I'm thinking of doing a real quick 1st time overnight trip in April and the best time for me to go would be Easter Weekend. We'd be flying into ATL by 8am, shuttling up to Hogpen Gap on a Friday around noon and spending the night somewhere around Poplar Stamp. Then we'd hike to Unicoi the next day and shuttle back to the airport for a late flight home. Also, we are considering a longer section hike from Springer to Hogpen and we'd be either by starting on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend or finishing at Hogpen on that Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.
I understand it's going to be more crowded on those weekends, but is it a complete circus? If we are looking for some solitude, would it be better to stay away from the holiday weekends completely, or is it crowded but manageable? Are some parts of the trail worse than others? I would guess that starting at Springer on Memorial Day Saturday is a bad idea.
I appreciate any insight you can offer.