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Thread: Section hike...

  1. #1

    Default Section hike...

    Hello all.
    My husband and I have been bitten with the "AT bug," as I know many of you understand. We have quite a bit of experience hiking, and backpacking and would like to section hike the 70+ miles in GSMNP this summer. We live close to the Smokies, and have done quite a bit of hiking in the area (including the section of AT from Spence Field to Russell Field shelters). But I would love some pre-trip planning advice from all the experts on this site that's familiar with the area. I'm curious about milage, and how many days it typically takes, etc.

    Any and all advice will be greatly appreciated. We can't wait to get out and spend a week hiking on the AT.

    Sweetgreen

  2. #2
    Registered User
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    Get the A.T. Guide: http://www.shop.theatguide.com/main.sc

    At first, I would purchase all the specific maps for each section. I quickly learned that I only needed the A.T. Guide.... It is awesome!

  3. #3
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    I hiked it in 5 days on a thru-hike and it was a blur. I would plan on 7 or 8 on your Summer section hike. I would park my car on the North end of the park at Standing Bear hostel and get a shuttle to Fontana then hike North. Get on the GSMNP web page and make your shelter reservations as soon as you can.

  4. #4
    LT '79; AT '73-'14 in sections; Donating Member Kerosene's Avatar
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    As moldy notes, getting your preferred shelter reservations is key to an enjoyable trip. I sectioned from Fontana Dam to Standing Bear Hostel in 6 days:

    10/1/11: Fontana Dam to Mollies Ridge Shelter (11.0 miles)
    10/2: to Derrick Knob Shelter (12.5)
    10/3: to Mt. Collins Shelter (13.5)
    10/4: to Pecks Corner Shelter (14.9)
    10/5: to Cosby Knob Shelter (12.9)
    10/6: to Standing Bear Farm Hostel (11.0 miles)

    This is a pretty reasonable schedule; certainly much better than a group of guys who stayed with me the first two nights but then had to pull a 21-miler to keep their reservation at Icewater Spring Shelter. I later heard that they were in bad shape when they finally rolled in well after dark. Certainly I could have hiked more miles on several of those days, but in the end I probably would have only cut a day out and would have had to endure one or two 20-milers.

    You might consider having The Hike Inn run up a food drop to you at Newfound Gap. Expensive, but it saved my knees from having to lug another 5+ pounds of food, or waste most of a day trying to get in and out of Gatlinburg.
    GA←↕→ME: 1973 to 2014

  5. #5

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    Be ready to reserve shelters 30 days in advance and have an alternate plan. Icewater Spring is sometimes hard to get into. Plan an overnight that takes you over Rocky Top and Thunderhead Mountain and see how you do before deciding on how long you want to take to section it. The AT between Spence and Russell Fields is the easiest you will encounter between Fontana and Derrick Knob imo and you shouldn't base your trip around that small section. 5 days is reasonable if you're in good shape. I'm a slow hiker and wouldn't do it in less than 6 nights/7 days.
    Last edited by Traffic Jam; 12-26-2013 at 12:20.

  6. #6
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    I hiked southbound from Clingman's Dome to the Dam this past Labor Day weekend. I stayed at Derrick Knob and Mollies Ridge Shelters. The section between these two shelters were about 12 miles and kicked my but with all the ups and downs. I thought hiking DOWN to the Dam on the third day would be easy, but it was harder than I imagined. I plan on finishing up the northern half this year and will take my time and do smaller mile days for sure.

  7. #7
    Registered User No Directions's Avatar
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    The only thing I can add is to be prepared for sudden shelter closures with no notice. It happened to us last summer. We were able to make changes to our reservation but it meant having 2 15 mile days back to back. We ended up coming off the trail at New Found gap. I will finish next summer.

  8. #8

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    Thank you everyone for the advice! When we did our last trip to GSMNP in August, we hiked up to Rocky Top from Spence Field. (We didn't go up to Thunderhead, because the view isn't anything but trees, or so we were told.) We are both in pretty good shape, and will definitely be preparing for this trip in the months leading up to it. I think a estimated itinerary like what Kerosine suggested will probably be similar to what we will try for. That's very similar to what we were planning when we were looking at our map.


    Thanks again everyone!

  9. #9
    Registered User gollwoods's Avatar
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    ekaneetlee gap has a water source so you don't have to carry enough for the whole hike to mollies ridge. there's blue blazes, it's the big gap after turning right at the stateline junction

  10. #10
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    My favorite section of trail! I'd suggest you buy a Smokies map so you have all the trails and not just the AT. This would help in case you get lost or have to bail from the ridge line in order to avoid lightning. It's only one map so weight shouldn't be an issue. Cosby Knob Shelter has had bear problems in recent summers so make sure you store your food properly (the shelters have bear cables). Plan on a short side trip to the jump off (side trail a mile or so south of Charlie's Bunion) for an excellent view. Finally, read "Our Southern Highlanders" by Horace Kephart. It is a book that details some of his adventures and the culture in the Smokies prior to the formation of the park. Enjoy!

  11. #11

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    I just saw the other posts, and wanted to say THANKS! I'll definitely check out "Our Southern Highlanders." I'm sure it's a great read.

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