First section hike report (long)

[dreamweaver21]

First section hike report (long)
Hello WB!
I just got back from my first ever AT section hike and thought I would give a report as a thank you to all the people who helped me get gear, plans, food, etc. sorted out before I hiked.This was my first ever long distance hike.I am going to start with “just the facts” and then go into my personal experiences and opinions.

I ended up hiking the trail from Springer Mountain, GA to the road crossing near Gatlinburg, TN.This took me two full weeks.The breakdown of my travel is below:

Day	Start Location	Stop Location	Start Time	Stop Time	Miles from Springer	Miles Hiked
1	Springer Mtn	Gooch Shelter	10:30	17:30	15.8	15.8
2	Gooch Shelter	Baggs Creek Gap	8:15	19:00	35.9	20.1
3	Baggs Creek Gap	Cheese Factory Site	8:15	18:00	56.6	20.7
4	Cheese Factory Site	Dicks Creek Gap	7:45	14:30	69.6	13
5	Dicks Creek Gap	Standing Indian Shelter	9:00	18:00	86.3	16.7
6	Standing Indian Shelter	Rock Gap Shelter	8:00	17:00	106	19.7
7	Rock Gap Shelter	Winding Stair Gap	8:00	11:00	109.8	3.8
8	Winding Stair Gap	Wayah Shelter	11:00	16:00	120.8	11
9	Wayah Shelter	NOC	8:00	16:00	137.1	16.3
10	NOC	Cody Gap	9:00	18:00	155.9	18.8
11	Cody Gap	Fontana Dam	8:15	12:30	164.7	8.8
12	Fontana Dam	Spence Field Shelter	9:30	19:00	182.5	17.8
13	Spence Field Shelter	Mt. Collins Shelter	7:30	18:00	205.1	22.6
14	Mt. Collins Shelter	Newfound Gap	7:30	13:00	206.8	1.7

I stayed in a hostel or hotel on the end of days 4, 7, 9, 11, and 14.I stayed in my tent the rest of the nights.I did not sleep in a shelter at all.
Here is my gear breakdown for my big ticket stuff:
Pack – Osprey Atmos 65L Medium.At 55oz it is not considered an UL pack but once I learned how to wear it (higher than my pants with the waistband tight) it suited me OK.I didn’t have any volume issues with the pack.I could easily fit everything I carried except my camp shoes inside the pack.I did see a number of people with smaller packs on the trail but a lot of them had stuff attached to the outside of their packs.When I do another trip I will likely try a lighter pack.The first couple of days, it rubbed me somewhat raw on my sides but that stopped after day 3 or so.
Tent – Eureka Spitfire.54.6oz was heavier than the website said but the tent suited me OK for this trip.Again, if I do another trip, I will likely try a lighter option.
Sleeping pad – Klymit Static V Air Pad.At 20oz, this is heavy for a pad.It was reasonably comfortable by hiking standards.Again, if I do another trip, I will likely try a lighter option.
Sleeping bag – Enlightened Equipment Revelation 750 20degree.This is a nice quilt at 24.4oz but I wish I had ordered a long version instead of the standard.I am 5’10” so the standard length is supposed to be what fits me but I sleep on my stomach and when I do that I can’t get the quilt over my head without pulling my legs up.If I don’t pull my legs up, I get a tunnel that lets cold air in.I am going to see if I can send it back to be lengthened.One night it got into the 20s.I was wearing thermals plus a wool shirt.The quilt kept me alive but I froze my ass off all night.
Cookware – I used a Snow Peak solo set.I won’t bring the cup for the next trip, just the pot.I never used the cup.My Snow Peak titanium spork worked fine but all I really needed was a spoon.My stove was a homemade beer can alcohol stove that I made using this link http://www.realfarmacy.com/how-to-turn-a-beer-can-into-camping-stove/.It worked fine.I carried 12oz of alcohol but never used more than half of that.I could have gotten by with an 8oz bottle instead.
Water – I carried a Sawyer squeeze mini and Aqua Mira and I filtered and treated my water.I didn’t even bother taking the 16oz bag that came with the filter.I carried a 32oz squeeze bag that I bought separately.I carried two 1L Smart Water bottles for water storage.I used the Smart Water bottles because they fit in my pack well, were not crinkly like a Dasani bottle, and are threaded correctly for my filter.If I were to do it again, I would skip the Aqua Mira and just carry a Visine bottle filled with bleach.I did notice that a sawyer squeeze is one of the slower water filters on the trail.I met people with a mix of different pumps and gravity systems that seemed faster but the squeeze worked for me.
Rain Gear – Frog Togs.Worked fine for what they are.
Socks – I hiked in Smartwool mediums and then Wigwams.I gave the Smartwools away and bought a different pair of socks at Neel’s Gap for sleeping.The Smartwools didn’t keep my feet warm at night and they allowed my one and only blister for the trip when I wore them hiking.I had a couple of different people tell me that the Wigwams suck but I like them.
Clothing – the only notable thing I had was a Minus 33 Merino wool shirt that I bought just for this because a lot of people on here said it is the best base layer.It was way too hot for me to hike in wool.I ended up hiking in a Nike dri fit synthetic shirt that was way more comfortable for me to hike in.I used the wool shirt as a sleep shirt.
Shoes – New Balance trail runners.I am so glad I didn’t bring my boots.
I made some other gear adjustments along the way but I don’t want to go into agonizing detail here.

