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  1. #1
    Registered User wolfywolfy's Avatar
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    Default First time Hot Springs to Erwin section

    I have other sections but I am about to do Hot Springs to Erwin for the first time. Anyone have any good tips for this area? Side trails I should not miss or best places to tent etc...
    Thanks in advance

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    Did that section in March...loved it. Firescald Knob has terrific views between Hot Spings and Devils Fork Gap...rock scramble beforehand. Couple small open fields up high as well. Big Bald between Devils Fork Gap and Erwin is nice..also a nice rock scramble beforehand.

    Most of the water sources are springs in that section.

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    Just did that section a week ago. Your climb out of Hot Springs will be a doozy if you're loaded down with enough food to last you until Erwin. Kept the first day short at about 8 miles. There is a good tent site about 0.25mi down from the fire tower - which is a great stop btw, with awesome views and recently renovated. There is also a good spring just before the tent site. There are plenty of shelters and accompanying tent sites, and decent enough water along this whole stretch. Big Bald was my favorite part of that section. I had it all to myself just before dusk, it was glorious. If you're looking for a bed for a night, Nature's Inn Hostel - run by Taft and his wife, was a great stop and they can come get you from Devil's Fork/Sam's/Spivey Gaps. The house with private rooms has a massage chair you won't want to get out of. Definitely stop in at Uncle Johnny's when you get to Erwin, place has a ton of character. If you need shuttle information, lmk.

    There is a grave marker right next to the trail North of Big Butt Bypass of a former thru hiker who had his ashes spread on that spot. It was really touching seeing the impact the trail must have had on this man's life.
    It is what it is.

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    I remember the 1st day out of HS to spring mtn shelter being harder than i expected for some reason. Had a late start, but by the shelter area i was ready to call it a day.

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    Quote Originally Posted by MuddyWaters View Post
    I remember the 1st day out of HS to spring mtn shelter being harder than i expected for some reason. Had a late start, but by the shelter area i was ready to call it a day.
    It kicked a lot of folks' a$$. I thought I was going to be alone camping just 8 miles in from Hot Springs, but when a number of thru's also decided to setup with me, I didn't feel so bad.
    It is what it is.

  6. #6
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    Hot Springs to Erwin is great fun. I enjoyed the climb from HS to the top of Rich Mountain (the fire tower) around 2014, but we met a retired law enforcement officer was a bit freaked out. It was his first day backpacking since his Boy Scout years. He was solo. Between HS and U.S. Hwy. 25 (maybe 5 miles?) he had three encounters: (1) a big rattler stretched across the trail; (2) a man parked on a gravel road, old car with doors open, interior filled with trash, slovenly and dirty hygiene, and a big bandage on his face; he took the bandage off, revealing a gaping wound, and asked, "Does this look bad?" (3) near the Hwy. 25 exit, a young couple openly copulating on the hood of their car.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Roper View Post
    Hot Springs to Erwin is great fun. I enjoyed the climb from HS to the top of Rich Mountain (the fire tower) around 2014, but we met a retired law enforcement officer was a bit freaked out. It was his first day backpacking since his Boy Scout years. He was solo. Between HS and U.S. Hwy. 25 (maybe 5 miles?) he had three encounters: (1) a big rattler stretched across the trail; (2) a man parked on a gravel road, old car with doors open, interior filled with trash, slovenly and dirty hygiene, and a big bandage on his face; he took the bandage off, revealing a gaping wound, and asked, "Does this look bad?" (3) near the Hwy. 25 exit, a young couple openly copulating on the hood of their car.
    well at least it ended on a positive note.

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    all kidding aside, rock scrambles...? 8 miles per day.....??

    this is TN/NC we're talking about right, not New Hampshire?

    I hope this thread is being hyperbolic. Anything I've read previously suggests it is. I'll find out for myself soon enough.

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    i mean i was planning on hot springs to allen gap. 14.7 miles, 4720 ascent, 3800 descent. sounds like an easy run. am i missing something?

  10. #10

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    I left Hot Springs on 4 hours sleep, because Elmer's was noisy as hell all night, so only made about 11 miles that day. Then my journal shows 16, a 9 mile planned NERO, 12, 14, 10 to a secluded hill that was just too pretty to pass up, 13, 13, 13, planned 8 mile NERO, 13 and blew out my knee, so my miles after were lame.

    So you can make miles if you want, it was just average difficulty, and I was just getting into trail shape. I absolutely loved Firescald Ridge, at the base it was all trails winding through mossy rainforest, at the top there was a stretch of exposed big rocks to scramble over, but the views were amazing, and it was a relatively short stretch, didn't actually slow me down for long.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Puddlefish View Post
    I left Hot Springs on 4 hours sleep, because Elmer's was noisy as hell all night, so only made about 11 miles that day. Then my journal shows 16, a 9 mile planned NERO, 12, 14, 10 to a secluded hill that was just too pretty to pass up, 13, 13, 13, planned 8 mile NERO, 13 .
    again, i'll say those sound like NH/ME miles. what sort of miles did you pull through the smokies? (for frame of reference as Ive done the smokies). My mileage from fontana to hot springs went something like 17, 19, 21, roughly 18, roughly 16 (pained me to stop so early but it made sense due to various logistics of finishing on time and in place) and then 18 to finish.

    are similar miles harder to do north of hot springs? i don't think i've ever heard it suggested that it was prior to this thread.

