Hiking the NC Section this fall. Any advice?

[Hotel]

I hiked with a buddy the GA section last fall and am ready to start planning for the NC section this fall, Deep Gap, NC to Fontana. We will probably start in early to mid October. Any suggestions on re-supply, weather related issues, etc. I heard that NOC was not a good re-supply/hostel any longer??

Thanks
Hotel

[barf_jay]

Resupply can be in Franklin or at the NOC. I just mailed them a drop box and picked it up at the Outfitter store. The choice selection for resupply at the NOC is limited. So that is why I mailed them a drop box.

I also stayed at the hostel last summer (July), and it was ok with no issues. You get a towel for a shower, nice main building to cook and eat. The fridge in the main building had a pint of Ben and Jerrys someone left over, nice snack after a couple of beers at Slow Joe's Cafe.

[jburgasser]

My father-in-law did this same section May 2012. I put the whole hike on here as a journal. I think if you click on my username (jburgasser; upper left), you can then view my journals. It is titled "Just Got Back From Southern North Carolina".
It is a fantastic portion of the trail. You get your highest elevation of the whole trip in the 1st hour (Standing Indian Mountain). There are some long descents and long climbs and some great views. Water may be an issue depending on the summer rain ort lack of it.
We had a 3rd member who did the 1st 3 days with us and left his car at the parking area at Wayah Gap. We also had 2 days of food in his car waiting for us to pick up so it nice to only have to carry enough to get to that point. Now, on to your concerns about the NOC. Wesser Bald Shelter is maybe 7 - 8 miles south of the NOC. We got to that shelter at lunch and found a laminated paper in the shelter with names and phone numbers of shuttle services and lodging (including NOC) at the road crossing at the NOC. I mailed 2 days worth of food to NOC 10 days before we left for the trip. I think the intent was to camp just before the NOC for the night and pick up the food at the NOC the next morning. We instead decided to go to the NOC if they had lodging available that night. I had perfect cell reception from the shelter and reserved a room for us. It is literally 2 bunks in a room just long enough for the bunk bed and twice the width. There is a group bathroom/shower like you would expect at a KOA, and laundry, and 2 or 3 restaurants. We got to the NOC that afternoon and went to the outfitter to pick up my package and they had it waiting for us no problem. So hostel-wise it is great. Resupply-wise I don't know. I'm sure it is expensive. I think it cost $13 - $16 to mail the box. That is what I would do.
After teh NOC the rest of the hike to Fontana took 2 days. We had planned on 7 days but we covered it in 6 so on day 7 we went back to the NOC (spent the night in Franklin) and spent the day white water rafting. It is a great section!


Ickybod

[Northern Lights]

I did springer to yellowcreek gap in September/October 2011 and stayed at the NOC. It's a nice place for a break but the little store they had didn't have much for resupply. I had sent a box ahead to the outfitter and that worked for me. There is also a little gas station not far from the NOC that has a bit more for supplies. You will also pass a great little hamburger stand they made the best burgers. It's maybe half a mile, it's not far because I walked it.

[bigcranky]

That's a really nice section. Not sure how you would want to split it up for resupply. That's an ~80 mile hike. Winding Stair Gap (Franklin) is at ~25 miles, and NOC is another ~27 miles, then another ~28 to finish. So you could easily resupply twice and have fairly light packs, or just once, depending on how you like to hike and how many miles per day you will cover. (Some people will do this section in 3 days, others in 10.)

NOC is a nice hostel, but even in summer their resupply options are fairly limited. Not sure they will have anything in October, but you could call. They should accept a mail drop, and the restaurant should be open. (It's good.)

Franklin is a great hiker town. You can easily resupply from the big grocery stores, and hitching from Winding Stair Gap is not difficult. Some good restaurants there, too, and a couple of hiker motels.

[daddytwosticks]

I did springer to yellowcreek gap in September/October 2011 and stayed at the NOC. It's a nice place for a break but the little store they had didn't have much for resupply. I had sent a box ahead to the outfitter and that worked for me. There is also a little gas station not far from the NOC that has a bit more for supplies. You will also pass a great little hamburger stand they made the best burgers. It's maybe half a mile, it's not far because I walked it. That's the Burger Basket. Never ate there but always has a ton of cars in the parking lot. :)

[Northern Lights]

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/images/Eloquent/misc/quote_icon.png Originally Posted by Northern Lightshttp://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/images/Eloquent/buttons/viewpost-right.png (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?p=1385265#post1385265)I did springer to yellowcreek gap in September/October 2011 and stayed at the NOC. It's a nice place for a break but the little store they had didn't have much for resupply. I had sent a box ahead to the outfitter and that worked for me. There is also a little gas station not far from the NOC that has a bit more for supplies. You will also pass a great little hamburger stand they made the best burgers. It's maybe half a mile, it's not far because I walked it.
That's the Burger Basket. Never ate there but always has a ton of cars in the parking lot. :)

I forgot to add, one of the highlights of the trip, met daddytwosticks along the trail too. :)

[RED-DOG]

Start with 5-6 days of food have a Mail drop of 6 days of food at Aquonehostel they will pick you up at at Burningtown Gap and you don't have to stay their or pay them anything that should get you to Fontana Damn, Hike through the N.O.C but do get a meal at the Rivers Edge Restuarant they have great food. RED-DOG

[MuddyWaters]

How much resupply do you need for 1.5 days ?
Remembering you will eat bkfast at restaurant when you leave, and probably bring a couple chzburgers for lunch.

[yellowsirocco]

If you take the Wesser Creek trail down instead of the AT then you go right by the gas station that Northern Lights talks about. Wesser Creek trail is very nice if you don't mind a little road walking. You even go through a little community between the trailhead and the main road that in itself is quite pretty and nostalgic. You don't miss anything interesting on the AT by taking this route. In fact this was actually the old AT so this is retro-blazing.

Also on the other side of Wesser is a nice blue blaze as well if you like your trails short and steep like I do. Between Tellico Gap and Wesser Bald is an old Jeep trail for the fire tower that will send you directly to top instead of aimlessly meandering like the AT does.