Is the NOBO crowd past Fontana now?

[steve hiker]

I'm thinking of picking up my SOBO section hike in a week or two at Fontana, where I left off this winter. (One veeeeery small section at a time.) I assume most of the NOBO crowd will be past Fontana, right?

[flyfisher]

Most, but not all are to the Smokys. One way to guage is to look at Trailjounals for recent dates. It lists where each person says they are when they write the journal entry.

example: 23 April 2004:

http://www.trailjournals.com/linked_...fm?date=042304

For another date, just modify the date string at the end of the url.

[Moon Monster]

Most probably are that far, but there could still be several dozen to a few hundred to come. Probably more important to you in the next couple of weeks (or any time in spring) than thru-hikers is that college spring breakers are long gone and scouts and college kids on summer breaks are not yet out.

[Jaybird]

I'm thinking of picking up my SOBO section hike in a week or two at Fontana, where I left off this winter. (One veeeeery small section at a time.) I assume most of the NOBO crowd will be past Fontana, right?

i've been keeping up with WILDCAT's (www.trailjournals.com/Wildcat)journal. (he is hiking, currently, with "MoonPie", "Swiss Miss" & "Kung FU") & they're already past Mt. Rogers into Virginia.


you should be out of "high traffic" time by now...probably only a few late starters & us SECTION-HIKERS you'll encounter!

[ELi]

Officer Taco is already in PA. This guy started early, but he hikes like a man possesed.

http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=1833

[Rebel, with a Cause!]

Last week I went section hiking in the Smokies to meet and hike with Aswah and Day Tripper. At that time there were still lots of thrus coming thru the Smokies, so more should continue this week. I will be back up there on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and I'll advise on the number count then.

Good Luck and the weathers been great.

[PROFILE]

I would say most are at or near the Smokies. However, we have put a lot on the trail inthe last 2 weeks. Also, I have be seeing decent size crowds at Neel's gap for the last week.

[chris]

On Friday morning, between Snake Den Ridge and Pecks Corner, I ran into 42 backpackers, with perhaps 36 of them being AT thruhikers. That is about a 9 mile stretch of trail, so I'd say the AT in the Smokys is pretty crowded right now. On Sunday morning, I ran into 7 in between Mt. Cammerer and Low Gap (2.1 miles).

[TJ aka Teej]

ATC reports these GAMEr figures:

Springer Mtn., Ga. 3/31 623, 4/9 801, 4/22 1120

Neels Gap, Ga. 3/31 498, 4/9 641, 4/22 896

Fontana Dam 3/22 133, 4/4 238

Harpers Ferry 4/9 - 2, 4/22 13

[Jack Tarlin]

Hot Springs is about as full of hikers as it's been any time this spring except for last weekend (a lot of folks were in town for a small Trail festival).

This week is about the high water mark; within ten days or so, most hikers will have come thru, tho there are many more still heading this way, and there will be folks leaving Springer all thru May and June----some are planning to flip-flop and head southwards at some point; some don't plan on getting all the way to Maine; some don't care. But at this point, most of the Northbound crowd is either near, or more likely, just past Fontana and the Smokies.

[Footslogger]

[QUOTE=Jack Tarlin]Hot Springs is about as full of hikers as it's been any time this spring except for last weekend (a lot of folks were in town for a small Trail festival).

This week is about the high water mark

Jack ...It's a tad off topic but your last line above caught my attention. How's the rain this year so far compared to last year ? As I know you remember, most of the Smokies were a real mud hole in 2003.

[steve hiker]

Was on another hiking board and saw that 18 bodies were packed inside Peck's shelter Saturday night, with another 20 tenting outside. Un-f-ing-believable!

Here's a pic of some of the crowd:

http://www.griztrax.net/gtforum/wild1/537.html

[chris]

I spoke with a couple of hikers this weekend, and it seems to be a drier year in the South. Supposedly, in the Nantahala area they are several inches below average. Some sources that I remember flowing in the Smokys during the past two springs were dry this year. That being said, there was still a ton of water in the Smokys, just not much on the AT.

[B Thrash]

Hiked from Fontana Dam to Wesser (NOC) last weekend and shelters are still full. Saw four south bounders and about twenty-five north bounders. Had a mixture of 75% thru-hikers with 25 % section hikers.

[MedicineMan]

Just to let you know, we spent the night near Swiss Miss at Punchbowl Shelter last week....way beyond Mt.Rogers....unless of course there are more than one Swiss Miss.....

[MedicineMan]

I hope all get a good look at it...this is why I'm such a proponent of alterntive routes sanctioned by the ATC....The future for groupings like this is dim I believe, right or wrong there will come a time when the number of hikers leaving Springer will be limited just as the number entering Baxter is. I heard that hikers will only go up the trail at another road crossing and start when that day comes so I can see gates on particular roads limiting access to the entire area.
If any others here feel this way then look to the pregression of the Benton McKay Trail and beam an e-mail to the ATC. I realize the majority of hikers will only want to due the classic AT but there are a few that will take the road less followed.

[steve hiker]

That pic from Griztrax was pretty good. And from recent reports, I'm glad I haven't been able to make it back to the AT yet to resume my section hiking. At this point, I may just wait until fall for the AT and go out West this summer.

Colorado is great. Spectacular views and climbs, thin crowds (as long as you stay away from the Front Range), and LOW HUMIDITY. Then pick it back up in the fall/winter on the AT with cool temps, no bugs and crowds gone.

[Jaybird]

That pic from Griztrax was pretty good. And from recent reports, I'm glad I haven't been able to make it back to the AT yet to resume my section hiking. At this point, I may just wait until fall for the AT and go out West this summer............................................ ......

SteveHiker

just got back from a 7 day-section-hike...that included PECKS Corner Shelter...we got there....(it had been raining the day before-Sunday)....then it starting sleeting & snowing.....as the saying goes:..."the SMokies make their own weather!" J.R."Model-T" Tate

thanks for the photo