NC hiker needs advice! (Springbreak - AT)

[Mr_Nibbles]

Hello all I'm a new member to Whiteblaze and somewhat of an intermediate hiker. My friends and I are planning a hiking trip to AT for our spring break between march 1st through the 8th. I'm new to NC and have never hiked any portion of the AT trail here and would love some advise from anyone who has. Here's what I'm looking for:

- A 3-4 day/night trail of moderate difficulty (a loop if possible)

- Preferably hike a nice mountain with beautiful scenery

- Lot's of solitude, no roads of civilization nearby

Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!


-Mr. Nibbles

[MOWGLI]

Hello all I'm a new member to Whiteblaze and somewhat of an intermediate hiker. My friends and I are planning a hiking trip to AT for our spring break between march 1st through the 8th. I'm new to NC and have never hiked any portion of the AT trail here and would love some advise from anyone who has. Here's what I'm looking for:

- A 3-4 day/night trail of moderate difficulty (a loop if possible)

- Preferably hike a nice mountain with beautiful scenery

- Lot's of solitude, no roads of civilization nearby

Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!


-Mr. Nibbles

There is a nice loop near Standing Indian Mountain - just west of Franklin, NC. It might be a little short for your needs. It's only about 20 miles.

I would avoid the Smokies that time of year, unless you hike off of the AT.

[BR360]

You can always try the Smokies, but they are often quite cold-snowy in March, and also fairly busy with Spring Breakers from throughout the Midwest and the Southeast.

Alternatives:

You might consider the Harpers + Wilson Creek Wilderness Study Area / Wild and Scenic River corridor south of Grandfather Mountain. If you were not doing more than ~7 miles a day, there is enough there for a 3-4 night trip, with some beautiful, stunning views and great waterfalls.
Map:
http://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/nfnc_fi...creek_area.gif

Pisgah Forest north of Brevard includes some great trails: Looking Glass, Johns Rock, Cedar Rock, and Pilot Mtn. You could link up with the Art Loeb Trail into the Shining Rock Wilderness. Probly the SRW will be crowded, particularly on weekends, but it is fine highland country. Car shuttles for long hikes in this area this time of year can get tricky, as the area crosses/uses the Blue Ridge Parkway, which shuts down if wintry weather strikes. Still, I'd put it up for a real possibility if you take the time to plan well.
Map:
http://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/nfnc_fi...vidsontest.jpg
http://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/recreat...pisgah_map.pdf

The Foothills Trail (see links below) might be nice, which traverses the "Blue Wall / Mountain Bridge Wilderness" along the NC/SC/GA borders. Includes spectacular waterfalls, and if you go N to S, you finish up in the Chatooga Wild and Scenic River area. This trail will be warmest, if a cold snap hits.
Info:
http://www.sctrails.net/Trails/ALLTR...Foothills.html
http://www.foothillstrail.org/

Finally, you might consider the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area in SW Virginia. This area gets a lot of use in the summertime, and if weekends are nice in the spring. Might have a hard time finding a 4-day loop, though you could maybe put together a partial loop and an out-and-back.

http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj/mr/

[bigcranky]

This hike isn't a loop, but it's fairly easy to set up.

The hike runs from Carver Gap near Roan Mountain north on the AT to Dennis Cove Road. It's about 40 miles, and would be a nice 4-5 day hike. The first couple of days are spectacular mountain scenery over the NC balds, then you traverse some lower-elevation creek bottom with waterfalls and such.

The easiest way to do this would be to call Bob Peoples at Kincora Hostel, and arrange to leave your car at the hostel and get a shuttle up to Carver Gap. Then just walk back to your car.

Note that in the first week in March it can get kinda cold in the mountains, but then you probably knew that.

[BR360]

Also found for Shining Rock:
http://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/recreat...ining_rock.pdf
and Wilson Creek:
http://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/recreat...lson_creek.pdf

[joec]

Loops are harder if you want to do the AT. What I like to do is go to a trail town such as Hot Springs, NC and hire a shuttle service to take me out of town whatever distance I want to cover and walk back into town. By the way, from Wilmington, it is faster to go to Florence, SC to Columbia,SC to Greenville,SC then on to Hot Springs if that is where you go. The traffic in Raleigh and RTP then Greensboro slows you down.

[e-doc]

Harpers Creek and Lost have many stream x-ings. I don't recommend in March. All the other suggestions are good. Only problem could be the weather. March is famous for having the biggest winter storms. Easy loops in Smokies, Shining Rock, SNW,Rogers. Also AT/Iron Mt loops either north or south of Damascus. Be careful, getting caught in some of these locations in a bad storm could really be a problem (hypothermia and death) if unprepared.

[Montego]

Hey Mr Nibbles, welcome to WhiteBlaze. Hope you get some good ideas for your upcomming hike

[uwharriebackpacker]

if u dont mind seeing several other hikers i think this is a decent loop. start at massie gap, go NOBO on the AT, pass wise shelter, go thru scales, around to pine mtn trail, around to rhododendron gap..( nice views when camping here ), then you can leave Rhodo. gap on the AT again, back out to massie gap. this is a nice hike IMO. just pick up a map b4 going b/c there are numerous trails running thru this area.

[uwharriebackpacker]

oops....forgot to mention my reccomendation is located in the grayson highlands state park in SW VA. Massie Gap parking area is a more secure place to leave your vehicle over a few days time.

[Terry7]

Max Patch!

[grizzlyadam]

the massie gap to pine mountain loop talked about above is only ten miles long. you could do it 3 or 4 times if you wanted......

[uwharriebackpacker]

yea, true there....i forgot to mention you could do a sidehike over to mount rogers although the view from the highest peak in VA insnt that great ( but you could say u have been on VA's highest peak)

[Chaco Taco]

Yea I agree but the hiking around there on the AT is back in the woods. Not many views til you get past Hot Springs. Also the only other south would be Snowbird. JMO

I did the Smokies last March and it was 70 dgrees, No rain, great views. Do the hike out of Newfound Gap up to Leconte on the Boulevard and on to Standing Bear. Great hike, lots of Ridgerunnin.

Max Patch!

[e-doc]

..... you could do a sidehike over to mount rogers although the view from the highest peak in VA isn't that great

There is no view, except the trees