PDA

View Full Version : Good 3 day hike or loop trail



Dogginfox
12-12-2003, 01:51
Im looking for a good section of the AT here in Ga or NC to do for my birthday this weekend. If i cant find a suitable AT hike i can settle for a nice loop trail. if anyone has any ideas please let me know ASAP.

Jaybird
12-12-2003, 06:42
[B]DogginFox:


if your're looking for a good 2-3 day hike...Springer to Neels Gap is a good one!
ABout 30 miles & Walasi Yi Center is there @ the end, on a main road, with a hostel, shuttle service & some Ben & Jerrys ice cream. Life is Good!woooooooooooo-hoooooooooooo! ;)


Jaybird

Youngblood
12-12-2003, 08:04
Another possibility is around Standing Indian on the AT just north of the GA/NC border. There are several trails from Standing Indian Campground that allow for loop hikes with the AT. I am thinking of the one that is in the 20 something mile range and is done by most folks over a three day period. The Kimsey Creek Trail and the Long Branch Trails are the side trails that connect to the AT and Standing Indian Campground to complete this loop.

Youngblood

Rain Man
12-12-2003, 11:37
The Kimsey Creek Trail and the Long Branch Trails are the side trails that connect to the AT and Standing Indian Campground to complete this loop.

I want to express a word of caution about the Kimsey Creek Trail. I and my hiking partner took the KCT at Deep Gap, NC, as planned, to leave the AT at the end of a 4-day hike last month.

The Kimsey Creek Trail was pretty poor in our opinion! Maybe the fact that it got dark before we got out had something to do with it, but not all.

Brambles from both sides crossed each other over the trail. But worse yet, so did the limbs of small trees. Right at chest level. That tells you something about how long it has been since the trail was maintained, when tree limbs are blocking it.

Then at the lower, level sections, you are walking through muck. And the blue blazes disappear for long stretches in amongst the various "jeep trails"(?) that go from woods to grassy areas and take off at all angles.

We finally "bushwhacked" our way out to the Standing Indian Campground, after having to give up on finding blazes.

Some of this you may not experience if it's daylight and/or if you're coming from the Campground instead of trying to find the Campground, but some of it you'll run into and light is irrelevant.

Just so you know. We made it and you can too. :)

Rain Man
.

Doctari
12-12-2003, 11:52
The Kimsey Creek Trail was pretty poor in our opinion! Maybe the fact that it got dark before we got out had something to do with it, but not all.

Brambles from both sides crossed each other over the trail. But worse yet, so did the limbs of small trees. Right at chest level. That tells you something about how long it has been since the trail was maintained, when tree limbs are blocking it.

Rain Man
.

I am so sorry to hear that, I hiked it north bound in 99 & south bound in 2000 and it was in great shape, in fact it is one of my favorite memories of those hikes. The blue blazes were neatly painted & within a reasonable distance of each other. And Jeep trails??? I saw none.
All this after tha long fight to save this beautiful trail from the loggers, it is just sad :(

I would recomend going south on Kimsey to the AT, then head north (left turn) spend the hight at standing indian shelter or at the nice campsite a few miles north. Then a 2 day leasurly hike to Rock gap shelter. Either spend the night at rock gap or take the road to the right for a easy 2 mile road walk back to your car.