View Full Version : Resupply between NOC and Hot Springs
As I was creating a tentative plan for my first few mail drops today, I noticed there is no decent resupply point between the NOC and Hot Springs, NC. There is the Friendly Fields convienent store, but that is for short term, and I need food to get me through the Smokies and up to Hot Springs. Is there a good spot to buy food or do a mail drop, or do I need to send enough food to the NOC to get me to Hot Springs where I can have my next mail drop.
Kirby
You could always send a resupply to Fontana Village, but that's only 28 miles from NOC. Gatlinburg is another resupply point, but to this hiker, it's a must miss. It's s tourist trap, but they do have a good outfitter. Standing Bear Farm is a hostel at the north end of the Smokies. They might hold a mail drop, but I wouldn't send a drop somewhere unless I was planning on spending the night.
Good luck.
I know I have to carry enough food to go through the Smokies, what I am hoping to find is a resupply/mail drop point just before the Smokies, I will be there near the end of March, which means all services at Fontana Dam will not be open yet.
Kirby
I know I have to carry enough food to go through the Smokies, what I am hoping to find is a resupply/mail drop point just before the Smokies, I will be there near the end of March, which means all services at Fontana Dam will not be open yet.
Kirby
There is limited resupply at Fontana Village. There is a post office there. You could also choose to stay at the Hike Inn. The owners often run hikers into Robbinsville for resupply at the grocery store.
Jack Tarlin
10-28-2007, 15:57
Then sand a drop to Fontana Dam; you'll want to do this in any case since the market there isn't that great. Kirby, if you check the "Articles" section of Whiteblaze, you'll find a lengthy article on Re-suuply and shopping possibilities; you might find this information useful.
dixicritter
10-28-2007, 15:58
You beat me to suggesting that Jack :)
Pacific Tortuga
10-28-2007, 16:00
Then sand a drop to Fontana Dam; you'll want to do this in any case since the market there isn't that great. Kirby, if you check the "Articles" section of Whiteblaze, you'll find a lengthy article on Re-suuply and shopping possibilities; you might find this information useful.
The articles by Jack were very helpful for me this year. I printed them and had them mailed to me or just checked them out in a trail town to see what I needed.
I completely missed the Hike-Inn in the Companion, I think I will stay there over night and have a mail drop sent there.
Thanks for the advice everyone,
Kirby
Then sand a drop to Fontana Dam; you'll want to do this in any case since the market there isn't that great. Kirby, if you check the "Articles" section of Whiteblaze, you'll find a lengthy article on Re-suuply and shopping possibilities; you might find this information useful.
Thank you.
Kirby
FWIW, it appears that millions of dollars are being poured into Fontana Village by the owners. I don't think it will remain the low cost option for hikers much longer, if at all.
Just a Hiker
10-28-2007, 16:08
I completely missed the Hike-Inn in the Companion, I think I will stay there over night and have a mail drop sent there.
Thanks for the advice everyone,
Kirby
Hey Kirby, I stay at the Hike Inn every year, Jeff and Nancy are good people. One word of advice.....call them from NOC and make a reservation because they fill up pretty quick during peak NOBO season. Also, if you don't want to send food there, they'll take you to town for resupply.
Jim
Hey Kirby, I stay at the Hike Inn every year, Jeff and Nancy are good people. One word of advice.....call them from NOC and make a reservation because they fill up pretty quick during peak NOBO season. Also, if you don't want to send food there, they'll take you to town for resupply.
Jim
I will do a resupply or a mail drop, not sure which, since I need to get through the Smokies, I think I will do a mail drop so that I do not have to deal with buying 7-8 days worth of food, I have a strong dis-like for food shopping, mainly because I buy too much fruit and not enough of everything else.
Kirby
Appalachian Tater
10-28-2007, 16:28
http://www.thehikeinn.netfirms.com/rates.htm
Thru-hiker rates are $50 for one, $55 for two, and $20 per person additional, plus 10% tax, includes ride to & from dam (there's a payphone at the visitor center), ride into town for dinner and groceries, and a load of laundry.
Gatlinburg is an interesting place. We had not planned to go there, but there was a bad storm with freezing rain. The temperature dropped rapidly and the weather was so bad that we were given a ride into town by local hikers who came to the trailhead to "rescue" us. It turned out to be fun, there's easy transportation on the main road by bus or walking, a good grocery store, lots of good places to eat including AYCE, the outiftters, and of course, the Grand Prix where the deal was, if you stay two nights the third one is free and Sundays are free if you're already there Saturday night, in case you need a few days to recover from an injury or something. The people-watching is absolutely spectacular. There was also a festival in the parking lot at the outfitters. The town was protected from the storm by the mountains somehow. Turned out not to be so bad of a stop after all, certainly an eye-opening experience if you have never been there before. And it's easy to hitch a ride back to the trail.
