AT Sams Gap-Big Bald is impassable!

[Chaco Taco]

Was with a Thruhiker today that tried going up Big Bald and couldnt get too far up. The trees are covered in ice and are covering the blazes. The ice on the trees is being blown off by the wind into projectile. There are no footsteps in the snow either so there is no following previous steps. Snow is still knee deep up to the meadow. Things get a little messy after 4000 feet, blowdowns, deep snow.

[Slo-go'en]

And who said this was all going to melted and cleaned up by now? Glad I can't get down there to hike until mid May this year!

[Chaco Taco]

And who said this was all going to melted and cleaned up by now? Glad I can't get down there to hike until mid May this year!

I was surprised, very surprised with the weather. More snow moving in this week. It pretty much snowed the past 3 days above 3500 feet. HOWEVER, there was alot of evidence that there have been crews on the mountains. The section from Hot Springs to Hurricane Gap was great. Besides that little section going to down to Allen Gap, this section was in a lot better condition than I thought.

[DrRichardCranium]

Could you guys grab a broom & sweep the snow off that mountain for me please?

My thru-hike starts in a little over a week.:rolleyes:

[The Flatulator]

The Trail is tough enough to do in good weather. I always wondered why anyone would want to start in February or March. No fun post-holing through the deep snow or having to melt snow for daily water useage, etc. Travel is slow and exhausting and you get and stay wet all day. No fun. Living in Maine makes us use to the winter conditions. That is why I have always started my thru-hikes in mid-April. Leaving Amicalola on April 13. Shouldn't see much, if any snow by then!

[Tennessee Viking]

At what point was it impassible. Street Gap, the ski lifts, blue blaze, or final approach to the bald?

[Chaco Taco]

At what point was it impassible. Street Gap, the ski lifts, blue blaze, or final approach to the bald?

The point where the footprints stops and the trail is no longer visable and blazes are not visable. After about the first mile and a half, before the meadow that you can see Big Bald. Already talked to the CMC

[Chaco Taco]

At what point was it impassible. Street Gap, the ski lifts, blue blaze, or final approach to the bald?

Ski Lifts?? There arent any on the AT going up to Big Bald

[Tennessee Viking]

The point where the footprints stops and the trail is no longer visable and blazes are not visable. After about the first mile and a half, before the meadow that you can see Big Bald. Already talked to the CMCI wonder if Wolf Ridge Ski Resort would allow hikers to slack pack up the chair lifts....lol

[Chaco Taco]

I wonder if Wolf Ridge Ski Resort would allow hikers to slack pack up the chair lifts....lol

But its not on the same mountain, actually a little distance between the AT going up and Wolf Laurel

[SGT Rock]

Ski Lifts?? There arent any on the AT going up to Big Bald

I've been there a few times and haven't ever seen ski lifts. Did I miss something?

[Tennessee Viking]

But its not on the same mountain, actually a little distance between the AT going up and Wolf LaurelI see...I guess they are belong to the resort. I have only driven down road to get in the Wolf Laurel Preserve gate and up the old Street Gap road.


I've been there a few times and haven't ever seen ski lifts. Did I miss something?There are a couple chair lifts right as you pass the houses and side paths to Wolf Laurel.

[Chaco Taco]

I see...I guess they are belong to the resort. I have only driven down road to get in the Wolf Laurel Preserve gate and up the old Street Gap road.

There are a couple chair lifts right as you pass the houses and side paths to Wolf Laurel.

Really, I have been up there a few times just in the past couple of months and have never seen them. Huh, guess I never looked good enough. Either way, may take a day trip up sometime this week or next to get a better look for myself. The weather pattern has been much of the same, Im sure there is a thin new layer of snow up top. But on top of the Bald, there is no tellin how much is up there now. Its been wet and chilly here so Im sure more snow is falling up top

[The Solemates]

we had 3 foot drifts on big bald going thru on our hike. i dont know that i'd say its impassable :rolleyes:

[Tennessee Viking]

Maybe its something I was mistaking as lifts when I walked by it in Spring 08, or I just received the Ohh Daa!! award.

It was a metal structure about 10-20 yards from the trail as one starts walking behind some of the houses in Wolf Laurel south of the blue blaze. The rough coordinates are 35.98211 N, 82.50266 W.

[Chaco Taco]

its just an old generator box. Maybe it once was a chair lift.

[10-K]

I've never seen a ski lift up there but the last time I hiked up Big Bald there was a Lexus SUV on top filled with senior citizens.

[Chaco Taco]

I've never seen a ski lift up there but the last time I hiked up Big Bald there was a Lexus SUV on top filled with senior citizens.

Wont see that for a long time up here

[Gray Blazer]

I've never seen a ski lift up there but the last time I hiked up Big Bald there was a Lexus SUV on top filled with senior citizens.

That's the one thing I hate about camping on Big Bald. You come crawling out of your tent early in the morning ready to do your business and there's a bunch of people standing there watching you.

[dmax]

That's the one thing I hate about camping on Big Bald. You come crawling out of your tent early in the morning ready to do your business and there's a bunch of people standing there watching you.
You never know. You might know them. Since 90% of Wolf Laurel is from Florida....:-?

[SGT Rock]

That's the one thing I hate about camping on Big Bald. You come crawling out of your tent early in the morning ready to do your business and there's a bunch of people standing there watching you.

They will still get the full Monty. :sun

[Chaco Taco]

Whole lotta places on the AT like that, not just Big Bald

[DiamondDoug]

Did my spring walk through two days ago from Big Bald to Little Bald. Big Bald and it's northern shoulder were virtually free of snow, but as soon as you started to descend (northbound) into the woods towards the shelter the snow got thick. 12-18 inches in some places. Locating the trail was difficult, as the myriad of hiker tracks could attest. I did my best to stomp where the trail goes and placed sticks over the wrong tracks in the snow.

Walked all the way to Little Bald and back, beautiful sunny day. Need another week or two like that to melt all the snow. Rat went down from Little Bald to Spivey Gap and reported 24 inch drifts on the trail near the top, and lots of snapped trees embedded in the snow. Tough hiking through there. The calendar may say spring but it's still winter at 5,000 feet.

[Chaco Taco]

Awesome, good to know