Approach trail - yes or no and why?

[foodbag]

I skipped it and got a ride up to the start via the forest service road instead. If I had to do it over again I would hike it and enjoy the falls. I don't feel guilty about not doing it though. HYOH.

[Gambit McCrae]

HYOH, I did it because it made it much easier for Ron Brown to pick me up, and I am an every inch of the trail kinda guy, If I do the approach then I have walked all the way to the stone arches, ive seen the falls, there no further to walk....And its just 8 miles

[jersey joe]

Just do it.
Afterwards...
You might regret not doing it.
You won't regret doing it.

Four reasons to do it.
1) It is easier for someone to drop you off.
2) You can weigh your pack at the ranger station.
3) You can get a good picture starting your hike going through the archway.
4) The approach trail is written about in the book "A Walk In the Woods".

[Bronk]

If you are going to hike 2200 miles, does it matter if you skip it?

If you are going to hike 2200 miles, does it matter if you hike it?

If you are going to hike 2200 miles, why would anyone else care whether you do or not?

If you are going to hike 2200 miles, why not just start on the Pinhoti trail...its only a few miles more?

[Pressure D]

I didn't do the approach trail but never missed a foot of the rest of the trail! Do what ever you want, there is no right answer!

[MtDoraDave]

Another thing... after a few weeks on the trail, you will probably have hiked more than 8 miles to/from shelters and water sources... so why not do the 8 mile approach trail for the full experience?

[-Rush-]

I did it in the dark. Arriving at that first shelter (Black Gap) at 11:30pm and seeing two hikers having a shakedown by Lacie light in the shelter was awesome. If you've never taken any shakedown hikes I highly recommend it. It will give you valuable insight into what you're about to face after you summit Springer. Easy to bail out if it's not your thing. Most of all.. some great memories occurred in that 6 something miles that I'll never forget.

[QiWiz]

I did the approach trail because I thought it was a nicer way to get to Springer summit (rather than be driven on a forest road and backtrack on the AT to the summit). HYOH.

[Dogwood]

Another thing... after a few weeks on the trail, you will probably have hiked more than 8 miles to/from shelters and water sources... so why not do the 8 mile approach trail for the full experience?

i don't remember all the AT lean to names but several are .5 mile or more off the main tread. Inevitably, the lean-tos furthest off the main AT tread when hiking in the NOBO bubble always have been the least crowded. At two, one lean to something like .7 and another .9 miles off the main tread within the NOBO bubble I had either all to myself or were less than half filled to their max occupancy.

Ever meet those anal hikers, particularly AT thru-hikers, that make a point of relating the total distance hiked that day that includes distances to and from lean-tos and to and from resupply?
Hey did you check out Shuckstack, Annapolis Rocks, Crabtree Falls, Killington Resort, or so and so overlook? Nah, with disgust they say that was a mile off trail.

[George]

nice to dawdle around the visitor center, sign in, take a glance at who else signed recently that you may run into - isn't it supposed to be vacation?

[Dogwood]

I did it in the dark. Arriving at that first shelter (Black Gap) at 11:30pm and seeing two hikers having a shakedown by Lacie light in the shelter was awesome. If you've never taken any shakedown hikes I highly recommend it. It will give you valuable insight into what you're about to face after you summit Springer. Easy to bail out if it's not your thing. Most of all.. some great memories occurred in that 6 something miles that I'll never forget.

Do tell....???

[-Rush-]

Do tell....???

Sorry to disappoint you Dogwood, but there was no Gregory Abbot playing.

[Dogwood]

LOL, that's not where I was going. I don't know what Lacie light is?

[-Rush-]

LOL, that's not where I was going. I don't know what Lacie light is?

It's one of the inflatable solar powered lights. I had the name wrong.. the brand is Luci.

[MuddyWaters]

It's one of the inflatable solar powered lights. I had the name wrong.. the brand is Luci.

something seems wrong with term "solar powered light"

[-Rush-]

something seems wrong with term "solar powered light"

Unless you're spelunking, charging a solar powered light during the day sets you up nicely when the sun goes down.

[RockDoc]

I watched a guy vomit during the speedy curvy drive into Springer (trail name "Pull Over"). Doing the approach trail is a way to avoid that drive, since most hikers go there anyway to register. But either way works, there should be no pressure to do the AT only one official way IMO.

[MuddyWaters]

I watched a guy vomit during the speedy curvy drive into Springer (trail name "Pull Over"). Doing the approach trail is a way to avoid that drive, since most hikers go there anyway to register. But either way works, there should be no pressure to do the AT only one official way IMO.

My shuttle picked up a few hikers that were soaked from heavy rains the previous day, dropped more at Springer FS42 lot, then finally got to Amicalola.
By the time it got there I was carsick and had to sit down in bathroom for about 45 minutes.

On the plus side they only charged me $7 after sharing the ride with so many.

Bring dramamine is my best advice. Followed by dont sit in the back.
Seriously, you will not regret it.

Flying down twisty FS roads is like an amusement park ride.
Unless you are solo on your shuttle, theres no guarantee Amicalola is easier than Springer, you could be the last stop and have it the worst.

[liteweight]

I made the decision to walk the approach trail the summit of Springer. I stayed at the Hiker Hostel the night before and it was about 50/50 on who did the extra miles. I enjoyed the hike.

[MtDoraDave]

i don't remember all the AT lean to names but several are .5 mile or more off the main tread. Inevitably, the lean-tos furthest off the main AT tread when hiking in the NOBO bubble always have been the least crowded. At two, one lean to something like .7 and another .9 miles off the main tread within the NOBO bubble I had either all to myself or were less than half filled to their max occupancy.

Ever meet those anal hikers, particularly AT thru-hikers, that make a point of relating the total distance hiked that day that includes distances to and from lean-tos and to and from resupply?
Hey did you check out Shuckstack, Annapolis Rocks, Crabtree Falls, Killington Resort, or so and so overlook? Nah, with disgust they say that was a mile off trail.

I do figure those in daily, when planning my day. When I figure up the miles for the week (so far I have only done week-long trips) on the trail, I add in those distances because people want to know "how far did you hike?" and whether it's 69 miles or 87 miles, they are usually awed.

However in my running total of AT miles, I don't count the "extra miles"; I stick with what the mile marker in the Guidebook says... plus the miles in the Smokies, since I've done that section twice.

I do sometimes go off the trail a bit to get to a shelter for the night, but I won't do that for a lunch stop. The furthest "detour" I've taken is to Whitley Gap Shelter (1.2 mi off trail) because that was after a resupply at Neel Gap (a delay), followed by a heavy loaded trek up the hill on a full belly ... and the next shelter was 4.8 miles further. My hiking partner didn't feel he could do 4.8 miles after that butt kicking climb out of Tesnatee Gap.