PapaGarrettP
11-28-2011, 14:26
All,
My son, best friend and I just completed our Section Hike from Neal's Gap to Amicalola Falls. Thanks to all who weighed in on my questions! Some feedback:
-distance for four days (38 or so miles) was perfect;
-Georgia Appalachian Trail Club was out in full force maintaining the trail on Saturday a week ago. Very friendly, positive folks! Great work -- the Georgia trail was a pleasure to hike;
-Water was scarce from Neal's Gap to south of Woody's Gap. We stashed water at Woody's, which was a great idea posted here by one of you;
-Hunting season concerns were a non-starter. As one hunter (at a restaurant) explained to me, deer generally avoid the trail and therefore so do hunters. In any case, we never heard much gun fire, except around Camp Merrill;
-Many thru hikers finishing their long treks South. It seemed that the big question about whether or not to hike all the way to Amicalola Falls (8.9 miles past Springer) was almost 100% dependent on whether or not hikers were met by their parents and/or friends at Springer for the climb to the summit;
-The only mishap we had was when my son (who always hiked ahead of the old men) mistakenly took the turn off to the Hike Inn. When I got to the car at Amicalola I turned on my phone and read his text -- "Where are you?" I called him and told him he had an hour and ten minutes to get his butt to the car before darkness fell. Cross country runner that he is, he ran all the way and made it in less than an hour with a 30 lb. pack. I told him that next year we are NOT carrying equal weight!
Special shout out to Leigh and Josh at the Hiker Hostel! They gave us a ride up to Neal's and we stayed at their very comfortable inn the first and last nights. Good price, good breakfast!
Papa G
My son, best friend and I just completed our Section Hike from Neal's Gap to Amicalola Falls. Thanks to all who weighed in on my questions! Some feedback:
-distance for four days (38 or so miles) was perfect;
-Georgia Appalachian Trail Club was out in full force maintaining the trail on Saturday a week ago. Very friendly, positive folks! Great work -- the Georgia trail was a pleasure to hike;
-Water was scarce from Neal's Gap to south of Woody's Gap. We stashed water at Woody's, which was a great idea posted here by one of you;
-Hunting season concerns were a non-starter. As one hunter (at a restaurant) explained to me, deer generally avoid the trail and therefore so do hunters. In any case, we never heard much gun fire, except around Camp Merrill;
-Many thru hikers finishing their long treks South. It seemed that the big question about whether or not to hike all the way to Amicalola Falls (8.9 miles past Springer) was almost 100% dependent on whether or not hikers were met by their parents and/or friends at Springer for the climb to the summit;
-The only mishap we had was when my son (who always hiked ahead of the old men) mistakenly took the turn off to the Hike Inn. When I got to the car at Amicalola I turned on my phone and read his text -- "Where are you?" I called him and told him he had an hour and ten minutes to get his butt to the car before darkness fell. Cross country runner that he is, he ran all the way and made it in less than an hour with a 30 lb. pack. I told him that next year we are NOT carrying equal weight!
Special shout out to Leigh and Josh at the Hiker Hostel! They gave us a ride up to Neal's and we stayed at their very comfortable inn the first and last nights. Good price, good breakfast!
Papa G