I've been lost in the web for days researching NC, glad to have discovered this site... I live about an hour south of Asheville in Spartanburg County. I hike a fair amount...Table Rock/ Jones Gap/ Dupont... day hikes only... probably the toughest thing I've done is Hospital Rock when I spent about 6 hours, 20 miles maybe... I'm 48 and in decent shape, in other words. An increasing desire to be in the woods, etc. I am developing a PROFOUND ADMIRATION for those of you who spend days and weeks and months and years and hell some of you it seems a lifetime in the woods, on the Appalachian Trail. Remarkable.
My wife and I had a weekend in Hot Springs a few years ago- it was a random choice, a gift from some fellow teachers. Didn't know a thing about it. Drove to Maxpatch just because we saw it mentioned in the guest journal at the cabin we were staying in. My God it blew my mind. I've seen some nice views but nothing like that.
My friends, I haven't spent the night in the woods in 35 years, never by myself, and although I think I need to, quite honestly at this point I would probably prefer to hike all day long and bed down in a modest hostel, etc. Could I spend a night or 2 in a tent if I had to? I'd like to say sure I could and I know I need to, but I also need to be honest enough to admit the idea unsettles me slightly, and also my wife isn't crazy about the idea.
I would appreciate any advice/stories at all but I do have a handful of questions. I have no doubt my questions are bursting with naivete and I apologize in advance and thank you for your patience. Some matters are easier to research online than others.
What's the walk like from the top of Maxpatch to Hot Springs? Is this a 20 mile walk? Is it a day hike to downtown?
Is Hot Springs a good base to explore for 2-3 days, walking back to town at the end of the day... loops, etc?
I'm not going to string together 3 nights in a row sleeping in hostel type environments, am I? It's going to be camp or turn tail and get back to town, right?
I like the looks of the Natahala Outdoor Center particularly the bunkhouses and the camping platforms that are already in place... is it realistic, for example, to walk to a hostel in Aquone?
It's been a lot of fun researching this stuff but that only gets you so far. Again, any thoughts concerning anything I've mentioned or anything else for that matter greatly appreciated. I think I'm slowly figuring out that in order to have the experience I truly seek, I probably need to get equipped and prepared so I'm comfortable camping out there.
In the meantime I would certainly like to be made aware of any hostel to hostel opportunities that may exist.
Thanks a million and all the best!