So here are my personal opinions and experiences in more or less chronological trip order:
-Overall, I had a great time.I met too many cool people to list but I will say it is neat how people from all over the world come together on the trail to have a good time.I tend to be somewhat introverted.My first couple of days on the trail, I ran across numerous groups of people who were chatting, splitting rides or rooms, etc.I assumed they all knew each other before the trip but I quickly realized that no, no they didn’t.The group was just a conglomeration of random people who had just met.I was not used to this.
-Unless you have “mountain Sherpa” on your resume, get your loaded pack at or under 30lbs of you want to make reasonable time.I am sure some people can do 20 mile days with a 45lb pack but most of the people I ran across with 40lb packs were making 6-10 miles a day.
-Get ready to eat.My first few days, I wasn’t really all that hungry but I was running a serious calorie deficit.After a week I found out that I seriously love M&Ms.I found out that cooking in the AM is not for me.I got rid of my oatmeal.My daily food went something like this:7am – pop tart.9am – uncooked Ramen noodles.1pm – Some random food (trail mix, cliff bars, jerky, whatever I had).4pm – candy (M&Ms.I bought the 2 serving “share” size and ate the whole bag.)7pm – dinner (some kind of cooked pasta with 2 packs of tuna thrown in.Preferably the tuna in oil, not water.)
-LNT is a good thing in general but I don’t believe in some of it.Burning paper packaging in a campfire doesn’t hurt a damn thing.Neither does using a tiny amount of soap away from a water source.
-The bear issue is overblown.I met a decent number of people who had thru hiked and never hung their food and they said they never had any issues with bears.I’m not saying it is a good idea to sleep with your food but doing so does not guarantee a bear visit.
-I stayed the night before my trip started at Hiker Hostel.Highly recommended.They picked me up at ATL, had reasonable accommodations, and were just great people to be around.My pack weighed in at 32lbs with 4 days food, 2L water, and 2 extra bananas that I bought the day before.
-Nothing too exciting the first day.I made about 16 miles and slept in my tent on a severe angle near the Gooch Mtn shelter.There were no flat tent sites around when I got there.
-My second day I cruised through Neel’s Gap and the store there.I sent back a jacket, ball cap, and trowel that I didn’t need.I bought a bandana, a pair of socks, and some snacks.I didn’t stay in the hostel because I got there early in the afternoon and wanted to hike some more.I talked to a guy there who was either delirious from hiking or just plain crazy to start with because he wasn’t making a whole lot of sense.
-My third day was my hardest of the trip.My knees were really tiring of the downhills.I thought that walking sticks and trekking poles were just for old people.I was wrong.I found a stick to help soften my descents.I will try trekking poles on my next trip.
-On day 4, I crossed Dicks Gap around 2:30pm and there was a group of 20somthings there who wanted to go into town and get food and drinks.They asked if I wanted to join them.Yes, yes I do.Only 1 girl had cell service.She called and made hotel reservations and got a shuttle (for a hotel in a different town without knowing it).I ended up hitching with some lady, her two nieces, and some German guy.We never found the hotel because it was in a different city.The German bailed out in town and the lady ended up giving me a tour of Hiawassee, GA and then dropping me off again at Dicks Gap.Back at the gap, I got in a van for a hostel called Top of Georgia (not recommended).The facility itself was fine.It was new and clean but the bathroom situation was inadequate.There were three employees: hippie van driver guy, owner, and fat obnoxious guy.The van driver guy was nice.I didn’t have an issue with him at all.The owner guy was OK but it was obvious that he didn’t really have a system worked out and he was discombobulated.Apparently they are new in the hostel business.I can handle some level of incompetence and disorder as long as the people are nice about it.These people were not.The rules for the place were not clear and that caused issues. Also, they provided a shuttle to town which was nice but they left some people behind when they picked up and didn’t come back for them for a long time.The owner attempted to use the evening and his basically captive audience to all but preach his knowledge of the trail.Some of his speech might have been useful if it wasn’t so damn drawn out and condescending.I think quiet time was like 10pm or so and one guy that was in the room I was sleeping in went out to ask for a cup at 10:15 and almost ended up in a fistfight with the fat guy who works there.It was just chaos.They have a no alcohol rule which I respect but their reason for the rule was that some guys got drunk and broke a bunch of stuff there.I suspect that the folks who broke stuff didn’t do it because they were drunk, it was probably retaliation for being treated like **** by the staff, specifically the fat guy.To add to it, it was hard to sleep because the owner was up all night with the TV loud as hell and to top it off, he was drinking himself right there at the hostel.Long story short, the place has potential because of the location but I was glad to be back on the trail.
-Day 5 I hiked into NC.Nothing crazy sticks out in my memory on days 5 or 6.
