First Section Hike, Amicalola Northbound, Tips & Suggestions Welcome

[Mountain Laurel]

We just managed to get a week off from work to celebrate our 30th anniversary doing what we love best! Originally were going to Big South Fork, but my husband wants to do a section of Georgia so we can see if we are really cut out for a thru hike in the very near future. I acquiesced because if it goes well, that "near future" may be sooner than if we didn't. :)

We have a loose plan, but all this is based on reading the AT guide, this forum, scouring the 'net, etc. Suggestions always welcome, and of course we know we'll probably still manage to do something stupid along the way regardless. Due to logistics and wanting as much time on the trail as possible, hiking SB is probably off the table. (Originally considered a shuttle up to the GA/NC border and heading south toward the car.) We will be coming after work on Friday 5/4 and that doesn't get us to the area until close to 9 or 10 at night best case scenario on Friday night. Rather than a good chunk of Saturday shuttling, figured we'd just do what we came there to do -- hike -- and head up the approach trail.

We plan to get a room at the lodge for 5/4 (appears late arrival/check-in is doable). We'll head out the approach trail as early as possible on 5/5 (we're early risers so as soon as we can get breakfast, we'll be gone). At this point, we're trying to be flexible because the rules are first and foremost, don't get hurt; secondly, have fun; thirdly, review rules one and two.

I assume we can make contact with a shuttle driver to bring us back to our car sometime on either 5/12 or 5/13 and firm up the actual pickup spot a day or so before. That may be a completely incorrect assumption, however? The furthest we could make it, I'm sure, is probably 100 mile tower, and that's with very little goofing around on resupply or nights in town. I'd love to do the Georgia section, but not if it means a Bataan Death March mentality. As near as I can tell, you have to either quit at Dick's Gap or go on a good ways. Is that correct?

AFA experience, training, etc., we only got back into hiking last May, after we rediscovered it during a trip to the Grand Canyon, Page & Sedona for my 60th birthday. We went back last October to GNCP and did a rim to rim with camping at the bottom and had a great time. (We hiked out from BA to the South Rim in 6 hours with packs.)
We've done most of South Cumberland, including "The Gizz" in an out and back. We're a little out of condition after a lousy winter here, but we're back on toughest trails we can find and will stay there until we leave. We walk, run, bike, hit the gym as much as possible. We're pretty lightweight as well.

Anyway, resources, suggestions, tips, etc., as we prepare for this are very much appreciated! I have lurked and read so much on this forum for a long time. I appreciate the wealth of knowledge and information y'all freely share!

[Gambit McCrae]

Shuttle needs to be setup....Now. Ron Brown is a great resource but is a busy man. I would call him today and a time of "noon" is always what I tell a shuttle up front, and ask if they are flexible with pickup time sooner to the day you get picked up. They almost always can be a little flexible. Ron is a good texter so communication will be there.

Just my 2 cents but I personally would get on the trail that night. You don't have to go far, but it would be cool to start your week long hike right out of the gate, and you can climb all them stairs in the cool of the night :)

I would take the days you have available(Looks like a sat to next sunday) and set an average of 8-10 miles a day and make that what you shoot for mileage wise (93.6 miles). You could hike the entire state of GA and have a pickup at Deep Gap, NC (the first road over the state line) and that would be an average of 10.4 miles a day. If you go into Helen, GA for a resupply and hotel night you could do so without changing your daily average.

You mentioned BSF...Please keep in mind that the terrain of the AT, especially in GA is going to be significantly different then that of BSF. Water availability will actually be better on the AT then in many areas of BSF but should still be managed better then if you were in BSF. See BSF is flat. So if you run out of water until the next source there is nothing overly strenuous between you and the next source. Whereas on the AT, in the same distance between water as you had in BSF, there could be a mountain to walk over, and if you run out of water on the climb up that isn't so much fun. I carry 2 liters with me which many say is 1 liter too much, but I never run out and that is a comforting fact for me.

[Slo-go'en]

If your not getting there until well after dark, definitely stay at the inn. That will be much better then trying to find the trail and a camping spot in the dark. You'd have to go at least a few miles before finding a spot to camp. Starting in the morning somewhat refreshed and with a good breakfast is a good idea.

Anyway, you should be able to make Dicks creek gap in a week. That's about 78 miles with the approach trail. If you don't have to drive home until Sunday, that gives you up to 9 days of hiking. Last year I managed to hike from the Lodge to Dicks creek gap in 6 days, much of it in the rain, with a chest cold or allergies which kept me up all night. You might want to take it a little easier.

