Section Hike/Advice in Georgia

[gatorcoach]

New to hiking on the AT and need some help/advice.

I have hiked in the NC mountains on a yearly basis on family vacations, but am going to begin hiking on the AT in Georgia the week of April 10th. I realize the timing may not be great with thru-hikers starting, but that is the time frame I have to work with.

47 years old, 30 pounds overweight, no health issues except I need to lose the extra weight.

I want to hike roughly 8 to 10 miles per day starting at the beginning of the Approach Trail. I have read and thought about it and I want my first "blaze" to be me hiking to it, not hiking down trail 1 mile and then turning back and going the other way. Just a personal preference. I will be staying at the top of the falls in Amicalola Falls State Park. My plan was to begin at the start of the Approach Trail (take the photos etc. at the starting point) with my wife and 7 year old son, and hike up to my cabin at the top (we will be arriving mid-day the first day). The next morning I plan to start very early from my cabin, return to the point of the trail where I left it, and hike to Springer Mountain. My wife will be picking me up at different stops for three or four days after the 8 to 10 miles so that in the afternoons we can do some things together as a family. (On the first day my wife and son will park and hike the mile to Springer and meet me).

Now finally, the question, where would be good points along the trail for her to pick me up? Easy for her to find and safe for her and a seven year old to meet me at and not so far off of the trail that I might struggle at the end of my hike? I walk 2 to 3 miles three times a week but I realize that this is going to be much different. I am doing this in preparation for a week long hike by myself this summer if all goes well.

Any serious advice would be appreciated. I have read every available source about this area and my plans, but I would appreciate hearing from people with the actual experience on the trail in this area of Georgia.

[JC13]

Easy to find may be the problem, all the pickup points in that stretch are going to be forest service roads. She won't have a actual road crossing until miles 20.8 & 31.7. Just something to think about.

So as far as the FS crossings go:
mi 1.0: Big Stamp Gap USFS 42
mi 4.3: Three Forks USFS 58
mi 8.6: Hightower Gap USFS 49&69
mi 12.3: Cooper Gap USFS 15, 42&80
mi 17.2: Gooch Gap USFS 42
mi 20.8 Woody Gap GA 60
*mi 25.1 Henry Gap (unmarked) 70 yds west on side trail, woods road to GA 180
mi 26.7 Jarred Gap dirt road 1 mi W to Lake Winfield Scott Recreation Area
30.6 Flatrock Gap W to Byron Reese Parking Area
31.7 Neel Gap US 19
37.7 Tesnatee Gap GA 348
38.6 Hogpen Gap GA 348
48.9 Rd Clay Gap Enota Mtn Retreat is near here but there is no sign and the trail is not blazed. 1.4 mi walk
52.9 Unicoi Gap GA 75

You didn't mention how long you had to walk, so that should get you started at least.

[Gambit McCrae]

Easy to find may be the problem, all the pickup points in that stretch are going to be forest service roads. She won't have a actual road crossing until miles 20.8 & 31.7. Just something to think about.

So as far as the FS crossings go:
mi 1.0: Big Stamp Gap USFS 42
mi 4.3: Three Forks USFS 58
mi 8.6: Hightower Gap USFS 49&69
mi 12.3: Cooper Gap USFS 15, 42&80
mi 17.2: Gooch Gap USFS 42
mi 20.8 Woody Gap GA 60
*mi 25.1 Henry Gap (unmarked) 70 yds west on side trail, woods road to GA 180
mi 26.7 Jarred Gap dirt road 1 mi W to Lake Winfield Scott Recreation Area
30.6 Flatrock Gap W to Byron Reese Parking Area
31.7 Neel Gap US 19
37.7 Tesnatee Gap GA 348
38.6 Hogpen Gap GA 348
48.9 Rd Clay Gap Enota Mtn Retreat is near here but there is no sign and the trail is not blazed. 1.4 mi walk
52.9 Unicoi Gap GA 75

