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[at-l] GSMNP Proposed Itenerary redux



Well, I am once again in the process of trying to plan a backpacking trip on 
the AT.  The one in April turned out to be a week long canoe trip (chronicled 
at http://www.geocities.com/joelshiver/oconee1.html), instead of a hike in 
the mountains.  I have two weeks off  the first of July and would like to 
walk the AT through the Smokies.  To that end, I've developed this proposed 
itenerary:

Saturday, 7/1 Fontana Dam to Birch Spring Shelter 4.6 mi
Sunday, 7/2 Birch Spring Shelter to Russell Field Shelter 7.1 mi
Monday, 7/3 Russell Field Shelter to Derrick Knob Shelter 9.1 mi
Tuesday, 7/4 Derrick Knob Shelter to Double Spring Gap Shelter 7.2 mi
Wednesday, 7/5 Double Spring Gap Shelter to Mt. Collins Shelter 6.8 mi
Thursday, 7/6 Mt. Collins Shelter to Icewater Spring Shelter 7.8 mi
Friday, 7/7 Icewater Spring Shelter to Peck's Corner Shelter 7.4 mi
Saturday, 7/8 Peck's Corner Shelter to Tricorner Knob Shelter 5.7 mi
Sunday, 7/9 Tricorner Knob Shelter to Cosby Knob Shelter 7.2 mi
Monday 7/10 Cosby Knob Shelter to Davenport Gap Shelter 7.1

I have these questions:
1) Is this practical for someone who is more or less, although not 
completely, out of shape?
2) Are there any problems with the availability of water given the current 
drought.
3) Do I need to or want to take a tent, since all my nights are in shelters? 
(I do snore rather loudly.)
4) Will bugs be a big problem in the evening, and, if so, anything other than 
mosquitoes (e.g. black flies this far south?)?
5) Would I be better off in avoiding any of these shelters, e.g., will 
Davenport Gap Shelter's proximity to a road be a problem?

I appreciate your help in answering these questions as well as offering any 
other advice, hints or tips.

P.S. I've moved and improved my webpage.  But, since it is graphic intense, 
and, therefore still a little slow to load, I've placed lawyer jokes across 
the top of each page.  In Netscape, they appear as one big paragraph.  In IE, 
they scroll across the top of the page.  The page should be loaded way before 
you finish the jokes.

       ()       
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      /  \      
     /    \     Joel Shiver
    /      \    http://www.geocities.com/joelshiver
   /        \   <A HREF="http://www.geocities.com/joelshiver/">Rivertripper's 
Base Camp.</A> 
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