Originally Posted by
Stubby
I think you have it about right. I hiked that same first section with my son when he was 13. I should have posted here back then, I waaaay overestimated the miles we should do. I planned that same hike as a 1-night, and got a late morning start. We were new at it, and our packs were kind of heavy, I was probably about 40lbs, my son probably about 20 lbs.
We did a little over 11 miles the first day, which was a little tough, mainly because of the stairs and our heavy packs. that left well over 17 for the next day, and that was a very long very hard day. 2 nights would have been a tough hike for both of us. 3 nights would have been pleasant.
yes, I definitely recommend pitching a tent near a shelter. Most shelters have good tent sites, and water nearby. Some have bear cables, saving you the hassle of doing your one bear-bag hanging. And, if the weather decides to drop a deluge on you like it did us, you can retreat to the shelter. We did it early August, and had the shelter (Stover Creek) to ourselves.
I don't know about the relative safety of shelters vs away-from-shelters. People or animal. Trade-offs both ways. I do know that almost everybody I've met on the trail is a good neighbor. As a father I understand your concern. For animal safety, bears are the only thing I worry about (but keep an eye open for snakes). For bears, be careful not to get food smells onto your bedding/pajamas/etc. And hang all the smelly stuff - including things a lot of people overlook like mint chapstick or deodorant or coffee - in a bear bag. The shelters that have the cables are awesome. Finding a suitable high-enough limb on a tree can be a challenge - especially in those poplar groves where the stupid tree just don't have branches low enough. A bear canister or odor-proof bag (bear certified) is another option, I've done the bear canister thing, and just make sure I put the canister well away from where I'm sleeping.
If you do pitch your tent away from a shelter, please use one of the existing tent sites - its part of "Leave No Trace", minimize your impact on the environment.