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View Full Version : AT noob from Nebraska needs advice for 9/2013



Omaha_Ace
01-02-2013, 16:48
Hi - I'm a 36 y/o from Omaha, NE and am planning a trip out to visit an aunt in Georgia in September 2013. She has always wanted to do a section of the AT but is concerned about going it without a skilled backpacker, which is where I come in.

Now, my credentials will seem puny by this forum's standards, but here they are: Eagle Scout, 2 50 mile afoot/afloats (Boundary Waters, MN and Rocky Mountan NP), several multiday pack trips including MN, CO, SD, WY, and AR, and approximately 3500 trail miles to date and counting.

Ok - down to tacks - Sept 2013 we're planning a 4 to 5 day on-trail trip with my aunt's husband acting as a support driver (weak....I know. Work with me, folks...he's only driving because he can't trek it alongside us :P ) - they would be picking me up in Atlanta and heading straight for a trailhead to jump on the AT and get to it.

YOU are my first step in research. So, WhiteBlaze junkies - if you were me, where would you start - what 40-50 mile strech in the lower 1/3 of the AT will give us the best show and allow our driver access to camp with us at night?

CrumbSnatcher
01-02-2013, 16:56
people from nebraska know about the trail? :-)
welcome to WB

Omaha_Ace
01-02-2013, 17:06
Maybe just you and I! Official motto of a Nebraska backpacker: "Anywhere but here" - the folks down at Fontanelle Forest always give me weird looks when I head out with a full pack or in one of our spring typhoons - gotta keep in practice - never know when the chance for an epic trip is going to pop up!

I'm really excited about even hitting 2% of the trail. Hoping to get some solid advice and it looks like I struck gold finding this site.

CrumbSnatcher
01-02-2013, 17:13
yeah great place, i had thousands of miles hiked then i came here and everyone helped me out by letting me know i was doing everything wrong :-)
just kidding, alot of great people here

Airman
01-02-2013, 17:14
I suggest start at Springer Mtn and hike to Neel Gap. There is a road (rte 42) that parellels the trail for the first 20 miles to Woody Gap. Easy accesses to several of the shelters mainly Hawk Mtn and Gooch Gap.

Airman
01-02-2013, 17:16
Also good views on top of Blood Mtn and Tray Mtn.

moldy
01-02-2013, 17:19
Here is what I would do, 4 or 5 days in September, Have your uncle drop you off in the Great Smokie Mtn National Park at the parking lot for the Clingman's Dome lookout tower and Hike South on the Appalachian Trail and go either to Fontana Dam if you are slow or to the NOC if you are faster. Be sure to get reservations and a backcountry permit in the park. Now if you are restricted to the state of Georgia I would have him drop you off at the foot of the approach trail to the Appalachian Trail and hike to Neels Gap.

Omaha_Ace
01-02-2013, 17:20
So...start at the beginning :D I was thinking Springer to Blood Mtn at a minimum and shoot for bonus miles so Neels Gap would be very attainable on our timeline. What's the weather going to be mid-to-late September? And the bug situation? I'm guessing hot and insane. Thanks for the reply!

wiel
01-02-2013, 18:33
mid-late Sept can still be hot, always bugs; you can have some cool nights. If you can deal with the Omaha weather, GA will be a delight!Springer to Neels Gap a great hike, streatch on to Hogpen for more outstanding views. Enjoy.

G-FOURce
01-02-2013, 19:20
Go Dawgs! I thought I'd throw in a little New Year's SEC "hey ya'll" for you. (Just funnin')

Welcome to WB!

TroutknuT
01-02-2013, 21:23
Hello Ace and fellow flat lander. I live off Dodge and 144th. In April I did Springer to NOC. This year Noc to Hot Springs. If you need a gear shake down or just info.PM me. I do think getting your legs in shape for the down hill part of the trail is a must. This sight rocks big time.

