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I am going to start a section hike from Springer to hot springs this Monday. I am a soldier in (what I consider good shape) I have my pack weight down to 33 pounds (with water and food) I am planning on doing this hike in 15 days or less. Averaging 20 mile days. I was planning on re-supplying in franklin and at fontana prior to entering the GSMNP. Then running from there to hot springs. does anyone out there with experiance of this section have any advice for me. It will be greatly appreciated and welcomed Thanks.:)
Jim Adams
05-25-2010, 21:27
Doing 15 twenty mile days in this section will be demanding and leave no room for error. Why not cut the distance and enjoy the hike. Being in shape is one thing...being ready to do 20 mile days in that terrain is something totally different. If you pull it off, IMO you will finish and wonder whether you had fun or not.
geek
Shutterbug
05-25-2010, 21:32
I am going to start a section hike from Springer to hot springs this Monday. I am a soldier in (what I consider good shape) I have my pack weight down to 33 pounds (with water and food) I am planning on doing this hike in 15 days or less. Averaging 20 mile days. I was planning on re-supplying in franklin and at fontana prior to entering the GSMNP. Then running from there to hot springs. does anyone out there with experiance of this section have any advice for me. It will be greatly appreciated and welcomed Thanks.:)
One in good shape can average 20 miles a day, but what is the rush? The two things that tend to ruin a hike are too much weight in the pack and too many miles in the day.
Your pack weight seems reasonable, but if it were me, I would reduce the number of miles.
Very true. I have planned that if I can't make the distance than I will just pull out at fontana. But with plenty of daylight and an average of 30 minute miles it would only take 10 hours to walk 20 miles. does that seem like a reasonable assement or does this section average a slower time per mile
I live in NC so if I can make it to hot springs than I ride home is much easier to obtain. here in the sand hills I average 15 minute miles with a much heavier pack (50 - 60 pounds) So i was figuring a lighter pack with steeper terain would average 30 minute miles
Blissful
05-25-2010, 23:02
I recall another hiker attempting to do GA with 20 mile days a month or 2 back and regretted it.
Blissful
05-25-2010, 23:06
I live in NC so if I can make it to hot springs than I ride home is much easier to obtain. here in the sand hills I average 15 minute miles with a much heavier pack (50 - 60 pounds) So i was figuring a lighter pack with steeper terain would average 30 minute miles
Yes but what was the elevation gain in your hike? I doubt sand hills will compare to this section. And how many days? Day after day? Sure you can do it maybe for a few days. But day in day out with that high miles on elevation.
Likely to be knee issues at the end of it.
Not to knock your military training, of course. Thank you very much for your service. Just hope you can enjoy this experience. The AT is great and great to relish and not rush, if you can. :)
Anumber1
05-26-2010, 02:07
I am also in agreement in cutting back on miles. You can still hike 10 hours a day, but I believe you'll enjoy it more if you can stop and meet people during those 10 hours.
At any rate my advice to you is mail a box of food/resupply to yourself in fontana before you leave. There isnt much available in the small store it will save you time/headaches.
my sense of it is you enjoy the exertion of a hike and thats what you take away from it - thus, you want to hike 20 mile days. The biggest problem I see is blister city. From the start, use white waterproof athletic tape to cover all the high pressure points on you feet:
bottom of big toe
ball of foot behind big toe joint
back of the heel
the two little piggies on the outside like a complete wrap around
stop after the first 5 miles and check your feet for red rub spots and tape them too.
leukotape is the best but hard to find - it will stay on three days or more.
enjoy!
Toolumpy
05-26-2010, 05:48
People come on. So many people saying slow down and enjoy the trail. Hey Scott37 you sound like me as I enjoy the trail almost as much as I enjoy pushing the hike. I did this section in 13 days. Although I did start at the fire service road at Springer I know I could have finished in the same # of days taking the approach trail. My pack weighed 40# full with food and water and as you can tell I had a couple of short days. Didn't waste time in the morning, most days hiked from day break to 7pm as I mostly enjoy the solitude of the trail. I still took time to take 389 pictures and look around to enjoy the views and fire towers. Your time will depend on how much you like sitting around shelters or campsites. I do wish I had stopped for the night at the last shelter before Hot Springs as I could not find a place to sleep- got to town at 9:15 pm. Wishing you all the best.
