Spivey Gap - Greasy Creek Friendly Conditions?

[Gambit McCrae]

Lookin to do this section in the following weeks. Its 35.5 miles and I am in Day hiking mode due to back troubles and weather. So I need to be able to do this on a saturday and sunday as it is the last section I have to do north of the smokies and south of damascus woo hoo!

Here is what I was thinking:
Saturday-Spivey to Indian Grave Gap
Sunday-Indian Grave gap to Greasy Creek Friendly

I am used to 20 mile days and have been doing them consistantly lately.

What I need to know is current water conditions, and which way you would hike both sections since they will both just be long day hikes

Would you stay at Uncle johnnys or a motel?

[Old Hiker]

I had a private room at Uncle Johnny's and it was good. No TV stations, just a TV with a TON of VCR tapes to watch, plus a TON of paperback books.

Friendly place, 2 shuttles per day into town, no "bad" vibes I could see, Trail Angel Mary on call if needed as I did.

Just don't tell Mary if you are a teacher - she'll drag you into a meeting with school personnel to talk about volunteerism for the school kids. Which was cool. I got to repay her and a few other people for a trail magic cooler at Spivey by meeting with the school personnel.

[Tennessee Viking]

UJ's a decent place. Connie's GC Friendly Hostel has the entertainment of the strange crazy neighbor.

The only places I can remember that get dry or low on water are the springs north of Curley Maple shelter to Unaka summit. But I haven't heard anything dry right now.

I don't think the climb over Unaka is bad. I just don't care for the climb from the Nolichucky/Jones Hollow Branch up to Indian Grave since its pretty constant and no views. So I would go Indian Grave to Johnny's SOBO.

[Tennessee Viking]

http://www.hikershuttles.com/ is a good shuttle service in Erwin.

[Gambit McCrae]

Tennessee Viking I can always count on you to give great info! I called Tom and Mary yesterday, Tom is hiking the PCT this year but Mary(pretty sure that is her name) said she had no probs shuttling me. Quite affordable too. I am in some qwerky back pain times but still stubborn so I am attempting to "groom" my last couple hiking areas in TN/ NC this weekend by doing some good day hikes. Saturday I am going to hiking clingmans dome to newfound. Then I will jsut have Russelfield to clingmans, and new found gap to davenport. 2 good trips there. And then Sunday I will be doing spivey to erwin which is 11 miles. This way I can manage to go back in a few weeks and do GCF to Erwin in a weekend.

Now, I will be starting a thread on this and hopefuully get some good answers in the next 8 hours but I will be taking my lab with me this weekend and i know he cant go in the smokies so I need a babysitter/ kennel for about 4-5 hours saturday morning. Where is a good place that I could board him say in Gburg?

[Tennessee Viking]

Standing Bear does boarding

[Gambit McCrae]

Really? I stayed there this spring, dont know that I want ward pup in the hands of rocket or curtis all day lol

[Gambit McCrae]

Barks and Recreation seem to be affordable and close by