Help! advice: reroute due to snow

[Bigglesworth]

Several of us are stuck in Gatlinburg and have been for a few days due to snow in the Smokies. Roads are closed and we can't get back to anywhere close to Clingman's Dome or Newfound Gap. Is it wrong to start back up at Cosby/Green Corner Road or near there, since it seems to be the only viable option, and since we don't know how long we're stuck at this point. Any suggestions would be appreciated! :mad:

[Lone Wolf]

get a shuttle to davenport gap and continue north. it's not wrong. no biggie

[SGT Rock]

It's only wrong if you think it is wrong. It is only hiking. There are no referees on the trail, scoreboards at the trailheads, or penalties for changing routes based on weather or mood. Not only is it fine to do (get a map), but it will make for great stories later in life.

Of course some will find fault with you while sitting behind a nice, comfortable keyboard. You decide if they should be headed or not.

[Mags]

I would say closed roads changes the equation a bit. Find an alternative that works for you and hike it. I don't know if there's a lower route you can take (Sgt. Rock can help you out there), but I'd definitely take his suggestion: Grab a map and plan your own route. You could also skip ahead if need be.

A bit of the CDT experience on the AT. :)

[grizzlyadam]

you could always walk the road back up to newfound gap

[Appalachian Tater]

If you're concerned, call the ATC and ask them what the official route is during the emergency. In other words, get a special dispensation.

[Yahtzee]

Most other places I would say move ahead and forward but north of Newfound Gap to Davenport Gap is just spectacular. I'd exhaust every option and then try them all again. But hell, you can always come back. Not bad to have a reason to come back and go hiking.

[Lone Wolf]

If you're concerned, call the ATC and ask them what the official route is during the emergency. In other words, get a special dispensation.

it's not an emergency. they CHOSE to get off the trail and hitch to town. i bet the road will be back open today

[Fannypack]

you could always walk the road back up to newfound gap
which I heard some hikers did in March 1996 after a 2ft snowfall in the GSMNP caught them in G'burg.

During this same storm my father & I were going over Albert Mtn after staying in the old Carter Gap Shelter (boy was it cold & windy).. and those dang gutters on the shelter, my father must of hit his head 3 times on them....

[Lone Wolf]

it's not an emergency. they CHOSE to get off the trail and hitch to town. i bet the road will be back open today

i just called the park. the road is OPEN

[Johnny Swank]

This is one reason why I always tell folks to just carry a couple more days of food and skip Gatlinburg.

Good luck with whatever you work out. There are trails aplenty to get to the north end of the park, the AT's just one of them.

[The Solemates]

The road was closed for over a week and we had 3 foot snowdrifts in the smokies when we went through. We saw not a soul through the whole park.

[orangebug]

I'll bet these folks are already either at Davenport Gap or past Charlie's Bunion by now.

[Phil1959]

Hey Wolf! You ever get a dispensation?

[Bulldawg]

If you are in Gatlinburg and REALLY worried about it, why not hike the Rainbow Falls trail to Mount Lecont Lodge and then take the trail from there over to the AT?? Thats probably what I would do if I was REALLY worried about it. Or just wait it out in town for a day or two.

[Slimer]

Just go on a two day drunk.
When you wake up, the snow will be gone and everything will be fine.......except for your head.

[Appalachian Tater]

This is one reason why I always tell folks to just carry a couple more days of food and skip Gatlinburg.

I had planned to skip Gatlinburg but ended up going into town because of really nasty weather and enjoyed it very much. Wouldn't want to spend a week there, but it's a great place for hikers to eat and there was even a little trail celebration in the parking lot at the outfitters.

[CaseyB]

Just go on a two day drunk.
When you wake up, the snow will be gone and everything will be fine.......except for your head.


ding! ding! we have a winner!:D

[Blissful]

If you go to town for saftey reason to not be out in a blizzard, that is smart.

I'd get som yak trax and make tracks if the road is open and you can get to Newfound Gap. Just cut your mileage. It is no big deal hiking in snow, really, just wet feet. I've done it in deep snowdrifts twice last year (thankfully someone else had broken the trail). The weather is projected to get warm later this week which will turn it to slush, though. But you should have no problem. You will be on a ridgeline. Just watch the ice at Icewater.

[Montego]

Hey Wolf! You ever get a dispensation?

Probably not, but excommunication may be a different story :D

[Lone Wolf]

this thread is a non-issue. :rolleyes:

[Johnny Swank]

This is one reason why I always tell folks to just carry a couple more days of food and skip Gatlinburg.

Good luck with whatever you work out. There are trails aplenty to get to the north end of the park, the AT's just one of them.


And for carrying maps for that matter. A full map set costs less than a dollar a day for a typical thru-hike.