Appalachian Tater
10-28-2007, 16:29
I will do a resupply or a mail drop, not sure which, since I need to get through the Smokies, I think I will do a mail drop so that I do not have to deal with buying 7-8 days worth of food, I have a strong dis-like for food shopping, mainly because I buy too much fruit and not enough of everything else.
Kirby
Just don't buy mangos, poor edible flesh-to-waste ratio. Bananas work well in your tent back with your poles to keep them from getting squished. And eat your watermelon in town for obvious reasons.
Pacific Tortuga
10-28-2007, 16:44
http://www.thehikeinn.netfirms.com/rates.htm
Thru-hiker rates are $50 for one, $55 for two, and $20 per person additional, plus 10% tax, includes ride to & from dam (there's a payphone at the visitor center), ride into town for dinner and groceries, and a load of laundry.
Gatlinburg is an interesting place. We had not planned to go there, but there was a bad storm with freezing rain. The temperature dropped rapidly and the weather was so bad that we were given a ride into town by local hikers who came to the trailhead to "rescue" us. It turned out to be fun, there's easy transportation on the main road by bus or walking, a good grocery store, lots of good places to eat including AYCE, the outiftters, and of course, the Grand Prix where the deal was, if you stay two nights the third one is free and Sundays are free if you're already there Saturday night, in case you need a few days to recover from an injury or something. The people-watching is absolutely spectacular. There was also a festival in the parking lot at the outfitters. The town was protected from the storm by the mountains somehow. Turned out not to be so bad of a stop after all, certainly an eye-opening experience if you have never been there before. And it's easy to hitch a ride back to the trail.
Cabin's at Fontana were going for 60 $$ a night,room for 4. Gatlinberg, was a nice surprise for me. Gimped in with a bone bruise and checked out motels and found one. The East Side Motel, and he charged me 25 $$ a night. The owner did ask, "sure your alone?". He also drove me back to the Trail head. I thought I was looking at 40 $$ per night. He said the INDIAns were offering 3 mill for his place, not sure if he sold.
Where is Gatlingburg is relation to Fontana Dam?
Kirby
Interesting takes on Gatlinburg.
Kind of like Old Orchard Beach, ME. Without the Gifford's.
Where is Gatlingburg is relation to Fontana Dam?
Kirby
39 miles by trail to Newfound gap, and then a good long hitch down into town. Some people find it easy. I struck out hitching there.
Just a Hiker
10-28-2007, 17:01
Where is Gatlingburg is relation to Fontana Dam?
Kirby
Gatlinburg is accessible from Newfound Gap which is your only road crossing in the Park. It's 2 to 3 days north of Fontana Dam. It's usually an easy hitch into Gatlinburg as there are alot of people and cars at Newfound Gap.
Gatlinburg is about40 miles north and about 15 west out of newfound gap.Its nice but its a turest trap,so bring alot of cast for a good time.
Just a Hiker
10-28-2007, 17:03
Interesting takes on Gatlinburg.
Kind of like Old Orchard Beach, ME. Without the Gifford's.
I was in Bar Harbour this summer on a Saturday.....it's was like Gatlinburg with Lobster rolls!
Jack Tarlin
10-28-2007, 17:12
Gotta disagree with Gatlinburg/Newfound being 2-3 days hike from Fontana; doing back-to back twenties here would be a tall order for most folks, especially if they don't even enter the National Park til mid or late morning of their first day's hiking. I'd say 3-4 days to cover this distance would be a better estimate unless one is travelling quite light, making big miles every day, or both.
I was in Bar Harbour this summer on a Saturday.....it's was like Gatlinburg with Lobster rolls!
But smaller, more expensive, and tackier.
Just a Hiker
10-28-2007, 17:20
Gotta disagree with Gatlinburg/Newfound being 2-3 days hike from Fontana; doing back-to back twenties here would be a tall order for most folks, especially if they don't even enter the National Park til mid or late morning of their first day's hiking. I'd say 3-4 days to cover this distance would be a better estimate unless one is travelling quite light, making big miles every day, or both.
Sure, It always depends on when a person leaves, and their conditioning! If I get an early start, I can get to Spence Field on Day 1, then Double Springs on Day 2, and then Newfound Gap by early afternoon and day 3. I realize everyone is different.
Jim
Just a Hiker
10-28-2007, 17:24
Of course I don't hang out at Shuckstack Tower or Clingman's Dome either, so that saves me time as well.