There is no cell service at Dicks creek gap, so if you have to call the shuttle driver to let him know when you'll be there, check for service while still up on the ridge before descending into the gap.

[Mountain Laurel]

Thanks, Gambit! I thought I had replied to you but it disappeared. Hiking the approach at night sure does meet the fun factor, but not too sure about the not getting hurt part. :) Remember, we're old and we'll have been up since 5 a.m. BNA time on Friday.

BSF is a place we've not been yet, but it's closer and we can do a long weekend there another time. We'll probably go back to the Connector Trail at South Cumberland if we can sneak out a day to do it before we leave, but other than that it's loops on Mossy Ridge in Edwin Warner. Water is something we take seriously -- appreciate the tip. I think we should be able to do 10 miles a day, but we won't know until we try. I'd love to get to Deep Gap if it turns out we're up to the challenge. We have to get home on Sunday the 13th so we can't get back to the car too late that day.

[Mountain Laurel]

Thanks Slo-go'en! I am hoping if we turn out to be trail animals and can make it further we can adapt the plan. The likelihood of that happening is probably not too big a threat, but it would be fun to have the option if we do find ourselves pushing on to Deep Gap! Still puzzling through where to camp if one site is closer than we want to stop for the day and the next is too far. I'm trying to research discrete camping and so far not seeing too much on that. Don't want to break any rules or LNT so would welcome any information on that as well.

[Gambit McCrae]

Thanks Slo-go'en! I am hoping if we turn out to be trail animals and can make it further we can adapt the plan. The likelihood of that happening is probably not too big a threat, but it would be fun to have the option if we do find ourselves pushing on to Deep Gap! Still puzzling through where to camp if one site is closer than we want to stop for the day and the next is too far. I'm trying to research discrete camping and so far not seeing too much on that. Don't want to break any rules or LNT so would welcome any information on that as well.

I cant help too much on stealth camping as I never do it. But typically there is tenting options every couple miles, and for bigger pushes there will be another shelter. I have always planned the following the day, after completing the current days hiking. This may help you as well, and not have to make that choice at the end of a long day. I have always found that another 2 miles never killed me or cut a trip short, at the same time stopping 2 miles short never put me so far behind that an ectra hour of walking the next day didn't make up for it. It is a good bit of give and take. More miles one day, less miles another.

[JC13]

Stealth camping is just that, it is not going to be listed. LNT requires you to return the site to the appearance of no one having camped there.

As for established campsites, they are every few miles in Ga. If you are parking at the Lodge, how are you getting to the Approach Trail beginning? If you park at the parking area for extended trips near the Visitor Center, there is a shelter almost immediately behind the Center. If you park at the Lodge and do not do the stairs, there are sites .5 and .7 miles from the Lodge parking area.

A friend and I started from there late one Friday evening and had no trouble getting to either of those sites in the dark.

As for mileage, its hard to say. If you wanted to do 10-11 miles a day, that would put you near Stover Creek Shelter Saturday night. Since you are travelling in May, you also have to follow the bear canister rule if you plan to stay in between Jarred Gap and Neel Gap.

[Mountain Laurel]

See, that's something I didn't know -- parking for the lodge is not the same as the extended parking. Thanks, Leonidas! I guess we can leave it open to a night outside that first night. Just didn't want to be those fools who blow into a site at 11 at night and make friends right off the bat. :)

I hope we can avoid anything not established the entire way. Just sometimes in the book I see a choice of stopping at 7 or 8 or going for 16. And it may just alllll work out fine. Read a suggestion of stopping to eat dinner around 4 or 5 and then just hiking it off for another hour or two. That may be a good plan for a day we need to go a little further.

A lot of reading I've done is you have a basic plan and then you just go with the weather, your energy level, etc. When we do the thru, that will be a lot easier because it is what it is and it takes as long as it takes. But this section hike will definitely be good experience for that too!

[Slo-go'en]

Leave your packs at the road (well, a little into the woods) where the trail crosses on the way to the lodge. Then drive down to the extended parking lot and climb the 600 steps along the falls without your packs. Or if you want to save some time and skip the approach trail, drive to the parking lot on FS42 and park there. Then it's a quick in and out to tag the summit of Springer.