  12. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by tdoczi View Post
    again, i'll say those sound like NH/ME miles. what sort of miles did you pull through the smokies? (for frame of reference as Ive done the smokies). My mileage from fontana to hot springs went something like 17, 19, 21, roughly 18, roughly 16 (pained me to stop so early but it made sense due to various logistics of finishing on time and in place) and then 18 to finish.

    are similar miles harder to do north of hot springs? i don't think i've ever heard it suggested that it was prior to this thread.
    It was the same basic difficulty from Springer to Bland, VA as far as I'm concerned. The only mileage differences were because of my conditioning. I spent three nights in the Smokies, four days of hiking to get from Fontana to Standing Bear Farm. I wasn't rushing, I suspect you can do the same kind of miles north of Hot Springs if you wish to.
    Last edited by Puddlefish; 05-17-2019 at 18:29.

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    Quote Originally Posted by tdoczi View Post
    all kidding aside, rock scrambles...? 8 miles per day.....??

    this is TN/NC we're talking about right, not New Hampshire?

    I hope this thread is being hyperbolic. Anything I've read previously suggests it is. I'll find out for myself soon enough.
    I left HS @ 930 am. Stopped at the shelter area at 430. 7 hrs, 11 miles.

    I normally hike 17-25 in a full day. I remember wondering *** was wrong with me. It was getting warm thent too. I felt like stopping ...unusual for me . Ive hiked more than that leaving town at 1 pm.....

    Not difficult, but a lot of uphill i guess. Full pack, etc.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Puddlefish View Post
    It was the same basic difficulty from Springer to Bland, VA as far as I'm concerned. The only mileage differences were because of my conditioning. I spent three nights in the Smokies, four days of hiking to get from Fontana to Standing Bear Farm. I wasn't rushing, I suspect you can do the same kind of miles north of Hot Springs if you wish to.
    sounds like our mileage across the smokies was basically identical, so why do you think it dropped off so sharply north of hot springs?

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    Quote Originally Posted by MuddyWaters View Post
    I left HS @ 930 am. Stopped at the shelter area at 430. 7 hrs, 11 miles.

    I normally hike 17-25 in a full day. I remember wondering *** was wrong with me. It was getting warm thentoo. I felt like stopping ...unusual for me . Ive hiked more than that leaving town at 1 pm.....
    thats disconcerting to hear.

  16. #16
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    Most people are carrying a full food supply to last until Erwin. And it's all up out of Hot Springs. Combined with a short layoff from hiking just made it tough. Judging by your past miles, you'll be fine. I was averaging 16 mpd after a few days.

  17. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by tdoczi View Post
    sounds like our mileage across the smokies was basically identical, so why do you think it dropped off so sharply north of hot springs?
    Upon further review, I hurt my knee about four days earlier, so those string of 13s were taking it easy, but I really wouldn't have gone much further uninjured.

    It was basically at my convenience, where there's a tentsite I liked, a hostel I wanted to visit, want to spend time with friends met on the trail, some nights I feel anti-social and just stop and pull up short of a shelter and stealth camp. I put more miles in through the Smokies, because that's how far the shelters were spaced, and I hate shelters, and it snowed half way through, I probably rushed a bit through the Smokies as a result. I was doing 12-15 a day immediately south of Fontana as well. I also had no time constrictions whatever, so I rarely made any attempt at big miles.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Puddlefish View Post
    Upon further review, I hurt my knee about four days earlier, so those string of 13s were taking it easy, but I really wouldn't have gone much further uninjured.

    It was basically at my convenience, where there's a tentsite I liked, a hostel I wanted to visit, want to spend time with friends met on the trail, some nights I feel anti-social and just stop and pull up short of a shelter and stealth camp. I put more miles in through the Smokies, because that's how far the shelters were spaced, and I hate shelters, and it snowed half way through, I probably rushed a bit through the Smokies as a result. I was doing 12-15 a day immediately south of Fontana as well. I also had no time constrictions whatever, so I rarely made any attempt at big miles.
    got it, thanks.

    hoping to do hot springs to damascus in 11-12 days. a couple of the posts here almost had me worried.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by tdoczi View Post
    are similar miles harder to do north of hot springs? i don't think i've ever heard it suggested that it was prior to this thread.
    HS to Damascus is no more difficult than the Smokies or anywhere else on the southern AT. Though I wish I'd gone a bit slower just to enjoy it more - HS to 19E gets my vote for the most beautiful part of the southern AT.
    It's all good in the woods.

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    Quote Originally Posted by LittleRock View Post
    HS to Damascus is no more difficult than the Smokies or anywhere else on the southern AT. Though I wish I'd gone a bit slower just to enjoy it more - HS to 19E gets my vote for the most beautiful part of the southern AT.
    haha yeah my one big concern even before this thread was falling into too much lallygagging to get the miles done.

    i mean i'm all for stopping to take in the view but as enjoyable as it might be wasting away 4 hour chunks of time repeatedly isnt my ideal way to spend a week or so.

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