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  1. #1

    Default Want hiking partner(s) in East TN GSMNP area

    My name is Cassandra and I'm looking for hiking/backpacking partners in the GSMNP area. I'm 20 years old and would love to do some over-nighters, but don't feel like it is a good idea for me do go alone. I would prefer partners in my own age group. If your interested give me a shout.

  2. #2
    Registered User captainbuuda's Avatar
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    Well, it sounds like we're in the same boat. I'd like to get out more often, but I'm always torn because my wife can't stand me goin out alone; its not like she doesn't trust me, its just that she literally gets sick worrying about the thought of me dying alone in the mountains. Yeah, her and her mom get a little paranoid when worrying about loved ones... Anyways, I'm a 26 year old guy going to school at UGA trying to eventually become a forester. I love to do any hike longer than a day (which, in fact, I'm off to do so tommorrow on the Art Loeb Trail) and it always makes things easier with another person around.However, I'm a bit of a loner so I havent found any hiking buddies since I moved up here about a year ago. So, if you need a hiking partner for the smokies or anything south of the smokies, I'm game. In fact, I just joined whiteblaze today because I was looking for a hiking partner for my hike tommorrow in the pisgah NF. I would have posted the same question online myself it it wasnt such late notice. Happy trails.

  3. #3
    Registered User Roots's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by captainbuuda View Post
    Well, it sounds like we're in the same boat. I'd like to get out more often, but I'm always torn because my wife can't stand me goin out alone; its not like she doesn't trust me, its just that she literally gets sick worrying about the thought of me dying alone in the mountains. Yeah, her and her mom get a little paranoid when worrying about loved ones... Anyways, I'm a 26 year old guy going to school at UGA trying to eventually become a forester. I love to do any hike longer than a day (which, in fact, I'm off to do so tommorrow on the Art Loeb Trail) and it always makes things easier with another person around.However, I'm a bit of a loner so I havent found any hiking buddies since I moved up here about a year ago. So, if you need a hiking partner for the smokies or anything south of the smokies, I'm game. In fact, I just joined whiteblaze today because I was looking for a hiking partner for my hike tommorrow in the pisgah NF. I would have posted the same question online myself it it wasnt such late notice. Happy trails.
    Hey, you'll be here in my terrain. Good luck on the Art Loeb. If you can, will you do a post when you get back and let us know how the trail is. My husband and I did the Cat gap loop to the Art Loeb connector down to Davidson River trail head this past weekend. We love the challenge of the Art loeb and can't wait to do the whole thing. Have a good hike!
    HAPPY TRAILS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD HIKE!

  4. #4
    Registered User captainbuuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Roots View Post
    Hey, you'll be here in my terrain. Good luck on the Art Loeb. If you can, will you do a post when you get back and let us know how the trail is. My husband and I did the Cat gap loop to the Art Loeb connector down to Davidson River trail head this past weekend. We love the challenge of the Art loeb and can't wait to do the whole thing. Have a good hike!

    Thanks. I'm actually attempting the whole thing. I dayhiked up to Cold Mtn back in mid-sept from the Daniel Boone Scout Camp; but that was my 1st experience in the pisgah nf, so the Art Loeb trail is actually pretty new to me. I'd be really interested in any info I can get on water sources. Back in Sept. I remember it being pretty dry; although it wasnt nearly as dry as the section around the NOC was in Sept., I still dont have any really good beta other than there being water near streams and near the two shelters. Really, any extra info on the trail would be helpful. Thanks again.

  5. #5
    Registered User Roots's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by captainbuuda View Post
    Thanks. I'm actually attempting the whole thing. I dayhiked up to Cold Mtn back in mid-sept from the Daniel Boone Scout Camp; but that was my 1st experience in the pisgah nf, so the Art Loeb trail is actually pretty new to me. I'd be really interested in any info I can get on water sources. Back in Sept. I remember it being pretty dry; although it wasnt nearly as dry as the section around the NOC was in Sept., I still dont have any really good beta other than there being water near streams and near the two shelters. Really, any extra info on the trail would be helpful. Thanks again.
    Only thing I know for sure is from what we saw there isn't any water between Cat Gap and Davidson. Have not a clue about the other 20 something miles. Well, actually a couple weeks ago the Butter Gap shelter had a good source at it. The Art loeb is very hard to find info on although it is extremely popular. It is a hard trail, and an excellent trainer for the AT. It's funny you mention NOC this September. We sectioned through there-NOC to Stecoah in Sept. We got off at Stecoah because it was so bad. Pisgah has been hit with the drought, but there are still water sources. There was just a thread about the Art Loeb yesterday. You might want to find it. I believe there might be some good info on there for you. Good Luck!!
    HAPPY TRAILS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD HIKE!

