Store gear at Newfound Gap

[TNhiker]

the tourists are eager to give you a ride. I've never waited longer than 15 minutes for a hitch.

likewise.............although the longest wait (and all others were much shorter) was about an hour and 15.............it was wintertime and not much traffic....

[TNhiker]

I would choose the tree line across the road from NFG (the Clingmans Dome side) as you’d be less likely to have issues from casual tourists.

yup..............thats the place i would pick or the old roadbed that leads out of the back of the parking lot of NFG...........go down that a touch and go into woods a touch....

[HooKooDooKu]

Still 7 easy mi.make no difference.
Twist ankle, have to spend night. Prepared?
It rains in gsmnp, a lot. Its a rain forest. Hypothermia is real, mostly occurs in 60-70f.

To who?
People ....un....pre.....pared.

Let's keep in mind the OP isn't talking about going 7 miles into the back country. The AT parallels Clingmans Dome road for the entire 7 miles with several places the trail is at the road. I don't think there is anywhere along that 7 mile stretch that you are more than 1 trail mile from an intersection with the road or trailhead.

[HooKooDooKu]

its not legal to stash gear in the woods?

how is that any different than leaving a tent up, with gear inside and out----while one goes fishing or on a dayhike?

As I quoted from the GSMNP rules, gear should not be left unattended for more than 24 hours. You don't go set up a tent at a campground and then leave the tent while you go fishing all day and all night long.

[TNhiker]

As I quoted from the GSMNP rules, gear should not be left unattended for more than 24 hours

Twenty four hours is alot longer than hiking 7 miles down from clingmans...

or even all day (sunlight) fishing.....

[TNhiker]

Let's keep in mind the OP isn't talking about going 7 miles into the back country. The AT parallels Clingmans Dome road for the entire 7 miles with several places the trail is at the road. I don't think there is anywhere along that 7 mile stretch that you are more than 1 trail mile from an intersection with the road or trailhead.

and let's be realistic-------those 7 miles can be done with just a water bottle in hand............

as long as its not winter.....

for an average hiker----thats 3 or 4 hours of hiking...........

[tdoczi]

and let's be realistic-------those 7 miles can be done with just a water bottle in hand............

if it wasnt particularly hot out i would seriously consider if carrying the water bottle was really necessary.

[TNhiker]

if it wasnt particularly hot out i would seriously consider if carrying the water bottle was really necessary.

i didnt say if the water bottle was empty or full..


:P

[HooKooDooKu]

if it wasnt particularly hot out i would seriously consider if carrying the water bottle was really necessary.

It is a bit of an uphill climb from NFG to Clingmans Dome. I'd want some water to hike it even in late fall.
But yeah, with no pack, you could do that hike with no water. You'd likely be dehydrated and very thisty... But if you're in otherwise good health, not gonna kill you.

[tdoczi]

It is a bit of an uphill climb from NFG to Clingmans Dome. I'd want some water to hike it even in late fall.
But yeah, with no pack, you could do that hike with no water. You'd likely be dehydrated and very thisty... But if you're in otherwise good health, not gonna kill you.

when i first got it in my head to take up day hiking it was winter (winter here is generally cold but not a whole ton of snow accumulation unless its a bad winter) and it really never even occurred to me to take water. i took my camera.... but no water. 4, 5, 6 mile hikes. just about every weekend if the weather was good. when it got to be june and was about 80 degrees out and i decided on trying an 8 mile hike with a big climb involved it finally dawned on me that maybe i should be carrying water with me on this one.

i still routinely head out for 6 - 8 mile walks around town even in mid summer carrying nothing to drink. i can of course stop at any number of places and get water should it become necessary, but it generally does not.

[SouthMark]

There are videos on youtube of bears at NFG tearing doors off of cars to get to food stored inside.

[TNhiker]

There are videos on youtube of bears at NFG tearing doors off of cars to get to food stored inside.

that's food....

show me a video of a bear getting into a car just for gear.....

OP has never said what they would stash away in the woods......

[HooKooDooKu]

There are videos on youtube of bears at NFG tearing doors off of cars to get to food stored inside.

Please provide links to said videos...

While I can't say a bear has NEVER broken into a properly locked car in GSMNP, every video I could find had the bear gaining access by opening an unlocked door, climbing in an open window, and only in one case could I find a bear gaining access by damaging the vehicle, and in that instance, the owner left the windows cracked open allowing the bear to easily get its claws in the crack and breaking the window open.

I have NOT been able to find a video where a bear has ripped into a properly locked car (windows rolled all the way up) and current GSMNP regulations include food locked in a car to be a prescribed method of food storage.

By contrast, bears in Yosemite National Park have learned to rip doors open by getting their claws in between the door and the frame and literally ripping the door open. This has become prevalent enough that YNP prohibits over-night storage of food in vehicles and private bear lockers are provided at every single front country campsite.

[MuddyWaters]

and let's be realistic-------those 7 miles can be done with just a water bottle in hand............

In cool temps, id do those miles without water. 7 mi is nothing.

Ive done 23 mi on 1 L before

Not saying its smart, but necessity and dried up sources yield intetesting results. Recently did 23 mi on 2L, overnight.

[tdoczi]

In cool temps, id do those miles without water. 7 mi is nothing.

Ive done 23 mi on 1 L before

Not saying its smart, but necessity and dried up sources yield intetesting results. Recently did 23 mi on 2L, overnight.

so.... you'd do it without water, but youd carry a bivy and rain gear?? i'm confused.

[Trashman4851]

Muddy; hey, I could not agree more. I was not clear in my question; we are looking to dayhike/slackpack from Clingmans to NFG then pick up backpack gear for rest of trip.

We have been section hiking for 18 years and understand gear you need and gear yoU don't. The 'don't' stuff stays home.

Thanks

[Trashman4851]

Thanks all for you insite and comments. We were just looking to dayhike from Clingmans to NFG and continue backpacking from there on. We are getting a shuttle to Clingmans and thought there might be a place to store food and overnight gear, but it looks like not the best of ideas.

We will do the 7 miles with pack and not worry about storing or hiding gear....

Hike on ! ! !

[HooKooDooKu]

Thanks all for you insite and comments. We were just looking to dayhike from Clingmans to NFG and continue backpacking from there on. We are getting a shuttle to Clingmans and thought there might be a place to store food and overnight gear, but it looks like not the best of ideas.

We will do the 7 miles with pack and not worry about storing or hiding gear....

Hike on ! ! !

I thought you were going to day-hike from NFG to Clingman's Dome and back to NFG before heading towards Icewater... because for a hike like that, I could see wanting to leave gear at NFG.
But if you don't have a car parked at NFG, it's simply not practical to leave anything there. Makes MUCH more sense to simply hike the 7 miles (almost) all down hill from Clingman's Dome to NFG.
(But actually the elevation profile looks like you'll have a 500' and 150' climb along the way).

Too bad Mt Collins shelter is about 1/2 mile from the road. Otherwise, It would be a great place to leave a pack. You'd be able to do half the hike without packs and avoid the one major climb. But that only looks practical if you were spending the night at Mt. Collins. Then I could see waking up the next morning, leave packs on the bear cables, day hike to Clingman's Dome and back, pickup your pack, then continue to NFG.

Actually, if you're spending the night at a hotel the night before, staying at Mt Collins would be a much cheaper alternative to a hotel room.

[goatee]

Have a great hike Trashman-I thought at first you were attempting a longer hike so thanks for the clarification.You did manage to get post counts up for some.

[Starchild]

Gattlingburg would be a good option and a easy hitch, however you can also resupply there also so no need to stash gear.