You didn't mention how long you had to walk, so that should get you started at least.

very GOOD info...Antoher suggestion would be to take ALL the work out of it for your family is contact Ron Brown (phone number below), and talk to him about him doing all the driving around for you, and taking you to your wife. From what I hear those Forrest service roads can get ya turned around pretty easily. When I section hiked GA I went from Highway to Highway. I will do the same in the spring when I start my second map. Springer to Neel Gap, Neel to Dicks Gap, Dicks to Standing Indian etc etc

[ScareBear]

Easy to find may be the problem, all the pickup points in that stretch are going to be forest service roads. She won't have a actual road crossing until miles 20.8 & 31.7. Just something to think about.

So as far as the FS crossings go:
mi 1.0: Big Stamp Gap USFS 42
mi 4.3: Three Forks USFS 58
mi 8.6: Hightower Gap USFS 49&69
mi 12.3: Cooper Gap USFS 15, 42&80
mi 17.2: Gooch Gap USFS 42
mi 20.8 Woody Gap GA 60
*mi 25.1 Henry Gap (unmarked) 70 yds west on side trail, woods road to GA 180
mi 26.7 Jarred Gap dirt road 1 mi W to Lake Winfield Scott Recreation Area
30.6 Flatrock Gap W to Byron Reese Parking Area
31.7 Neel Gap US 19
37.7 Tesnatee Gap GA 348
38.6 Hogpen Gap GA 348
48.9 Rd Clay Gap Enota Mtn Retreat is near here but there is no sign and the trail is not blazed. 1.4 mi walk
52.9 Unicoi Gap GA 75

You didn't mention how long you had to walk, so that should get you started at least.

Have her pick you up at the parking lot for Springer, then she can brave it to Cooper's Gap, kinda a major FS intersection and a big spot on the map, then Woody, Neel, Tesnatee and an overnight on the trail ending at Unicoi. Certainly day-hiker do-able, if you are in shape. Otherwise...YMMV...just sayin...

[ScareBear]

In other words, 10 miles a day is certainly do-able, especially with only a day pack of under 10 pounds. If you are in shape.
These are some tough hills to be trying to bag 10 mile days if you are overweight and out of shape. So, you throw in some rain that makes the trail slick and slow, combined with being out of shape, your 10 mile days might not be realistic. The fact that you are walking 3 miles is meaningless to that section of the trail. You need to be climbing stairs or hiking to/from peaks. Look at and study an elevation profile for this section. Find a stair climber or treadmill with programmable incline and resistance variance and get on it no less than 4 times a week for no less than a couple of hours at a time. Or find a building with more than 3 stories and start climbing stairs for a couple of hours. I am serious. That section of GA is NOTORIOUS for kicking the arses of the un-prepared. 3 mile flat walks won't even break in your boots. No offense, but unless you weigh 300 pounds, you may be morbidly obese at +30 pounds of optimal weight. Assuming you are ONLY those 30 pound over your optimal weight. You need to be realistic about your consecutive days of intense hiking on that section and your physical shape and physical ability.

[soumodeler]

There are services to slackpack Georgia, specifically Hiker Hostel in Dahlonega. However, given the start date of April 10, I doubt they or Ron Brown would be available to do a full slackpack service simply due to volume at the time. You may be able to reserve it now though.

If you have anything other than a super low riding car, you can get to (or near) every trailhead except Blue Ridge Gap easily. Your 10mpd plan is very doable with a little effort. Don't let ScareBear scare you too much. I have seen many people who
I thought wouldn't make it plod out 8-10mpd with full packs. Keep working on getting in shape, get a good daypack and some trekking poles, and you should be good.

[gatorcoach]

Thanks for the info !!

