View Full Version : So I have a week off
I live in Houston and I have a week of vacation to burn in November.
Where on the AT would be the best place for a section hike this time of year ..... recognizing that I'm driving to and from, and it's 900 miles to Springer from here?
skinny minnie
10-12-2007, 14:05
I was looking at jetblue for flights... they have some pretty good deals right now, as does southwest.
I think if you can find a flight for around 200 bucks or less roundtrip, and a shuttle to get you to and from the trail, you should do it. Hit up New England and enjoy some fall foliage.
November is a litte late for NE fall folliage. Just a thought.
The Solemates
10-12-2007, 16:31
wherever you choose, definitely fly. you dont want to eat up 2-3 whole days worth of your vacation just with driving. you can usually find relatively cheap tix. i just did a quick search for houston to atlanta during the month of november on travelocity. there are tix for $200. get a shuttle to the trail or rent a car for $20 a day. you cant beat that...and with a normal 20-25mpg car, you cant really drive that far for that either.
Jack Tarlin
10-12-2007, 16:40
It could get a bit chilly, but for scenery, I'd fly to Tri Cities airport in Johnson City and hike between Erwin and Damascus VA, or I'd spend a week hiking just North of Damascus. Both sections are spectacular.
Just don't make it TOO late in November...... :rolleyes:
If you could find a cheap flight between Houston and Dulles Int'l Airport, west of Washington DC--you could get out to Shenandoah National Park and do all or most of the AT here in one week.
As is true in most of the south and mid-Atlantic, we are in a drought now and have been for some time. By November, who knows? But there are ways to do it, and water sources/caches that don't depend upon springs.
Get in touch with us at Mountain & Valley Shuttle Service (www.mvshuttle.com (http://www.mvshuttle.com)) and we'll find a way to make it all happen. We have been developing strategies for hiking in drought conditions for clients for a couple months now, and only one has been unable to finish (he was carrying nearly 80#s, so go figure).
skinny minnie
10-13-2007, 21:44
November is a litte late for NE fall folliage. Just a thought.
hahaha yeah, true. dates don't always register in my brain too much...i was thinking more immediate... as in, right now, rather than a month from now! whoops :)
Rain Man
10-14-2007, 10:26
Of course it's up to your personal preference. "Hike your own hike," so to speak.
I almost always default to Springer/Amicalola - north. Start at the start, in other words. That'd be my recommendation.
This summer I did the Shenandoah National Park in a week, seven full days of hiking. Not nearly so strenuous as Georgia. There are lodges and "waysides" in the SNP, but most may be closed in November, so be sure the check with the SNP what's open and what's closed.
If you post on here for a ride to start or finish your hike, you might get some volunteers willing to pitch in and help out with a ride. Won't hurt to ask, if that would help you hike wherever you decide to hike.
But, don't fret much over "where," since you'll be getting to "do," that's the important part.
Rain:sunMan
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Can't go too far wrong with Shenandoah Nat. Park, and you've already got an offer for shuttle support (see post #6) from a very knowledgeable local.
springer to neels gap?
Nov is perfect for Ga. Leaves are coming off the trees, can be real nice during the day, cold in the evening but not as unpredictable as it can be in Carolina/Tn. Views are better there, though.
Of course it's up to your personal preference. "Hike your own hike," so to speak.
I almost always default to Springer/Amicalola - north. Start at the start, in other words. That'd be my recommendation.
This summer I did the Shenandoah National Park in a week, seven full days of hiking. Not nearly so strenuous as Georgia. There are lodges and "waysides" in the SNP, but most may be closed in November, so be sure the check with the SNP what's open and what's closed.
If you post on here for a ride to start or finish your hike, you might get some volunteers willing to pitch in and help out with a ride. Won't hurt to ask, if that would help you hike wherever you decide to hike.
But, don't fret much over "where," since you'll be getting to "do," that's the important part.
Rain:sunMan
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Elkwallow Wayside (North District SNP) will be open in early November.
Skyland Lodge and Big Meadows Wayside (not the Lodge) in the Central District will be open until the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
You can do a not-too-shabby resupply at either of the Waysides, and get a decent meal at Skyland, where there is also a bar and nightly entertainment.
When you see a place called Tom Floyd Wayside just north of the SNP boundary in a guidebook, don't get fooled into thinking it is like the other Waysides in SNP. This is one of the cruelest tricks played on hikers on the entire AT. It is just a shelter; not a bad one, but nothing more. No ice cream, no cheeseburgers, no beer, no resupply. It needs to be renamed Tom Floyd Shelter.
When you see a place called Tom Floyd Wayside just north of the SNP boundary in a guidebook, don't get fooled into thinking it is like the other Waysides in SNP. This is one of the cruelest tricks played on hikers on the entire AT. It is just a shelter; not a bad one, but nothing more. No ice cream, no cheeseburgers, no beer, no resupply. It needs to be renamed Tom Floyd Shelter.
Cruelest tricks? I had no expectations of cheeseburgers, ice cream, or beer. They certainly weren't mentioned in the guidebooks. :confused:
My Nephew goes to Georgia Tech and has vollentered to shuttle me back and forth, as long as I don't stray too far from Atlanta. That's why I'm interested in North Georgia.
I'm not particular about starting/ending, although I hike a bit on the slow side and I need to keep the hike to 5 days or less.
Cruelest tricks? I had no expectations of cheeseburgers, ice cream, or beer. They certainly weren't mentioned in the guidebooks. :confused:
You're right. If you pay attention to guidebooks, or symbols, legends, etc. in the Data Book or Companion, you would not expect these things. Not all hikers pay close attention.
NOBOs who just hiked SNP will recall that every other place on the list named "Wayside" (Loft Mt., Big Meadows, Elkwallow) had food, beer, resupply, etc. I've spoken to many, in fact I've been at Tom Floyd when some arrived, who were mad as hell that this place, also called a Wayside, was only a shelter and not a store and grill. That's why I called it a cruel joke in jest, and why I seriously think it should just be renamed Tom Floyd Shelter.