View Full Version : Thru Hikers at Neel's Gap and elsewhere....
Hello All, Hope everyone is well. Up here in Ellijay, vacationing in a nice cabin with a spectacular view. Took the grandkids to Amicalola Falls, then to Preachers Rock, at Woody Gap and then to Neel's Gap and Mountain Crossings. Saw a lot of Thru Hikers, a lotta lotta Thru Hikers. Mostly young. Met some guy who said this was his 50th anniversary hike. He had hiked it in 1971. Unfortunately, I forgot to ask them if they participated here on WhiteBlaze. Saw a few pros and a lot of rookies. Talked with the folks at Mountain Crossings and they said about 30 are coming thru each day. Said they were going thru about 15 packs a day to help them lighten up. Some were receptive and some not so much. I carry less than 30 lbs for a 5-8 day hike. I'd say most of what I was looking at was 40 lb packs. Saw an occasional 50 lb'er and one guy was easily 60 but, he was a stocky young lad and handled the load well. I must admit, on my first hike, from Springer to Neel's Gap, I was toting 45 lbs , at the start. I tossed a lot of food out along the way or gave it away. After that, doing pretty good at 35 lbs for awhile and now I shoot for 28. I'm an older gent and I can handle that without thinking about it. A lot of Catalyst and Osprey packs. Oh yeah, a lot of Garmin Inreach minis and Garmin Inreach Explorers. That was interesting. Wasn't expecting that. I have one for taking the sailboat to the Keys or the Bahamas, but never occurred to me to take it on a hike. Can't beat world wide texting for 65 bucks a month. Wonder how much it weighs? Quite a few Vasque looking hiking boots, but mostly hiking shoes. A lot of Nalgene bottles. Nobody was moving very quickly. I reckon the first 33 miles from Springer and possibly the approach trail, had worn them down. They will be good in a couple of weeks. Well, that's the report. Might go back tomorrow and see a few more. Cheer them on. See you there... Kevin
stephanD
03-23-2021, 19:32
This hiking season already is VERY busy. The misanthrope that I'm, I'm happy not to be there :D
Big_Old_Dog
03-24-2021, 08:19
50 pounds? Yikes.
I plan to leave Springer in early May if all goes well, arrive Neels Gap on day 2. I'll eat a massive breakfast and plan to arrive at Neels Gap with no food left. Resupply. I might start with a total pack weight of 12 pounds.
I think I remember being young and strong with heavy pack, no more.
I thought about buying an InReach for my wife's sanity, used to have a Spot Gen3. Other than the ease of SAT texting and the SOS feature, what's the point of it. I doubt you're ever more than 10 miles from a road anywhere on the AT. Just pick a bearing on your compass and walk, assuming you have a lousy map or using an electronic thing. I suspect the poor rich kid's moms made them bring the InReach device.
I think a lot of folks have this grand vision of the Appalachian "wilderness", and being prepared for it. Not taking anything away from the experience as it's special in its own right, but it's not exactly wilderness as folks envision.
Tipi Walter
03-24-2021, 12:54
I think a lot of folks have this grand vision of the Appalachian "wilderness", and being prepared for it. Not taking anything away from the experience as it's special in its own right, but it's not exactly wilderness as folks envision.
Backpacking the AT in January/February changes and answers the "Is It Wilderness?" question. The AT often runs along high mountain ridges where temps can commonly reach 0F or below---and with occasional blizzards dumping 1 or 2 feet of snow. This equates to a real wilderness experience. And thins out the herd. My buddy Hoppin John was on the AT in the Smokies in March '93 and had to get helicopter extracted after being snowed in at a shelter for 5 days. So yeah, it can get wild enough.