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    Registered User Ramble~On's Avatar
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    I live in Sylva, NC and I'm always looking for people to hike with.
    I'm 20 with 19 years experience .
    There's a couple good places to find hikes to go on or people to hike with in this area..first of which is right here at WhiteBlaze.
    Also in this area are the Carolina Mountain Club www.carolinamtnclub.com
    and the Smoky Mountains Hiking Club www.smhclub.org

    I hike year round and generally do 3 day 2 night trips Sun-Tue. Anywhere in North Carolina or the surrounding states. I live minutes from the GSMNP and not far from
    Shining Rock/Middle Prong.

  7. #7
    Registered User Tennessee Viking's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sansancc View Post
    My name is Cassandra and I'm looking for hiking/backpacking partners in the GSMNP area. I'm 20 years old and would love to do some over-nighters, but don't feel like it is a good idea for me do go alone. I would prefer partners in my own age group. If your interested give me a shout.
    I am up in JC, and with the Eastman Hiking Club. I mainly day hike because I work and maintain the AT. And do an occasional weekend section.

    The only people I get to hike with are Eastman retirees.
    ''Tennessee Viking'
    Mountains to Sea Trail Hiker & Maintainer
    Former TEHCC (AT) Maintainer

  8. #8
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    Default Hey

    I have been have some problems getting freinds to go hiking with me and have been looking for someone from around east Tn. I live in knoxville and go to school at PSTCC and i am 21. I go out to GSMNP for weekend hikes and day hikes.

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    Registered User mts4602's Avatar
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    I'd love to go too, we'd should all get something together...seems like there is a lot of us around the same age.

    The smokies are 5hrs away for me though. I just got back from mt. sterling over thanksgiving weekend.

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    Registered User chili36's Avatar
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    I live in Townsend and my wife and I take a weekend hike at least once a month. We have spent considerable time in GSMNP but recently we are hiking more of the surrounding area.

    Anytime we plan a trip, it is pretty much open to anyone who wants to make it. I am going to Linville, NC later this month and early next month will plan something on the Cumberland Trail.
    The most beautiful of vistas are only seen after a long uphill climb.

  11. #11
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    I am not too far away from the GSMNP and do quite a few trips there every year. I probably won't be doing any trips in the area until March but always welcome company.

  12. #12
    Thru Hiker Wannabe timhines's Avatar
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    I agree about a get together. Something good would be the lakeshore trail that runs between Fontatna Damn and Bryson City (about 36 miles)

  13. #13
    Registered User TNjed's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sansancc View Post
    My name is Cassandra and I'm looking for hiking/backpacking partners in the GSMNP area. I'm 20 years old and would love to do some over-nighters, but don't feel like it is a good idea for me do go alone. I would prefer partners in my own age group. If your interested give me a shout.
    me and a buddy or two are going to the smokies at the end of Jan. If you want, give me a shout and I can give you more info.
    can't never did

  14. #14
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    I am planning to hike MLK weekend, somewhere in North Georgia. I could be talked into East TN/West N Carolina if there are others that are interested.

  15. #15

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    I'm game for some hiking. I'm a member of SMHC but I'd sure like to get out there during the week, if possible.
    Be an Experiencer not just a Believer!

  16. #16
    Registered User captainbuuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Roots View Post

    Only thing I know for sure is from what we saw there isn't any water between Cat Gap and Davidson. Have not a clue about the other 20 something miles. Well, actually a couple weeks ago the Butter Gap shelter had a good source at it. The Art loeb is very hard to find info on although it is extremely popular. It is a hard trail, and an excellent trainer for the AT. It's funny you mention NOC this September. We sectioned through there-NOC to Stecoah in Sept. We got off at Stecoah because it was so bad. Pisgah has been hit with the drought, but there are still water sources. There was just a thread about the Art Loeb yesterday. You might want to find it. I believe there might be some good info on there for you. Good Luck!!

