Need shuttle info to get to fontana dam

[Wolfmate]

Is this a joke? Taking a 4yr old through the GSMNP?


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no not a joke. Why do some people think that young children can't hike? No i am not planning on pushing him to do alot of miles. We are planning eleven days to do it. His pack weighs 2 pounds max. I know that other families have hiked with their youngsters. I am proud that i have a grandson who not only is cute as can be, but also loves the outdoors as much as his nana does and great grandma did. And if he does not have a good time then i do have a backup plan to get off the trail. I would not be bringing him if i thought he was't ready.

[HooKooDooKu]

Is this a joke? Taking a 4yr old through the GSMNP?


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That was already hashed above. If the 4yo is ready then I think it's great. I tried hikes with my kids at that age and simple day hikes were enough to know that mine were no ready. But I saw how well my 5 yo did and at age 6 didn't slow us down a bit hiking the long trail to LeConte. My older one wasn't as ready for as long a trip that young.

They've already been practicing, and I can believe there are more extraordinary hiking children than mine. So the only ones in a position to judge are dad and grandpa. If they can handle it I think it is great.

I assume grandpa has thought through the issues (such as what happens if grandpa has a heart attach). If they were going off somewhere more remote I would be more concerned. Grandpa just has to teach the 4yo the importance of staying in place if something happens to grandpa, and soon enough someone else will be along on the busy AT in GSMNP. I've been teaching my kids important lessons like that since before they entered the backcountry.

[Wolfmate]

I am actually grandma. not grandpa. Thank you for making me smile.

[No Directions]

I too have concerns about a 4 year old hiking in GSMNP. The AT in the Smokies is nothing like a trail in Louisiana. It's not only the steep climbs but the ruggedness. There are areas where you may have to step up 18" or more. If you start out at Fontana Dam and things don't work out your first bailout point is Clingmans Dome. 33 miles from the dam.

But you sound like your mind is made up so good luck.

[MuddyWaters]

Much of the trail in smokies has steps built into it. These steps are probably 12-15" tall. Too tall for a 4 yr old.

If you havent hiked it before, you are probably underestimating the difficulty.

Walking on flat ground, is nothing like walking uphill and climbing steps all day.

There is no easy bailouts.

[Wolfmate]

" The AT in the Smokies is nothing like a trail in Louisiana. It's not only the steep climbs but the ruggedness. There are areas where you may have to step up 18" or more. "

That is the one thing i really hated when I moved here is there are no trails for backpackers in this state. Being from ohio I was spoiled having trails nearby. So moving down here I had to get creative for training. The mississippi bike/walking path is on a high levee two blocks from where i live. Ayden and I strap on our packs and strengthen our legs going up and down the steep sides. We go about two miles doing this until we come to a fishing area that is covered in big driftwood tress that all the branches have been cut. This is where we do our obstacle course up and over. We do this four or five times a week. He would rather go there than the playground. I want Ayden to be prepared for how rough the trail is. I think our biggest problem will be at night. He gets scared of zombies lol

[Wolfmate]

I have hiked the trail before.

[HooKooDooKu]

I too have concerns about a 4 year old hiking in GSMNP. The AT in the Smokies is nothing like a trail in Louisiana. It's not only the steep climbs but the ruggedness. There are areas where you may have to step up 18" or more. If you start out at Fontana Dam and things don't work out your first bailout point is Clingmans Dome. 33 miles from the dam.

But you sound like your mind is made up so good luck.

Fortunately, their hike is going to start with the very steep climb to CS#113. If grandMA has overestimated Ayden's abilities, their 1st bailout point is to simply turn around and hike back down to the dam.
And Clingman's Dome isn't the 1st bailout point... just the 1st one that is short. Once you get to about Mollies Ridge, Cades Cove becomes a bailout point. Granted, it's a pretty long bailout point. But the point is once you get started you don't have to hike all the way to Clingman's.

For the most part, I'm convinced that Wolfmate knows what she's getting into.

The only concern I have left that Wolfmate hasn't specifically address is the point I brought up... that "what if" something happens to her. Is Ayden ready to deal with that possibility? Yes, the odds are against it. But accidents happen and medical conditions can arise you have no control over. This is a subject I remind my boys of every time we go off into the woods alone. I reassure them that someone knows our itinerary and that there are usually other hikers out in the GSMNP. All they have to do should something ever happen to me is to simply shelter in place until another hiker comes along or mommy sends rangers in to find us because we're late coming out of the woods.

[Wolfmate]

Ayden does have a whistle. He has been taught that this is a special whistle for boo boos only. If he or nana got hurt, (i have no medical issues nor does he to worry about), he knows to sit and blow and if he keeps blowing it the doctors come. I have hopefully prepared him as best as i can for this.

I actually found out about the boy Buddy Backpacker last night and when i showed Ayden the pictures of him he was so excited. He kept saying " me, too" and pointing at Buddy's picture. He is a determined little boy and he does want this and Nana couldnt be happier that he does.

[Wolfmate]

Standing Bear has agreed to shuttle us. Thank you all for your concerns and maybe we will see you in the smokies.

[HooKooDooKu]

Standing Bear has agreed to shuttle us. Thank you all for your concerns and maybe we will see you in the smokies.

Great to hear!!! And it's a possibility I might see ya... unlikely but possible. I'm trying to plan for a Memorial Weekend trip with my boys. Don't know exactly where in GSMNP yet.

Ayden does have a whistle. He has been taught that this is a special whistle for boo boos only. If he or nana got hurt, (i have no medical issues nor does he to worry about), he knows to sit and blow and if he keeps blowing it the doctors come. I have hopefully prepared him as best as i can for this.

It's not the known medical issues to worry about. It's the unknown that you just never know when they might strike. At our age, something like a heart attack is a very real possibility.

I'm glad you've already thought enough to get Ayden a whistle. But based on both what I've experienced and what I've been told by an older brother that has been hiking in GSMNP since the 70s... the sound of a whistle doesn't travel very far in the woods. If Ayden has been taught to "keep blowing until a doctor comes"... he could pass-out from blowing so much before anyone hears him.
Instead, he should be taught to blow the whistle three times (the universal distress) and repeat every couple of minutes... not to keep blowing until he tuckers out.
You need to also tell him about the possibility of seeing wild animals, and that if he does see any while he is alone to use the whistle to scare them off.
Finally, there are many steep hillsides in GSMNP and some badly eroded trails. It's not impossible for a moment of inattentiveness to cause you to trip and fall down one of these steep hill sides where is would be too dangerous for Ayden to try to get to you. Because of this, if you're carrying all the gear, Ayden should have a small pack of his own that at least has a hat, jacket, water bottle, and rain gear in. That way if he should become separated from you without access to your gear, he has everything he needs to wait for a rescue.

[One More]

Fontana dam...I will be driving to Fontana from just north of Atlanta on May 9th if u need a lift.

[tim.hiker]

[QUOTE=lush242000;1964285]Is this a joke? Taking a 4yr old through the GSMNP?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk[/QUOTe crazy a 4 year old doing this, my question is how many night have you both hiked together in the Mountains this is no game, bad weather can happen anytime up there...... I would never subject a child to it,, stay to a loop hike would me my 2 cents.....Not trying to be rude just honest with my 2 cents....