Mail/Food Drop in NC

[Tenacfan]

Planning to thru hike NC (north-south) and looking for info on a good place to do a food drop about 1/2 way through please. Also, am going to try and not get sucked into the miles game this time, know Hot Springs, Fontana and Franklin are good towns to spend a little time, any other suggestions? I have planned 10-14 days to do this as I don't wish to rush myself like I did in GA and end up taking a bad fall again.

Thanks for all your assistance everyone,






GO HIKE, what else needs to be said

[daddytwosticks]

If you are going this time of year and making your hike a relaxing enjoyable strole, take some time out at the NOC in Wesser and try some rafting. A great way to spend a zero day from hiking. :)

[Cookerhiker]

When you say "NC," I'm uncertain where your "from" and "to" points are since after Fontana, the trail meanders between the states for a few hundred miles. Anyway, I agree that the NOC is a great place to hang out and also to send yourself a maildrop.

[Tenacfan]

OK, I'm still new to this, I'm hiking North South Starting at NC-TN line and heading ot NC-GA Line. What address would one use to ship something to Wesser Bald area, what town would that be? As always, thanks for all the great advise I keep getting.

[Slo-go'en]

So, you want to go from US19E which is the point at which the trail stays "mostly" in NC to the NC/GA line? Thats a distance of about 320 miles and do it in 10 to 14 days? That an average of 32 to 23 miles a day and you don't want to rush it? I think you need to get a guide book and look at the distances and level of difficulty.

[Tenacfan]

According to my guide "The AT Guide" by awol, Franklin NC to GA is about a 100 miles, not sure what I'm reading wrong, please explain.

[max patch]

OK, I'm still new to this, I'm hiking North South Starting at NC-TN line and heading ot NC-GA Line. What address would one use to ship something to Wesser Bald area, what town would that be? As always, thanks for all the great advise I keep getting.

You are unclear as to your starting point. I'm guessing you mean Fontana Dam. Correct?

In any event, you want to send your package to the Nantahala Outdoor Center.

[max patch]

My 2nd guess would be Elk Park.

My 3rd guess would be somewhere in between.

[Tenacfan]

Yes, Max Patch, thank you that is the info I needed, appreciate your assistance.

[Ground Control]

Tenacfan, we have the same goal! I, too, am trying to do all of the NC miles of the AT before I turn forty.

I must admit to encountering a little bit of confusion myself when learning what it meant to do all of the NC miles of the trail; it weaves in and out of both the TN and VA borders. As someone else posted, to get from VA border to the north to the the GA border to the south, it is roughly 320 miles...

I am completing the section through Damascus, VA (NOBO) next week. This will complete the northern border for me. If it goes well, I will turn around and start SOBO from somewhere between Watauga Lake and Elk Park in late July. I guess we will see...

This might be a helpful document for you (not for the vandalism info, but for the lodging/parking/shuttle info):
http://www.appalachiantrail.org/docs/default-document-library/at-shuttles-parking-vandalism-5-13-13.pdf

And this site helped me figure out parking more than once:
http://appalachiantrail.rohland.org/


Have fun! I wish you luck on completing your goal!