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View Full Version : Fantasizing about a section hike



jerseydave
12-21-2010, 17:27
Unfortunately for me, this is probably more of a fantasy than anything else. Realistically I'll probably never truly get to do anything more than a few section hikes a bit closer to home, but you never know.

In my dreams I'd like to believe I'll at least be able to section a large portion of the trail, and in that spirit I wanted to see what planning that out would actually entail.

Going under the assumption I'd section from GA-ME in connected segments and thinking I'd like to to about 100 mile sections, I laid out the plan below.

My thinking is start out slow, get used to the trail, enjoy it more than race through it, but still challenge myself from time to time.

I'm thinking carry all, rather than resupply.

The route is based upon shelters, but I'd likely be tenting near the shelter rather than staying in them.

Again, at this point in time, this question is just for entertainment purposes to see what those of you who are experienced think about my "first section".

Thanks for playing along.


Day 1 - Springer -- Hawk Mountain S
7.6 / 7.6 (daily miles / total miles from Springer)

Day 2 - Hawk Mountain S -- Gooch Gap S
8.9 / 16.1

Day 3 - Gooch Gap S -- Blood Mountain S
13.2 / 28.3

Day 4 - Blood Mountain S -- Low Gap S
13.2 / 41.3

Day 5 - Low Gap S -- Tray Mountain S
15 / 56.2

Day 6 - Tray Mountain S -- Plumorchard Gap S
15.5 / 71.1

Day 7 - Plumorchard Gap S -- Standing Indian S
12.2 / 83.3

Day 8 - Standing Indian S -- Big Spring S
14.4 / 97.7

Day 9 - Big Spring S -- Franklin NC
? / 106.8

Cookerhiker
12-21-2010, 18:22
Blood Mountain Shelter is not the best to stay in - damp, lots of mice, no water. And I don't recall tenting sites around it. Once you get to the Blood Mountain summit, you may as well keep going down to Neels Gap and stay at the hostel.

And I recommend resupplying once - perhaps at Neels to lighten your load a bit. 8 days worth of food is a lot to carry when you don't have to.

v5planet
12-21-2010, 18:34
Blood mountain shelter also has a long and colorful history with trouble bears.

Rain Man
12-21-2010, 18:42
I agree about Blood Mountain Shelter. I did those same sections the first three days, except stopped at Wood's Hole Shelter and then Neels Gap.

15-mile days in Georgia are do-able if you're in good shape, have plenty of daylight hours, and don't stop to smell the roses.

When I plan section hikes, I tend to put easy days after hard days, and never two hard days back-to-back if I can help it.

Rain:sunMan

.

pyroman53
12-21-2010, 19:39
First, for me, 10-12 miles per day is just fine in GA and NC. Seems like everyone here says otherwise, but more than 12 in a day and I'm tired. I'm not overweight, only carry 30 pounds most days, and am in resonable shape...just sayin. And like Rain Man said, don't follow big miles with more big miles. For me Day 3 is always a short day cause thats when my legs feel it the most.

Second - resupply Neel Gap at least. Why not? Send a box if you want.

Third - why can't you do this. I've been driving to GA/NC for 4 years, one week each year. Takes 10-12 hours to drive there from my buddy's house in PA. Spend 6 days on the trail and drive back. Leave Sat. Get back Sat. Clean up on Sunday and back to work Monday. $120-$150 in gas. Stay at a hostel for $15-$20 when we get there and again before we drive back...maybe $50 for a shuttle. Tell me where you can get a week's vacation for around $200??

I grew up in PA, and I'm telling you the forests and views in GA and NC are worth the trip. People are awesome. If you need help planing, you've come to the right place.

jerseydave
12-21-2010, 21:38
Blood Mountain Shelter...lots of mice, no water....don't recall tenting sites.....you may as well keep going down to Neels Gap....recommend resupplying once....8 days worth of food is a lot to carry when you don't have to.

