I attempted a thru in April 2015, but had to leave the trail in the Smokies. I didn't mind seeing a lot of people on the trail, but some of the campsites I stayed at were way overcrowded and obviously not very good for their local environments (Hawk Mountain and Lance Creek come to mind). This year, I am attempting a thru again; however, I am opting to take the Benton MacKaye Trail from Springer to the Smokies. The BMT seems to be a ready-made solution to this problem. If a fraction of hikers took this route, it would go a long way toward relieving congestion on the AT in the south during the spring bubble. I can't wait to experience it myself.
Ugh, now im worried its going to be packed when i hike.
maybe i can just do sprints the first couple of weeks to get out ahead. then blow out my legs and hobble the rest of the way to Maine.
Avoid starting on a weekend, and especially avoid March 1, 15, 17, April 1, and 15. The numbers from prior years will provide a good indicator of when you should leave to avoid the greatest numbers. That's how we eneded up choosing March 8th, midweek and between the high points of the 1st and 15th. But, based on the number the ATC is showing already registered (as of Jan. 5th) for our chosen day, there are currently 13 starting from Amicalola and 11 at Springer. It's still early, more will register and many will hike without registration.
There are currently 46 total registered for March 1st and 50 on March 15th. Also, keep in mind these numbers will quickly bleed over into groups starting on adjacent days as some hikers will be much slower and some faster.
The dates with the lowest number of registered hikers as of this morning are:
Anything in February
March 3 - 8 total
March 9 - 7 total
March 18 - 6 total
March 19 - 8 total
From March 23 on, it's not too bad as of right now.
“He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature.” –Socrates
So I just tried to register and it says that I can't leave between March 15 and March 25 from Springer...... The only option I can pick is flip flop.....
If they want real numbers they should allow for us to select the days we are leaving from and from what point.
Flutch
Registration isn't mandatory or binding, so even though they place a cap on daily registration numbers, it doesn't restrict someone from leaving on that date.
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“He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature.” –Socrates
Nobody will stop you from starting whenever you want...
They are only making a "strong recommendation"
If you are dead-set on your date, just don't register and go to Springer when you want
Aha, I see, makes sense, I sure would have been surprised if some authority was restricting things at Springer. that would have to be a Chattagoo-chee (no idea how to spell that!) NF thing, right?
So, by at least implying there is some sort of limit at Springer, the ATC is really trying to steer folks towards the flip-flop thing, which again, is fantastic. Again, good for them.
If getting the yellow ATC tag is a must then make up any date you want.
Or it could be required to possess a permit for the entire trail length, but then who enforces that?
Volunteers? Make the overworked NPS work even harder? USFS personnel?
What penalty? Fined? Kicked off the trail for trespassing?
Very slippery slope indeed
Theres already a serious public health hazard created that the atc and nps are so far complicit in.
Gsmnp is the first potential throttle point using existing trail management. How many will hike nobo if they had to skip it? And skip SNP. And cant enter BSP.
These days are right around corner.
Make both the traditional ATC and BMT "official" routes down south, register for either one...
By the end of the Smokies, the health hazard is much less anyway, correct?
An option for Springer NoBo AT overcrowding,
Make the traditional AT and the BMT as both "official" routes down south, and let folks register for one or the other,
By the end of GSMNP, the health hazard is much less of a concern anyway, correct?
Crowds are thinned/spread out significantly by then.