[Uncle Joe]

Frankly, I wouldn't do the Approach first. I went back and did it after my GA Section hike and was glad I didn't do it first. Primarily because I'd never hiked with a pack before starting at Springer. Springer to Hawk Mtn Shelter is a fairly easy hike. It doesn't prepare you for the climbing that follows. The Approach does but had I done that first I don't know if I'd have stayed with it. The Approach is no joke. And after all of what you think was climbing you're hit with a steep climb to the summit of Springer at the end. Now seasoned hikers will say it's not that bad and they're right for a non-beginner. For a beginner it's a very tough hike. I took my daughter's fiancé who's half my age and considerably fit (former athlete). As I said, I had already done the GA Section so even though it was tough I was prepared for it. At Springer Shelter, he set up his tent and went to sleep. Unable to eat, sick, and too exhausted. FWIW.

[ScareBear]

There are services to slackpack Georgia, specifically Hiker Hostel in Dahlonega. However, given the start date of April 10, I doubt they or Ron Brown would be available to do a full slackpack service simply due to volume at the time. You may be able to reserve it now though.

If you have anything other than a super low riding car, you can get to (or near) every trailhead except Blue Ridge Gap easily. Your 10mpd plan is very doable with a little effort. Don't let ScareBear scare you too much. I have seen many people who
I thought wouldn't make it plod out 8-10mpd with full packs. Keep working on getting in shape, get a good daypack and some trekking poles, and you should be good.

Not trying to ScareBear(tm) him! LOL!

Seriously, though, I have seen tooooooo many folks who are unrealistic and unprepared physically for Springer to Blue Ridge Gap. After Hawk, its some very tough going for a first-timer. Take a first-timer who has been so sedentary that a 3 mile flat walk seems appropriate to getting in shape(no offense, but a 3 mile flat walk does literally NOTHING for your cardio or adding muscle mass. It may help keep you limber. YMMV)

OP is admittedly +30 pounds overweight. At 150 pounds optimal weight, OP would be 20 percent overweight and would easily be diagnosed by a physician as OBESE. Depending on height, OP may be MORBIDLY OBESE. Just sayin. OP doesn't seem to be, at age 47, in any respectable form of cardio shape to take on Springer to wherever at a minimum pace of 10mpd for 3 to 5 days in a row. There was another post by a 340 pound dude who admitted that his thru hike was completely derailed by BRG solely due to his lack of conditioning and is now taking more than a year off to get in shape so he doesn't repeat his prior epic fail.

A 47 year old, who has led a sedentary lifestyle and is +30lbs overweight, is not going to enjoy trying to bag 10mpd on the first 50 miles of Section 1. In fact, depending on the weather, said 47 year old is, IMHO, unlikely to complete his quest for 3 to 5 days of 10mpd on that Section. Or, OP sure as heck won't enjoy it. Unless OP is a masochist...just sayin...

[MuddyWaters]

Frankly, I wouldn't do the Approach first. I went back and did it after my GA Section hike and was glad I didn't do it first. Primarily because I'd never hiked with a pack before starting at Springer. Springer to Hawk Mtn Shelter is a fairly easy hike. It doesn't prepare you for the climbing that follows. The Approach does but had I done that first I don't know if I'd have stayed with it. The Approach is no joke. And after all of what you think was climbing you're hit with a steep climb to the summit of Springer at the end. Now seasoned hikers will say it's not that bad and they're right for a non-beginner. For a beginner it's a very tough hike. I took my daughter's fiancé who's half my age and considerably fit (former athlete). As I said, I had already done the GA Section so even though it was tough I was prepared for it. At Springer Shelter, he set up his tent and went to sleep. Unable to eat, sick, and too exhausted. FWIW.

It all depends.
Carry 50 lbs and yeah, youll hate it.

But approach is no different from any other southern AT between GA and VA.