One Half
03-24-2021, 20:01
Hello All, Hope everyone is well. Up here in Ellijay, vacationing in a nice cabin with a spectacular view. Took the grandkids to Amicalola Falls, then to Preachers Rock, at Woody Gap and then to Neel's Gap and Mountain Crossings. Saw a lot of Thru Hikers, a lotta lotta Thru Hikers. Mostly young. Met some guy who said this was his 50th anniversary hike. He had hiked it in 1971. Unfortunately, I forgot to ask them if they participated here on WhiteBlaze. Saw a few pros and a lot of rookies. Talked with the folks at Mountain Crossings and they said about 30 are coming thru each day. Said they were going thru about 15 packs a day to help them lighten up. Some were receptive and some not so much. I carry less than 30 lbs for a 5-8 day hike. I'd say most of what I was looking at was 40 lb packs. Saw an occasional 50 lb'er and one guy was easily 60 but, he was a stocky young lad and handled the load well. I must admit, on my first hike, from Springer to Neel's Gap, I was toting 45 lbs , at the start. I tossed a lot of food out along the way or gave it away. After that, doing pretty good at 35 lbs for awhile and now I shoot for 28. I'm an older gent and I can handle that without thinking about it. A lot of Catalyst and Osprey packs. Oh yeah, a lot of Garmin Inreach minis and Garmin Inreach Explorers. That was interesting. Wasn't expecting that. I have one for taking the sailboat to the Keys or the Bahamas, but never occurred to me to take it on a hike. Can't beat world wide texting for 65 bucks a month. Wonder how much it weighs? Quite a few Vasque looking hiking boots, but mostly hiking shoes. A lot of Nalgene bottles. Nobody was moving very quickly. I reckon the first 33 miles from Springer and possibly the approach trail, had worn them down. They will be good in a couple of weeks. Well, that's the report. Might go back tomorrow and see a few more. Cheer them on. See you there... Kevin
I have been noticing this as well in backpacking groups where people are talking about using these on the AT. I just shake my head. Mostly seems like it's "younger" folks who are all "tech savvy" and never been hiking and even a few "adults" whose parents are more like a helicopter. Saw 1 person who is 33 years old having to JUSTIFY their hike to a set of parents! And no, they don't live with their parents. I would consider carrying one in the White Mountains as we all know that place is notorious for sudden and sever weather changes. But not for the rest of the AT unless perhaps in the winter.
I think alot of them are seeing to many YOUTUBE videos with people with inreaches I could see certain hikers using them.Now its more like a part of their Kit one and all..I seeing mostly smartwarter bottles from the people who researched their hikes. I cant say what their packloads are I know mine on my hike to start was 28 till I hit neel Gap then things were mailed home or Bumped up trail. First thru hikers hit DAleville yesterday about 330 pm passed a hiker that was walking to Kroger and another one checked into motel 8 today.
LittleRock
03-25-2021, 10:28
I have been noticing this as well in backpacking groups where people are talking about using these on the AT. I just shake my head. Mostly seems like it's "younger" folks who are all "tech savvy" and never been hiking and even a few "adults" whose parents are more like a helicopter. Saw 1 person who is 33 years old having to JUSTIFY their hike to a set of parents! And no, they don't live with their parents. I would consider carrying one in the White Mountains as we all know that place is notorious for sudden and sever weather changes. But not for the rest of the AT unless perhaps in the winter.
I remember seeing one 20-something "thru-hiker" in VA whose mom actually drove to the nearest trailhead and hiked a few miles to the nearest shelter, set up his tent and made him dinner while he sat and played cards with a few of his friends.
What's with all of the inReach shaming? While the AT is not as wild as say the CDT, there are plenty of areas that lack cell phone coverage, and being able to send out a text message from some places can be handy. Also, bad things do happen out on the trail occasionally. An inReach Mini weighs 101 grams or 3.56 ounces.
I purchased my inReach Mini for when I was going to be riding my motorcycle on the Trans America Trail, and getting injured in a remote area was a much higher probability than on the AT, but since I have it, I'll be bringing it. Would I buy one just for hiking the AT? Probably not. My base weight, with a bear canister and my inReach Mini included, will be around 12 pounds, and the inReach is something I choose to bring with me. If you choose to bring camp shoes for example, that's your choice.
Be thankful that there may be someone out on the trail near you who may be carrying an inReach, if you were the one to have a medical emergency in an area without cell phone coverage.
