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Weekend Hikes the Entire N C Appalachian Trail Series-Week 7




The Basics:
Event Type:Hike
Event Location: Stecoah Gap To Gateway to the Great Smokies ( Fontana Dam)   Hike: Weekend Hikes the Entire N C Appalachian Trail Series-Week 7  National Weather Service Forecast
Date(s) & Time:Sun, Jul 12 2015  7:30 am >> Sun, Jul 12 2015 6:30 pm  (Carpool Departure: 7:30 am   *log in for location*)
Registration Opens: Tue, Jul 7 2015 12:00 pm
Registration Cut Off: Fri, Jul 10 2015 10:00 pm
Event Duration:11 Hours
Difficulty Rating:D6: Advanced (Exploratory)
Distance:15.6 Miles
Pace:Moderate
Trip Leader(s):
Victor
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Member Cost:None

Participant Info:
Who's Invited: Members Only, 21 And Older Only
Maximum Group Size:10
Minimum Group Size:4
Number Registered So Far: 5 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)
Are Dogs Permitted: No

Note: This is an "EXPLORATORY" trip. This means that there are parts of this trip, or perhaps the whole trip, that is new to your Trip Leader(s). However, they are confident that this will not be an issue.
This note is here so that you can make an informed decision. When a Trip Leader isn't personally familiar with a trip, there is an increased chance of things not going as planned and you need to be prepared. The Trip Leader may have additional details in the itinerary.

Itinerary:

This is the seventh  and last of series of weekend hikes to complete from GA border Bly Gap to Fontana Dam NC section of AT. 

 

Week 7: Stecoah Gap to Fontana Dam Visitor Center

 

This section is one of the most scenic section of this series. This is also another tough section of what we have done so far in this series. At 480 ft, Fontana Dam is the tallest concrete dam east of the Rocky Mountains.  We will start at Stecoah Gap elevation 3165 and hike number of cascating ascent and descend for nearly 12 miles then downhill to end up at elevation 1700' Fontana Dam Visitor center.  It will be a longer hike than week 6 in our series but less elevation, a total of approximatly 3796 ft.

"This  hike is right between an upper-end D5 and lower end D6. Because of the high temperatures expected for Sunday, I am making this a D6 although the elevation is just shy of 4000 feet." Thanks to John L. for his input on difficulty rating. Thanks also to Lysa P. for beautifully made promo picture.

 

Please note: This event is car pool only, we start our carpool at 7:30 AM sharp, and drive to Fontana Dam. There will be a pre arranged shuttle that will take us from Fontana Dam to Stecoah Gap, this is where we start our hike. The cost of shuttle approx. is $50 divide by number in the group, unless group is 5 or less, in that case the cost is $25.00 divide by number in the group. your cost would be carpool cost + shuttle.

 

Week 1: Deep Gap to Bly Gap and back ~ 14 miles and about 4000' elevation 

Week 2 :Deep Gap to Betty Creek Gap ~ 12.5 Miles

Week 3: Betty Creek Gap to Winding Stair Gap ~ 12.5 Miles

Week 4: Winding Stair Gap To Wayah Bald ~ 11 Miles and 3100' elevation

Week 5: Wayah Bald To Nantahala River (Wesser) 17.4 miles

Week 6: Nantahala River To Stecoah Gap 13.6 miles  and 4500' elevation

Week 7: Stecoah Gap to Fontana Dam ~15.6 Miles and 3796 ft Elevation

 

 Mileage breakdown:

* Stecoah Gap to Brown Fork Gap 2.6 miles

* Brown Fork Gap to Cody Gap     2.7  miles

* Cody Gap to Walker Gap            6 Miles

* Walker Gap to Fotana Dam V. C. 4.3 Miles

*Total  distance: ~15.6 miles

* Total ascent: ~ 3796 ft. Elevation gain

 PLEASE NOTE: I LIKE EVERYONE TO STAY TOGETHER IN THIS HIKE. FAST HIKERS ARE WELCOME BUT MUST STAY WITH THE GROUP, SLOW HIKERS MUST BE ABLE TO HIKE 2.5 MILES AN HOUR. THIS HIKE IS DESIGNED FOR MODERATE SPEED HIKERS.


Required Items to Bring:

3 liters of water

Trail snacks and lunch

Hiking boots or trail shoes

Rain coat just in case

 

Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.

Trekking Pole

Camera


How to Get There:
Event Directions:
Perf Level: Report a prob
Please note: Driving back is not added to the duration. 
 
GPS Coordinates for Fontana Dam Visitor Center: N35 27.113  W83 48.086

 

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Carpool to Event Distance (round trip):298Mile(s)
Carpool Departure Time: 7:30 am
Carpool Location:   Log in for location
Carpool Directions:   Log in for directions
Carpool Cost: Estimated cost per vehicle for this event is $119.20 using a reimbursement rate guideline of $0.400 per mile. The total amount should be divided by the number of people in the vehicle, including the driver. This is a guideline, not a rule, for drivers but the cost should not be higher unless there are extenuating circumstances.

Notes:

Sunday


* We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines while participating in AOC events.


Cancellation/Partial Attendance:   Please review the AOC cancellation policy.