[at-l] (Guest Post) Good hike ?

[orangebug74@yahoo.com (Orange Bug)]

April in NC, TN or VA can be pretty cold. I hope you and your daughter
are up for the potential of some wintry weather -- as you should from
Illinois.

The most popular spot for Spring Break hikers to hit seems to be the
Smokies. Since April is also prime thru hiker season, you would expect
to compete for shelter spots, or plan to hike to campsites off of the
AT.

You might wish to consider two other alternatives that might be a bit
more comfortable for a 15 year old daughter. First would be Hot
Springs, NC and walk north to Erwin, TN. This isn't terribly far, and I
suspect you could arrange shuttle pickup to allow you to keep walking
further if you do good mileage. Shuttles in the area are very good for
a trip back to your car.

Second, head down to southern NC toward Franklin, NC and the Standing
Indian State Park. The AT loops in this area, giving you wiggle room
for a hike to turn into a brief loop back to the car if she found the
weather, the scenery or the blisters a bit much. A hike up the Kimsey
Creek trail takes you to the southern end at Deep Gap, walking further
uphill to Standing Indian. A day or two would take you to Rock Gap and
the chance to decide whether to keep on going or to turn back to the
car. Shuttles are available, fairly easily.

Yet another would be to head further south to Amicolola Falls State
Park and start at the beginning of the trail (North Bound). A week
would get you pretty far, with excellent options for shuttles and
supplies. The bulk of the thru hikers would have passed you, although
other Spring Breakers would accompany you. If you wanted to do a loop,
there are some nifty options involving the AT and connecting trails.

Good luck. Consider joining our list and get some help on your planning
and preparation.

Bill...

--- Bill Schieber <thrivent@earthlink.net> wrote:
> My 15 year old daughter is wanting me to take her on the A.T. in
> April 2003. We are both begginers and would like some beautiful
> scenery but nothing real hard. We are thinking about TN just because
> the it wouldn't take us as long to drive from Southern IL. Any
> suggestions would be appreciated.
> We will have a full week of hiking time.


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