-On Day 7 I made my way to Winding stair gap and stayed in Franklin.It got down into the low 20s this night.I was glad to be in a hotel.When I got to the gap a shuttle bus pulled up and I climbed on with everyone else.The driver was a local hotel proprietor named Ron.He owns the Budget Inn and Sapphire Inn.He spent the majority of the ride to town telling us some long rambling story about an Indian.I have no idea what the point of the story was.I tried to tune it out as much as possible.He also laid on a thick coat of good ole boy country “I like to help hikers” shtick saying things like, “My name is in that book, you get in trouble, you call me” to some people on the ride.We got to his hotel and someone on the bus asked how to get to another hotel that he didn’t own and he changed attitudes real quick.From a business perspective, I totally get it.He runs the bus to bring people to his properties.I am fine with that.However, I am not sure that the people who asked about the other properties even realized that the bus was only for guests of his hotel.Hell, I didn’t even know it myself.It doesn’t say that anywhere that I saw.What I found interesting was how much it showcased how disingenuous this guy was.Once he found out they were not guests at his property he changed from, “you get in trouble, then call me” to “why didn’t you tell me you were staying somewhere else, I would have left your asses in the mountains.”
We got off the bus and the hotel staff greeted us.The people who asked about another property said they would consider staying there if they could see a room first.The staff refused to show them a room.They left and so did I.I also met a guy walking down the road with all his gear.He told me there was no way in hell he was spending another night in the Budget Inn.He walked down to the Microtel.I stayed there at the Microtel too.Except for the lack of guest laundry and lack of shuttle it was fine.Since there were like 10 hikers staying at the Microtel, we called the city transit in the morning and they shuttled us to the trail for $3/head.That worked out well.
-Nothing crazy on day 8.
-On day 9 I stayed at the NOC hostel.It was ok but nothing near what Hiker Hostel was.Still it was cheap enough and right on the trail.No shuttle required, it had laundry and some supplies.I would stay there again.
-Nothing crazy on days 9 or 10.
-On day 11 I stayed at the Fonata Lodge.I caught a $3 shuttle from the marina to the village store.I found it to be very convenient.Yeah, Ramen noodles were 50 cents instead of 20 cents but for the amount of stuff a solo hiker needs, it really didn’t make a difference to me.The lodge itself was quite nice and the hiker rate was like $60/night which I think is reasonable.I had a nice breakfast Easter morning and then took a shuttle back to the trail.Up until this point, the entire trip was restoring my faith in humanity.Yes there has been some issues in town but all the hikers I met seemed to be great people.I walked by the “Fontana Hilton” on my way to the dam.It was crowded with 20 or 30 people there and there was a church group of kids passing out hard boiled eggs and Easter candy to the people at the Fontana Hilton.The church group said they were going to do a little Easter service down away from the crowd and that anyone was welcome to join them.They got away from the shelter and starting singing.Some of the people at the Hilton started bitching about their singing.One guy was like, “I thought these were free eggs, I didn’t know I would have to listen to this crap” and then he proceeded to light a pipe.
I am no fan of organized religion and I don’t have a problem with people who want to smoke weed, but for this guy to take their food, bitch about them singing well away from him, and then smoke weed in front of children is just plain sorry.I seriously considered going over and “correcting” his behavior but I didn’t do anything, I wish I would have.I decided that these weren’t people I wanted to be around so I didn’t stay long.
This started the negative portion of my trip.
-On day 12 I entered the Smokies and I quit my trip halfway through the Smokies.I wish I had finished them just for the simple reason that I wouldn’t have to go back there again.I didn’t find the terrain particularly difficult.The views weren’t any better than NC or GA.Basically it is the same trail that is in GA and NC with additional unnecessary bureaucracy.I totally don’t have a problem paying a park use fee and $20 is not a big deal to me but I just don’t see how this 80 miles of trail is any different than the other 2100 miles.Why they have the goofball rules about being forced to stay in rat infested shelters and pay people to run around the ridges asking you if you put the bottom half of your pass in the box is beyond me.It’s like they set up a toll both just so they can pay a guy to work in the toll booth.The southern 40 miles of trail is basically a drainage ditch for the mountain.I am not sure if the trail is just packed down from travel or if someone had the dumb idea to actually dig out the trail.It hadn’t rained in days when I got there and there were still some swampy areas on the trail.
In the Gatlinburg attraction guide, the guide mentions that a bunch of people run around Gatlinburg trying to sell timeshares.Apparently you can get a sticker that says, “I have already been asked, thanks” to wear on your shirt or jacket so the timeshare people leave you alone.Maybe they need one for hikers so they don’t get pestered by every guy on the ridge about the bottom half of their thru hiker pass.
On day 14 I stayed the night in Gatlinburg and then paid a cab to take me to Knoxville so I could get a one way rental car to go home.Overall, I had a great trip.My body adjusted to the hiker life pretty quickly and I felt great.I don’t know that I will ever have the desire to do a thru hike but I definitely see myself doing another section hike in the future.I learned some stuff, met some cool people, and I now know what I actually need and don’t need for a long distance hike.Thanks again WB!

