Don't forget the park ranger that did the whole AT in GSMNP in a day.
http://archive.knoxnews.com/news/smo...357548251.html
Maybe already mentioned as a reason, but we cruised through the smokies on our AT hike in 3 days simply because we wanted to minimize having to stay in those nasty, inconvenient but mandatory shelters. We wound arriving late enough that they were full, hence allowed to tent camp instead at the shelters.
It was close in MPD to 24-24-24, don't remember the exact breakdown, starting at fontana, ending just past the park boundary where we found a flat spot to c-r-a-s-h by the trail. 3 long, but manageable days, dawn to dusk. Only the first day with the big climb seemed to be really tough, well plus the last day with the big drop.
Beautiful hiking, we loved the smokies, but just didn't want to deal with mandatory shelters and the crowds so decided to blitz through as quickly as a couple of old farts can (late 50's at the time, 7 years ago)
How is water sources and ease of getting up there in the Smokies?
It's been raining in the Smokies, water sources should all be flowing.
+1
It's not all downhill as you say going NOBO or SOBO from NFG or CD. When I was more in LD thru-hiking shape the best I could do is 2 nights 2.25 days going SUL the entire GSMNP AT which included walking to/from either Fontana Village or Fontana Hilton or Standing Bear Hostel. I thought it was easy doing 35 mpd on the AT in GSMNP which is about half the GSMNP AT. I never thought it hard to day hike from NFG to Davenport Gap without getting sucked into a long delay at Camereer. Time of yr/weather makes a difference. I hiked starting at 6 or 7 a.m. upto 10 P.M. with some looksie around time. Fall in cooler temps no rain with fewer people make it easier to do in 2 days or one sleepless shot. Maybe Malto will ping in. He's faster than most. Maybe, he's done it in less time as he's a faster stronger hiker than moi. I talked with Flying Brian at Icewater Shelter doing it in 1.5-2 days 1 night carrying less than 5 lbs. He slept like 5 hrs and was out by 7 a.m. but he's fast/faster than I mostly am.
I'm of HKDK's opinion that shuttling back to NFG or CD to hike "downhill" is time best spent on the AT hiking not shuttling. I looked into doing this as you have. I once was anal about avoiding elev change. I came to the realization just hike and stay on trail.
Last edited by Dogwood; 08-13-2020 at 22:07.