Aspen Roots Collective Rugged Renewal
Appalachian Trail Backpacking Trip
June 11-16, 2024
Hike the Appalachian Trail from the northern boundary of Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the small trail town of Hot Springs, NC - approximately 34 miles in 4 days! This section of the AT includes the iconic views from Max Patch and a couple of challenging climbs up Snowbird Mountain, Walnut Mountain, Bluff Mountain, and Deer Park Mountain. June is peak time for wildflowers like Rhododendron and Mountain Laurel, two of the plants that give the Appalachian Trail it's nickname "the green tunnel".
"Our guide brought tons of experience and knowledge along with plenty of laughter to the trail. I learned so much, and I feel confident enough now to go backpacking with my family." - TT, Women's Extended AT Backpacking Trip, June 2020
Itinerary:
The backpacking trip portion of this trip begins at 8am on Wednesday June 12.
Your trip begins with a pack shakedown. Your guide will hand out your gear and food, go over necessary packing items, and discuss safety, weather, and logistics for the trip. She'll walk you through how to properly pack your pack and may look in detail at the items you've packed to make sure you're not carrying too many extra items. Around 10am, you'll head to the I40 Underpass (about a 1 hour drive), where you will start your hike!
June 12: I40 Underpass to Groundhog Creek Shelter, 8 miles
June 13: Groundhog Creek Shelter to Roaring Fork Shelter, 9 miles
June 14: Roaring Fork Shelter to Old Road Campsite, 10 miles
June 15: Old Road Campsite to Appalachian Trail-er, 7 miles
Hike generally finishes mid-afternoon the last day. Itinerary is subject to change based on a variety of factors, including weather, trail conditions, and participants needs and abilities.
Elevation profile created with Gaia GPS
Trip Difficulty Rating:
Participants on this trip should have a minimum fitness level of 5 out of 10, and this trip is ideally suited for hikers with a fitness level of 6-7. This is a Novice-Intermediate trip, meaning hikers should have some previous hiking experience, but may or may not have backpacked before. All hikers joining our group backpacking trips should be comfortable enough on trail that they can hike on their own for up to 1 hour, in case the group gets spread out while hiking. For more information about our difficulty and experience level ratings, please see our Trip Difficulty page.
Guide:
Your Guide for this trip will be Melissa "SassyFrass" Gibson. Melissa grew up in Virginia Beach, VA in the quiet of woods and marshes. What are her favorite things? Walking in the woods and sharing stories with friends old and new, singing spontaneously, and learning about the natural world - especially foraging and native plants. A love of travel has taken her to 24 countries, “swamping” on the Colorado River, walking the Camino de Santiago, and to China and Belgium as an expat. She has completed three 28.3-miles-in-a-day Trailblaze Challenges for Make-A-Wish Foundation and is now a Trailblaze volunteer. She has section hiked 400+ miles of the AT, and this season will find her trekking in Patagonia and exploring Rocky Mountain National Park. She’s thrilled to be newly inducted into the Grandma club. Being in the woods makes Melissa feel like a kid again. Come out and play!
All of our guides are certified in Wilderness First Aid (or higher) and CPR.
Accommodations:
This trip includes lodging on June 11 and June 15 at the Appalachian Trail-er bunkhouse in Hot Springs, NC. This will also serve as the basecamp for your trip. Our bunkhouse sleeps a total of 10 people in 2 bedrooms - one room with 6 bunks and one room with 4 bunks. There are 2 full bathrooms. All guests have full access to our common areas - kitchen, living room, dining area, large front porch, and fire pit. All linens are provided. WiFi and Netflix are available for guests to use during your stay.
For this retreat, the Caretaker will be providing a home cooked Ayurevedic breakfast the mornings of June 12 and June 16.
We have a live-in Caretaker (in a separate, private room) who will be present during your retreat. This retreat will have a private booking at the Trail-er (there will be no other guests present the nights you're staying), though there are guests staying between the two nights you have booked. The Caretaker will provide instructions for storing your personal belongings while you're backpacking.
What we Provide:
Food: Your guide will pass out backpacking food for your trip on the first morning. You will be expected to carry your own individually packaged food (such as oatmeal packets) and some shared community items (such as a jar of peanut butter or a block of cheese). We do our best to cater to requests, but options are limited because it is important to keep food lightweight and fresh foods can be heavy and bulky. If you have food allergies or dietary restrictions, please notify your guide or our admin team ahead of time.
Individual Use Gear: BRHC provides high quality, ultralight, cottage industry backpacking gear to make your experience as comfortable as possible. We offer the following five pieces of gear at no additional cost:
Backpacks - We use a lightweight 60L pack. We will ask for your height and weight in order to fit the pack appropriately to you.
Tents - We have one-person tents and two-person tents available. Please let us know if you would like to share with a friend.
Sleeping Bags - We use a 20 degree synthetic sleeping bag. We also have sleeping bag liners available.
Sleeping Pads - These will insulate you from the ground and provide some cushion and comfort. We provide hikers with a closed-cell foam pad, for its combination of weight and durability. Inflatable sleeping pads may be available for an additional fee.
Trekking Poles - These will provide you with some added stability while hiking, and may be used to set up your tent.
Community Gear: BRHC provides all community gear for the trip, including water filters and back-up chemical treatment; camping stoves and fuel; bowls, spoons, and cups; trowels, toilet paper, and hand sanitizer; first aid kit; and map and compass.
What to Bring:
We will send all participants a detailed packing list about a month before the trip. You are expected to bring your own clothing/footwear, personal gear (headlamps and water bottles), medications, and approved optional items. Generally, comfortable trail shoes are better than heavy hiking boots. Please do not pack any cotton - if it gets wet, it does not dry quickly and will not keep you warm. Athletic clothes are a good option. You will need only one outfit to hike in, one outfit to sleep in, a raincoat, and a warm layer. You will not need a new set of clean clothes each day. We recommend bringing at least 1 hard-sided plastic water bottle (ex: Nalgene) to use as a hot water bottle in your tent/sleeping bag if overnight temperatures are cold. You will not need any make-up, hair products, scented products or deodorant. Just bring a toothbrush and toothpaste and enjoy going all natural for the trip!
Please Note:
We hike rain or shine! While it is incredibly rewarding, backpacking is an endurance sport, and it can be challenging and/or uncomfortable at times. Maintaining a positive mindset, even when it is uncomfortable, is key to enjoying your time in the wilderness. With our focus on lightweight gear, our goal is for your pack to weigh around 25lbs (or no more than 25% of your body weight).
If you have any questions regarding this trip, you can reach us by phone at 828-713-5451 or by email at trips@blueridgehikingco.com.