Any thoughts about what might make a good rafting and backpacking trip in the Southern AT sections or near by?....
Any suggested itineraries for me to consider?
So this summer I'm planning to take a week off to do a backpacking trip. I'm not locked into the AT exactly, but I keep coming back around to doing Amicalola to Neel or Springer to Neel. get the 1st leg of the AT done as a start for future sections perhaps...
I'm really wanting to encourage my son to come along (almost 13). He just dropped out of scouts and I'd like to get him outside to find some real adventure that he never found in scouts. good father/son time too.... but he's luke warm on the idea of distance backpacking, so I'm leaning to the idea of just doing it solo, but I don't want to miss the time with him.
So a friend at work suggested rafting as an alternative, great idea me thinks!
Then I thought maybe combine the two...
a few days backpacking so I get my backpacking in the mountains fix...
with a rafting trip for added fun!
I'll have a week. Basically a day each direction travel time to get there from FL...about 7 days total...maybe 9 max, but I like to leave a day at the end for dealing with gear and the family before heading back to work so about 5-6 days
I've never rafted so I don't know the logistics, and I'm not locked into the AT like I said....
On the AT an obvious thing might be in and around NOC. Start and end there with a shuttle? Hike first or raft first? What are your thoughts?