Planning my late spring hike...

[4shot]

somewhere between 3-500 miles (time constraints will limit me to this). Can you compare/contrast the BMT and the AT through the same area (Springer to GMNSP)? I am intrigued by this hike. Is resupply an issue? Terrain and elevation more or less the same? Shelters on the BMT? Not that I like to sleep in them but they were nice for cooking and usually near water - I would tent near one usually on the AT. Any comments are appreciated. One benefit of a revisit of the AT is the convenience factor - I know were to stay, resupply, find water, etc. but am open to others. The solitude of the BMT is appealing but, otoh, I will be starting at Springer well behind the horde (latter part of May).

[royalusa]

Hey 4shot, we did the 560-mile BMT-AT loop hike in 2010 and compared the 2 trails per our experience and opinion at the end of our journal: http://trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=317704. The first entry in that same journal details our resupply strategy.

Whatever you decide, have fun!

[SGT Rock]

somewhere between 3-500 miles (time constraints will limit me to this). Can you compare/contrast the BMT and the AT through the same area (Springer to GMNSP)? I am intrigued by this hike. Is resupply an issue? Terrain and elevation more or less the same?

Their journal does a good job of this. My read on it.
There are some similarities when it comes to climbs and descents. I found that the BMT tended to have more miles of leveler walking in places where it followed old road bed, but the BMT is also longer, so there is probably similar effort going from Springer to Davenport on either trail. You do take more miles to get from Springer to Davenport on the BMT. The highest elevation on the BMT is about 5,820' so you will not hit the elevations, but you do have some great views from Buck Bald, Whigg Meadow, The Quarry, Mount Sterling, etc. In that stretch there are more big balds on the BMT than the AT. What you will find is there are a lot more creek walks, river walks, and generally more water per mile average than on the AT.

Resupply is not as robust. The BMT towns are not as "developed" as the AT, you will often walk right past stores or restaurants on the BMT that don't even know they are on a major trail. There are not hostels at this point for BMT hikers.

Shelters on the BMT? Not that I like to sleep in them but they were nice for cooking and usually near water - I would tent near one usually on the AT.

Two shelters in about 300 miles. Three if you want to count Springer Mountain Shelter. One shelter is where the trail crosses private property so they give you one place you know you are allowed to camp. The other one is near the north end of the trail in the Smokies and it predates the BMT going through there by 6 decades.

Any comments are appreciated. One benefit of a revisit of the AT is the convenience factor - I know were to stay, resupply, find water, etc. but am open to others. The solitude of the BMT is appealing but, otoh, I will be starting at Springer well behind the horde (latter part of May).

In may many services on the BMT will be in their full swing as most cater to rafters, motorcycles, etc. You will not be the norm and the fact is you may not see more than 10 hikers total in 300 miles where on the AT, even out of thru-hiker pack you will see that in a day most of the time.

[10-K]

I've hiked both and enjoyed the BMT much better. It's not like hiking in the Alaskan wilderness by any means but it's more challenging than the AT in every way.

I hiked it in April and once I passed the DRT cutoff north of Springer all the way to Deal's Gap I passed exactly one other backpacker the entire time. If' you've already hiked that section of the AT I'd encourage you to try the BMT for sure. Get the Nat Geo maps and Sgt Rocks guide and you're good.

[4shot]

I appreciate the responses.