newbie question 2

[T-Bone1]

First thanks to everybody for the answers to my fist question. Now it's time for another one. O.K, if it is 8 miles +/- from Amicola to Springer do you, and are there campsites/shelters at the trailhead to the A.T. or do you need to hike a bit further to make it to the first campsite/shelter? I have been told to start at a comfortable pace so my thinking is 8 miles would be a good starting pace.

[Lone Wolf]

O.K, if it is 8 miles +/- from Amicola to Springer do you, and are there campsites/shelters at the trailhead to the A.T. or do you need to hike a bit further to make it to the first campsite/shelter? I have been told to start at a comfortable pace so my thinking is 8 miles would be a good starting pace.

there's a shelter a few hundred yards from the visitors center and one at 7.3 miles from the visitor center. spinger mtn. shelter is 9 miles from the visitor center. you can easily hike to it in one day

[BookBurner]

I've you intend to hike on the AT frequently, and I hope you do, you might consider purchasing The Data Book. It lists campsites, shelters, water, roads, etc. With that information in your pack, you could make decisions on the trail depending upon how you feel at that moment, i.e. "I'm exhausted, I need to stop now. I feel great, I want to go to the next spot ..." It's a great resource. Enjoy your hike!

[Lyle]

LW is correct as usual. I left the falls at about 1:30 PM, made it to Black Gap shelter (7.3 miles) in about 5 hours, taking my time. While the approach is tough coming off the couch, it isn't as bad as the hype. No worse than any other "tough" section.

[buff_jeff]

LW is correct as usual. I left the falls at about 1:30 PM, made it to Black Gap shelter (7.3 miles) in about 5 hours, taking my time. While the approach is tough coming off the couch, it isn't as bad as the hype. No worse than any other "tough" section.

I agree, Lyle. I never understood the hype surrounding the Approach. It's not tough at all, honestly. I guess it's just the start of my people's hike so it's naturally more difficult.

[Berserker]

If you want to stay in an "established" spot (an area that has been camped in before...usually there is a fire ring and some real estate for setting up a tent), you can do that just about anywhere. I did the same section you are going to do back in June except that I stopped short at Deep Gap (NC). There were established spots frequently along the trail. I remember a few interspersed along the Approach trail. The limitation when using an established spot becomes water. A lot of the time there is no water source near them. I would recommend planning (as you are hiking and seeing how far you can actually go) where you want to shoot for, and then you can decide if you need to tank up with water before you hit the spot or if there is going to be water close enough that you can get it after you set up camp.

As Bookburner said you should definitely buy something to help you plan your hike. Personally all I needed was the maps for that section made by the ATC. These maps show the locations of the shelters, major springs and a few of the larger campsites. They have nice profiles that show the mileages, and give a general idea of the topography (I don't find profiles to be real accurate, but they give a general idea of what to expect up ahead).

As for how far you can go per day, I would recommend going out locally with your pack loaded up with the amount of weight you expect to be carrying (you could just put all your gear in there), and walking around. If you have a park or something local to you with trails then that's even better. This will give you a general idea of what you can probably do (although you need to keep in mind that FL is flat as a board). Other than that you will find that everyone on here has different fitness levels. I consider myself to be in above average physical condition, but not in incredible shape. I trained before I did the section and was able to average about 15 miles a day. Again, that was me though...you need to evaluate what you yourself are capable of.

[Tennessee Viking]

You can also take USFS 42 up to Springer from Big Creek Road or GA 60. 42 is fairly driveable.

[paradoxb3]

I recall many campsites along the way of the approach trail spaced out evenly enough for basically anyones pace. Some people say the approach trail is tough, some say its easy... I think its just relative of how much you're carrying on your back and how used to hiking you are.

Example:

On my last section hike (Mar 1st 08) i left around 10am from the visitors center and made it to the top of Springer by around 1-1:30 for some lunch. It was no harder than any other part of GA for me, however I encountered a thru hiker that was on hiking day *2* on the approach trail, somewhere near where the yellow blazed hike-inn trail ends at the approach trail. They had run out of water twice already and had been bumming water from passers by, drinking from puddles, etc just to stay hydrated. Looked to be lugging about a 50-60 lb pack, and they were not in that great of physical shape.

So again - depending on how prepared you are physically and gear wise, it could be extremely easy or extremely difficult to do the 8 miles. Though if it turns out to be extremely difficult for you, remember -- it wont get any easier once the blazes turn white.