[rafe]

"I just don’t see how this 80 miles of trail is any different than the other 2100 miles."

This is the season for asking questions. Ma nishtana... OK, that was a couple weeks ago.

You done good. Thanks for the report. You're certainly not the first hiker to be underwhelmed by the Smokies... or the Whites, or SNP... or any of the other heavily-traveled beauty spots.

Personally, I think it might be fun to hike the Smokies again some day, in decent weather and apart from the thru-hiker bubble.

[Jeff]

Dreamweaver...thanks for taking the time to share your experiences. I really appreciate your straightforward insights.

[MuddyWaters]

In spite of the half dozen views, the AT is not the best of the smokies by any means. And the rules are in place to concentrate impact and preserve what is americas most heavily visited national park.

I was at Fontana 2 days before easter, surveyed the crowd around the shelter and we spent the night at Tuskeegee hotel instead.

You got to experience some of the "entitlement" mentality that thru hikers often get. Taking a free shuttle ride from a hotel with no intention of staying there. Guidebook clearly says free shuttle for GUESTS if I remember correctly. Why do some people expect anything for free? This is well known, well documented issue with thru hikers and this shuttle. Basically, can only conclude many are sleazy, cheap, and of low character. But that describes an awful lot of our country today IMO. Ron deals with these hikers on a daily basis, for several months at a time, every year. He has likely given free rides to many hundreds of people that werent guests of his, and not by choice. Cut him some slack. Hes in business to make a living, not provide free transportation for deadbeats.

You did good, better than most aspiring thrus. Glad you had a good time. You must have had a good knowledge base to start with, and that is much of it.

[jdc5294]

I don't understand why there's so much hate on the Smokies, I liked them as much as the Whites.

[Don H]

"It’s like they set up a toll both just so they can pay a guy to work in the toll booth."

That's exactly what they did!

Many of your experiences mirror mine except for the Budget Inn. I thought it was fine.

[HighLiner]

I bet you are now hooked as I have been for several years! Happy trails.

[rafe]

I don't understand why there's so much hate on the Smokies, I liked them as much as the Whites.

No hate from me. I love mountains any way I can get 'em. The beauty spots get a huge amount of traffic, and that's a double-edge sword. Long distance hikers are a little spoiled, and used to having all that beauty to themselves.

[Praha4]

I never had any issues when I stayed in Franklin at the Budget Inn. I think Ronnie Haven does the AT hiking community a tremendous service. Don't like his shuttle bus? then you can hitch or walk into town, or call a cab. The Smokies are always a source of complaints from many AT hikers about the permits, rules, etc, especially during thru hiker season. I've done a couple AT section hikes thru the Smokies in the late fall, and it's a totally different experience, you can have the trail and shelters almost to yourself midweek. Another couple days on the trail and you could have experienced the drama at SBF hostel. Happy trails.