Big_Old_Dog
03-25-2021, 16:47
What's with all of the inReach shaming? While the AT is not as wild as say the CDT, there are plenty of areas that lack cell phone coverage, and being able to send out a text message from some places can be handy. Also, bad things do happen out on the trail occasionally. An inReach Mini weighs 101 grams or 3.56 ounces.
I purchased my inReach Mini for when I was going to be riding my motorcycle on the Trans America Trail, and getting injured in a remote area was a much higher probability than on the AT, but since I have it, I'll be bringing it. Would I buy one just for hiking the AT? Probably not. My base weight, with a bear canister and my inReach Mini included, will be around 12 pounds, and the inReach is something I choose to bring with me. If you choose to bring camp shoes for example, that's your choice.
Be thankful that there may be someone out on the trail near you who may be carrying an inReach, if you were the one to have a medical emergency in an area without cell phone coverage.
Hikers bring two pairs of shoes? That would get me an InReach and a French Press.
Hikers bring two pairs of shoes? That would get me an InReach and a French Press.
I wonder what percentage of thru hikers brings a second pair of footwear? The lightest footwear that I own is a well worn pair of Teva flip flops, which I just weighed at 12.7 ounces for the pair. I would love to bring them along, if they weighed 1/3 of that.
One of my real concerns is getting athletes foot from showering in hostels or campgrounds, without having flip flops to wear. I don't care about having "camp shoes", it's just the athletes foot thing. I had it years ago, and it sucks having to put antifungal cream on your toes for weeks. The lightest solution is to go with no prevention and then deal with it if it happens. An alternative would be to carry a small tube of antifungal cream to put on prophylactically after showering in a questionable shower, but antifungal stuff is better avoided if not needed. Pretty off base from the original thread content, but I wonder what others experiences/thoughts are with athletes foot on the trail.
Big_Old_Dog
03-25-2021, 17:46
I wonder what percentage of thru hikers brings a second pair of footwear? The lightest footwear that I own is a well worn pair of Teva flip flops, which I just weighed at 12.7 ounces for the pair. I would love to bring them along, if they weighed 1/3 of that.
One of my real concerns is getting athletes foot from showering in hostels or campgrounds, without having flip flops to wear. I don't care about having "camp shoes", it's just the athletes foot thing. I had it years ago, and it sucks having to put antifungal cream on your toes for weeks. The lightest solution is to go with no prevention and then deal with it if it happens. An alternative would be to carry a small tube of antifungal cream to put on prophylactically after showering in a questionable shower, but antifungal stuff is better avoided if not needed. Pretty off base from the original thread content, but I wonder what others experiences/thoughts are with athletes foot on the trail.
Vinyl cleanroom booties weigh nothing.
Considerate contractors slide them on when coming into the house.
Potentially useful over thin gloves in rain.
I have been experimenting with them on stream crossings. Take socks and shoe liners out. Put booties on feet. Put feet in shoes. Cross. Jury is out.
I agree. Nail fungus is a lot worse than just ugly
Vinyl cleanroom booties weigh nothing.
or plastic grocery bags..........
Slo-go'en
03-25-2021, 21:09
The only shower I was a bit reluctant to step into barefooted was the one next to the Fontana Hilton. It was beyond gross. But I did, with no ill effects. The donation based hostel showers can be a bit iffy too since no one really takes care of them. I suppose if you had open wounds like blisters, that could be more of a concern. Just wipe your feet with an anti-bacteria hand wipe afterwards.
Maineiac64
03-25-2021, 22:13
Did some light trail magic this weekend, saw a lot of hikers. The thing I noticed most was the smiles and excitement of being out on a cool adventure. All were very nice people. Hyofh.
Big_Old_Dog
03-26-2021, 03:52
or plastic grocery bags..........
How do they stay up walking into the nasty shower?
Vinyl cleanroom booties weigh nothing.
or plastic grocery bags..........
How do they stay up walking into the nasty shower?
A couple rubber bands should work, although I like your cleanroom bootie suggestion as well.
