View Full Version : Smokies Section Hike Official Plan
ParkRat09
11-09-2011, 00:56
Ok so here is how I think I'm going to tackle the Smokies section of the AT starting November 15...Day 1: Fontana Dam to Mollies Ridge Shelter (10.8mi); Day 2: Mollies Ridge to Silers Bald Shelter (17.5mi); Silers Bald to Icewater Spring Shelter (16mi); Icewater Spring to Tricorner Knob Shelter (12.9mi); Tricorner Knob to Davenport Gap (15.7mi). Any Thoughts?
I've done a good bit of the AT in the Smokies already this year and been to most of the whole park (I live 45 min away). I haven't, however, done this many miles in consecutive days like this before so I'm a little weary of that. I did do a NOLS course in the Rockies recently for 2 weeks, but the per day mileage was usually less than this. Any suggestions? This schedule pretty manageable?
Thanks for the help!
It looks pretty manageable to me. That said, I've run into scores of people in the Smokies who are making about half the mileage they thought they would. A few factors in the miles per day calculations are: What time do you get started in the morning? Can you be on the trail by 8, or are you just rolling out of the bag around 10 or 11? Are you okay with hiking after dark? How heavy is your pack? Are you or the pack significantly overweight? Other than that, just make sure you have enough calories with you to keep from bonking. It's not a bad exercise to lay out your food day by day and tally up the calories with a calculator. If you don't have at least three or four thousand a day, you'll probably feel weak, cold, and lousy, and not be able to make your mileage gracefully, if at all.
Thats too many miles per day for me in the mountains. But your 24 and I'm 64....maybe that makes a difference.:eek:
It looks manageable depending of course upon your fitness level. I just did that 2 months ago in 5 days, but I'm twice your age. ;)
According to http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/temproadclose.htm, the Icewater Springs Shelter is closed for bear activity. Check with rangers when you make your reservations to see if it will still be closed during your trip.
Our trip was:
Day 1 Fontana to Mollies Ridge 8.8 miles
Day 2 Mollies Ridge to Derrick Knob 10.3 miles
Day 3 Derrick Knob to Mt. Collins 12.5 miles
Day 4 Mt Collins to Pecks Corner 15.1 miles
Day 5 Pecks Corner to Standing Bear 23.5
The original plan was to stop day 5 at Cosby Knob, then day 6 Cosby Knob to Standing Bear Farm, but the Cosby Knob was closed to bear activity then. When making the reservations, the ranger put us down for campsite 37 just past Cosby, but it turned out to be 3.5 miles off the trail so we went for a long final day instead.
ParkRat09
11-09-2011, 11:23
It looks pretty manageable to me. That said, I've run into scores of people in the Smokies who are making about half the mileage they thought they would. A few factors in the miles per day calculations are: What time do you get started in the morning? Can you be on the trail by 8, or are you just rolling out of the bag around 10 or 11? Are you okay with hiking after dark? How heavy is your pack? Are you or the pack significantly overweight? Other than that, just make sure you have enough calories with you to keep from bonking. It's not a bad exercise to lay out your food day by day and tally up the calories with a calculator. If you don't have at least three or four thousand a day, you'll probably feel weak, cold, and lousy, and not be able to make your mileage gracefully, if at all.
I can easily get started by 8am most days. I am not a 10 or 11 o'clock starter by any means. If I leave early enough I shouldn't be hiking in the dark. I'm also an ultra-light backpacker so my pack will be close to about 25-28lbs and I'm 5'11 and 165lbs, which I'm pretty sure isn't overweight :D
Sounds good! I think you'd be bored with a plan that called for any less mileage.
Plan on snow and ice -- I was just there -- that will slow you down a bit but assuming you are a hiker in decent shape, you'll be able to make that schedule without much problem - weather permitting. If you are in real good shape and push hard, you can do the park in 3 days in normal (coldish windy w/ dusting of snow) weather.
Kerosene
11-09-2011, 22:26
That mileage looks very reasonable for a reasonably fit, young UL backpacker. The first week of October I did this schedule:
Fontana Dam Visitors Center to Mollies Ridge Shelter (11.0 miles), Derrick Knob Shelter (11.4), Mt. Collins Shelter (13.3), Pecks Corner Shelter (14.9), Cosby Knob Shelter (12.9), Standing Bear Farm Hostel (11.0)
Shelter reservations limited my daily mileage, but I'm quite confident that I could have averaged 16 mpd through the Park, as I have on other sections of the southern AT. Bring your headlamp, though.
Day 2 is a pretty easy part of the Park. Your Day 3 mileage may feel a bit tougher, with good climbs/descents of Thunderhead, Clingmans, Mitchell, and out of Newfound Gap. The trail was surprisingly rocky north of Clingmans and Newfound Gap.
BirdShooter
11-10-2011, 00:43
It's doable. I've hiked the entire route - but I'd say your Mollies Ridge to Silers Bald Shelter (17.5mi) day is pretty ambitious for the Smokies. Even though you are on the ridge, there's plenty of up and down and if you run in to some snow/ice - game on. Here's some links to hikes I've done in the Smokies. If you want to drill down on any specific section let me know. It's an awesome place.
GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
Alum Caves (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/smokies/alum-cave%202_05D.htm), Appalachian Trail (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/ATNC/ATNC4%205_94D.htm), Bradley Fork (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/smokies/bradley-fork%201_98D.htm), Campsite #74 (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/smokies/campsite_74%205_10D.htm)
Cataloochee Valley (http://www.yourhikes.com/HikePages/HikePage.aspx?HikeID=237), Charlies Bunio (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/smokies/charlies-bunion%202-08D.htm)n (via Smokemont)
(http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/smokies/charlies-bunion%202-08D.htm)Deep Creek (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/smokies/deep_creek%203_10D.htm), Indian Creek Falls (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/smokies/indian_creek_falls%201_09D.htm)
Juney Whank Falls (http://www.yourhikes.com/HikePages/HikePage.aspx?HikeID=644), Kephart Prong (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/smokies/kephart-prong%2011_92D.htm), Kephart Shelter (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/smokies/kephart-shelter%2012_10D.htm)
Pecks Corner (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/smokies/pecks-corner-shelter%2010_92D.htm), Mollies Ridge (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/smokies/mollies%201_03D.htm), Mount Cammerer
(http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/smokies/mt-cammerer%201_04D.htm)Mount LeConte (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/smokies/mt-leconte%202_05D.htm), Mount Sterling (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/smokies/mt-sterling%201_04D.htm), Thunderhead (http://www.yourhikes.com/HikePages/HikePage.aspx?HikeID=674)
Kerosene
11-10-2011, 10:23
BirdShooter, your links aren't working for me.
CaptainNemo
11-10-2011, 12:37
I agree with Marta. I think that is a good point. Although I don't know if I would call it boredom. It is definitely some type of itchyness, that shreds days of my projected finish.
I agree with Marta. I think that is a good point. Although I don't know if I would call it boredom. It is definitely some type of itchyness, that shreds days of my projected finish."Itchyness" is a good way to put it. I'm not all that speedy a hiker, but I am an early riser, and I don't "cook" when I'm out on the trail, and I find sitting around in the ground to be painful after an hour or two, and I can't sleep for more than about seven hours...so the miles will add up. It's really good to know what sort of hiker you are before you make multi-day hiking plans. Some people are boggled by my average daily mileages (which are not all that marvellous, but are apparently suprising for a gray-haired old lady to be accomplishing) while I can't figure out what the five-mile-a-day hikers are doing with their time.