Read about the mice, thought the tent would solve that somewhat.... no tenting... hostel and supplying makes sense.


Blood mountain shelter also has a long and colorful history with trouble bears.

Troubled bears with a colorful history..... tent wouldn't solve that one....


I agree about Blood Mountain Shelter......Wood's Hole Shelter and then Neels Gap.....15-mile days in Georgia are do-able.....don't stop to smell the roses....I tend to put easy days after hard days, and never two hard days back-to-back.......
Rain:sunMan


Sounds like overnight at Blood Mountain is out........ I know I could do 15's (I walked for a living for 7 years) but I enjoy the smell of roses..... easy after hard makes perfect sense..... sometimes I'm one of those fools that works harder, not smarter..... time to get smarter


First, for me, 10-12 miles per day is just fine in GA and NC. Seems like everyone here says otherwise, but more than 12 in a day and I'm tired. I'm not overweight, only carry 30 pounds most days, and am in resonable shape...just sayin. And like Rain Man said, don't follow big miles with more big miles. For me Day 3 is always a short day cause thats when my legs feel it the most.

Second - resupply Neel Gap at least. Why not? Send a box if you want.

Third - why can't you do this. I've been driving to GA/NC for 4 years, one week each year. Takes 10-12 hours to drive there from my buddy's house in PA. Spend 6 days on the trail and drive back. Leave Sat. Get back Sat. Clean up on Sunday and back to work Monday. $120-$150 in gas. Stay at a hostel for $15-$20 when we get there and again before we drive back...maybe $50 for a shuttle. Tell me where you can get a week's vacation for around $200??

I grew up in PA, and I'm telling you the forests and views in GA and NC are worth the trip. People are awesome. If you need help planing, you've come to the right place.

If I were to do it, it'd be for the enjoyment as well as the challenge, there'd be no sense in turning a fun challenge into "hard work" just because of poor planning.

Again, my lack of experience shows here..... resupplying does make more sense.

Lastly, you are right..... I'd like to actually do this and realistically my excuses are probably the biggest obstacle in the way.....

I gotst more learnin to do..... thanks for the replies and education.... keep em comin!

Dave

Cookerhiker
12-21-2010, 21:57
If you think you can do several 15 mile days, go for it. I take it you're aware that nearly all of Georgia is up-and-down. If you've hiked the AT in NJ, picture spending most of the day going up the equivalent of Waywayanda from the south side followed by a descent of like elevation change.

Georgia is a nice, picturesque part of the AT and very well-maintained.

rainmaker
12-21-2010, 22:17
Blood mountain shelter also has a long and colorful history with trouble bears.

And skunks.

jerseydave
12-21-2010, 22:23
If you think you can do several 15 mile days, go for it. I take it you're aware that nearly all of Georgia is up-and-down. If you've hiked the AT in NJ, picture spending most of the day going up the equivalent of Waywayanda from the south side followed by a descent of like elevation change.

Georgia is a nice, picturesque part of the AT and very well-maintained.

Being ABLE to do it, and enjoying the experience may be two different things.... if you read further you'd see I also said I was guilty of "harder not smarter" at times.

I don't ask questions just for the purpose of disagreeing, and I wasn't disagreeing with you.

I know 15 miles is a big day..... possibly very big, depending on the terrain.
That's why I asked for the input.

Blissful
12-21-2010, 22:58
Yes 15 is a big day. You will need to readjust as needed. Some of that terrain is tough when you are starting out with a load on your back. Though I made it to Winding Star in about ten days. Also - no resupply or town /hostel stop? If you carry it all, you will be hurting. The trail is challenging enough. Resupply at Neel Gap and Hiawasee

Del Q
12-21-2010, 23:12
Really? Waywayanda from the south side followed by a descent of like elevation change

I recall that being a nice "up" coming from the South.........will be in GA in a year or two, will do a LOT of hill work with a heavy pack before heading down there!

