View Full Version : Springer to Hogpen
Just trying to get an idea of this section of the trail. Going to start hiking on Thursday from Springer finishing up at Hogpen on Sunday. Is this too ambitious? I would appreciate any feedback on this section of the AT.
All day Thursday? Light pack, good shape? No Problem.
None of the above..lots of bailout points.
Lone Wolf
08-26-2011, 17:43
Just trying to get an idea of this section of the trail. Going to start hiking on Thursday from Springer finishing up at Hogpen on Sunday. Is this too ambitious? I would appreciate any feedback on this section of the AT.37 miles of easy hiking. not ambitious at all. have fun
Not a bad hike at all. A good section to get a feel for the bigger mountains coming up in NC. My 13 year old son and I did the section in June during the heatwave and had no problems. See our daily log below for an easy example of 3.5 days to HogPen or 4.5 to Unicoi. Have a great hike.
Day
Starting Location
Mile Marker
Ending Location
Mile Marker
Daily Miles
Friday 6/10/2011
Springer Mountain
0
Hawks Mt Shelter
7.8
7.8
Saturday
Hawks Mt Shelter
7.8
Woody Gap
20.1
12.3
Sunday
Woody Gap
20.1
Blood Mt Shelter
28.3
8.2
Monday
Blood Mt Shelter
28.3
HogPen Gap Stealth
37.1
8.8
Tuesday
HogPen Gap
37.1
Unicoi Gap
50.9
13.8
Trip Miles
50.9
ChinMusic
08-26-2011, 17:59
All day Thursday? Light pack, good shape? No Problem.
None of the above..lots of bailout points.
This
mkdixon - You appear to be new to this site. Lone Wolf has a lot of good info but it is best to ignore him with regards to how hard the hike will be. Most everything is "easy" to him.
Just trying to get an idea of this section of the trail. Going to start hiking on Thursday from Springer finishing up at Hogpen on Sunday. Is this too ambitious? I would appreciate any feedback on this section of the AT.
Check it out...
http://www.atdist.com/dbatdist.php
Lone Wolf
08-26-2011, 18:06
This
mkdixon - You appear to be new to this site. Lone Wolf has a lot of good info but it is best to ignore him with regards to how hard the hike will be. Most everything is "easy" to him.this section is not hard. really
ChinMusic
08-26-2011, 18:23
this section is not hard. really
I have done it. I would describe it as typical for anything south of Damascus.
Telling a potential newbie, for whom we know nothing about their trail experience, that it is "easy", is not helpful. We understand that to you, a trail vet/runner, that anything in the southern half is easy. We get it. It's "just walking".
Lone Wolf
08-26-2011, 18:27
whatever............
max patch
08-26-2011, 18:36
This is not directed at LW whatsoever, however, one of the major problems of this site is that any time anyone asks a question along the lines of can i get from point A to point B in X number of days the answer is almost always YES!! NO PROBLEM!! Many people are afraid to say NO or that would be DIFFICULT as if saying so is a reflection upon their own ability. I believe FatMan said it best when it said (paraphrased) that this site has a testosterone problem.
max patch
08-26-2011, 18:41
Having said all that, if you are a hiker of average ability you should be able to complete the hike in the time period specified. The heart will be your biggest challenge. My main suggestion would be to carry more water than you normally would and top off when you get to a water source.
Pedaling Fool
08-26-2011, 19:11
Actually it has nothing to do with testosterone. It's just an easy hike as illustrated below in One-8T's post (I removed Unicoi Gap).
The OP indicates he's 33y/o and not looking to break any records. So yes the hike is very doable to anyone, barring a medical issue, but again he didn't indicate any such problems.
Maybe we should start giving OP's a physical exam before giving advice on hiking:D
:sun
Not a bad hike at all. A good section to get a feel for the bigger mountains coming up in NC. My 13 year old son and I did the section in June during the heatwave and had no problems. See our daily log below for an easy example of 3.5 days to HogPen or 4.5 to Unicoi. Have a great hike.
Day
Starting Location
Mile Marker
Ending Location
Mile Marker
Daily Miles
Friday 6/10/2011
Springer Mountain
Hawks Mt Shelter
7.8
7.8
Saturday
Hawks Mt Shelter
7.8
Woody Gap
20.1
12.3
Sunday
Woody Gap
20.1
Blood Mt Shelter
28.3
8.2
Monday
Blood Mt Shelter
28.3
HogPen Gap Stealth
37.1
8.8
Trip Miles
37.1
bulldog49
08-27-2011, 14:21
Anyone who can't average 8 miles a day on the AT should stay home.
