Realistic planning

[So There I Was]

When I return home I am planning a two week plow from Springer Mountain to Hot Springs. Is a sustained ~22 miles a day realistic for this stretch of land? Can I count on being able to resupply every 5-6 days?

I know the miles/day depends on fitness, weather, health...I am no stranger to walking with lots of gear on my back...is it unrealistic, or stretching it, to plan that many miles/day

[4shot]

22 miles day is a bit of a stretch imo. Some of the most experienced and fit hikers can do 20 mile days starting at Springer but I would imagine with zero/nero's figured in the actual average was probably 17 - 18. do you get to hike/train with elevation changes? I found that I was capable of 18 miles or so locally but when I got on the trail that number dropped to 10 -12 initially because I wasn't acclimated to the ups and downs. Resupply from Springer to HS isn't a major issue iirc.

[garlic08]

No, it's not unrealistic. I just checked my journal and I did that stretch in 14 days, but I have it at 271 miles making it just under 20 miles per day.

I resupplied at Neels (a few items), Franklin (took a nearo there), Robbinsville from Stecoah Gap (did not go to Fontana Village), and Standing Bear Den (a few items). Franklin was the only night under a roof. I had a meal at NOC. Everything went very smoothly and it was a very enjoyable start to my thru, setting the tone for the whole hike. My pace for the whole thing was just over 20 mpd, so I picked up the pace a bit after that fine start.

[10-K]

Another yes vote... Made it from Springer to Fontana in 9 days, 4.5 days through GSMNP and 1.5 days from Davenport Gap to Hot Springs.

So 15 days for me including 1 night at Neel's Gap, 1 night at the Holiday Inn in Hiawassee an another night at the Franklin Motel in Franklin. So, 3 nights under a roof.

Resupply opportunites are what my kids would call, "Off the chain...".


(and I have *no* idea how that dancing banana got in my subject line!)

[So There I Was]

Garlic - The math says just under 20/day at 14 days...But I am hoping to get it done in 12-13 days. That will give me a day to refit before I get back to work.

4Shot - here lately most all of my walks have been between ~5700 and ~6000 Ft. I have done rolling hills in TN and NC. But nothing I had to sustain over an extended time frame.

10K - If you had to choose between doing AT from Springer - Hot Springs or BMT for a first outting, what would you recommend?

[Slo-go'en]

garlic08 and 10-K are hiking machines. Mear mortals usually take at least a week longer to do that trip, but that includes one or two zero or nearo days.

As you already know miles/day depends on a lot of factors we can't know. While 2 weeks is probably do-able for that section of trail, if you can streach it out to 3 weeks, it would be a more enjoyable and less stressful trip.

[10-K]

10K - If you had to choose between doing AT from Springer - Hot Springs or BMT for a first outting, what would you recommend?

I like the BMT better but they're both nice hikes and completely different experiences.

Resupply and navigation are more difficult on the BMT than the AT and you won't see many other hikers.

If you're an experienced hiker and don't have trouble planning resupply or using a map and compass I'd recommend the BMT.

If you want easy resupply and a no-brainer trail to follow the AT is the ticket.

But either way you wont' go wrong.

Having now hiked both I'd hike the BMT to GSMNP and then get on the AT because the AT is much better than the BMT in GSMNP IMO.... And the BMT crosses the AT about 5 miles into the park so it'd be easy to do.

[John B]

You didn't indicate when you'd be doing the section. If in fall/winter, the shorter daylight hours might make it more difficult to get in the miles, but if in summer, no problem with 22/day. Resupply on that section is very easy.

[Colter]

For some people that would be a realistic pace, but for most people that would be pushing it or completely unrealistic.

To give you an idea of how fast people are hiking in the real world, in the book "Long Distance Hiking" the author reports people in poor to average shape did 9.5 miles per day the first month on the AT, those in good shape did 12.8 miles per day, and those in excellent shape did 13.3 miles per day the first month.

22 miles per day would be about 65% faster than the average thru-hiker starting in excellent shape.

[Blissful]

No way would I do that kind of miles. Forget it.

[10-K]

garlic08 and 10-K are hiking machines. Mear mortals usually take at least a week longer to do that trip, but that includes one or two zero or nearo days.

As you already know miles/day depends on a lot of factors we can't know. While 2 weeks is probably do-able for that section of trail, if you can streach it out to 3 weeks, it would be a more enjoyable and less stressful trip.

For some people that would be a realistic pace, but for most people that would be pushing it or completely unrealistic.

