AT vs. Foothills Trail?

[Str1der]

I'm planning to begin section-hiking the AT from GA to NC with a push goal of completing the TN and VA sections. I'll be starting with the segment from Springer to either Neel's Gap or Unicoi Gap. I'm wondering how that part of the trail compares against the Foothills Trail?

My longest backpacking trip to date (https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...Hike-June-2014) was on the Foothills trail from Upper Whitewater Falls to Laurel Valley Access (roughly 35 miles). Water was plentiful, but there was also a significant amount of elevation change that was quite steep in some sections. How does the Georgia AT compare? Any advice for a first trip on the AT?

P.S. Is anyone interested in joining me on this hike? I won't plan to start it until the weather warms up.

[dakotaross]

Hey there,
Having done all of GA and most of NC, and having done the Foothills section you're talking about as well, I'd say that FH section was really good practice for what you want to do! The FH has both steeper hills, and longer flatter easy sections. The AT in GA is more constant up and down, with very few climbs resembling the immediate section after Canebrake, or that climb after the Horsepasture river. That said, in some AT sections you don't get a lot of restful stretches to gird for climbs. Seems like one little climb after another.

Water is not nearly as plentiful, but shouldn't be a major problem. Just gird for that dry section after Hawk Mt shelter until almost Gooch shelter. There's also a bit of a dry section after Tray Mt shelter until Sassafras Gap, which is my favorite spring in Ga.

Let me know when you're heading out there and I'll see if I can join you for a few days.

[FireInMyBones]

Great questions. The foothills trail is one that I find more challenging than the section of the AT in GA. The AT has plenty of water, but nowhere near the amount on the FHT. I find that, in GA, there is about a 1/4 to a 1/3 of the water from the FHT.

Parking a car at Neel's Gap and getting a shuttle to start at Springer is pretty easy and ~$75.

If you camp between Woody Gap and the southern side of Blood Mtn, you'll need a bear canister for food.

I'm section hiking the AT and I have made it as far as Fontana Dam. I love using the AWOL guide for planning and then the Pocket Profiles for on the trail. Let me know if you have any questions that my videos do not answer.

[Str1der]

Thanks, guys. This is exactly what I was hoping for. I have the Foothills Trail guidebook, but I have yet to select one for the AT.

[FireInMyBones]

AWOL'S AT Guide

Pocket Profiles

[oldraven]

I’m planning a similar AT hike myself. I may be starting a little bit earlier than you just because I’m slow at work this time a year and have time off. I’m in the planning proses now. Ordered some equipment and still have to test and see how cold I can go before venturing out. I just got the AT Guide from http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/098...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It seems to have some great information in it. Such as water locations and Elve on trail. It walks you through the trail with the maps. You may want to check it out. My goal is to hike the whole GA, AT and then decide if I want to take the Thru hike on in the future. I hiked into Springer MT yesterday from FS rd 42 just to see what the terrain was like it was a short 2mi hike. There's a nice 5 mi loop trail off of the AT as you go to Springer I couldn’t convince my wife to hike it maybe next time. If the time works out maybe I can hike some with you. I’ll keep an eye on your thread her and let you know.
Hope your plans work out and you have a great hike.

[Str1der]

If you camp between Woody Gap and the southern side of Blood Mtn, you'll need a bear canister for food.

I don't currently have a bear canister, and I hesitate to buy one if I won't use it much. I guess I need to research where else on the AT it is required (I know GSMNP for one).

I am about a 10-15 mile per day hiker, so if they are required between Woody Gap and Neel Gap, I will probably be forced to get one. The AT Conservancy website says they are only required between Jarrard Gap and Neel Gap though. If that's true, I can probably just plan my trip to not camp in that section.

[Rain Man]

I've done all the FT, including the spur, and 1,600 miles of the AT. I'd say the FT is great practice for the AT, especially the portion of the AT you're planning to do.

As others recommended, I also carry Awol's guide pages with me. I recently became a fan of Guthook's smartphone app for the AT and recommend it also. And for over-kill, I have the ATC Companion as a pdf file and when doing an AT section hike put its applicable pages on my smartphone too.

Rain Man

.

[FLRider]

The FHT is significantly harder in the inclines and declines; it subscribes to the "switchbacks are for wusses" school of trail design. The only incline/decline you'll experience through Springer to Neels that's remotely comparable is the downhill coming down the north side of Blood Mountain to Neels. It's moderately tough, similar to the downhill to Laurel Valley Access, but with fewer stairs.

Water wasn't a problem when I did that section of the AT back in the spring of '13. I found the Pocket Profile map that FIMB is talking about absolutely accurate and easy to navigate for the important stuff. Everything is very well blazed through that section of the AT. We did ~10 mile days, and it was pretty easy (I'm a 15 to 25 mile hiker in that kind of terrain); just take it easy going up and over Sassafras Mountain and you'll be fine.

If you're not going to carry a bear can, it's worth noting that there's a nice (hammocking! I wouldn't even consider a t**t there) campsite on the east side of the ridge just before Jarrard Gap. Hang your food with the PCT method and you should be fine; there're a couple of trees on the west side of the trail there that will serve. It's close enough to the water source there (go to the trail intersection at Jarrard Gap and head west down the hill for a bit; it's there) to make things easy. That makes it a ~5 mile day to exit, and it's fairly easy. It's also a wonderful morning vista when the sun starts peeking over the peaks to the southeast.

My thread on my trip is located here. If you've got any specific questions about it, let me know!

[Str1der]

The FHT is significantly harder in the inclines and declines; it subscribes to the "switchbacks are for wusses" school of trail design.

I don't know if you've ever hiked in the Cohutta Wilderness, but it also subscribes to that same theory of "switchbacks are for wusses." It even extended the theory to include bridges!

If you're not going to carry a bear can, it's worth noting that there's a nice (hammocking! I wouldn't even consider a t**t there) campsite on the east side of the ridge just before Jarrard Gap.

Those astericks made me laugh!