ChinMusic
08-27-2011, 14:49
Maybe we should start giving OP's a physical exam before giving advice on hiking
For newbies this is very close to the truth. If one is not going to take the time and ask something about the poster, then skip to the next thread. IMO, simply saying "it's easy", without knowing anything about them, does no service.
generoll
08-27-2011, 15:37
This section of the trail experiences the highest dropout rates of any section on the AT every Spring.
Lone Wolf
08-27-2011, 15:39
This section of the trail experiences the highest dropout rates of any section on the AT every Spring.not because it's "hard"
Lone Wolf
08-27-2011, 15:41
For newbies this is very close to the truth. If one is not going to take the time and ask something about the poster, then skip to the next thread. IMO, simply saying "it's easy", without knowing anything about them, does no service.it's still pretty easy regardless of what you say or think. 9 miles a day is doable for most out of shape folks
ChinMusic
08-27-2011, 16:17
This section of the trail experiences the highest dropout rates of any section on the AT every Spring.
Yep. The best response in this thread was the first one. It says it all.
All day Thursday? Light pack, good shape? No Problem.
None of the above..lots of bailout points.
generoll
08-27-2011, 16:30
There's a macho attitude about hiking the AT that attempts to prescribe the minimum miles you should hike each day. "Do it my way or stay home". Back in my younger days I used to fly sailplanes and one of the guys I flew with had a game he liked to play called "dump the chump". He'd try to get newbie pilots away from final glide of the airfield by telling them there was good lift and then when they'd moved out following him he'd leave em to either struggle back to the airfield on their own or land out, hopefully without breaking their airplane. So anyway, hike what you feel comfortable with and keep some phone numbers handy in case you want to shorten your hike. The folks at Mountain Crossings have phone numbers of shuttlers and Georg(ia) can also shuttle you when she's finished behind the register for the day. Take your time and enjoy your hike. There're plenty of good camping spots in that section and you're never far from a road. This is a recreational pursuit and you don't have to prove anything to anyone. Enjoy.
Pedaling Fool
08-27-2011, 16:41
I think what everyone is trying to say here is that I'm too macho for this site; OK, I stand corrected. I will no longer post on these type questions on account of the extreme amount of man-***** exuding from me :cool:
:D
ChinMusic
08-27-2011, 16:46
I think what everyone is trying to say here is that I'm too macho for this site;:D
Just start calling you Right Said Fred......
Thanks for the responses. I'm in pretty decent shape so we're going to go as planned. Maybe we'll see some of you out there.
not because it's "hard"
No, because its hard to those whose expectations aren't in line with what they're doing. Like the FL guy that recently was complaining about the PUDs south of Damascus.
Don't listen to the "snobs" (every hobby has them - otherwise known as "The In Crowd").
Your intended hike is as hard as you alow it to be.
--FCJ
At 33 and in good shape you should be fine. Right now water is an issue from Grassy Gap to Neels Gap. I know Woody is dry and a hiker told me this weekend on top of Big Cedar that Lance Creek is no longer flowing but I have not personally confirmed that. I am not sure he knew where to look for it. That means the only water to be found is going to be down one of the two trails (Jarrard Gap Trail, Slaughter Creek Trail) towards Lake Winfield Scott and you may have to go a good distance. And, of course there are no water sources between Hawk Mtn Shelter and Justus Creek.
Water management will be critical on your hike. You will likely have to carry quite a bit depending upon where you are camping. For example, if you were to stay at Woody Gap like the fellow above you will need enough water at either Gooch Gap or Grassy Gap to get you to Woody, to make dinner and breakfast, and then to get another 5+ miles to get to Jarrard Gap trail. Depending on temperature and humidity that could be a big deal.
Trail Bug
08-29-2011, 08:52
Anyone who can't average 8 miles a day on the AT should stay home.
I strongly disagree with that. Met a woman at Shaw's last year who averaged less than 8 miles a day and she was not too many miles from completing the whole trail and she was in her 70's. As long as you have what you need to hike safely who is the judge of how far you need to hike daily to be qualified to be on the trail.
We just did the approach trail to Neel gap last week (8/22-8/26). You can find water, but it is not easy. A lot of streams are dry or just a dribble. Get water whenever you see it.