So, from what I have gathered, I have two options related to the Hike-Inn:
I can have a mail drop at the NOC with enough food to get me to Fontana Dam, and have the Hike-Inn pick me up at Fontana Dam, and have a mail drop at the Hike-Inn with enough food to get me to Hot Springs.
Or:
I have a mail drop at the NOC with enough food to get me to Newfound Gap where I can have the Hike-Inn pick me up, stay there for the night, and have enough food in my mail drop at the Hike-Inn to get me to Hot Springs.
Which one is the better option,
Kirby
So, from what I have gathered, I have two options related to the Hike-Inn:
I can have a mail drop at the NOC with enough food to get me to Fontana Dam, and have the Hike-Inn pick me up at Fontana Dam, and have a mail drop at the Hike-Inn with enough food to get me to Hot Springs.
Or:
I have a mail drop at the NOC with enough food to get me to Newfound Gap where I can have the Hike-Inn pick me up, stay there for the night, and have enough food in my mail drop at the Hike-Inn to get me to Hot Springs.
Which one is the better option,
Kirby
It would be VERY expensive to have the Hike Inn pick you up at Newfound Gap. That's really not a practical option. At all.
Plan C would be to hitch into Gatlinburg from Newfound Gap.
Revised Options:
The first one mentioned above
Or:
Everything in the second option,except I would hitch a ride into Gatlingburg and resupply, or both.
Kirby
Jack Tarlin
10-28-2007, 17:29
A third option:
Fontana Dam to Hot Springs is a long way.
I'd plan on re-supplying at the very friendly Standing Bear Farm, which is just yards off the Trail right after you get out of the Smokies. The re-supply there is more than adequate to get you to Hot Springs and you don't have to overnight there in order to buy food. But there's absolutely no need to pack food for the whole way between Fontana and Hot Springs unless you really want to.
If I wanted to, could I have a mail drop sent to the Standing Bear Farm, or should I just buy food there?
Kirby
Jack Tarlin
10-28-2007, 17:34
Whichever you prefer. You could send food there, buy food there, or do a combo of both. Just remember you don't need much as it's not far from there to Hot Springs, and it's fairly easy miileage.
Uncle Silly
10-28-2007, 18:19
And eat your watermelon in town for obvious reasons.
Why? Because the seeds aren't LNT-friendly?
Why? Because the seeds aren't LNT-friendly?
Do you want to carry a full, or even a half a watermelon, in your pack?:cool:
Kirby
I am going to do a resupply at the NOC, the Hike-Inn, Standing Bear Farm, and Hot Springs. I am going to go through the Smokies in one push.
Kirby
Up to what point should I set firm dates ahead of time for receiving mail drops? NOC? Hike-Inn at Fontana Dam? Maybe even Hot Springs? Hot Springs strikes me as far out.
Kirby
Jack Tarlin
10-28-2007, 19:09
Your parcels should be sent Priority Mail and as such, there's no need to send them more than 7 to 10 days before your anticipated arrival at a place. You could probably get away with sending them 5-7 days ahead of time, but you may as well err on the side of caution. But in any case, it's VERY rare for a Priority Mail parcel to take more than three or four days to get anywhere, unless a holiday weekend is involved.
You might wanna check out POG's excellent piece in the Whiteblaze "Articles" section. It contains some very useful info on efficient ways to send and receive mail while on the A.T.
Up to what point should I set firm dates ahead of time for receiving mail drops? NOC? Hike-Inn at Fontana Dam? Maybe even Hot Springs? Hot Springs strikes me as far out.
In what sense do you need "firm dates?" It's reasonable to set target dates, but it's wise to allow for delays.
Have the packages mailed early enough so that you can be certain of not having to wait for them. Generally there's no problem if you're a few days late picking up the package.
No one from my circle of fmaily and friends are sending the mail, I will be outsourcing that duty to someone else, once I have my finances in order and send him the down payment.
7-10 days. That means I need to tell my mail drop person when I expect, roughly, to be at Neels Gap and the NOC, and when I go to buy food in Hiawassee, I should call and have my mail drop be sent to The Hike-Inn. fantastic.
Thanks,
Kirby
Just a Hiker
10-28-2007, 19:28
No one from my circle of fmaily and friends are sending the mail, I will be outsourcing that duty to someone else, once I have my finances in order and send him the down payment.
7-10 days. That means I need to tell my mail drop person when I expect, roughly, to be at Neels Gap and the NOC, and when I go to buy food in Hiawassee, I should call and have my mail drop be sent to The Hike-Inn. fantastic.
Thanks,
Kirby
I wanted to underscore something Jack stated. Definately have your packages sent priority mail for the reasons already mentioned, but also do it to have the luxury of bouncing a box of food ahead (at no additional charge) if you don't need it. As long as you don't open the box, the post office will send it down the trail for you. Just a suggestion.