Papa D
01-02-2013, 21:35
I think that you might enjoy the Roan Mountains - - the hiking is not too terribly hard and there are good views so I'd suggest a start a little farther north - - Erwin TN (at the Nolichucky River) might be a good starting spot and head north to Elk Park NC - - you could stay at Mountain Harbor Hostel there which is a really nice place - they have a room over their great old barn and tenting in the yard - - very typical good AT Hostel. This would be 50 miles (almost exactly) which would be 4 days at just over 12 miles per day (fit and ambitious pace for a newbie). If this is too much to bight off you could start slightly farther north at NC226 (Iron Mountain Gap) which would cut the trip to 30 miles (4 days at about 7.5 miles each day). The folks at Mountain Harbor Hostel could / would provide a shuttle for you.
www.mountainharbour.net/ (http://www.mountainharbour.net/)

the hiking just north of Hot Springs, NC is also really nice - - there is another hostel that I like there just off of Log Cabin Road with great folks running it (they live in an 1800s farmhouse there - - I think the woman is named Hattie) anyway, they have a hostel and cabins on the creek and it;s really nice (just a little hard to find but not bad) you could hike to Hot Springs (southbound) or north to Erwin. Here is the link to their place (and they'll happily shuttle too)

here is their website (good folks)

www.hemlockhollowinn.com (http://www.hemlockhollowinn.com)

if you are around Erwin, I cannot recommend a place to stay but there are a few

Omaha_Ace
01-03-2013, 10:27
Thanks for the sites and hostel info - planning on tenting, but definitely excellent to have back-up plans in case weather gets dodgy. 12 mile days are probably about right with my aunt along. I'm about a 4 mph hiker at home but will definitely slow it down on the AT to take it in along the way.

Omaha_Ace
01-03-2013, 10:51
Hello Ace and fellow flat lander. I live off Dodge and 144th. In April I did Springer to NOC. This year Noc to Hot Springs. If you need a gear shake down or just info.PM me. I do think getting your legs in shape for the down hill part of the trail is a must. This sight rocks big time.

Yeah - YOU are going to come in handy. Gear weight isn't going to be an issue as we have a support driver for tents and bags, but saving ounces in the daypack is going to be important. My 'afternoon pack' I take out now runs about 12 pounds wet, but I pack it on the heavy side on purpose just to have some weight on my back when I go out. I'm hoping to have my AT daypack at around 15-17 pounds wet so that might take a little fine-tuning. Where is the best outfitter in the vicinity to Springer? I'll want canisters for my stove and don't feel great about shipping them. Another disadvantage of being in Omaha - specialty / lightweight gear is hard to come by (most of us Nebraskans are "car campers" and use 17 pound 3 room tests for two people - ugh...)

Also, where do you train / hike locally? I'm just down the road from Fontanelle and it's either there or Platte River SP every couple of weeks for me.

wiel
01-03-2013, 11:03
Where is the best outfitter in the vicinity to Springer? .. Mountain Crossing at Neels Gap or you can stop at one of the several REIs in the ATL metro

Omaha_Ace
01-03-2013, 11:06
REI :| It will be like stepping into Heaven!!! Sorry Canfields, looks like I'm going to go two-timing on you while I'm out on my trip :D

Papa D
01-03-2013, 11:40
Thanks for the sites and hostel info - planning on tenting, but definitely excellent to have back-up plans in case weather gets dodgy. 12 mile days are probably about right with my aunt along. I'm about a 4 mph hiker at home but will definitely slow it down on the AT to take it in along the way.

Omaha - 4 miles per hour on the AT is trail running - - I'm considered a very fast hiker and regularly do 20 mile days but a 20 takes me (sometimes) all day - never 5 hours (at least not on the trail) - - only the speed record holders hold down a 4 mph pace. (This of course might be a pace down a road or flat trail in Nebraska but not in the Appalachians) - - - I usually hike at an average of 2 miles per hour (or maybe 3.0 at times) but being new to our trail and "with your aunt along", I would guess that you will move at 1 mile per hour - - 1 mph on the AT is still a decent respectable and probably average section miler pace so for you to do a 12 mile day, I'm guessing you'll hike from 7am to 7pm with lunches and breaks built in. You may indeed be able or want to move a lot faster but if you plan based on this you will have the welcome surprise of being ahead of schedule vs behind schedule which could lead to drudgery. I wish you a good safe and happy hike.

