GSMNP Shuttle

[l0ngterm]

I am looking for a rock solid reliable shuttle for my upcoming Spring hike. Plans are to hike from Fontana Dam to as far North as I can go in 7-8 days. I'm sure I can make it to Davenport Gap but would like to make it to Hot Springs or maybe even Sam's Gap.

I have about a 5 hour drive in from Nashville so don't want to drive to the end (especially since I don't know where the end is :)) and then spend another 3-5 hours driving back to Fontana. This would kill an entire day.

In the past I have used Joyce and Sally (near the BlueBerry patch hostel in GA) to meet me at my start and have them shuttle my car to my ending point the day before I get there. That way, my vehicle doesn't have to sit in some remote spot for a week, I can be more flexible with my stopping point and I don't waste a day of hiking.

Does anyone know someone that could do the same by meeting me at Fontana Dam and letting me call them a day or two from finishing and have them drop my truck off where I think I'll end? My only conditions are absolute trust-worthiness and reliability. I am more than willing to pay a fair price for the service but want to know from the community that the person(s) will deliver.

If someone would think Joyce and Sally would do it that far North, please PM me their phone number/email because I have lost it since I last used them.

Thanks,
l0ngterm

[SGT Rock]

Call Curtis at Standing Bear. He could probably hook you up.

[Ox97GaMe]

Depending on the dates of your hike, I might be able to offer assistance. I am in Knoxville and do weekend maintenance trips in and around the Smoky Mountains regularly. If your trip starts/ends on the weekends, I could make this happen for you, most likely. The vehicle would be left at my house in W. Knox while you are hiking.

PM me with information

[Ox97GaMe]

Sams Gap would be a push from Fontana in this amount of time. Most hikers are taking 6-6.5 days to get through the park, mostly because of shelter distances. It is another 35-40 miles from Davenport to Hot Springs, which is probably the maximum distance I would recommend for this trip, unless you are ultralight or speed hiking. 100 miles in 7-8 days is a pretty good hiking distance, especially with shorter days in springtime.

[Doughnut]

I am also planning to hike the park this spring, maybe we can help each other? When are you planning to hike?

doughNut

[Rockhound]

Call Curtis 423-487-0014. You can leave your car at Standing Bear. He can shuttle you to Fontana. Then you can hike back to your car or keep going to Hot Springs if time allows.