Alcohol kills most fungus, rub in a little hand sanitizer (just cuz it says hand doesn't make it exclusive)
Big_Old_Dog
03-26-2021, 10:01
Alcohol kills most fungus, rub in a little hand sanitizer (just cuz it says hand doesn't make it exclusive)
I am not sure about that. I would guess 70-85% IPA would be needed and the feet would need to soak for 15-30 minutes if a minor fungal infection is established, but this is just a guess from experience cleaning mold. This topical treatment would not work once the nailbed is infected. But I think your approach make sense after a long day(s) in the rain to dry/clean the feet really well and disinfect with alcohol and then some medicated gold bond powder to prevent occurrence. Mold spores are not so easy to get rid of and they are very contagious. I had to take oral antifungal medicines once and care not to suffer that one again. Just a pure guess on my part.
BlueRidgeGator
03-26-2021, 10:21
I've been lost on the trail before. I will be taking an Inreach mini with me so that doesn't happen again.
greenpete
03-26-2021, 10:59
I've been lost on the trail before. I will be taking an Inreach mini with me so that doesn't happen again.
Don't mean to cast aspersions, but have you considered a map and compass? Seems to me we're technologically "easing" ourselves into ridiculousness.
Wilderness is where things work the way they're supposed to work - Walkin' Jim Stoltz
What's with all of the inReach shaming?
What's with any shaming... period? If folks choose to wear heavy Vasque boots or carry a Nalgene or whatever, that's their business. I don't think I'd pour boiling water into a SmartWater bottle and stick it in my sleeping bag at night - but I'd do it with a Nalgene. Different strokes, HYOH, whatever. I'm happy to share my techniques/gear list/insight/whatever with anyone who asks me, but otherwise I'm going to assume that they carry what they want to carry and wear what they want to wear, and it's none of my concern.
And if anyone's Mom wants to cook my dinner and tuck me in... I'll send my itinerary.
Tuxhiker
03-26-2021, 12:25
I carry a satellite rescue device for emergencies. It is for the peace of mind of my son, my 88 yr old mother, my pre-retirement coworkers, and friends. It puts an immediate halt to those annoying conversations that begin with: You hike alone! Well-worth the cost and weight penalty. I am a senior, female, solo hiker. If I didn't hike alone, I wouldn't bother with it.
To address the dirty shower issue: If you don't want to carry shower shoes, crocs, or whatever; you might consider carrying a non-scratch SOS scrub pad or a toilet wand refill pad (without the wand). Both have embedded cleaning stuff for those rare disgusting showers. Both should also be pretty light. Scrub it down, then let it sit a while before you shower. Then congratulate yourself for accomplishing some trail magic!
InReach is a tool like any other and it has saved lives. I carry mine for the peace of mind of family members but unusually only on remote hikes like in the Sierra Nevada. I have a “freedom” subscription plan that can be turned on and off as needed. The cost is not great in ounces or dollars if it provides some peace of mind. If I was a solo hiker with no family or friends, I probably wouldn’t carry one but thankfully I do have people who worry about me when I am on trail and I owe it to them to do what I can to alleviate concern.
The alcohol was just for the athletes foot concern. I know it isn’t enough for nail bed fungus unfortunately.
cmoulder
03-27-2021, 07:31
What's with any shaming... period? If folks choose to wear heavy Vasque boots or carry a Nalgene or whatever, that's their business. I don't think I'd pour boiling water into a SmartWater bottle and stick it in my sleeping bag at night - but I'd do it with a Nalgene. Different strokes, HYOH, whatever. I'm happy to share my techniques/gear list/insight/whatever with anyone who asks me, but otherwise I'm going to assume that they carry what they want to carry and wear what they want to wear, and it's none of my concern.
And if anyone's Mom wants to cook my dinner and tuck me in... I'll send my itinerary.
+1000^^^^
If someone asks I'll gladly share what I have learned, and I will cease discussion at the first hint of disinterest, which is usually "Yeah, but...." after which I cordially bow out.
Fine by me and no hard feelings. I'm not carrying their stuff.
