cls
01-04-2006, 22:50
Dec 14 drove from Fayetteville, Ga to Bryson City, NC. Lunch at my favorite pizza buffet in Gainesville, Ga. I knew a storm was forecast for that night. As I got far enough north to pick up Asheville radio stations I was bombarded with warnings of an ice storm by the next morning. I considered spending the night at the Fontanna Hilton but stopped in Bryson City anyway. I asked the clerk at the Sleep Inn if I would be able to get out of the parking lot in the morning and she said no problem. Several times during the night I got up and looked out the window. Light rain but no ice.
Thu Dec 15 The next morning Asheville tv stations were showing ice but in Bryson City temp was in the upper 30's and wet but no ice. Drove to Fontanna and parked in the visitor center parking lot. Bathrooms were unlocked this year, not so Dec. 2004. Started walking about 1030 in light rain temp about 40. Quit raining about 1400. Solid snow cover about 4-6 inches as I got to Mollies Ridge Shelter about 1645. Went to sleep about 2000 in thick fog. Sometime during the night woke up when the light came on. The fog cleared off and an almost full moon was reflecting off the snow. It was bright enough to see my pack hanging from the bear cables and I could see the trail going through the trees.
Fri. Dec 16 Started walking at 0945. Sunshine, temp in lower 30's. Easy walking in 4-6 inch snow until passing Spence Field. As I started up to Rocky Top snow depth increased to between 2-3 feet. Some places the crust was thick enough to walk on, I was postholeing about half the time. Finally got to the top and spent a few minutes enjoying the view. On the sharp ridge between Rocky Top and Thunderhead the snow was closer to 3 feet almost all the way and there was very little crust. The walk wasn't any fun, but at least the sun was shining and there was no haze so the views were great. Once I got down off Thunderhead the snow depth went back down to about 6 inches and I made good time, getting to Derrick Knob about 1630.
Sat Dec 17 Partially cloudy, Temp in the mid 20's. Started walking about 0830. Easy walking until about a mile from Silers Bald. There the snow went to about 2 feet and there was no crust. If that wasn't enough the trail was mostly uphill. Got to Silers Bald about 1230 and stopped for lunch. I spent lunch time arguing with myself about whether to stop there for the day or keep going to Double Springs. The last mile had been pretty miserable and since the trail climbed higher I knew it wasn't going to get any better. The guide book says it's only 1.7 miles between the shelters so I decided to go on. Besides, It was too cold to just sit around all afternoon. I left Silers about 1330 and sure enough, it didn't get any better. It took me 1 hour and 45 minutes to walk that 1.7 miles. At Double Springs, the spring on the NC side was iced up at the top resulting in a climb of about 30 yards down the steep slope until I could find enough running water to fill my bottles.
Sun Dec 18 Sunshine, temp about 20. Headed back south. Christmas Break should have started Fri. The kids start walking Sat. Surely I'll see somebody today. Since I could walk in my own footsteps I made better time going back, 1 hour,15minutes back to Silers Bald. Had a snack at the shelter and hit the trail. About an hour later I finally passed another hiker. He was trying to get to Mt Collins shelter. I told him he shouldn't have much trouble following my tracks to Double Springs but it might be rough after that. I'm guessing he had about 10 miles to go and it was about 1030 when we passed. He was carrying a good sized load but he was a yound guy. On the whole, a pretty good day back to Derrick Knob where I was surprised to find myself alone again for the evening.
Mon Dec 19 Looks like another good day. Sunshine, no wind, temp about 20.Started walking about 0900. Climbing up to Thunderhead (very steep for those unfamiliar) I was glad I had two sets of footprints to walk in. During my Dec.04 hike through here I was the first and it was pretty bad. Just north of Rocky Top I ran into the 2nd person on this trip. He was north bound, destination unknown to me. Another good day for sightseeing, took a few pictures on Rocky Top. By the time I got down to Spence Field it was lunch time so I found a big rock beside the trail and took a pleasant break. Bright sunshine, temp in the mid 20's, no wind. I didn't even have to dig out my down jacket to stay warm. Later in the afternoon I noticed the temp was in the upper 30's. The first time since Thursday I'd seen it above freezing. Saw 2 dayhikers in the Spence Field area. In blue jeans. Arrived at Mollies Ridge to find Jim the Ridgerunner doing a little maintainence. About 1515 4 guys came by headed for Spence Field. They were loaded down and had only covered 6 miles so far that day. And still had about 6 to go. Sunset about 1730. Russell Field was more likely.
Tue Dec 20 Jim had a thermometer big enough to read individual degrees. It was 19 at 0800. He left going north and I headed south. Good walk down to Fontanna. Didn't see anybody. Got back to the truck about 1330, Bryson City about 1430. Burger King for a double whopper value meal. Across the street to the Sleep Inn where I sat in the shower for about 15 minutes with just the hot water running. About 1900 went to Guayabitos? for supper. Had never been there before but there were plenty of cars in the parking lot. Ordered Chicken frajitas which were really good even if I hadn't been so hungry. Two baskets of very fresh chips, a very chunky salsa with just the right amount of heat. And even good sweet tea. I highly recommend it if you're in the area.