[dreamweaver21]

You got to experience some of the "entitlement" mentality that thru hikers often get. Taking a free shuttle ride from a hotel with no intention of staying there. Guidebook clearly says free shuttle for GUESTS if I remember correctly. Why do some people expect anything for free? This is well known, well documented issue with thru hikers and this shuttle. Basically, can only conclude many are sleazy, cheap, and of low character. But that describes an awful lot of our country today IMO. Ron deals with these hikers on a daily basis, for several months at a time, every year. He has likely given free rides to many hundreds of people that werent guests of his, and not by choice. Cut him some slack. Hes in business to make a living, not provide free transportation for deadbeats.

I'll agree there are many sleazy, cheap, and low character people in the world. I am not sure these people fit that mold though. I honestly am not sure if they knew the shuttle was for budget inn guests only or not. I didn't. I had just showed up at the gap when the shuttle showed up and everyone else was climbing in so I did as well. I guess I am considered sleazy too. I assume they didn't know the shuttle was exclusive for Budget Inn that since they asked Ron about another property. I mean I don't think they did that just to rub I the fact they got a free ride to town. In my case, I just didn't know. This was my first long distance hike, I had never stayed in a hostel before, I had never hitchhiked before, this was all new to me so I suppose I was just ignorant.

I totally get it from a business perspective and I don't have a problem with him not providing a free shuttle for people who don't stay at his place but if this a well known issue that Ron has been dealing with for years I would think he would have he sense to put some lettering on the bus that says "Free shuttle for Budget Inn guests only!" or "Shuttle free for Budget Inn guests, otherwise $5.00/person" or at least make an announcement at the trailhead. I am sure he would still get some deadbeats but the way he is doing it now is causing him some self-induced problems.

Overall, it was one of few down moments on an otherwise great trip.

[dreamweaver21]

I bet you are now hooked as I have been for several years! Happy trails.

Yeah, I'll definitely fine tune my gear and do another section. I don't know that I will ever want to thru hike though. If I did I would wait till late April or early May to start, go faster with less cold gear, and hit the ground running.

[MuddyWaters]

I'll agree there are many sleazy, cheap, and low character people in the world. I am not sure these people fit that mold though. I honestly am not sure if they knew the shuttle was for budget inn guests only or not. I didn't. I had just showed up at the gap when the shuttle showed up and everyone else was climbing in so I did as well. I guess I am considered sleazy too. I assume they didn't know the shuttle was exclusive for Budget Inn that since they asked Ron about another property. I mean I don't think they did that just to rub I the fact they got a free ride to town. In my case, I just didn't know. This was my first long distance hike, I had never stayed in a hostel before, I had never hitchhiked before, this was all new to me so I suppose I was just ignorant.

I totally get it from a business perspective and I don't have a problem with him not providing a free shuttle for people who don't stay at his place but if this a well known issue that Ron has been dealing with for years I would think he would have he sense to put some lettering on the bus that says "Free shuttle for Budget Inn guests only!" or "Shuttle free for Budget Inn guests, otherwise $5.00/person" or at least make an announcement at the trailhead. I am sure he would still get some deadbeats but the way he is doing it now is causing him some self-induced problems.

Overall, it was one of few down moments on an otherwise great trip.

I suspect, he picks up a bit of added business by "shaming" some inadvertent riders into staying there, or as you say the problem could be solved up front long ago.

But again, what do people think, the town is sending a free shuttle out for them? Really? That seems to be the mentality of some.

And it is in the guidebook.

[Kerosene]

Thanks for the trip report, Dreamweaver. You did great from a mileage/pace standpoint, especially for your first long-distance backpacking trip. You should be able to get that pack weight down to the mid-twenties for spring/fall trips (nix the bananas!), and if you add trekking poles your knees will appreciate it in the long run. I encourage you to get out there in September/October when the leaves are about to change and the crisp, cool morning air provides some stellar views.

[SS/SB]

many thanks for posting this, lots of info and you laid it out well

[HikerMom58]

Thanks for posting this, dreamweaver. Lots of great info.

When I get to Franklin, NC to hike the trail, calling the local taxi service, listed in the book, sounds like a plan to me.

I was also interested in reading your impressions of TOG. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Thanks for sharing. I'm sure he will find this post interesting as a new hostel owner. I would.

The pics, I've seen, of the TOG look nice! I'm excited about the food they offered as well.

[SunnyWalker]

I always inquire as I board or right before I board a shuttle etc., the requirements for riding. If it is a shuttle to a motel w/expectancy of riders staying there I offer to pay a fee to get the ride w/out commitment to stay at their place. I haven't been to Fontana though.