Springer Mtn Trip Plan/Report Springer Mtn, GA
- http://tinyurl.com/bjtr82b -

1 night overnight Backpacking Trip Report / Plan Jan 18-20, 2013 -

by BSA Venture Crew 173, Guntersville, AL (includes suggested improvements to plan)
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The days are very short in January; Doing this trip later in the spring or in the fall would ad another hour or two or more of daylight to use & allow more relaxed pace to do everything in the plan.
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Destinations:

Amicolola Falls State Park (GA), Dawsonville, GA 30534 ph: 706-265-8888 Camping & Shelters Reservations (800) 864-7275 - Park (706) 265-4703 GPS Coordinates: N 34.5547660 | W -84.2600160 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amicalola_Falls_State_Park

http://www.georgiatrails.com/gt/Amicalola_Falls

http://www.gastateparks.org/AmicalolaFalls/#directions @ bottom, click on " View Close-Up Map" for PDF MAP of park + trails

A.T. Southern Terminus Appraoch Trail http://www.georgiatrails.com/gt/Southern_Terminus_Approach_Trail

http://www.georgiatrails.com/gt/Springer_Mountain

Appalachian Trail southern terminus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appalachian_Trail

Len Foote Hike Inn (5 mi from Amicalola Falls St Pk, accessible by hiking trail only)

Fort Mtn State Park http://www.gastateparks.org/FortMountain/#directions

@ bottom, click on "View Close-Up Map" for PDF MAP of park + trails
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Departure: 3:30 pm Friday afternoon - Return: 7:00 pm Sunday night

Trail Distance: 7.8 mi from St Pk to Springer Mtn / start of A.T. + 2 mi side Trip to Hike Inn

Distance hiked in 2 days: 17.6 miles. Moderately strenuous IF PROPERLY CONDITIONED.

(Note: loop trails in St Pk can add milage for BSA Backpacking MB requirements, but shedule is very tight as is unless backpackers already conditioned for hiking 2 mph up & down mtns.)

LV Scout Hut 3:30pm FRIDAY: allow 4 hr drive time + 30 min for supper to go or bring bag.
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Route: US72N to S.Pittsburg,TN, I-24E to I-75S, I-75S to US76 at Dalton, 76E to Chatworth,GA, St Rd 52E to Amicolola Falls St Pk. Check-in at park Lodge. Drive time: 4 hrs with a brief rest stop & brief drive-thru supper.
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Arrive 8 pmCST/ 9pm EST All campsites are RV sites, cost: $25 ea w/ limit of 2 tents /site (no primitive tent only sites).

SATURDAY

NB: ADHERE STRICTLY TO DEPARTURE TIMES OR YOU WILL NOT REACH SPRINGER Jan Sunrise at 7:20am EST; WAKE-UP @ 7:00 boil water, eat breakfast, dress for hike, strike camp; TARGET DEPARTURE AT 8:30 AM ESTor may not be enuff time to make Springer Mtn Sat Breakfast shoud be boil H2O only (coffee, oatmeal, breakfast-in-a-baggie) to depart asap. Lv campsite, drive to AMICALOLA FALLS; view falls from top; drive to parking lot across from Lodge to Lv vehicles overnight. Don't waste time @ lodge or not enuff time to get to top of Springer before sunset. Due to novice backpackers, it took us 7 hrs to arrive at shelter 6.8 mi from lodge first day (1 mph) yet did return trip Sunday in only 4 hrs.

Idea: encourage hikers to hike 8 mi w/pack once or twice during week prior to departure to condition hikers to a first day speed of faster than 1 mph. The Slow pace of non-conditioned hikers will take too much time, making it impossible to get to top of Springer before dark. (or don't go in Jan, when days are the shortest)

MANDITORY FULL-PACK SHAKEDOWN MEETING several days BEFORE DEPARTURE IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL FOR ROOKIES. MUST HAVE ALL GEAR, CLOTHES,FOOD AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW BY LEADERS. Failure to observe this required us to re-distribute nearly ALL gear from a newb to others & re-pack very early Sat.
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START HIKE:

Take "Appalachain Approach Trail" one-tenth mi N of Lodge (BLUE blazes): 6.6 mi to shelter (up&down 3x) (due to a late am departure & 7 hrs hike time, we arrived at shelter just before dark; no time for 1 mi hike to Springer Mtn; Advisor went to recon, & all tent sites were taken. IMPORTANT!!! NB: MAKE CAMP AT SHELTER (Springer Mtn sites will be full), set-up tents, etc. Jan SUNSET at 5:20pm EST; must arrive shelter by 3:30 to set-up camp & take 1 mi hike to Springr Mtn; see sunset from there, Lv for return to camp @ shelter immediately after sunset from top of Springer to arrive before total darkness (avoid hiking after dark when possible.) WATER AVAILABLE at shelter; IMPORTANT: BE SURE to filter, re-fill all canteens SAT NIGHT; do not waste time pumping & filtering & filling H2O bottles Sun am in order to depart asap after sunrise for free breakfast at Hike Inn, requiring 2-mi side trip.
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SUNDAY
Jan Sunrise at 7:20am EST; WAKE-UP @ 7:00 am, SKIP BREAKFAST, dress for hike, strike camp; TARGET DEPARTURE BY 7:30 AM EST - eat breakfast at HIKE INN, (GREEN blazed Trail about 1.5 mi from shelter. HIKE INN offers FREE Continental breakfast incl COFFEE to hikers! Trail to Hike Inn is 1 mi one-way (2 mi round side trip) detour from return to Amicalola St Pk.

* Target Arrival Hike Inn by 9:30 am EST for FREE Continental Breakfast + COFFEE Allow *1.5 hr at Hike Inn to eat, site-see;

Depart Hike Inn by 11 am for return to vehicle . Allow *3 hrs for return 5 mi hike from Hike Inn to Amicalola St Pk (mostly down hill). Return to vehicles by 1:30/ 2 pm EST
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GO BACK TO CAMPSITE BATH HOUSE at Amicalola Falls St Pk to SHOWER. (Lodge said OK; no time to use Fri night; folks leaving already gone; folks arriving not there yet. (Lv fresh travel clothes incl shoes in vehicles for odor-free 4 hr return ride home + dinner out)

Depart Bath House by 3:00 pm;

@ Lillijay, take GA St Rd 52 W (GA SCENIC BYWAY) to FORT MTN STATE PARK. Beautiful vistas along spine of mtn on way to Chatsworth, GA.

Option if time allows: enter Ft Mtn St Pk, tour Lodge, eat supper there @ lodge ($)

@ Chatsworth, take US 76W back to Dalton & I-75N to Chattanooga, I-24W to S Pittsburg.

RETURN GUNTERSVILLE SCOUT HUT by 7pm CST Sun night (Gain 1 hr on return to CST.)

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