Won't get through the Smokies in 8 days on thru-hiker pass. What are the options?

[HooKooDooKu]

Combine your thru permit with the regular 'Joe' nightly permits for the remaining nights could allow it.

I doubt that... because converting yourself to a general backpacking permit logically means that you've terminated your thru hiker status... yet didn't end that hike 50 miles beyond the park.

I think bottom line, the park service is being extremely flexible towards thru hikers (compared to general backpackers) and simply subjects them to a couple of simple rules. One of these rules is the 8 day limit.

If your plans deviate from what the thru hiker permit allows, then your only other legal choice is general backpacker permits.

[WingedMonkey]

Back before there was "the online permits" I did a thru hike that required me to spend three days in Gatlinburg. I wasn't even planning originally to go there.

A fall all the way back at before before I even entered the park twisted my knee or something.

It wasn't until I got off at Gatlinburg that I was able to find a substantial knee brace at the drug store. (a brace I wore all the way to about Atkins). Stayed in town for the three days to recover from walking without one.

I continued on to Maine. A thru hiker.

Rather they need to put it in writing or leave it up to the Rangers on trail, some sort or arrangement needs to be made. Rather or not they want to consider a leisure three days off or a medical three days off the same is another story.

[Another Kevin]

Back before there was "the online permits" I did a thru hike that required me to spend three days in Gatlinburg. I wasn't even planning originally to go there.

A fall all the way back at before before I even entered the park twisted my knee or something.

It wasn't until I got off at Gatlinburg that I was able to find a substantial knee brace at the drug store. (a brace I wore all the way to about Atkins). Stayed in town for the three days to recover from walking without one.

I continued on to Maine. A thru hiker.

Rather they need to put it in writing or leave it up to the Rangers on trail, some sort or arrangement needs to be made. Rather or not they want to consider a leisure three days off or a medical three days off the same is another story.

Given the mentality of some folks, we should probably account ourselves fortunate that they don't try to go after those who have to abandon their hikes for medical or other reasons - after all, they were on thru-hiker permits which called for the hike to end at least 50 miles past the park. If some bright young functionary starts seeing that the fine from that sort of thing could be a profit center, I could see it happening. A big swath of politicians would back it up as a way, no matter how minor, to reduce the burden on the taxpayer - the way some small towns use traffic enforcement.

[Grinder]

Just saying:
I have hiked over 1500 miles of the Trail. I have never seen a ranger on the trail.

I did see one man In the park,who was taking a poll of passing hikers and had a uniform of some sort. He never asked to see my permit. I remember being a bit nervous because I had read about the permit requirement.
Also, I have never made a reservation for a shelter. Never really knew when (or if) I would get there. Again, no one ever confronted me, with their reservation paperwork, demanding space. If fact I've only seen totally full shelters one or two times in four of five months of hiking. I have seen a few trail angels, but they had no interest in checking papers.

Don't want to make trouble, just atating my experience.

[TNhiker]

I have hiked over 1500 miles of the Trail. I have never seen a ranger on the trail.

while that may be true on other parts of the trail-----inside the Park, during thru hiker season, there is a ridgerunner for the north half and one for the south half (or there might just be one now----at one point there was two)..

also, inside of the Park, on high traffic areas such as the AT and LeConte, they make it a point to have rangers out and about...

while its true that one may never see one-----that doesnt mean one can skirt the laws and regulations they have in place......

[HooKooDooKu]

while that may be true on other parts of the trail-----inside the Park, during thru hiker season, there is a ridgerunner for the north half and one for the south half (or there might just be one now----at one point there was two)...

In the roughly 20 years I've been camping in GSMNP, I've never been asked to show a permit... until the new permit system went into effect.

Rangers have seen me with my pack on at busy trailheads (like Clingman's Dome Parking lot) and asked to see my permit.

And it's not just 'thru-hiker' season. My half dozen trips last year included a total of two nights at two different GSMNP AT shelters. One night was in July, the other in October. Both times, the ridge runner "Twinkle Toes" happened to be spending the night at the same shelter.

[TNhiker]

i guess i define thru hiker season as march to october.........

i guess i should have rather have said----"general hiker season"..........when the majority of the hikers are out.........


ive been asked a few times under the old system-----mainly when it was a large group in the campsite.....and up at leconte shelter........if i was solo----then no............and at deep creek trailhead when a ranger had seen me drive in from the back way and then i was on the trail within minutes...........he figured i hadnt stopped by the kiosk to fill out a permit----but i had at sugarlands on my way in.....

i havent been backpacking in the park since the new system took effect...........

[Grinder]

I said "trail angels" I think I meant "ridge runners"

[WingedMonkey]

Just saying:
I have hiked over 1500 miles of the Trail. I have never seen a ranger on the trail.

In fact when this happened, a Ranger appeared in the morning at the next shelter before we all headed out.

He did check all out permits (hang tags at the time). He didn't pay much attention to me.

His questioned everyone about a couple at the shelter that where in like their 80's and if we knew them as thru-hikers.

Seems he didn't believe anyone that old could be thru hiking. We did know them and it wasn't their first thru-hike.