I recalls doing 18 miles my first day. Approach literally took like a little less than 4 hrs, and I wasnt in great shape.
That includes stopping for lunch.
Didnt get started till almost 11am either due to being car sick from shuttle. Like an amusement park ride.
Dont ever sit in back of an old suburban speeding down FS roads
At least not without taking dramamine with breakfast


I was however carrying a 23 lb pack including 2L water and 5 days food.
That makes a difference.
Maybe THE difference.

[Uncle Joe]

It all depends.
Carry 50 lbs and yeah, youll hate it.

But approach is no different from any other southern AT between GA and VA.

I recalls doing 18 miles my first day. Approach literally took like a little less than 4 hrs, and I wasnt in great shape.
That includes stopping for lunch.
Didnt get started till almost 11am either due to being car sick from shuttle. Like an amusement park ride.
Dont ever sit in back of an old suburban speeding down FS roads
At least not without taking dramamine with breakfast


I was however carrying a 23 lb pack including 2L water and 5 days food.
That makes a difference.
Maybe THE difference.

Neither of us were over 30 pack weight. I was probably 25-ish and he was maybe 28 lbs. Everyone is different. I'm not saying it's different than the rest of the trail. Only that I wouldn't suggest a newbie doing it first. If they're in their twenties...maybe so. Youth can make up for a lot. Then again my daughter's fiancé is his twenties.

[Maineiac64]

You can do it, especially if you get in better shape ahead of time. Do a 3-4 hour hike on weekends for training, bring electrolytes, and be prepared for extreme soreness the next days after long hills.

[Engine]

You can do it, especially if you get in better shape ahead of time. Do a 3-4 hour hike on weekends for training, bring electrolytes, and be prepared for extreme soreness the next days after long hills.

Exactly, April is far enough off that you have ample time to improve your fitness and lose that 30 pounds. If you want to actually enjoy the trail experience and not end up in a death march, it's going to take some effort at the front end.

1. Start increasing your daily walking mileage by 1 mile per week until you are comfortable walking 8-10 miles on the flats. Then, add in hills if you have them nearby, otherwise consider swapping one of your weekly walks for some uphill treadmill work. Work on the treadmill until you are able to maintain a 10-15% grade for at least 1 hour.

2. Once you are at this point, add a light pack and gradually increase the weight until it's AT LEAST as heavy as what you plan to carry. A little heavier would be even better; it will make the actual trip that much easier.

3. This increase in activity will probably be enough to lose considerable weight, but you may need to also look at your diet. I don't know what your daily food choices look like, but whatever you do, DON'T fall into the trap of thinking all this extra exercise is a green light to eat more. You'll end up more fit, but still overweight...

By April, you'll be thankful you stepped up your fitness prep, I promise.

[ScareBear]

Exactly, April is far enough off that you have ample time to improve your fitness and lose that 30 pounds. If you want to actually enjoy the trail experience and not end up in a death march, it's going to take some effort at the front end.

1. Start increasing your daily walking mileage by 1 mile per week until you are comfortable walking 8-10 miles on the flats. Then, add in hills if you have them nearby, otherwise consider swapping one of your weekly walks for some uphill treadmill work. Work on the treadmill until you are able to maintain a 10-15% grade for at least 1 hour.

2. Once you are at this point, add a light pack and gradually increase the weight until it's AT LEAST as heavy as what you plan to carry. A little heavier would be even better; it will make the actual trip that much easier.

3. This increase in activity will probably be enough to lose considerable weight, but you may need to also look at your diet. I don't know what your daily food choices look like, but whatever you do, DON'T fall into the trap of thinking all this extra exercise is a green light to eat more. You'll end up more fit, but still overweight...

By April, you'll be thankful you stepped up your fitness prep, I promise.

Excellent advice.

I would add that even an 8-10 mile flat hike with full pack is not going to be sufficient training, IMHO, to bag 3 to 5 consecutive days of NOBO from Springer at 10mpd, with any kind of enjoyment. At age 47 and +30lbs, I am fairly certain OB's cardio is in poor shape. How do I know? He is +30lbs...just sayin...

