Great Smoky Mountains AT logistics

[peakbagger]

Hey folks, can anyone give me some tricks of the trade in making legit reservations for hiking the AT through the smokies other than the official thru hiker policy. The park has bumped up the definition of a thru hiker from more than 50 miles hiking either side of the park to 100 miles of either side of the park. I guess that leaves out us 160 mile section hikers! Of course, I have 1800 miles of the AT under my belt over the years so I guess I'm a thru hiker that takes real long breaks. I wonder exactly how its enforced, but for now I will try to go legit. My understanding from the various thru hikers guides and the national forest website is that I have to stay in shelters, 3 spaces are reserved for thru hikers at each shelter and the rest of the spaces in the shelter have to be reserved in advance. Has anyone done the reservations routine successfully? I will be hiking after the major thru hiking season, but will be after memorial day so, I need to get whatever help I can get. The fall back plan is to head down to Springer and head north to Fontanna Dam, but since my general heading is southbound I kind of would like to keep going in that direction.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[snowshoe]

Your best bet is to go onto www.whiteblaze.net site or contact the ATC. They can probably help you out more.

 

[Puma concolor]

It was quite a while ago, but it sounds like the policy is still the same. I did this in November 1995 and had no problems with reservations being an off time of year. All I did was go to the Sugarlands Visitors Center the day before I started my hike and worked out a hut-hut itinerary with a very helpful Ranger. I was issued a permit pass that listed what hut I was to be staying in on which day going from Davenport Gap to Fontana Dam. And then ... I packed a tent and completely ignored the itinerary, stealth camping along the AT. I didn't set up my tent until dark so I wasn't too worried about getting busted as I knew Rangers weren't going to be walking the trails at night. But alas my karma came back to bite me on the backside as I got nailed in a nasty, nasty storm on my third day and had to bail out at Newfoundland Gap. Haven't been back since ALTHOUGH I am psyched about revisiting the Smokies next month, picking up exactly where I left off but only going as far as the top of Clingman's Dome. Good luck.