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Yesterday, I day-hiked the Approach Trail from the Amicalola Lodge up to Springer and back. The net elevation change from the Lodge to Springer is about 1,200' (from 2,500' to 3,700'). I was wondering if anyone with a GPS or other device has calculated the gross ascent, taking into account the intervening ups and downs, e.g. Frosty Mountain, Woody Knob.
How do you get permission to view this link?Quote:
Originally Posted by atraildreamer
from mapman's data
The approach trail out and back has 5482 feet of elevation gain total.
Here is the link to the data.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/content.php/49
Thanks, MaltoQuote:
Originally Posted by Malto
I wrote this as part of a series of seven articles and had it originally posted under the general AT information menu. It was moved off that menu and is currently under my profile page under the "Articles" listing. I don't know why the link is no good. I am planning on revising the article(s), (when I find the time), to reflect trail reroutes, etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by gpburdelljr
Attached is a pdf of elevations for the section you are interested in hiking.
If you don't mind me asking? How much time did it take to go up and back? My plan was to hike up and shuttle back on one day and then leave for Maine. after being shuttle back up, the next morning. Now, I am leaning towards hiking up and back down but was unsure of the time it would take and how tough it is to come back down after the stress of 8 miles uphill. Thanks for any input.
From the Visitor Center to Springer and back would be about 5475 feet of gain and 5475 feet of loss. Since the Lodge is about 800 feet higher than the Visitor Center, and the path between the two is all up or down (no intervening hills to speak of), from the Lodge to Springer and back ought to be around 4675 feet of gain and 4675 feet of loss. That's not calculated with a GPS. It's figured by counting contour lines crossed on 1:24,000 scale USGS topo maps.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cookerhiker
A pretty good workout! Hope you enjoy the Gathering.
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Originally Posted by Malto
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Originally Posted by Malto
Thanks guys. Malto, I examined the data from MapMan's tables and came up with your 5,482 calculation, precisely!Quote:
Originally Posted by atraildreamer
Since we started at the Hike Inn parking lot near the lodge and didn't hike up along the falls from the VC, I need to knock off about 700' (per writeup in GA-NC AT Guidebook). 4,700' of elevation gain is still enough to explain why my girlfriend was so tired (and truthfully, so was I!).
Thats a big day. It about the Grand Canyon South Rim to River and back.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cookerhiker
About 10 hours round trip for us. We took a few breaks including no more than half-hour hour at the summit. If I hiked solo, I could have made it in 8 1/2 hoursQuote:
Originally Posted by gbolt
Keep in mind we hike from the top of the falls near the lodge, not from the Visitor Center.
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If you meant "from the lodge to Springer and back--to the lodge" that would be 3875 total wouldn't it?Quote:
Originally Posted by map man
Uhm, yeah. Whenever there's nearly a mile of elevation gained, things are going to be pretty brutal.Quote:
Originally Posted by Malto
We did the Approach Trail in June, 2003, with our 12 year old daughter. Felt like we were dragging a particularly unwilling anchor. Took forever. :)
The approach trail is a good warmup hike for what the AT is like in GA all the way to Muskrat shelter. Up and down, up and down. Rocky with an occassional mud hole.
A more interesting hike than taking the approach to Springer and back is to take the Hike Inn trail, which is much more interesting and scenic. From the Hike Inn, there is a 1 mile trail to the approach trail (well signed at junction). Then you have a big loop hike, slightly less elevation gain and much more visually stimulating.
Signs at the beginning of the trail? What signs? I didn't see any signs, I was head-down hiking....
Cheers
Drala Hiker
I would assign a difficulty level of the approach trail as "Easy", even with the elevation change. The trail is pretty much free of roots/rocks. It's like walking on a city sidewalk
I have GPS data showing only 3252 gross, including 1276 downhill. And that was hiked from the visitors center, not the lodge.
This is my recollection as well, the only "rocky" part I remember is on the final approach up the side of Springer.Quote:
Originally Posted by Deacon