Smokies regs (was Re: Fw: [at-l] Cheerio in the Smokies)

["Mara Factor" <m_factor@hotmail.com>]

Things may have changed since last year but I just thought I would post some 
more specifics about thruhiking in the Smokies...

If you are thruhiking, you do NOT have to have a predetermined itinerary.  
You DO need a backcountry permit though.  Just write "thruhiker" across the 
area where you would normally list your itinerary.  If you are section 
hiking and are both starting and ending more than 50 miles from either end 
of the Smokies, you are considered a thruhiker for permitting purposes.

I found that most people in uniforms on the trail (anywhere, not just the 
Smokies) are there more for those people who need them.  Once identified as 
a long distance hiker, they either generally leave you alone, commiserate 
with you about the actions of the tourons in the vicinity, or will stop and 
just have a discussion about whatever - they like hearing trail news from 
you as much as you like getting trail news from other hikers.  This of 
course assumes that you're not blatantly ignoring the "rules of the land" so 
to speak.  Some will carry guns(rifles?) in the Smokies but that's to shoot 
the pigs that have gotten so destructive in the area.

FWIW, the cages do have latches (no locks) on them that are designed to 
thwart bears but not humans.  They're not a problem until the middle of the 
night when someone has to go to the bathroom.  Then, they make a racket so 
bunch of people ended up going one after another and that's usually it for 
the night.

Mara
Stitches, GAME99

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