SNP in March

[m_gude]

A group of friends and I were planning on hiking the AP in Shenandoah during the first week of march. I checked the park website and saw that all waysides and visitor centers will be closed, but camp areas will still be open.

Has anyone hiked that early? Would we be able to carry 7 days of food through the park? Would water sources be available?

Thanks for any input.

[Hikerhead]

You will most likely be driving thru the park I assume. If so, bury or hang yourself a stash of food. Somewhere around Big Meadows would work. Park at the Ampitheater and the trail is just down the hill 100 ft away. Go off trail a good ways so your food want be seen from the trail if hanging or seen while burying it. Wrap your food in a black trash bag to keep it dry, and it's not as visible if hanging.

[Hikerhead]

Better yet..... if you have two cars park one at Big Meadows with your food in it. When you get there run up and grab your other car and reposition it. Then go off the mtn to grab a good meal before you start the second half of your hike.

[Cookerhiker]

Since the facilities open to the public are closed, I don't think you can count on drinking fountains or water spigots running. I suggest contacting the Park re the water sources. You might be able to pick up water at ranger stations and maintenance huts. Regarding the natural water sources, you'll have to go off-trail (usually downhill) for many of them because the AT on on the ridgeline.

You're hiking in winter and can expect winter-like conditions but at least the first week of March features longer daylight hours than January or even late October for that matter.

[Hikerhead]

Better yet..... if you have two cars park one at Big Meadows with your food in it. When you get there run up and grab your other car and reposition it. Then go off the mtn to grab a good meal before you start the second half of your hike.

And leave a couple of gallons of water in your car at Big Meadows.

[Blissful]

Streams should be fine then (make sure you have maps to locate them). Water spigots will be turned off. Also, check the weather. Be sure you have the gear for possible snow and also cold.

[Blissful]

And leave a couple of gallons of water in your car at Big Meadows.

They could get frozen though.

[Hikerhead]

They could get frozen though.

Good point, yes they could. Split them up into different containers leaving plenty of room at the top for expansion. If they are frozen, they will unfreeze during the car shuttle.

[phishpapond]

I did the north half of the park about 3 months ago. The springs were running fine. All but the spring at Tom Flody. A guy named Teabag rigged up a tarp to catch the water not sure if he left it in place. The park is used to people looking for water and you get water at any buliding in the park. If the water is on. http://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/water_sources_at.htm Link to water sorces in the park.
Rock Spring Hut had great tasting water fresh out of the rock and you should have a great view that time of year

[m_gude]

Thanks for the input. Sounds like we might be set for water. How much clothing (just guesstimates i suppose) would be necessary for hiking then? All the hiking that I've done have been in the New Mexican and Colorado mountains in summer, so I haven't had any problems with warmth.

[Hikerhead]

Dress like it's going to be cold. A couple of layers of fleece and your rain coat/pants and a short sleeve shirt. It could easily drop into the 20's or teens at night. Count on the temp being 20 degrees colder at night than it is down in Wooland. You'll know what to expect when you leave. It sounds like you probaby have everything you need. Big Meadows has a webcam and temp listed on line somewhere. I think it's on the SNP site.

[Press]

I hiked the middle part of the park for 3-4 days in March last year and it was fun, although it was rainy. Agreed on how cold it can get at night, I had a light sleeping bag (dumb) but also had a down jacket that I put on top of the bag, so I was OK. You can also sleep in the Byrd's Nest cabins, although I think that is still officially banned. They have fireplaces and are open on the front. Be sure to check out the night views of Luray if the sky is clear.

[Cookerhiker]

Thanks for the input. Sounds like we might be set for water. How much clothing (just guesstimates i suppose) would be necessary for hiking then? All the hiking that I've done have been in the New Mexican and Colorado mountains in summer, so I haven't had any problems with warmth.

The one key difference between your western summer hiking vs. SNP in March is the moisture factor. SNP may have relatively dry sunny winter days but as Press experienced, you could also have cold rain with penetrating dampness which can chill you to the bones, dampness like you likely didn't experience in CO or NM. So make sure you have good waterproofs and sufficient layers (including a warm hat).

[Skyline]

One of the things about winter hiking in SNP is the unpredictability of Skyline Drive being open. If planning to park anywhere within the Park, you could get shut out—or shut in—depending upon the weather. Park officials will close the Drive on just the forecast of a few snowflakes, because staff is scaled back in the winter and they don't want to have to use the resources they have to deal with vehicle-related emergencies on Skyline Drive.

Fortunately, the Park is divided into three sections (North/Central/South) with public highways dividing each (US211 at Thornton Gap dividing North and Central; US33 at Swift Run Gap dividing Central and South). You can park outside the Park at either one and have your resupply in the trunk of your vehicle (the AT crosses near each place you would park). You could meet a shuttle operator where you park and have them drive you to your hike start point, pickup a resupply from your parked vehicle, and then get a shuttle back to your vehicle at the end of your hike. If you have two vehicles, you could eliminate that final shuttle. If you wanted to cache your resupply, you could possibly eliminate even the first shuttle by using two of your own vehicles—tho personally, I'd like to have the bailout option that a vehicle placed in the middle of the hike would provide.

Confused? Don't be. Mountain & Valley Shuttle Service (1-877-789-3210 or www.mvshuttle.com) can help you work out the logistics. MVS helped a lot of folks enjoy the solitude of winter in SNP the last two winters.