    Well, I made it back. I just want to say thanks again for all the info, first off. It was as you said a tough trail and the weather made it doubly so. Water was never really a concern... let me rephrase-- lack of water was never a concern. I think everyone down in Brevard must've been prayin for rain, cuz God really let me have it when I was up there.
    Dec. 20 2007. I started out by leaving my vehicle at the Davidson River Rec Area near the traihead and getting a shuttle from the nice (young) lady at the outfitter store opposite Looking Glass Outfitters (just cant remember the name) to the Daniel Boone Boy Scout Camp, the terminal trailhead of the art loeb trail. I hit the trail at about 10:30 am the same time as 2 other guys, who just happened to be recent Eagle Scouts. The day went pretty good except for a few quadriceps cramps just before we hit the ridge at deep gap. After that we pushed on thru the narrows, which werent quite as spectacular as expected due to the overcast clouds, and made it Shining Rock Gap, or at least the campsites near the main trail junction near Shining Rock. We found a good water source right on the trail about a tenth of a mile earlier, but had the poor judgment to get water before setting up camp. Not a huge mistake , but we all had to set up tents in the dark right after the freezing rain had begun. Not fun-- the temp was right at 33-34 degrees and the moisture in the air was pretty close to 100%-- I do believe that I slept IN a cloud that night.
    Dec. 21 2007. In the morning it took a while to convince myself that getting out of my sleeping bag was a worthwhile cause. Things werent so bad though: the rain had stopped, everything had frozen over, and my boots were relatively dry. However, the humidity was still about 100% and the cloud was still on the mountain, as the fog was denser than I've ever encountered. The rest of the day was quite a journey. I managed to miss the trail every time it detoured around a peak and I somehow found my way to the top of Grassy Cove Top, Tennent Mtn, and Black Balsam Mtn. While going over these my lower half got completely soaked by the frozen bushes that crowded the trail. I also somehow managed to go about a mile in the opposite direction (north) on the shining Rock Ledge ( didnt look like much of a ledge to me). I eventually got down to the parkway around dark and found another group of former boy scouts ( the other two went back to their car that day) and followed them and their line of headlamps about 2 miles to the deep gap shelter. That night they revealed that they had started that morning from the other Deep gap (near Cold Mtn) and had somehow passed me in the fog going over the peaks that afternoon. We all were pretty miserable and everyone talked of pushing on to the end the next day-- about 14 miles. I was in bad shape at this point though and knew I probably couldnt make it even that far. The biggest problem I had was that my waterproof boots (Hi-tec) were no longer waterproof and were soaked, and I was way too tired to make a fire, so I knew I would have to walk the rest of the trail in waterlogged boots (the humidity was still near 100% and my socks wouldnt even dry).
    Dec. 22 2007. That morning it was still near freezing and the fog was still pretty thick, so I decided I was gettin out. The climb up Pilot Mtn. that morning was really draining so when I got down to Gloucester gap I decided I was going to hitch a ride down to the Davidson River Rec Area. At that point I just started walkin down the road to the fish hatchery. To my surprise no one stopped when I stuck out my thumb; I guess I did look pretty bad. Eventually I ran into a group of mountain bikers right next to the fish hatchery; they just happened to be getting off the trail as well and had parked their pickup right there at the fish hatchery. They also happened to be from Brevard and happily gave me a ride to my vehicle.
    So, it was, I guess, a failed attempt to finish the entire 30 mile trail; however, it was definitely the most miserable, challenging, adventurous outing I have ever had...
    I certainly consider it the most eventful hiking experience I've ever had and now have a new drive to do the Art Loeb again: in better weather and better boots. Also, it wouldnt hurt to have a partner the next time.
    Thanks for the interest in my hike. Happy trails.

  17. #17

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    My fiance and I are leaving out of Gatlinburg on April 4th and heading south on the AT. I'm sure that we wouldn't mind company part of the way.

  18. #18
    TownDawg TownDawg's Avatar
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  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by sansancc View Post
    My name is Cassandra and I'm looking for hiking/backpacking partners in the GSMNP area. I'm 20 years old and would love to do some over-nighters, but don't feel like it is a good idea for me do go alone. I would prefer partners in my own age group. If your interested give me a shout.
    Im not that far from you, here in Englewood. Im 24 and am looking for hiking partners too. I really want to hike to the top of Mt. Leconte but am not that firmiliar with the area I tried to make reservations but theres like a year waiting list. I enjoy over-nighters but most of my friends arent into hiking and camping, only car camping. If you know any good places to hike and camp around Leconte, or want to plan a trip let me know.

  20. #20
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    There is a waiting list at the lodge, but you should be able to get a spot at the shelter. I was able to get a spot there last fall when I called about a week in advance. If you don't have it already, the "little brown book" is a must have for the smokies. You also might call the backcountry office in the park, they can be very helpful in trip planning.

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