Jim
Jack Tarlin
10-28-2007, 19:29
Kirby:
I'm not sure what your pace will be. There's a lot of info in my Re-Supply Article dealing with how long it'll likely take you to cover certain distances. Here's a very rough estimate of AVERAGE hiking time in the early part of the trip:
*Most folks get to Neels Gap three days after leaving Springer or early on the
fourth if you start slow.
*You should reach Hiawassee on the sixth day from Springer
*Franklin (Winding Stair Gap) is 10-11 days out of Springer
*The NOC is probably three days after that
*Fontana is two to three days after that
In my experience, it takes most folks 16 to 19 days to get to Fontana Dam from Springer with 17-18 being about right for most folks.
*Getting thru the Park will take you around six days
*Standing Bear to Hot Springs will likely take three days as well,tho strong
hikers might make it in two.
I think, then, that you'll get to Hot Springs 24-28 days after you leave Springer. Because you're young and fit, you'll likley hike faster than a lot of folks, but then again, you're hiking in a group and this tends to slow people down a bit. Therefore, I think the "average" pace figures will approcximate your pace, at least in the first few weeks before you start shedding gear, getting stronger, and making bigger miles.
Hope this helps.
AT-HITMAN2005
10-28-2007, 20:42
make sure you have your resupply person put the expected time of arrival on your mail drops so the P.O. knows how long to wait on you.
weather usually deters tourists from picking up hikers too. i hitched into gatlinburg in cold wet stuff blowing sideways(not sure if it was sleet or snow or what, i'm from florida so don't really know about these things)but took me awhile to get a ride either way.
Blissful
10-28-2007, 20:53
Hike Inn shuttled us to Robbinsville and there is a grocery store, FYI. We also sent a mail drop and it got there. But our bounce box did not.
The Smokies are tough. And you are tired coming out of the Stecoahs which is a nasty 30 mile section before Fontana. There will be ice in certain locations in the Smokies, maybe blow downs and who knows what else. The weather is unpredictable. You will need food and gear which makes your pack weight heavier than normal. I would not plan on high miles in that section, but that's my opinion.
Here is the tentative plan(subject to fine print*):
At the NOC I will have a mail drop with 7 days worth of food to get me to US 441 I believe where I can hitch into Gatlinburg. I decided not to stay at the Hike-Inn, and i do not want to rely on Friendly Fields for good food for the Smokies.
In Galtinburg, I will buy3-5 days worth of food, enough to get me to Hot Springs, NC, where I will have a mail drop/buy food.
I am in the midsts of convincing my group to stay at Standing Bear Farm, just outside the Smokies on the NOBO side. We were tentatively planning on staying at the shelter there, so the hostel is a hop, skip, and a jump away.
*Subject to change without notice due to unforseen events occuring.
Kirby
Appalachian Tater
10-29-2007, 19:53
*Subject to change without notice due to unforseen events occuring.
Any kind of a schedule or plan for hiking the A.T. should be flexible. You can plan roughly but accepting things as they come is part of it.
Johnny Thunder
10-30-2007, 09:42
Do you want to carry a full, or even a half a watermelon, in your pack?:cool:
Kirby
Done it.
I "humped" that thing from Unionville to Vernon.
Eh oh. (I'm just getting started).
I am going to do a resupply at the NOC, the Hike-Inn, Standing Bear Farm, and Hot Springs. I am going to go through the Smokies in one push.
Kirby
These are the resupply stops Snapshot and I used through that area, although Snapshot had his box sent to Fontana Dam instead of to the Inn.
As far as mailing packages, I'd recommend sending Priority Mail packages 10 days ahead of your projected arrival date. (As you get closer to home, you can reduce that time.) Almost always, the packages will take two or three days to get to their destination, but occasionally they take longer. It is very frustrating to have to wait for them.
Make sure that the labels state that you are a NOBO AT thru-hiker and give an Estimated Time of Arrival. If you get way behind or drop out for some reason, it's courteous to contact the folks holding your boxes to let them know what's happening. Otherwise they may have your box cluttering up their store room for months. (As a SOBO, I had several Postmistresses and hostel owners ask my opinion on whether XXX would be coming through or not. Only once did I actually know that the hiker was a SOBO who was coming along behind me.)
I realize all this stuff is stated elsewhere, but it's very important. The mailing label is the main way you have of communicating with the folks in the hostels and POs along the way.
Gray Blazer
10-30-2007, 10:42
Do you want to carry a full, or even a half a watermelon, in your pack?:cool:
Kirby
Mail your seeds ahead to VA or MD in Mar or Apr and have them planted. They should be getting ready and ripe about July when you get there.