To give you an idea of how fast people are hiking in the real world, in the book "Long Distance Hiking" the author reports people in poor to average shape did 9.5 miles per day the first month on the AT, those in good shape did 12.8 miles per day, and those in excellent shape did 13.3 miles per day the first month.

22 miles per day would be about 65% faster than the average thru-hiker starting in excellent shape.

No way would I do that kind of miles. Forget it.

May I refer you all to post #5.... It sounds like he can do the mileage...

[Blissful]

He has done nothing sustained. He asked for realism.

I would not want to flirt with a knee injury personally hurling myself down Blue mtn to make miles or up and over the Stecoahs.

But that's me

[10-K]

He has done nothing sustained. He asked for realism.

I would not want to flirt with a knee injury personally hurling myself down Blue mtn to make miles or up and over the Stecoahs.

But that's me

Can't I be right just this once??

[Lone Wolf]

When I return home I am planning a two week plow from Springer Mountain to Hot Springs. Is a sustained ~22 miles a day realistic for this stretch of land? Can I count on being able to resupply every 5-6 days?

I know the miles/day depends on fitness, weather, health...I am no stranger to walking with lots of gear on my back...is it unrealistic, or stretching it, to plan that many miles/day

you'll be sore the first 4 or 5 days but the mileage is not unrealistic. it would be in southern maine but georgia to hot springs is fairly easy going

[mweinstone]

22 miles is fun and easy if you go slow, starrt early, eat and drink well, are in shape,and have fun. otherwise its not so easy. the only stop thats hard not to make is neels gap. it just aint so great walkin away from their rather than resting. something about its location makes it more energy efficient to plan a night there even if its on trail nearby. its the most natural resting piont on the trail in some way im not sure how to describe. but walking thru neels in the mid day, it just aint right.

[Lone Wolf]

the only stop thats hard not to make is neels gap. its the most natural resting piont on the trail in some way im not sure how to describe. but walking thru neels in the mid day, it just aint right.

most people blow too much money there on unneeded stuff

[mountain squid]

Is a sustained ~22 miles a day realistic for this stretch of land?

Unless you already know whether or not you can do it, I would think that it is unrealistic to plan on doing it. Suggest having an alternate destination if you find out that you cannot do it. I would think you would want to enjoy yourself as much as possible without incurring any injuries.

When I talk to 'thru' hikers here in NE TN, many have not had any 20 milers, even at this point. My first 20 wasn't until the day before Damascus (Vandeventer to Abingdon Gap).

At any rate, Good Luck and Have Fun!

See you on the trail,
mt squid

[stranger]

Most people would struggle with 22 mile days average, for 2 weeks straight...but then again most people like to sit around camp for 3 hours and wait for it to get dark.

A 22 mile day is no drama for me, about 8 hours max, but 13 of them in a row is another story. Your experience and conditioning will be far more of a factor than the trail. As others have said, it's not a tough section, the hardest bit IMO is between NOC and Newfound Gap, about 70 miles.

I always like to talk about the 'real average', which means if you 'average' 22 miles per day, this often means a 'real average' of 24-25 miles per day, cause you might want to stay in town and find yourself camping 14 miles from town, not 22.

It's certainly doable, if you are concerned about time just hike to Gatlinburg, or start at Neels or Unicoi Gap.

[Toli]

I like the BMT better but they're both nice hikes and completely different experiences.

Resupply and navigation are more difficult on the BMT than the AT and you won't see many other hikers.

If you're an experienced hiker and don't have trouble planning resupply or using a map and compass I'd recommend the BMT.

If you want easy resupply and a no-brainer trail to follow the AT is the ticket.

But either way you wont' go wrong.

Having now hiked both I'd hike the BMT to GSMNP and then get on the AT because the AT is much better than the BMT in GSMNP IMO.... And the BMT crosses the AT about 5 miles into the park so it'd be easy to do.

+1... 10K... You DEFF have my respect, and know what you are talking about... We crossed paths on your BMT thru... For like 10 seconds cuz you were haulin' a$$ Someone posted recently that most on here are "Internet Hikers"... Believe... Except you Tippi... And a few others... Birchy... JMOO... You know...

[So There I Was]

Thanks for the answers...

If everything goes right, this will happen in the late summer early fall. Sep/Oct time frame. I know sometimes weather can turn GO terrain into SLO-GO terrain. But, I think most of the summer storms will be out of the way and the fall drizzles won't be too bad.

There is a lot to take in about actually hiking rather than doing movement.... I think maybe I will shorten the distance and take more time to enjoy the journey. If I am making good time then I can always push a little more forward...