your time until Fontana sounds pretty accurate. But a word of warning, the decent into the NOC is a terrible knee-killer if you happen to have any knee problems.
your estimates until Fontana sound just about right, and you might even end up a half-day faster. 2.5 hard days from Fontana to Newfound Gap is a good estimate, too. it’s definitely up up up, and not having any significant downhills can make it a challenge.
if you’re thinking about getting into Gatlinburg you can be sure it’s probably the easiest hitch in and out on the whole Trail. and it might be a better option then any resupply in Fontana Village, which you might find to be a harder hitch to get since there’s not a ton of tourists around there that early time of year, at least not late April, anyway.
Fontana to Newfound is definitely up up up, and it’ll be a hard 2.5 days, but you could do it. but yeah, past that you’re sailing, it’s a real nice trail north of Newfound Gap and not anything too difficult.
when you get to the Smokies I hope the spring beauties are blooming when you go through, it was really beautiful.
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