Father/Daughter 5-7 day Section Hike in NC/TN/ or VA?

[LostandFound]

Looks like I just got another opportunity to hike. Memorial Day week in late May. I would like to take my 17 year old daughter on a 5-7 day section hike. She is experienced in camping and day hiking. She is fit, but had ACL surgery last year. I am not interested in putting her into high miles. That is not the point of this hike. I wouldn't mind small miles, lots of relaxing, & photo taking. The focus is on quality time with my daughter, showing her some incredible scenery, showing her how to pack/eat/get water/etc. on a multi-day, maybe one resupply, and letting her simply experience a small portion of the AT. We love tent camping, so I'd rather not stay in a shelter. We come from Florida, so she would really REALLY enjoy mountain views/scenery. I know GSMNP is awesome, but the whole shelter issue is less desirable. I even thought about doing some non-AT loops in the park. I have never hiked in VA, so I am unfamiliar with that section. Any recommendations would be appreciated. I need to purchase a new sleeping bag for her. I know mid/late May is a tricky time for weather. What would be an appropriate warmth level on a bag, for your recommended section? Thanks.

[DeerPath]

You could go to Damascus, VA for Trail Days May 17-19, meet many hikers and buy equipment if needed, and then drive up to the Shenandoah National Park. I think it would be a great trip - I think I just talked myself into it!

Thanks for the thought!

[Train Wreck]

I highly recommend a section hike anywhere heading north between Rock Gap in the Standing Indian area and the NOC. You get 2 awesome fire towers with 360 degree views, plenty of water sources, rhododendron tunnels, and generally well- graded treadway. The only drawback is the 5or 6 mile relentless downhill to the NOC. but then you get a good restaurant & the option to do a little whitewater rafting if you want. Also the flame azalea should be in bloom by then.

[aficion]

When my oldest daughter was ten we did the 50 miles, from the north, into the I-40 crossing, just above GSMNP. We spent 5 fairly easy days. This section takes you over some high balds with beautiful views, through plenty of rhododendron,(which will be blooming), through some fir forests at altitude conducive to both he-Balsam and she-Balsam, right through the middle of Hot Springs,( a cool trail town with resupply), through some high mountain old settlement type farm country, and along some highland creeks that still make me tingle to think about some 22 years later. I recommend it. We had 20 degree bags, cause that is what we had available, and it was more than enough in early June. You will have a memorable outing wherever you choose to go.

[The Cleaner]

Pick a section between I-40(Davenport Gap)and US19E,just past Hump Mtn.Plenty of good campsites a few Trail towns and several nice vista points,ie, Max Patch,Big Bald,Beauty Spot,Roan Mtn &and the balds before 19E......

[Rain Man]

I see some good suggestions and might have made a couple of them myself, but since they have been made already, I'll add the Grayson Highlands for your stated purposes. Beautiful views. Some loops. Options to bail out if her knee acts up.

Whatever stretch you choose, it'll be great hiking with your daughter. Enjoy!

RainMan

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[HikerMom58]

Both of those ideas sound great. My first backpacking trip was 112 miles in 2010. I went with my experienced backpacking 30 year old daughter. We did I-40 (hiking north) to Beauty Spot. (right before Roan Mt ) So, I will agree with aficion. That section was beautiful. I loved hiking right into Hot Springs,NC. It's a beautiful town.

If you/your daughter would like to see wild ponies--- starting in Damascus,VA and hiking 50 miles north would take you into the VA Highlands. Damascus, VA is another beautiful trail town, if you don't mind the crowds. It could be fairly crowded in that area, late May. I'm not sure.

You will have a great time wherever you go... that's for sure!

[ratfaceraines]

a section to consider(in va.) would be from pearisburg to daleville[just under 100 miles]. scenic spots would include rice field shelter, windrock, kellys' knob, dragons' tooth, tinker cliffs and the most photographed site on the trail---macafees' knob. just south of pearisburg is wilburn valley overlook and angels' rest. you could avoid re-supply by making a food drop somewhere around the mid-way point. any questions feel free to call don at 540-921-RIDE(7433), a shuttle service out of pearisburg, va.

[sterling98]

Grayson highlands for sure. It's the section just north of Damascus in souther VA. It's a beautiful section with grassy balds and wild ponies. Mount Rogers outfitter in damascus is great and offers a shuttle service. If you are hiking south into Damascus, take the creeper trail on the river for the last couple miles. It's flatter and more scenic than that stretch of the at.

[Big Dawg]

Agree with the Grayson Highlands to Damascus option. One of my favorite trips! Love the views, grassy balds, craggy rock formations, and of course... the ponies. And hiking into Damascus is just plain awesome!