There is camping in all the gaps, but there is no water and it can be quite windy if a storm comes through. Two reasons I don't camp in gaps or exposed peaks. I like to have sufficient water near-by and I don't like having my tent blown away.

Georgia is actually a pretty difficult section of trail, don't push too hard.

[Mountain Laurel]

Good advice in that last sentence for sure. I'm a little Type A in my athletic endeavors and I've got the scars to prove it!!

[JC13]

From doing the GA section I can tell you that there are considerably more established sites than what are listed. You might be best served by just shooting to get to Dicks Creek Gap and playing it by ear. After that point the ability to get off trail becomes a little more complicated until:

Deep Gap mile 84.8
Rock Gap 105.6
Winding Stair Gap 109.2

Mileages above are all from Springer not from the Approach start.
All near Franklin. So you would be looking at 77-78 miles if you do the Approach and stop at DCG. If you get there with 2-4 days to spare, then look at pushing past.

[Mountain Laurel]

Thank you so much again, Leonidas! That seems a reasonable plan. I know the Approach Trail miles may mean the difference in completing the official Georgia section. BUT since I am seriously hoping and planning on coming back to do it all again in a thru, if that's how it turns out, it's still all good. Also good news on more established sites!

[illabelle]

It's always a guess as to where you'll finish up on a section hike. Just pick one that feels about right. If you find that you can do more miles than planned, you can either spend more time in camp, or hike past your car and get a shuttle back when you're done.

Another option we've used on weeklong sections is to park our car near the halfway point. When we get to the car, we can get fresh clothes and food resupply, or we can drive somewhere for food and a shower. Arrange to shuttle your vehicle to the endpoint at that time (and you'll have a better idea of where that endpoint should be). Costs a little more for two shuttles, but well worth it to me.

We've used Ron Brown three times, at least once was after dark. I'd suggest calling him directly and letting him know when you expect to arrive, and what you prefer to do. There's a decent chance he'd be willing to meet you at your endpoint (or halfway point) and shuttle you to Amicalola Friday evening. If not, he may have another suggestion for you.

We started section-hiking the AT for our 20th anniversary in November 2010. We plan to finish on our 30th anniversary, which is beginning to be almost within sight. What a journey!

Best of luck to you. Hope you enjoy your week on the trail.

[Mountain Laurel]

Aw, congratulations on your section-hiking journey and upcoming 30th! We're late bloomers so a thru or maybe a couple of seriously LASH adventures are more likely to be in our future after we test the waters next month. :)

There's another idea -- although I have to say my paranoia about leaving anything in our car is extremely high after we got our car broken into at the trail a few weeks ago. Yipes!

Thank you so much for the ideas and well wishes. We're really looking forward to it!!

[skater]

Check out the Georgia AT Club website (http://Georgia-ATclub.org for tips, maps, FAQs, etc. Invest $10 or so in the Guthook app and the Georgia section - money well spent. It will help you plan water refills, find additional camp sites, and find just how big that hill was you just climbed. (Better to not look until you get to the top ;-)

[Mountain Laurel]

We've got Guthooks and bought Georgia a few days ago! I totally do that when I run up a big hill -- try not to look because I'll be too depressed if I'm not as far as I thought I was. I think I've been on the Georgia AT site before, but I'll be sure to go take another look. Thanks so much!

Still trying to figure out the clothing/layers for that time of year. We have a few weeks to throw it all on the bed a dozen times and then put it all on. :)

[JC13]

Personally, I would pack like recommended in Skurka's:Core Backpacking Clothing || Check lists & systems for 3-season conditions

https://andrewskurka.com/2015/backpacking-clothing-systems-3-season-conditions/

He has a section specifically for the AT/GSMNP in all seasons. I would focus on what he recommends for summer in GSMNP and use that for May in GA. It has gotten cold in May the past couple of years. I used it for GSMNP last year in July and it was spot on, my wife laughed at me bringing a puffy and some other warm gear until she was freezing when it dropped to somewhere around 40*.

[Mountain Laurel]

Thanks, Leonidas! I sleep cold, hike cold, live cold. You will pry my puffy out of my cold dead fingers unless it's like July at sea level. :) Seriously, when I moved to Salt Lake from Florida and froze my fanny off July 4th at Snowbird when the sun went down, I realized it can get cold in the mountains anytime. I will check out Andrew's list now. I'm sure this week-long adventure will be a practice session for us on so many things -- including what to take and wear.