G-FOURce
01-03-2013, 11:47
Omaha - 4 miles per hour on the AT is trail running - - I'm considered a very fast hiker and regularly do 20 mile days but a 20 takes me (sometimes) all day - never 5 hours (at least not on the trail) - - only the speed record holders hold down a 4 mph pace. (This of course might be a pace down a road or flat trail in Nebraska but not in the Appalachians) - - - I usually hike at an average of 2 miles per hour (or maybe 3.0 at times) but being new to our trail and "with your aunt along", I would guess that you will move at 1 mile per hour - - 1 mph on the AT is still a decent respectable and probably average section miler pace so for you to do a 12 mile day, I'm guessing you'll hike from 7am to 7pm with lunches and breaks built in. You may indeed be able or want to move a lot faster but if you plan based on this you will have the welcome surprise of being ahead of schedule vs behind schedule which could lead to drudgery. I wish you a good safe and happy hike.

great info here.

Omaha_Ace
01-03-2013, 11:58
Thanks Papa D - this is the stuff I need to know. Pictures and videos are great, but boots-on-the-groud intel is priceless. At home I blast it pretty hard on the trails I know by heart - I go for volume because my trail time is limited by work and family stuff. When I take my kids hiking it is closer to 1.5-2 mph so that's likely the goal for my AT pacing.

Is the topography in the GA section similar to north Arkansas or sub-alpine Colorado? IE: a lot of sidehill, rolling elevation gain / loss kind of trail? Or is there a lot more steep (30 degree plus) sections? How about stream crossings, obstacle crossings, etc - much, little, or none of that?

TroutknuT
01-03-2013, 14:45
Stream crossing may be a few steping stones or a short hop. A nice rain day and the trail will become a river, no rain on main. Trail runners dry faster than boots or gor tex.

Omaha_Ace
01-04-2013, 11:07
Stream crossing may be a few steping stones or a short hop. A nice rain day and the trail will become a river, no rain on main. Trail runners dry faster than boots or gor tex. I figured as much from the maps I have looked at so far (we just started talking about this last week), but you never can tell how big the blue line on the map is until you're standing at the bank, so I figured I'd ask. With our low pack weights I am definitely going with my low-cut shoes.

God - I am so crazy excited for this. I know I'm only planning 45-60 miles of time on the trail, but to me this is going to be like a kid playing AA baseball getting a two game call-up to the Yankees. I watched the National Geographic AT show on Netflix the other night and my heart was pounding. Excited!

TroutknuT
01-04-2013, 13:49
Looking at OP 4-5 days,10 mile days just a day pack and not sleeping in the woods. Looks like maps over the Thru-Hikers' Companion. Maps will show blue blazes and a road to hook up with your support car. Using only my Companion I find it hard to lay out a plan without real big miles or a night in the woods. Get the AT Georgia map you have lots of time to plan and train. I found the stairclimber at the gym helped for the ups,squats and lunges for the downs. Hopefully someone can post with more info on roads close to the trail.

Gray Blazer
01-04-2013, 13:54
I hiked a lot with my BS Troop in the day. When I started backpacking again in my 40's I thought it would be a breeze. I must have been able to carry more weight when I was a kid (not to mention hiking on flatland). When I started hiking up the first ascent with my canned goods and pots and pans, I was ready to give up after a 100 yds. Make sure you have light weight (at least under 30-35 lbs including food and water) or you might be miserable.

AtomicLlama
01-04-2013, 13:56
I live off Dodge and 144th.

You live like a mile away from me. I'm surprised there are so many Omaha whiteblazers.

AtomicLlama
01-04-2013, 13:58
Maybe just you and I! Official motto of a Nebraska backpacker: "Anywhere but here"

I hate how true this is. It's hard to even find a place for a decent day hike.