And, inreach mini weighs 100g on the nose and it keeps my wife happy. A ping a day is all she asks, which isn't too much IMO.
Water Rat
03-27-2021, 10:40
And if anyone's Mom wants to cook my dinner and tuck me in... I'll send my itinerary.
^^ THIS sounds like it could be the answer for when people ask, "What can I do for Trail Magic?" I think this might be an untapped market. ;)
I can think of a couple of other reasons why people are carrying personal locator devices...
Caregivers who need to be able to be reached in the event of an emergency. Carrying an InReach was the only way I could still continue to hike, while remaining in contact with my mostly independent relative. That tool allowed me to still be able to get out there and hike.
I also have a friend who was recently diagnosed with an underlying health condition that will eventually end her hiking days. In the meantime, and while she still feels able to get out there, the InReach is allowing her to still retain some semblance of normal. To look at her, one would think she was perfectly fine and healthy. Without this tool, there is no way her doctors and family would feel comfortable with her being out on the trails by herself.
Never judge a book by its cover. At a quick glance, and without knowing these back stories, I am sure many have thought my friend and I were both just following "the trend." At the end of the day, we should just be happy people are still choosing to get out there and hike. People have their own reasons for what they do, and why they use the gear they have.
Big_Old_Dog
03-27-2021, 12:22
One very nice aspect of the InReach service plans over Spot is the ability to go on a month to month basis. I no longer have my SPOT (gave it to a friend) but you were stuck to keep a yearly package. I have been on the fence WRT buying an InReach. The basic month to month "Freedom" plan is $14.95 per month and the top of the line plan is $64.95 per month with a $34.95 yearly fee for the Freedom plan (month to month). The basic yearly plan is only $11.95 per month with 10 free texts per month and 10 minute tracking interval. I would think anyone with a Verizon cell plan would have sufficient coverage to make due with only 10 free text messages per month on the InReach and the $0.50 overage isn't bad.
3.5 oz isn't bad for a safety device. My little Sig P938 only weighs 21 oz loaded with holster.
Maineiac64
03-28-2021, 06:18
I mentioned in another thread I am using a Zoleo satellite messenger, it works great.
Night Train
04-01-2021, 13:23
I remember seeing one 20-something "thru-hiker" in VA whose mom actually drove to the nearest trailhead and hiked a few miles to the nearest shelter, set up his tent and made him dinner while he sat and played cards with a few of his friends.
Say What!!
InReach is all about texting which most Americans seem addicted to. I don’t care bring your InReach devices. Public showers without shower shoes is a gamble just like a lot of choices on the trail and in life. Just don’t complain after. When I hike I notice lots of things other hikers do that I would not, etc. I keep my mouth shut and try to mind my own business.
Emerson Bigills
12-13-2021, 09:17
I haven't returned to Neel Gap since my hike in '17. I have had the chance to talk with hundreds of prospective thru-hikers and dozens of folks that finished. The information available to them today is so vast, that they are usually overwhelmed with what to buy and what lies ahead. They will ultimately figure it out or go home. There are 100 ways to thru-hike the AT, ten of them are bad, but the others depend on your fitness level, reason for being there, people you end up hiking with and your timeline. That, along with the people you meet on and off the trail, is what makes an AT thru so special. Soak up all the knowledge you can before the hike, decide what sounds most like you and your budget, then roll up the trail and adjust as you learn.
Most people don't need an In-Reach on the AT. It does makes sense for many people on other trails, but if it makes them or their family more confident and comfortable on the AT, the weight is not significant. With the proliferation of electronics, maps and compasses are almost extinct on the AT and PCT. Electronic devices have their weaknesses, but some form of navigation redundancy is easily attained. The In-Reach is really a valuable piece of gear with very little downside.
I really enjoy talking with folks that are planning to start their AT thru-hike in a few months. Most of them are still novices in the field, but their excitement level is off the charts. They also to a person, express that deep concern for the unknown. I think that is what makes embarking on an AT thru so special.... the mixed emotions. Brings back really good memories.