nothing until you get to Groundhog creek shelter.

I don't know why you'd want to start at Crosby knob campground. You either have one heck of a big climb to low gap and then have to then go all the way back down, or do a really bumpy trail lower down.

Instead you could park at the Standing Bear Hostel just past Davenport gap (and is right off the interstate) and go to Hot Springs in 3 days. That would be a much nicer hike.

Mockernut
03-03-2017, 19:19
the hike up to the AT from Cosby campground on the Low Gap trail is one of the steeper trails in the park. You'd also want to hit Mt Cammerer towere via the side trail adding time. Add getting all the way out of GSMNP the same day to camp and you have a very ambitious itinerary.

KieferM
03-03-2017, 19:24
That's helpful - maybe we'll end up doing that. Part of goal has been to have some time to enjoy Max Patch, including camping there or nearby. Got any ideas on how to work that in?

KieferM
03-03-2017, 19:27
Mockernut, that's just the kind of info I was looking for. Thanks - I'll rethink things, maybe along the lines of Slo's suggestion.

Do you folks have recommendations for a way to stretch Standing Bear to Max Patch to three days?

4shot
03-03-2017, 19:42
If you get the right set of maps and don't cover a lot of miles/day you could add a day by dropping off at Brown's Gap down into the Martha Sundquist State forest and camping. You could add some mileage by hiking the gravel FS roads in there if that is your thing. I really like it there and it's not a terrible descent or climb in either direction. The campsites are primitive and I've never encountered anyone else camping there. Although i usually camp/hike there in winter so I won't see anyone else when I am camping or hiking there. Last weekend i camped there and hiked up to the AT and met a really nice guy there doing trail magic! In February. Said he had been there awhile and saw 5 "thru hikers" that day.He said it was the most he had seen in one day.

Slo-go'en
03-03-2017, 21:07
I40 to Hot Springs is 34 miles, so that's not too bad for 2 nights, 3 days. I usually do it as 3 nights and hike into Hot Springs early in the morning on the 4th day instead of late on the 3d.

But you really have to hike past Max Patch to do it in 3 days, other wise the last day will be a very long one. The climb up and over Walnut mountain and then Buff Mountain is a bit of a grunt, but once over Bluff it's mostly down hill to Hot Springs.

So, a good way to break it up is Standing Bear to Groundhog Creek shelter. Nice views from the top of Snowbird south to the Smokies and a good place to hang out for a while before heading down to the shelter, were there are good tent sites.

Then Groundhog to Roaring Fork, or a bit farther as there are a couple of tent sites with water between there and Walnut mountain. You'll get to Max Patch early in the day and can spend some time there as the rest of the way is easy.

Avoid Walnut Mt shelter, it's the worst shelter on the AT, but interesting because it's a real old one. It also has a history of bear problems. If you camp just before Lemon Gap, it's 15 miles to Hot Springs, but with a pack mostly empty of food and getting the two climbs out of the way first thing in the morning, it's not too bad.

KieferM
03-04-2017, 12:48
These are good suggestions. I'm still working on some way to end at Max Patch, though.

The Martha Sundquist detour sounds interesting, but I'm having trouble finding enough info to plan for relatively newbie hikers.

If I can't come up with a satisfactory way to start at standing there and use of the time between there and Max Patch, I may try to end the second to last night at Snowbird Mountain so we can arrive mid day at Max Patch and watch a sunset. That gives me 1.5-2 days to come in from GSMNP, so I'm peering closely at the map (https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/upload/GSMNP-Map_JUNE14-complete4-2.pdf) trying to work backwards. Big Creek Trail sounds like a possibility. I think Walnut Bottom (site 37) might be the place to stop the night before, so on day one getting from parking (Cosby Knob?) to Walnut Bottom could be day 1, maybe Low Gap trail.

Thoughts?