The uphill climbs in Section 1 are pure cardio. That's why so many people have to stop, repeatedly, on the way to the summits. Their VO2max is insufficient to sustain the extended periods of intense exertion. It is that simple. It is V02max that is the only important variable in the ability to sustain extended periods of intense exertion, assuming there are no underlying joint/connective tissue issues, such as arthritis. I am also discounting Lactose Tolerance Threshold, as there are just TOO many variables there and it isn't all that relevant for a sedentary person trying to get in any form of shape. The only true scientific tool to determine how "in shape" you are is your VO2 max. Ask any physiotherapist or sports medicine MD. The only way to increase your VO2 max is by cardio exercise. You have to increase your resting HR to a high percentage of your max HR and hold it for extended periods, in order to see any effect on V02 max. And, you have to do it frequently. It is a real bear. Once you are "in shape" it is extraordinarily difficult to achieve even incrementally small increases in VO2 max because all humans' VO2 max potential is not limited by exercise, but rather simply by genetics. Nothing you can do about genetics. That is why no matter how hard 99.99999999999999999999999999999999999999999 percent of the population train, there is a finite number of potential humans who can run a sub 4 minute mile. Here are some good articles that describe the issue. That is why hiking on flats is, IMHO, essentially a waste of time and slight effort in training for GA, NC and TN on the AT. The constant exertion of the stair machine or a treadmill at a significant incline for no less than one and hopefully two hours, no less than three times a week for at least two months is what is required to get "in shape" for 10mpd in Section 1, assuming age 47, sedentary lifestyle, +30lbs overweight. Sorry to break the news to you. Of course, there will be naysayers with first-hand accounts of how they conquered GA 50 lbs overweight with a 50lb pack at 10mpd at age 50....but I would treat those tales with great skepticism...YMMV

https://www.verywell.com/what-is-vo2-max-3120097
http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/VO2max.html

[cneill13]

Great advice here. I have hiked the Georgia portion of the AT many times and as other pointed out, you will be absolutely miserable if you attempt it while in poor shape.

It can be done but you will be thinking only about how far you need to hike that day. And you will likely quit after only a few days.

But on the bright side, you now have 3+ months to get in shape. The hike will be a tremendous motivator for you to hit the gym.

I highly recommend Elliptical machines if you have access to one and also spin classes with bikes. Both will help you lose weight and to build stamina and strength.

Then you will look forward to April so you can shred those mountain tops. I will be doing the same hike as you but a week earlier. Right in the middle of the NOBO bubble.

Good luck and go get in shape. It will change your life.

Carl

[MuddyWaters]

I encountered a lot of fairly hefty people on trail, all having good time.
Dont buy into that you have to be in great shape.
It helps, yes
Its not necessary
You definitely shouldnt be a health risk however, a heart attack waiting to happen or such.

10mpd isnt much. Anyone should be able to do that if they hike enough hours. 1mph.
Starting at 9 and stopping at 3, like many do, well that makes it harder dont it.

Very hefty folks have started at 5 mpd and made it to Maine.

I recently met a 71 yr old woman hiking 5 mpd who hiked 700 miles last year.


Heres the rub. Its hard.
Its always hard, because you always make it hard by the pace you hike.
When you can hike 10 mpd, you hike 10. When you can hike 20, you hike 20.
When your insane you hike 40 in 24 hrs and still think its fun.

If you arent OK with sweating and breathing hard all day....You wont enjoy it
All day...10 hrs...sweating....breathing hard.....looking forward to the short flat areas on top or in gaps to get a break without having to stop.
Hiking at pace just below where you get winded and need frequent break.

Many find this out rather quick and head home.
They thought they were going for a leisurely walk in the woods
They find out they are walking up mountains with heavy weight on their back half the time, and down the other half of the time.
Day after day.