Lessons learned and relearned.
I had picked up quite a bit of new gear for my thru hike this year so this was a trial run. Warning: I am not ultra light, never have been, never will be.
I have been carrying a Gregory Denali Pro on winter hikes for several years and liked it so I bought a Gregory Forrester, medium, 4700cu.in. 5lb1oz. There is a removable pouch for a hydration bladder which I removed and I cut 3 inches off all the straps so it should be a little less than 5 lbs now. With 6 days of food and a quart of water I started out with 39 lbs. I found it to be very comfortable.
I usually sleep on a Zlite full length and a themarest self-inflater 48in long, 1in thick whatever they're called now. On this trip I used just the Zlite and found it adequate on the shelter bunks. Should be very comfortable on dirt.
First trip with a MSR Pocket Rocket. I heated 2 1/2 qts every night, 2 qts every morning. One canister lasted 4 days. Worked fine at the cold temps I experienced.
Last Nov. I picked up a Mountain Hardware Featherweight Transition Zip-Tee on sale. I was in N. Hampshire at the time so I wore it on a couple of day hikes in the Whites. Did a good job of keeping the wind out but the side seams were scratchy. Even after washing a couple of times. The Zip-tee fits kind of tight so I got an Underarmor Heat Gear Tee, that fits even tighter, to wear under it. I wore this combination everyday on this trip and found it to be comfortable and warm enough.
I'm pretty much a self taught winter hiker. When I changed over from summer to winter I did a lot of research on staying warm. One of the techniques is to put hot water in a lexan bottle and put it in your sleeping bag. Several years ago I was snowshoe hiking in Grand Teton NP and tried it. If you've never done this you won't believe how good it works. Most people talk about warming up the foot area but you can actually warm up the whole bag before you get in. If you start with boiling water it will stay almost to hot to hold for several hours. Even after 10 hours it will still be luke warm. And if you get thirsty during the night it's good to have something hot to drink.
I like tents and bought a REI Roadster. Took it on this trip just to practice carrying it but didn't use it. If anybody from REI is reading this, the folded up tent pole is too long to fit crossways inside my pack. I had to stand the pole up in the back corner of my pack.
I usually use Mountain House freeze dried meals. Since I'll need so many meals this year I've been looking for something cheaper. Backpackers Pantry makes a brand called Campfood that's about a dollar cheaper per meal than other brands for almost equal quantities of food. I found it in a Campmor Catelogue. I didn't care for the chicken stew but liked the beef stew and chilie mac.
That's it.
Thu Dec 15 The next morning Asheville tv stations were showing ice but in Bryson City temp was in the upper 30's and wet but no ice. Drove to Fontanna and parked in the visitor center parking lot. Bathrooms were unlocked this year, not so Dec. 2004. Started walking about 1030 in light rain temp about 40. Quit raining about 1400. Solid snow cover about 4-6 inches as I got to Mollies Ridge Shelter about 1645. Went to sleep about 2000 in thick fog. Sometime during the night woke up when the light came on. The fog cleared off and an almost full moon was reflecting off the snow. It was bright enough to see my pack hanging from the bear cables and I could see the trail going through the trees.
Fri. Dec 16 Started walking at 0945. Sunshine, temp in lower 30's. Easy walking in 4-6 inch snow until passing Spence Field. As I started up to Rocky Top snow depth increased to between 2-3 feet. Some places the crust was thick enough to walk on, I was postholeing about half the time. Finally got to the top and spent a few minutes enjoying the view. On the sharp ridge between Rocky Top and Thunderhead the snow was closer to 3 feet almost all the way and there was very little crust. The walk wasn't any fun, but at least the sun was shining and there was no haze so the views were great. Once I got down off Thunderhead the snow depth went back down to about 6 inches and I made good time, getting to Derrick Knob about 1630.
Sat Dec 17 Partially cloudy, Temp in the mid 20's. Started walking about 0830. Easy walking until about a mile from Silers Bald. There the snow went to about 2 feet and there was no crust. If that wasn't enough the trail was mostly uphill. Got to Silers Bald about 1230 and stopped for lunch. I spent lunch time arguing with myself about whether to stop there for the day or keep going to Double Springs. The last mile had been pretty miserable and since the trail climbed higher I knew it wasn't going to get any better. The guide book says it's only 1.7 miles between the shelters so I decided to go on. Besides, It was too cold to just sit around all afternoon. I left Silers about 1330 and sure enough, it didn't get any better. It took me 1 hour and 45 minutes to walk that 1.7 miles. At Double Springs, the spring on the NC side was iced up at the top resulting in a climb of about 30 yards down the steep slope until I could find enough running water to fill my bottles.