[Bigglesworth]

Since there were several replies here is an update...we were able to get a ride back up as soon as the roads opened later the day I posted the original message. We had beautiful blue skies and sunshine to hike in the 6 inches of snow through the rest of the Smokies - it was spectacular - a winter wonderland! Thanks for all the advice everyone.

[Pokey2006]

Please tell me it took more than 6 inches of snow to close a road...

[mudhead]

6" of snow is a big deal if you have no plow.

I would hesitate to drive in some places after 1/2". People freak out. I think they try to drive faster, so they don't have to look at it so long.

[Two Speed]

The 441 on the north side of Newfound Gap is kinda funny. Better than average grades and just enough exposure to the sun to make for a lot of icing. The NC side stays open more than the TN side.

Go figure.

[McPick]

Please tell me it took more than 6 inches of snow to close a road...

Now Ms. Pokey... Them all ain't quite as used to gettin' the deep stuff like y'all New Englanders, en such. Hope all is well.

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

The snow down here is wetter than the New England snow -- it turns to ice as it hits warm road surfaces and then the snow piles up on top of the ice. That is why they close 441 thru the GSMNP when it snows. The park service has a plow.

[Pokey2006]

All snow is wet...Ice or no ice, it's no big deal, so long as you know how to drive in it and have a car that can handle it. But there is the rub, huh? Just a shame to have a minor amount of snow cause such big problems. But, I guess that is the New England snow snob in me...I admit it...

[mudhead]

when it snows. The park service has a plow.

Probably don't want to get it dirty.

[MOWGLI]

The park service has a plow.

I think Chattanooga has a plow (as in one) too. And about 150,000 people who don't know how to drive in snow. :eek:

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

All snow is wet...Ice or no ice, it's no big deal, so long as you know how to drive in it and have a car that can handle it. But there is the rub, huh? Just a shame to have a minor amount of snow cause such big problems. But, I guess that is the New England snow snob in me...I admit it...I lived in NY for three years - while I can't explain why it is different, it is. I could drive in snow up there with no problem, but it is hard to walk to the mailbox without falling when it snows here. The snow is so wet it tends to pack down into a solid sheet of ice. Also, chains are somewhat rare down here and spikes are illegal... couple all that together with narrow winding mountain roads with sheer cliffs and you've got a recipe for horrific accidents.

[Pokey2006]

Well, all that and the above-mentioned 15,000 people who don't know how to drive in the snow!

I will agree that the ice forming underneath the snow is about the worst kind you can get, at least for driving. But I hate all of it, and I'm jealous of you folks down south who get it so rarely...

Weird, but I've lived in New England my whole life, and the only time I saw someone use chains in the snow was on a trip to California. Go figure.

Glad those hikers were able to resume their trip without further delays.

[Pokey2006]

I meant 150,000...though 15,000 of them would do the trick, too...

[Bulldawg]

The real reason behind the Southern snow thing goes like this. During the first day or night of the snow I usually can drive where ever I want to go without any issue. What happens is the snow melts slightly in the sun during the day on the blacktop as most snows we have happen at or around 25F to 34F (yes it can snow at 34F). Then at night that amount of snow that has melted refreezes making driving a living hell. This year the one measurable snow we had at my house, I drove everywhere I wanted to go during the day of the snow. Then the next day, driving was a living hell, I could hardly get out of my driveway with two four wheel drives sitting in the garage.

[Pokey2006]

That's why salt is a wonderful, wonderful thing.

[Shadowmoss]

And the non-use of it is why my 14yo Toyota Truck has almost no rust, even though I never wash it.

[Bulldawg]

But see up North most of the time it stays cold enough throughout the day that you don't have the viscous melt-refreeze cycle we endure down here most of the time.

[mudhead]

So the road surface is untreated, gets packed, and becomes slippery.(er)

Some times it is easier to wait for Mother Nature's snowplow to shine.

What I enjoy is the crush at the grocery, prior to a good storm. People in Maine should know better.

I still have two shovels and a scoop taking up space in the garage. Don't dare jinx myself by storing them.

[Bulldawg]

And the non-use of it is why my 14yo Toyota Truck has almost no rust, even though I never wash it.

Salt is used in the South, at least in Georgia. Georgia uses a mix of salt and pea gravel.

[Pokey2006]

No, we get that, too. We just use salt to melt any ice that forms. I think it's more that we have a well-organized snow removal system, out of necessity. We're spoiled up here -- if the roads aren't completely clear an hour after the storm ends, people get all up in arms demanding the DPW director's head on a platter.

[Pokey2006]

What I enjoy is the crush at the grocery, prior to a good storm. People in Maine should know better.

That kills me, too. Even in the worst blizzards, the grocery store is ALWAYS open the next day. So why the rush on milk? Huh? I never understood it. Maybe those are the folks who were around for 78, which is probably the last time the grocery stores closed due to snow.