Some think its a blast.
Some think its torture.
If you think its torture...might as well stay home.
Theres a reason the trails have so few people on them relative to general population
Its not for everyone.

[Slo-go'en]

I don't know about this plan. It's a confusing maze of back roads, most of which will be dirt or gravel to get to some of these gaps. It would be really easy to get lost or stuck. Add in some bad weather and some of those roads could get really treacherous to drive on. Unless you have a high clearance 4WD or AWD vehicle and your wife has experience driving on narrow, twisty, steep, rutted, washboard mountain dirt roads, probably not a good idea.

I made the mistake of driving to the Springer Mt parking lot from the wrong side (east) via the Winding stairs gap road, which turned into little more then a cow path with a cliff on one side. I barely got my friends AWD Subaru through there and my friend in the passenger set was white as a ghost by the time we got to the top. I think I left dents in the steering wheel I had it gripped so tight and came close to soiling my pants a few times. But hey, it looked like a good way to go from the map...

There are a number of paved roads which cross the trail through out GA (and the whole trail for that matter), but these would be 2-3 days apart so you'd have to camp out in the woods which means carrying the appropriate gear.

[ScareBear]

I don't know about this plan. It's a confusing maze of back roads, most of which will be dirt or gravel to get to some of these gaps. It would be really easy to get lost or stuck. Add in some bad weather and some of those roads could get really treacherous to drive on. Unless you have a high clearance 4WD or AWD vehicle and your wife has experience driving on narrow, twisty, steep, rutted, washboard mountain dirt roads, probably not a good idea.

I made the mistake of driving to the Springer Mt parking lot from the wrong side (east) via the Winding stairs gap road, which turned into little more then a cow path with a cliff on one side. I barely got my friends AWD Subaru through there and my friend in the passenger set was white as a ghost by the time we got to the top. I think I left dents in the steering wheel I had it gripped so tight and came close to soiling my pants a few times. But hey, it looked like a good way to go from the map...

There are a number of paved roads which cross the trail through out GA (and the whole trail for that matter), but these would be 2-3 days apart so you'd have to camp out in the woods which means carrying the appropriate gear.

Springer Parking Lot is a piece of cake, as long as you don't pull a dingo! DOH!

Cooper's Gap is a major FS road crossing and is maintained in good condition because of the 5th Ranger Battalion, and their exercises in the vicinity.

The rest of the crossings, at 10mpd, are at paved roads...except for the last one..which is highly problematic if you don't spend an overnght at the end...

[ATX-Dad]

I'm 45, 6'2", 245 lbs and other than a little heavy, my fitness is good.

My 8 year old daughter and I did Approach to Neels Gap in 4 days last year (no resupply). She had a pack with most of her gear and water, but I carried all the food, emergency stuff, etc. so I was pretty well loaded. Folks are right in saying fitness is important, but, the daily distance is do-able.

My bigger concern is the idea that you'll get back to the cabin and then back to your starting point each day with time left over for family stuff in the afternoons. It seems like it was an hour+ on the shuttle ride back to Amicalola from Neels, which means your family could be spending about 4-6 hours per day shuttling you to and from drop off points.

[glenlawson]

Could I make a suggestion? What if you stay the first night at Amicalola, but after that you move to a cabin near Suches, GA? FS 42 (Cooper Gap Rd) essentially goes from Suches to the Springer Parking lot (and then on to Ellijay). It is a little tricky to get from Amicalola to FS 42 without it being a 3 hour round trip. That would be twice a day for your drop off and pick up. Coming in from Suches, once you pass Springer would cut that time in half and would allow you to scout the next day's pickup point on the way to the dropoff.

If you need to stick with staying at Amicalola, you might try heading north on GA 52 to Roy Rd/Doublehead Gap Rd for an easier to navigate route to all the versions of FS 42/Cooper Gap Road. I find FS 42 pretty easy to navigate to all the crossings in that first 20 mile stretch and there are plenty of highlights along the drive as well.