FOOD - would not suggest trying to haul 8 days of food. I also stopped trying to plan each day, I pack a tent and take it step by step.

fredmugs
12-22-2010, 07:57
Give me any stretch of GA over the rocks between High Point and DWG.

My first section was Springer to Deep Gap. Went along with some others and was absolutely clueless. I bought some $20 "boots" from Target and blistered up pretty bad. We did a 20 mile day early on the kicked my @$$ but your itinerary is very doable.

Also - don't leave a car parked on US 64.

Just look at the trail like a gold mine that you have to keep chipping away at.

peakbagger
12-22-2010, 08:56
I got a kick out of the prior statement that Georgia is all up and down. I thought it was quite well graded and relatively flat compared to NH and ME ;)

A friend and I day hiked the entire state of GA going mostly from gap to gap, there are plenty of trail crossings along the way so with some creativity, we ran longer miles since we didnt have backpacks. We did have one long drive in on forest service roads to Tray Mtn.

Cookerhiker
12-22-2010, 10:55
I got a kick out of the prior statement that Georgia is all up and down. I thought it was quite well graded and relatively flat compared to NH and ME ;).....

Yes, I do recall Georgia being all up-and-down. And I also agree with your statement above! On many threads, I've remarked how well-graded and maintained the GA AT is. And sure, terrain-wise, it's simply not in the class of NH and ME.

OK, not 100% of GA is up-and-down. I only hiked it once and I'm relying on memories of almost 7 years ago but let's see: Leaving Low Gap Shelter northbound, there was a fairly level stretch of 2-3 miles.

I find that when we use terms like "easy" or "flat," inevitably someone reading that description will underestimate the stretch under discussion.

jerseydave
12-22-2010, 17:37
Everyone has a tendency to see and remember things in ways that may differ from other people looking at the same thing.

It's why a board like this is a great place to ask questions....... lots of replies from different perspectives give a more well rounded answer to the question.

I appreciate all the replies, thanks

Dave

fredmugs
12-23-2010, 08:20
Speaking of perspective.......

For some reason I seem to remember that after reaching the NC border we did this insanely hard climb that took forever. Over the next couple of years after that whenever I was training for an upcoming hike the thought "welcome to north carolina" was always in the back of my mind. I needed to train hard to get up those steep climbs.

A couple of years later I broke out the AT map and I'm not sure where that tough climb was. Things that used to be hard are now not so hard.

10-K
12-23-2010, 08:57
Every state (except maybe Maryland?) has at least one section that I've found to require sustained effort.

There's only one thing I can count on for sure: If I go the wrong way, it's always downhill leaving me with a long climb back uphill to get on track. I don't think I've ever went up a mountain by mistake but I've went down more than a couple.

njordan2
12-23-2010, 09:30
Blood mountain shelter is awesome! I stayed there during a wicked storm and was glad I did. It is a neat old shelter. Built with enormous timbers and has 2 large rooms. No bear problems and did not experience a single mouse.

I highly recommend staying at Blood Mountain Shelter if you are going through the area. It is the highest point in Georgia and is worth the experience if nothing else.

Cookerhiker
12-23-2010, 10:20
...There's only one thing I can count on for sure: If I go the wrong way, it's always downhill leaving me with a long climb back uphill to get on track. I don't think I've ever went up a mountain by mistake but I've went down more than a couple.

When I hiked Maine, I was in the 100 Mile Wilderness and after hiking up Little Boardman Mountain (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=117258) and turning onto a side trail-to-nowhere at the top, I headed down the way I came.:o Luckily, I met a NOBO thruhiker who set me straight before I got all the way down.

And speaking of perspective, I noted that at the time that having hiked for several weeks starting at Gorham, Little Boardman was somewhat steep but not that long or difficult a climb. Yet if I had come upon Little Boardman in MD or NJ, it would have been the toughest ascent in the state.

sbhikes
12-23-2010, 10:40
Jerseydave, stop fantasizing and go. Don't plan the whole thing out, just pick a section and go. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.