Day 1- 15.1 miles to Gooch shelter
Day 2- 15.6 to Neels Gap
Day 3- 18.0 to Blue Mtn Shelter
Day 4- 23.3 to Plum Orchard
Day 5- 26.6 to Big Spring Shelter
Day 6- 9.1 to Franklin- Ron Haven shuttled to town
Day 7- 21.6 to Wesser Bald
Day 8- 21.7 to Brown Fork Shelter
Day 9- 26.5 to Russell Field-I found the GSNP to be real easy hiking- even crossed dam and hit trail then returned to fill out back country pass.
Day 10- 16.4 to Double Gap stopped at 3pm
Day 11- 10.8 to Gatlinburg-would have skipped but wife send a pkg with card so I HAD to go into town
Day 12- 30.4 to Davenport Gap Shelter
Day 13- 36.7 to Hot Springs
Injury is going to be your enemy. Blisters and knees as already mentioned. Juma gave you great advice on blisters. You probably already know this but when you feel a hot spot stop and tape it, don't wait until the next rest stop. Long down hills at a fast pace are knee killers. If you don't already use them you might think of getting trekking poles. You may need them on the long down hills. Good luck and post back here how everything goes.
Thanks to all (JUMA, toolumpy, and moy toy especially) I am trying to do to things here. Hike the trail and get a good hike in. I Enjoy hard physical events I am planning on bringing mole skin with me. I will let every know how it goes once I complete the hike.
From what I understand from messages I've gotten from people who have hiked both the AT and the PCT (I've only hiked the PCT), the AT culture leans toward slower days but there's no reason that someone in decent shape with a reasonable pack weight can't handle 20 mile days.
That's what I think-blisters. Here's a lesson from someone who does a section hike annually and who has done Amicalola to Fontana. You can keep your pack weight down, you can build your cardio and musculature to levels that easily will let you do fifteen 20 mile days, but you can't really do much to prepare your feet for the abuse they will take. Sure, good, well broken in boots, top notch socks and insoles do and will help, but only to an extent. I suppose you can walk barefoot on sidewalks for weeks to callus up your feet, but who does that? I've done a few 12-13 mile days on that section and really stopped having much fun after 10 miles, primarily due to achy feet and the occasional blister. Like others said, it IS doable, just not IMO "enjoyably doable." Your feet will hurt unless you take the first several days easier, but then you'll have to push extra hard to make up the lost miles. It's a lose-lose in terms of your feet.
A good cardio base at the outset will be most helpful.
Followed by tough feet secondly,
and thirdly, the hard-headed desire to do it.
I meet a young man just south of Damascus who had been averaging almost 19/day since Springer.
He didn't look any worse for the wear, nor superhuman for that matter.
If you enjoy difficult physical challenges with a curve ball here and there, you're on the right track.
The schedule you're planning it totally doable by an active-duty soldier. You've got a fallback plan in case you don't make that kind of distance in a day, or if you discover you don't enjoy doing that. By Day 3 you'll know whether 20 miles a day is a delight or a chore.
Good luck!
I say do what you want and then when reality sinks in slow down.
Oh, and be sure to do a follow-up post listing what you ended up learning......
my sense of it is you enjoy the exertion of a hike and thats what you take away from it - thus, you want to hike 20 mile days. The biggest problem I see is blister city. From the start, use white waterproof athletic tape to cover all the high pressure points on you feet:
Definitely practice using it before doing it on a hike. I tried taping my heel cup and ended up creating a pressure point on the side of my heel. It was one of the two blisters that ended up bothering me on my last hike. I got it on my 3rd day and it was still a slight nuisance 5 weeks later.