Sun Dec 18 Sunshine, temp about 20. Headed back south. Christmas Break should have started Fri. The kids start walking Sat. Surely I'll see somebody today. Since I could walk in my own footsteps I made better time going back, 1 hour,15minutes back to Silers Bald. Had a snack at the shelter and hit the trail. About an hour later I finally passed another hiker. He was trying to get to Mt Collins shelter. I told him he shouldn't have much trouble following my tracks to Double Springs but it might be rough after that. I'm guessing he had about 10 miles to go and it was about 1030 when we passed. He was carrying a good sized load but he was a yound guy. On the whole, a pretty good day back to Derrick Knob where I was surprised to find myself alone again for the evening.
Mon Dec 19 Looks like another good day. Sunshine, no wind, temp about 20.Started walking about 0900. Climbing up to Thunderhead (very steep for those unfamiliar) I was glad I had two sets of footprints to walk in. During my Dec.04 hike through here I was the first and it was pretty bad. Just north of Rocky Top I ran into the 2nd person on this trip. He was north bound, destination unknown to me. Another good day for sightseeing, took a few pictures on Rocky Top. By the time I got down to Spence Field it was lunch time so I found a big rock beside the trail and took a pleasant break. Bright sunshine, temp in the mid 20's, no wind. I didn't even have to dig out my down jacket to stay warm. Later in the afternoon I noticed the temp was in the upper 30's. The first time since Thursday I'd seen it above freezing. Saw 2 dayhikers in the Spence Field area. In blue jeans. Arrived at Mollies Ridge to find Jim the Ridgerunner doing a little maintainence. About 1515 4 guys came by headed for Spence Field. They were loaded down and had only covered 6 miles so far that day. And still had about 6 to go. Sunset about 1730. Russell Field was more likely.
Tue Dec 20 Jim had a thermometer big enough to read individual degrees. It was 19 at 0800. He left going north and I headed south. Good walk down to Fontanna. Didn't see anybody. Got back to the truck about 1330, Bryson City about 1430. Burger King for a double whopper value meal. Across the street to the Sleep Inn where I sat in the shower for about 15 minutes with just the hot water running. About 1900 went to Guayabitos? for supper. Had never been there before but there were plenty of cars in the parking lot. Ordered Chicken frajitas which were really good even if I hadn't been so hungry. Two baskets of very fresh chips, a very chunky salsa with just the right amount of heat. And even good sweet tea. I highly recommend it if you're in the area.
Lessons learned and relearned.
I had picked up quite a bit of new gear for my thru hike this year so this was a trial run. Warning: I am not ultra light, never have been, never will be.
I have been carrying a Gregory Denali Pro on winter hikes for several years and liked it so I bought a Gregory Forrester, medium, 4700cu.in. 5lb1oz. There is a removable pouch for a hydration bladder which I removed and I cut 3 inches off all the straps so it should be a little less than 5 lbs now. With 6 days of food and a quart of water I started out with 39 lbs. I found it to be very comfortable.
I usually sleep on a Zlite full length and a themarest self-inflater 48in long, 1in thick whatever they're called now. On this trip I used just the Zlite and found it adequate on the shelter bunks. Should be very comfortable on dirt.
First trip with a MSR Pocket Rocket. I heated 2 1/2 qts every night, 2 qts every morning. One canister lasted 4 days. Worked fine at the cold temps I experienced.
Last Nov. I picked up a Mountain Hardware Featherweight Transition Zip-Tee on sale. I was in N. Hampshire at the time so I wore it on a couple of day hikes in the Whites. Did a good job of keeping the wind out but the side seams were scratchy. Even after washing a couple of times. The Zip-tee fits kind of tight so I got an Underarmor Heat Gear Tee, that fits even tighter, to wear under it. I wore this combination everyday on this trip and found it to be comfortable and warm enough.
I'm pretty much a self taught winter hiker. When I changed over from summer to winter I did a lot of research on staying warm. One of the techniques is to put hot water in a lexan bottle and put it in your sleeping bag. Several years ago I was snowshoe hiking in Grand Teton NP and tried it. If you've never done this you won't believe how good it works. Most people talk about warming up the foot area but you can actually warm up the whole bag before you get in. If you start with boiling water it will stay almost to hot to hold for several hours. Even after 10 hours it will still be luke warm. And if you get thirsty during the night it's good to have something hot to drink.
I like tents and bought a REI Roadster. Took it on this trip just to practice carrying it but didn't use it. If anybody from REI is reading this, the folded up tent pole is too long to fit crossways inside my pack. I had to stand the pole up in the back corner of my pack.
I usually use Mountain House freeze dried meals. Since I'll need so many meals this year I've been looking for something cheaper. Backpackers Pantry makes a brand called Campfood that's about a dollar cheaper per meal than other brands for almost equal quantities of food. I found it in a Campmor Catelogue. I didn't care for the chicken stew but liked the beef stew and chilie mac.
That's it.