Bmt

[MOWGLI]

By the way, how long do you all think it would take to do the BMT end to end?

3 weeks for a strong hiker. It is nearly 300 miles. 3 weeks would be tuff in winter. Not enuf daylight.

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

The importance of "the badge" is demonstrated by the number of thru-hikers who won't do the BMT on their thru-hike, I guess.

Some - especially those not from the south - want to experience the views in the AT in the GSMNP as well. It is a matter of personal taste. It would take views a lot more spec-darn-tacular than those in the GSMNP for me to put up with the drawbacks of the AT in that section, but others have different priorities. It's all good.

[SGT Rock]

Mags, I would wait until the end of Oct, the first week or two is still practically summer in the south, I live in GA and we've only had a couple of mornings below freezing this year so far. The weather is still nice in NOV and it usually is nice in DEC (like it is now). Rock lives near the BMT, he could tell you more. I think the leaf color peaks about the 3rd week in OCT.

Just a couple of below freezing days. But I think this has been a mild Fall so far. According to the Farmer's Almanac it should be a mild winter this year too.

Hi everone i start my Thur-Hike On Feb 5 2008 if i want to hike the bmt instead of gone thur GSMNP where would i pick up the bmt at start of GSMNP and where would i get off at the end of bmt get back on the AT.
Also how far apart are the shelters on the bmt and resupply points oh yet what the water. Thank

Go up the AT, just past Shuckstack moutain you cross the trail. Another option is to take the lakeshore trail on the far side of Fontana Dam and go to Campsite 90 near the Eagle Creek Trail where it links into the BMT.

Only one shelter on the BMT in the Smokies, the rest of the places to stay are campsites. They are spaced closer than the shelters are on the AT in the Smokies.

For Resupply, you can walk (or hitch) into Cherokee on 441 which is only about 6 miles away. There is also a posibility to get into Bryson City when you hit the road to nowhere - but that is probably going to be end up a further walk. I haven't tried it personally yet.

The importance of "the badge" is demonstrated by the number of thru-hikers who won't do the BMT on their thru-hike, I guess.

By the way, how long do you all think it would take to do the BMT end to end?

3 weeks is what I am planning. I think it would depend on the hiker - but probably 20-25 days depending on the person.

3 weeks for a strong hiker. It is nearly 300 miles. 3 weeks would be tuff in winter. Not enuf daylight.

Good point. If you plan to hike it in winter you may want to plan to be moving early and have a light ready in case - that is my plan.

[MOWGLI]

Good point. If you plan to hike it in winter you may want to plan to be moving early and have a light ready in case - that is my plan.

The light is helpful too because you're going to spend a lot of time in your sleeping bag in the dark. I can't sleep that long. Lithium batteries are a good investment.

[SGT Rock]

The light is helpful too because you're going to spend a lot of time in your sleeping bag in the dark. I can't sleep that long. Lithium batteries are a good investment.

Yep, work good in cold weather and last a lot longer. They also weigh a lot less for the gram weenies like me.

[Hammock Hanger]

3 weeks for a strong hiker. It is nearly 300 miles. 3 weeks would be tuff in winter. Not enuf daylight.

I was just up there last weekend and had a hard time getting from campsite to campsite before losing the light. It started to get dark around 4:30, by 6-6:30 it was pitch black. It didn't get light until after 6 am.

BTW: Monday of last week it was 15 degrees up on Sterling Mt (campsite 38) and with the wind howling it was chilled down to below zero!!! COLD COLD COLD!!

However, on Wednesday morning my hike up the mt (??) was beautiful and white. I loved making fresh tracks and looking at all of the animal tracks as I came upon them.

Sue/HH

[generoll]

Back. I'd like to modestly take partial credit for ending the drought on the North Carolina side of the Smokies.

I did a tadpole hike. the tail was the 1.2 miles of the BMT from Smokemont. The body was Smokemont to Standing bear and then back on the AT to Pecks Corner and then down to reconnect with the BMT back into Smokemont.

I took three days to hike from Smokemont to Big Creek and needed all of it.
YMMV.

The weather was about what you would expect for this time of year if you add about 10 degrees.

[Frosty]

The importance of "the badge" is demonstrated by the number of thru-hikers who won't do the BMT on their thru-hike, I guess.

This is a logic flaw called Affirming the Consequent.

If you hike the AT you get a badge.
Many people hike the AT.
Therefore people hike the AT in order to get a badge.