Ran into a guy on Wayah Bald about 8pm Saturday who was at Carter Gap shelter the previous night - 27m.
Two-hr miles are the norm, its just that to do big miles you have to start early and finish late and have the stamina and willpower to stay out there for 10+ hours of actual hiking. Sounds like you're a good candidate to succeed.
All good advice but I should have added some more insight to my plan to attempt the distances i referred to. As a career infantry paratrooper (14 years) I have had to continually post long distance movements through harsh terain with pack weights of 50 to 100 pounds. I walked through the mountains of afghanistan (foot hills of the hemilayas)with an extremely heavy pack weight for months. My feet are extremely well conditioned. I am aware of the signs an symptoms of possible foot and knee issues. I think what I was most concearned about the unknown. I have not hiked in the area before and was unsure of the conditions. every one has to hike thier own hike and my pleasure will come from pushing the limits of my abilities in unfamilar terain under strenous conditions. This is my idea of a good time. I figured if I made my post and everyone responded with NOT POSSIBLE, YOUR CRAZY, HAHAHAHA. Then maybe I had not done my home work good enough. But I see that others have allready accomplish this task before and have provided great intel on this route for me. I thank all of you for the support and advice and hope to see all of you on the trail.
bigcranky
05-26-2010, 21:11
I think what I was most concearned about the unknown. I have not hiked in the area before and was unsure of the conditions.
It's just walking in the mountains. Nobody will be shooting at you. You'll be fine. Have a great hike.
garlic08
05-26-2010, 21:23
I was 51 (and my partner was 63) when I hiked that stretch in 14 days, with 24 hours off in Franklin, and it was very enjoyable. 20 mile days in that terrain is not rushing it if you hit the trail in good to excellent condition. Have a great time--I hope you make your goal and have fun doing it.
We bought a few pounds of food at Neels Gap, resupplied in Franklin, then got a ride into Robbinsville from Stecoah Gap for a real grocery store, instead of trying to get food at Fontana Village. We had to carry our resupply for the Smokies an extra 15 miles from Stecoah to Fontana, but it was worth it having shopped at a real grocery. Then we got a few more pounds of food at Standing Bear for the final stretch into Franklin.
fredmugs
05-27-2010, 08:05
Don't let these smell the flowers types talk you out of your plan. 20 miles days will NOT be a problem for you. Granted I have not been thru the Smokies yet but I have done everything else. I do zero hiking before my section hikes and train by riding an exercise bike. 20 miles days are easy for me and they should be for you as well.
My only recommendation is to not wear hiking boots. Go with trail runners or something like that.
fredmugs
05-27-2010, 08:11
my sense of it is you enjoy the exertion of a hike and thats what you take away from it - thus, you want to hike 20 mile days.
BTW - Have Juma plan your hike. He'll have you knocking out 26 miles on Day 1 and then get you up at 0430 to do another 24 the next day. Good times!
I like 20 mile days, and 30 mile days, too. And I think I'm the only person I have ever met on the trails that actually literally stops to smell the flowers. That's right, I lean over and take a whiff. I also am one of the only people I've met who actually sees all the critters on the trail and I also take a lot of pictures, including lots of macro pictures of flowers. So for those "smell the flowers" types who think 20 or 30 mile days is rushing, it really isn't. I walk at a comfortable pace. I just spend the whole day walking, not hanging around somewhere. I'm 45 and female, too. Not super human.
Anyway, nobody will be shooting at you, everybody will speak English and the trail will be so well marked you'll probably be almost bored. Have a great hike.
Speaking of stopping to smell the flowers, you must stop at the general store in Wesser and ask for a Modus Hoperandi !!
I enjoyed one in the store with the owner this past weekend.
I also am one of the only people I've met who actually sees all the critters on the trail and I also take a lot of pictures, including lots of macro pictures of flowers.
It certainly doesn't help my case that I lost my eyeglasses when I took a break for the kickoff.