Newfound Gap parking/hitching, full shelters, mileage, ugh.

[slbirdnerd]

Me, again, on the Smokys... I postponed my trip which should've started today due to the crap weather coming through there before Thursday. Of course now I'm running into shelters being full for this weekend and trying to come up with an alternative.

What I wanted to do was Fontana>Russell Field>Silers Bald>Icewater Spring>TriCorner Knob. But, Icewater is full.

Option 1: Come off at Newfound Gap, shuttle or hitch to G-burg for the night, come back and go NFG>Pecks Corner>Cosby Knob.

Option 2: Park at NFG and just finish my hike there.

Considering I'm a strong hiker but slow on uphills, is what I want to do too many mpd for the amount of daylight we have? I've never hitched, is it relatively safe for a solo gal between there and G-burg? Can you leave your car at NFG? Any other options I'm missing? Anyone on here have an extra spot on their Icewater permit for 10/31?

Thanks!

[TNhiker]

I've never hitched, is it relatively safe for a solo gal between there and G-burg? Can you leave your car at NFG?

yeah.....you can leave a car at NFG............

and its an easy hitch from NFG into town but then again, im a dude (or at least i pretend to be) so not sure how it would be for a female...................

but thats the easiest spot in the park to hitch from (trust me on that).....

and you could always hire a shuttle..........

[Slo-go'en]

You can leave your car at NFG, but getting back to Fontana would be a problem. It's a long way around by road and you'll pretty much loose a day doing that. Hitching into G-burg should be much of a problem for a solo gal -a lot easier then an old man, that's for sure!

You've got some pretty big miles planned for this time of year.
You might want to consider this instead:
Russell field > Derick Knob > Mt Collins > Pecks Corner > Cosby Knob > out

This adds a couple of days to what you planned, but the mileage is more reasonable and avoids Ice Water Springs which is always full due to it's close proximity to the road.

[Slo-go'en]

Should be shouldn't be

[slbirdnerd]

Thanks, guys. Slo, I like that plan but I think Derrick Knob and Mt. Collins are also full then--my original lower mileage plan was Fontana>Mollies>Derrick>Collins>Pecks>Cosby. If I park at Newfound I was planning to have Hike Inn pick me up, stay there that night, and start hiking in the a.m. I lose a full day driving down there anyway.

[BobTheBuilder]

Gender advantages not withstanding, I found the hitch from NFG to Gatlinburg to be difficult. Took me about 30 minutes of trying in a full parking lot before I finally got an older couple to let me ride in the bed of their truck. I chalked it up to the fact that most of the people at NFG are tourists, and maybe not used to seeing hikers looking for a ride.

[slbirdnerd]

Well I figured I better pull the trigger on some reservations before it gets worse. Slo, I found I can do the lower mileage plan if I start one day later. That puts me into rain at the end of the hike, but it's still better than what I'd have had the next couple days down there!

[Traffic Jam]

slbirdnerd, I've hitched from Clingman's with no problems. I'll probably be in the park on Thursday, if you have any issues pm me and I'll help you out. Have a great hike.

[slbirdnerd]

Thanks, Traffic Jam. My plans are starting to come together. Good news is I'm already packed so I don't have that to worry about. Enjoy the park, it looks like it should be nice on Thursday!

[joshuasdad]

Keep in mind that in 2012, there was a hiker rescued from the Smokies via helicopter the same time you were going.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8hP-AgskqI

I hiked that section a few weeks later, and there was still deep snow, and lots of blowdowns. I had a lot of trouble scheduling short days because of bear closures, so I had to do Davenport Gap to Tri-Corner Knob in a single day -- by far my most "epic" day at that point -- ending with the saddest and loneliest Thanksgiving dinner via headlamp at the shelter.

I maintain that the Smokies are the most dangerous section of trail for section hikers, but I'm not going to go into that again, other than to say make sure that you are properly hydrated to ward off hypothermia.

Have fun and hike safe!

[TNhiker]

I found the hitch from NFG to Gatlinburg to be difficult. Took me about 30 minutes of trying in a full parking lot before I finally got an older couple to let me ride in the bed of their truck.

is 30 minutes of waiting really "difficult"?

that's not a bad wait at all...


best thing to do at the gap------stand at the exit of the parking lot, on the shoulder for the road going into gatlinburg..............that's the best spot to stand and hitch..........

[TNhiker]

Keep in mind that in 2012, there was a hiker rescued from the Smokies via helicopter the same time you were going.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8hP-AgskqI

I hiked that section a few weeks later, and there was still deep snow, and lots of blowdowns. I had a lot of trouble scheduling short days because of bear closures, so I had to do Davenport Gap to Tri-Corner Knob in a single day -- by far my most "epic" day at that point -- ending with the saddest and loneliest Thanksgiving dinner via headlamp at the shelter.

I maintain that the Smokies are the most dangerous section of trail for section hikers, but I'm not going to go into that again, other than to say make sure that you are properly hydrated to ward off hypothermia.

Have fun and hike safe!

that was because hurricane sandy dumped close to 5 foot of snow on the ridgeline.........

that is not normal and i wouldnt necessarily be worried about it.............yes, it could potentially snow........but not feet and feet of snow...

the storm came in on a wednesday into thursday------i hiked out to icewater shelter that weekend (i had reservations since the beginning of the month) and hiked through 4 foot of snow to get to the shelter..........

it was very warm during the day, and i could literally see the snow melt in front of me......

when i left the shelter the next morning-----a foot of snow had easily already melted.....

[slbirdnerd]

And, I'm very cognizant of the weather, which is why I am NOT up there hiking today and tomorrow.

[joshuasdad]

And, I'm very cognizant of the weather, which is why I am NOT up there hiking today and tomorrow.

Glad to hear that. I was in my early 40s when I hiked in good weather up there, and still became hypothermic from overexertion on the "downhill" hike from Clingmans to Fontana. The altitude has effects on us lowlanders -- at least those who haven't had the chance to acclimate, such as thru-hikers. The itinerary you are thinking of following exactly parallels a section-hiker's death at Tricorner Knob, which is why I decided to just give a little warning. See, e.g., http://www.knoxnews.com/news/local-n...cause-of-death . You don't need 5 feet of snow on the ridgeline to give you problems -- just going outside of your comfort zone -- which is the danger when shelters are full or closed.

The terrain itself is pretty easy, even the uphills. Much of it is horse trail. It's just the sustained hiking at 5000+ -- encountered nowhere else on the trail -- which can cause problems for lowlander section hikers. That being said, if you do stop at Pecks and Cosby Knob (that was closed when I hiked), it should be an easy and enjoyable hike, and you should have plenty of daylight.

[Captain Blue]

Keep in mind that in 2012, there was a hiker rescued from the Smokies via helicopter the same time you were going.

The guy in the video who was rescued was a thru hiker. I'm sure the Smokies are just as dangerous for a thru hiker as they are for a section hiker.

[slbirdnerd]

Right, Cap'n, no matter who we are and where we go we need to plan and prepare, inlcuding educating ourselves about the area we're hiking in and the conditions to expect while we're there, as well as contingency plans for getting off trail if necessary. I'll be watching the weather like a hawk, the bears like a hiker, and the hawks like a birder.