Omaha_Ace
01-04-2013, 14:02
Looking at OP 4-5 days,10 mile days just a day pack and not sleeping in the woods. Looks like maps over the Thru-Hikers' Companion. Maps will show blue blazes and a road to hook up with your support car. Using only my Companion I find it hard to lay out a plan without real big miles or a night in the woods. Get the AT Georgia map you have lots of time to plan and train. I found the stairclimber at the gym helped for the ups,squats and lunges for the downs. Hopefully someone can post with more info on roads close to the trail.

I'm definitely sleeping in the woods :) Just not physically hauling my tent. That will be in the support car. If the support car can't find us, a nice little fire and open ground sound plenty fine to me ;) The idea of having support seems so weird to me - I'm used to planning for open county treks and not seeing people or signs of civilization for 4 days.

Omaha_Ace
01-04-2013, 14:10
I hate how true this is. It's hard to even find a place for a decent day hike.

Rainy days at Fontanelle are good - quiet and easy to put in 7-12 miles. Our state parks are woefully under-trailed. Iowa State Forest up by Little Souix is pretty good expecially if you want some open country miles. Indian Hills down south has some pretty trails and a great loop to can do a one-nighter on if you don't mind a mile of road-hike.

Sigh...

AtomicLlama
01-04-2013, 14:45
Rainy days at Fontanelle are good - quiet and easy to put in 7-12 miles. Our state parks are woefully under-trailed. Iowa State Forest up by Little Souix is pretty good expecially if you want some open country miles. Indian Hills down south has some pretty trails and a great loop to can do a one-nighter on if you don't mind a mile of road-hike.

Sigh...

I've been to most of these places, although I haven't been to the state forest in Iowa yet, mostly because I couldn't figure out if there was much in the way of trails based on the info available on their web site. There are a few nice places to hike here, but it doesn't take a lot of time to see pretty much everything there is. I really wish there were some "destinations" to hike to. It's not like you can hike to a specific peak or waterfall or canyon or something of that sort here.

Have you been to Hitchock Nature Center over in Iowa near Crescent? 10 miles or so of trails, a mix of woodlands and prairie, typical Loess Hills scenery. They have a few designated "backcountry" campsites, although I haven't done an overnight there yet.

Omaha_Ace
01-06-2013, 13:23
Went up to neale woods yesterday and logged about 4.5 miles. Not 100% sure because some of it was open field since the trails are still snowed over and they must not get many hikers up there. It was really pretty and some good hills.

Im going to blog via my Twitter feed @Omaha_Ace with pictures, etc.

Omaha_Ace
01-07-2013, 12:35
So, still on-topic, and mainly for the Georgia people, and specific to the 2nd or 3rd week in September (which is when I'll be hiking the GA section) - is there anything adjacent to the AT / GA section that is totally worth an off-trail excursion? Like an epic waterfall or life changing view down a side trail? Or maybe an art festival, tourist attraction, kick-ass old movie theater, awesome concert, legendary bar/drafthouse, phenomenal cheeseburger, etc. in a nearby town? I'm not adverse to going off the AT to see something cool while I'm down there.

And while we will have a support driver (see above...) I'm also not adverse to the idea of hitching a ride to see one of these awesome spectacles if hitching is needed - but I've never done that (technically I took a trailhead-to-trailhead ride in CO from another hiker once) and am not sure how that works. It it just common logic for people who live / drive around the AT to pick people up? I'm not super concerned about safety - I'm 6' 230#, but the protocol and logistics of getting a ride somewhere if I need one.

Omaha_Ace
01-09-2013, 13:12
OK. New thinking on this. Originally I was thinking of flying into ATL on a Tues AM, meaning I'd be at Springer at about 1 pm, hike until Saturday afternoon and fly home Sat night or Sunday AM to be back at work Monday.

NOW I'm thinking about bumping the timeline up to Labor Day weekend to tke advantage of the free day off of work - fly out Sunday, hike to Saturday, etc. With the extra days, would a Springer to Georgia state line (79 miles?) assault be possible with this amount of time, adding in that I have the aunt's husband to haul the heavy gear by car for us? A little over 13 miles per day? Am I nuts or is this not too bad of a line of thinking?