[S'more]

Add another for the Damascas to Greyson Highlands. Can't go wrong with that.

[LostandFound]

Thanks for all the help. I really like both the Grayson Highland idea & the Macaffe Knob-Tinker Cliff section. Maybe we can do both, with a car trip in between. I have one concern...the possible crowd coming from Trail Days. If we hike the last week of May, will all there be massive amount of Thru hikers making their way through this area, about that time?

[HikerMom58]

If you do the McAfee Knob/Tinker Cliff section you might be hitting the crowds some what. Trail Days is May 17th -19th. It may be crowded right after that weekend in the Grayson Highlands. Ahhh.... It's hard to say what the crowds will be like the end of May in either section.

[Alligator]

There will stay be thruhikers going north from Damascus around Memorial Day. I ran into a lot of thrus when I did that section around that time. I'd recommend south of Damascus and north of Erwin.

It's pretty warm around then, almost June. I think you'd be fine with a 40-45 degree bag.

[LostandFound]

Can the 20mile Tinker Cliffs-Macaffe hike be drawn out to a 3 day hike? We will be in a tent. I'd like to keep my daughter at a max of 7 miles per day.

[ratfaceraines]

you have 4 shelters and 3 campsites in that 20 mile stretch. you can go as fast or as slow as you like. consider purchasing the a.t. guide, by david "awol" miller(this will assist you in your planning).

[Ox97GaMe]

both sections will have a lot of thru hikers, but Grayson Highlands will probably have the most. Many thru hikers try to get to Damascus just in time for Trail Days and hike out on Sun/Mon. They would be in the highlands area by Wed/Thur of that week.

If you stay south of Damascus, you will have smaller crowds of thru hikers. Hiking from Erwin to Hampton would be a nice section. Take in Beauty Spot, the balds, the humps, and the Elk River section. Lots of places to camp besides the shelters or camp at the shelter locations.

You also have to consider your options for getting shuttled back to your vehicle. Pearisburg to Danville is a nice stretch for scenery, but not as easy for shuttling as some other areas.

Have fun. I wish my teenage daughters were interested in backpacking.

[Kerosene]

I had hoped to introduce my daughter to the AT through Grayson Highlands, but by the time I was able to get her out there on her first backpacking trip I had already covered that section. She would've loved the wild ponies and expansive views, but now I'm confident she/we will get there someday.

Instead, she joined me on a section I had not yet completed: Standing Indian to Fontana Dam. This section is a lot closer to you (just north of the GA/NC border) and was a perfect introduction for her. Of course, it helped that we had almost perfect weather in mid-May. Our first attempt was cut short at 3 nights after she pulled a ligament in her knee (a recurring problem for her); we picked up at Winding Stair Gap the following May (see my trail journal for 2010-2011: http://trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=364065). Needless to say, she's caught the bug.

[FarmerChef]

I agree with many on the beauty and camping availability of the section listed so I won't repeat them. What I will say is that Mem Day weekend brings out a lot of day and section hikers in addition to the thrus. Some have suggested staying below/above the post trail days bubble and I would have to second that. You would still see plenty of people but it wouldn't be like hiking in a shopping mall.

Given your daily mileage goals I would recommend staying out of GSMNP (at least on the AT that is) and the same for Shenandoah (on the AT). Both have fairly restrictive camping regulations that might make it difficult given your mileage. If you would really like to visit those areas, perhaps someone on here more knowledgeable about the side trails could chime in about ways to do it that wont run you afoul of the rangers.

And I can't resist giving a +1 to the Highlands into Damascus or to the bald sections south of 19E. Great fun, plenty of water, numerous camping spots. Have fun!

[LostandFound]

Thanks for all the help, especially HikerMom, BigCranky, and Homer for all the specifics. My daughter and I did two back-to-back 3 day sections. We did a slow 3 day hike VA 311-220. Got to our car & immediately drove to Grayson Highlands for another slow 3 day loop. I used the break in the section as a bailout, if my my daughter's knee was an issue. It was not. The Grayson ponies stayed at our campsite all night. The babies would suckle on their mom, and then immediately fall asleep. So funny. We met alot of Thru hikers and really enjoyed talking to them. My 17 y/o daughter is hooked. I learned alot about the need to reduce my pack weight. I was finally given a trail name. I carry a big heavy DSLR camera attached to a collapsable tripod. I hold it like a hammer, while walking. I now go by the name "9 Pound Hammer". DSC_0002.jpgDSC_0272.jpgDSC_0643.jpgDSC_0836.jpg "LostandFound" was not a trail name-it was just a name to register on the website. Check out a few pics.