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  1. #1
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    Default 4 Pines Hostel to Niday Shelter

    I plan to stay overnight at 4 Pines heading southbound. Niday is too far for me the next day and Pickle Branch too close. I tent, just using the shelters for reference and water sources. Any recommendation for tenting between Pickle and Niday. Nothing is shown in the guide.
    Thanks..

  2. #2

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    I went from Niday to 4 pines in a day. But it was indeed a tough day. There is plenty of tenting opportunities thru there
    Trail Miles: 4,927.6
    AT Map 1: Complete 2013-2021
    Sheltowee Trace: Complete 2020-2023
    Pinhoti Trail: Complete 2023-2024
    Foothills Trail: 0.0
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  3. #3
    Nalgene Ninja flemdawg1's Avatar
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    I did Niday to 4 pines NOBO (16.8). The problem would be there isn't much water between Va 620 and Niday, so you have to dry camp. But the the ridge near the Audie Murphy Memorial is would be a nice camp if its not going to be too windy or stormy.

  4. #4
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    I was going NOBO and camped at John's Creek, the summit of Sinking Creek Mtn (dry camp - best camp site ever), Trout Creek (where the trail crosses VA 620 - Miller Cover Rd), and then 4 Pines. Going south from Four Pines to Trout Creek is probably not far enough for you, but camping there was OK as it is not a very busy road. After that you have a long ridge walk along Brush Mtn where the Audie Murphy Monument is. That must be an old forest service road. It is a wide, flat, grass covered ridge - probably enough room to play a football game up there. You could certainly camp, but it would be exposed with no water. There is even a bench where the trail starts is descent from the SW end of the ridge. Your next option would be at Craig Creek near VA 621 but by the time you get there you are pretty close to Niday. I don't remember what that stream crossing was like but I had good luck camping at stream crossings along that stretch of the trail. As for planning on this stretch, there are a lot of ridge crossings. In general there won't be as many camping opportunities when going up or down. Camping up on the ridge will generally be dry. There are some shelters along the ridges (such as Sarver Hollow), but be careful, they can be quite a way down from the ridge (by a spring) which means hiking down to the shelter in the PM and then back up to the ridge in the morning. The ups and downs in this section really beat up my knees so I really didn't want to do more ups and downs than necessary. Trying to do multiple ridges in one day can be rough, even if the miles seem short.

  5. #5
    Registered User LittleRock's Avatar
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    I did it NOBO. Seems to me like SOBO would be much easier as the tough part over Dragon's Tooth comes early in the day (and going SOBO over Dragon's Tooth is easier). Once you get past Pickle Branch the rest of the way to Niday is well graded and easy.

    If you're willing to dry camp, you've got tons of options. There are tons of flat places where you could pitch a tent along the top of the ridge going over Brush Mtn.

    If not, you're really limited to two places. There's Trout Creek, about a mile past Pickle Branch, and there's Craig Creek which is about a mile before you get to Niday.
    It's all good in the woods.

  6. #6

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    Guthook only shows thee "unofficial" tenting options between the shelters and I'm inclined to trust Guthook rather then "there are a ton of tenting options". Maybe if your desperate.

    The first is 3.4 miles south of Pickle Branch and is up on a dry ridge. The others are 8 miles farther on, or 11 miles past Pickle branch, but are near water. I'd pick the first one, as the second is close to a road.
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