Howdy all,
Looking at my retirement and my thru-hike plan, looks like 6 April 2008 as a start date (a Sunday) with about 5 months to get it done. I can hardly wait on that. I figure it will get here faster than I think.
With time to contemplate many things while stuck in Iraq, one of them is an idea I have been kicking around for a couple of years now: Thru-Hike the Appalachian Trail and use the BMT for the first 11% of the trail. I figure I can get my wife to drive me to Springer in about 3 hours and we could have lunch together (with the kids too) on Springer Mountain by using FS42. But then instead of using the AT the whole way, I could take the BMT until Davenport Gap on the far end of the Smokies. It would be about 50 extra miles over doing the AT for that same portion.
So a few questions: anyone done this before as a part of an AT thru-hike?
Anyone here thru-hiked the BMT yet?
I figure about 14 days to get to Deals Gap and then meet my wife there for a zero day and re-supply back home in Maryville. For anyone that has done the whole BMT, does this seem reasonable? I hear some sections of the BMT in GA are sort of steep
And for that section, I figure a resupply stop at Suches and then another one at Hiwassee by mail drop and purchase. Any feedback on the re-supply points?
And I figure about 6 days on the BMT through the Smokies to get to Davenport Gap for my next resupply. That doesn't seem too hard looking at it from here. Anyone done that section yet? Is that a realistic assessment.
Thanks in advance for any advice or input.