I'll be visiting Asheville, NC next month and I'll be doing a couple of day hikes on the nearby Appalachian Trail.

Does anyone have experience hiking in this area? What gear should I take (besides food/water/FAK/PSK) for a day hike?

I'll also be scoping out the area for a possible relocation. Any other info on the region would be appreciated as well.
Thanks in advance.

Set aside one evening to hang out in the Great Hall lobby bar at the Grove Park Inn. Nothing beats catching a Blue Ridge sunset next to a roaring fire with a glass of your favorite chardonnay. Even better if you have someone special to share it with.

Jim

That area is where the balds are: Max Patch due west of Asheville, Big Bald, and further north Roan Mountain. It's one of the few areas on the AT where you'll want sunscreen and maybe a hat if you are follicly-challenged. The balds are amazing. If you are looking for hikes, contact the local trail club [Carolina Mountain Club - http://www.carolinamtnclub.com/ ] or use the hike-finder tool at their website.

As long as you stay on the AT, you'll be seeing a good amount of traffic. All the thru-hikers will be rolling through in waves. Max Patch is at about the 300-mile mark, so the folks you meet will be those who have a good chance of going all the way to Maine. The Nantahalas and the Smokies further south send home about 75% of those who start.

Just water and a basic 10 essentials kit should do you fine. I'm sure you know what that is, but hey, this is a survival forum so let's spell it out.

Map
Compass
Signal (whistle)
Extra food
Extra clothing
Headlamp
First aid kit
Firestarter
Matches
Knife

Mom's Cafe Serves Everyone Extra Helpings of French Fries, Mustard and Ketchup.

If you want wilder, the Pisgah NF is south of Asheville, and once you get away from the Blue Ridge Parkway it's supposed to have some really nice wilderness areas that don't get nearly as much traffic.

Go here, it's a site dedicated to hiking the AT. Lots of good info, it’s an extremely active site with a ton of info.


http://www.whiteblaze.net/

I'm envious.

I've never been on the AT and want to so badly.

For me, anywhere on the AT is better than no AT.

Do you have a GPS unit that has features for geocaching? I read somewhere that one of the special attractions of Asheville is it's geocaching--a fun adjunct to the hiking. In fact, I think it may be the geocaching capital of the universe. I just checked over at geocaching.com, and they list 3170 geocaches in the Asheville area alone.

FWIW, I have a Garmin eTrex Venture HC GPS unit that is excellent for geocaching. I think they run about a $130 now.

For a day hike I agree on the basic ten, you wont need that much gear on the trail. There are some awesome spots on the AT in NC. I have from Fontana Dam all the way to the GA line. Cheoa Bald (spelling) is a nice 7 mile hike from the NOC (Nantahala Outdoor Center)but it is steep, there is also some nice kayaking there also if you have time.

Hope this helps

goat