Help for a new hiker?

[oyster__eyes]

Hello, everyone!
First of all, please excuse me if this is in the wrong section.
What brings me to the forum is that I need help planning a hike for Spring Break this year. I never do anything good for break, I'm not really into the beach scene, and I've saved up a little this year and would like to hike with a group of my friends for 5-7 days. Some of my friends are experienced hikers, and I'm very outdoorsy, so I'm not too worried about all of the technicalities. It's been a dream of mine to do the trail, so I think this is a nice starting point.

The main issue is that my friend from Raleigh, NC, says that it will be warm enough to hike in the Smokies during break. I think he's crazy. Our break is March 7-15, and we'd like to plan our trip right in the middle of that.

How far south will we have to go not to freeze to death?
Is there a trail other than the AT that we should be doing instead?
Have you ever hiked at that time of year, and where?
I am clueless! Thank you all so much.

[Lone Wolf]

hiking the smokys is a bad idea. too many rules and the weather tends to be bad. any where north or south of there will be fine. weather still might be bad but you have a lot more options as far as getting out of the mountains

[Pedaling Fool]

These are average temps for a given area: http://countrystudies.us/united-states/weather/

These are specific (real-time) temps for AT locations -- if you click on the temp it will give you ~1 week outlook. http://www.sophiaknows.com/atdb/weather.php


You will see cold weather, the smokies are high and cold.
.

[bigmac_in]

Hello, everyone!
First of all, please excuse me if this is in the wrong section.
What brings me to the forum is that I need help planning a hike for Spring Break this year. I never do anything good for break, I'm not really into the beach scene, and I've saved up a little this year and would like to hike with a group of my friends for 5-7 days. Some of my friends are experienced hikers, and I'm very outdoorsy, so I'm not too worried about all of the technicalities. It's been a dream of mine to do the trail, so I think this is a nice starting point.

The main issue is that my friend from Raleigh, NC, says that it will be warm enough to hike in the Smokies during break. I think he's crazy. Our break is March 7-15, and we'd like to plan our trip right in the middle of that.

How far south will we have to go not to freeze to death?
Is there a trail other than the AT that we should be doing instead?
Have you ever hiked at that time of year, and where?
I am clueless! Thank you all so much.

The answer to your questions depend on how much cold you can stand, and what kind of gear you have. But here are some answers.

1. You won't freeze to death in the Smokys at that time of year. (If you have gear/clothing to match the weather)
2. Sure, there are lots of trails all over the U.S. Pinhoti trail in Alabama, and Florida Trail come to mind.
3. I have hiked in Indiana that time of year, and haven't froze to death yet.

Challenge yourself - go for it.

and

LW makes a good point about the Smokys as well. Try starting at Springer and hiking north.

[Skyline]

If you're willing and able to drive from State College PA (I assume you're there, as it's in your header) to the Smokies, and your friend is in NC (again, a fair assumption), why not tackle the Foothills Trail along the NC/SC border? It's plenty challenging enough, and parts of it are truly beautiful. Waterfalls, lakes, and mountain viewpoints. A lot more solitude, and the weather is likely to be better than the Smokies.

Do a Google search for Foothills Trail, SC, and you'll discover all sorts of info. Others here have hiked the whole thing (I've done a good bit of it, but don't feel qualified to give specific advice about the part I haven't hiked) so if you decide to go that direction perhaps some will share their knowledge. There are also a few journals for the Foothills Trail on www.trailjournals.com.

[oyster__eyes]

Do a Google search for Foothills Trail, SC, and you'll discover all sorts of info. Others here have hiked the whole thing (I've done a good bit of it, but don't feel qualified to give specific advice about the part I haven't hiked) so if you decide to go that direction perhaps some will share their knowledge. There are also a few journals for the Foothills Trail on www.trailjournals.com.

That's perfect! I wasn't too keen on the smokies, especially because of all the regulations. This seems like a much better option. It's 80 miles. We could almost do the whole thing (but we only really have 5 days, and we don't want to kill ourselves).

Thanks to everyone else for the tips, too. I thought we could just avoid the cold weather-- but maybe we can just attack it.

[dradius]

you might consider doing a section of the Mountains to Sea trail as well.

[NativePennsylvanian]

Don't rule out the AT in PA. 2 years ago I did a 3 day section on PSUs' spring break and ended the trip in a t shirt with 65 deg, sunny weather.

[Chaco Taco]

My spring break ritual is The Smokies. Do the AT or do some of the side trails. The southern end of the park is great near the Road to Nowhere and Welch Ridge, Jonas Creek, Eagle Creek, campsite #90 is really awesome.

[Skyline]

That's perfect! I wasn't too keen on the smokies, especially because of all the regulations. This seems like a much better option. It's 80 miles. We could almost do the whole thing (but we only really have 5 days, and we don't want to kill ourselves).

Thanks to everyone else for the tips, too. I thought we could just avoid the cold weather-- but maybe we can just attack it.

You don't have to do the whole thing. There are LOTS of trailheads and bailout points on the Foothills Trail. If you're serious about this, get the guidebook/map set from: http://www.foothillstrail.org/ and you'll see what I mean. You could certainly carve out 50+ miles to do in five days.

There are no AT-style shelters on the Foothills Trail, so you'll have to carry a tent, tarp, or hammock. There are plenty of pre-used campsites (some small, some large enough for a group) and except for the easternmost part there is an abundance of water.

In March it could be very Spring-like, or still a bit wintery on the Foothills Trail—but unlikely to be as wintery as the Smokies can get in March.

Another good website, with lots of photos: http://www.alleneasler.com/foothillstrail.html

[steve43]

back in the stone age when i was at unc-asheville, we hiked from winding stair gap to fontana during that same week for spring break. wasn't bad at all. fairly good weather, few hikers and didn't have to deal with all the rules of smnp.

fifo

[MOWGLI]

How far south will we have to go not to freeze to death?
Is there a trail other than the AT that we should be doing instead?
Have you ever hiked at that time of year, and where?
I am clueless! Thank you all so much.

Here it is. The Florida Trail through the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.

http://americanhiking.chattablogs.co...ida-trail.html

An awesome hike of about 60 miles - if you just do the refuge. Easy hiking. No crowds. No snow. No freezing temps. Lots of wildlife. Cool stuff to see every day.

You need permits and must stay in the designated campsites. This area is a treat. Send me a PM if you give it consideration and want more info.