View Full Version : What kind of idiot....?
What kind of idiot/moron would head to Damascus tomorrow, be shuttled to Grayson Highlands and begin a trek from Old Orchard shelter back to Damascus, with a planned overnight at Thomas Knob on Thursday, knowing that there are going to be severe thunderstorms with 2.5" of rain forecast for Mt Rogers that day?
I and a few others are just that idiot.
Take a bar of soap and get a shower when it rains.....
Sarcasm the elf
05-13-2014, 12:20
Sounds like my idea of a good time. Just be careful on the balds if you see thunderheads rolling in.
joshuasdad
05-13-2014, 12:34
I was supposed to go up Big Bald or Max Patch on Thursday...not gonna happen. Unfortunately, the best two hiking days will be Friday and Saturday of Trail Days...doh!
Actually am looking forward to it...if I ever do a long section someday, I will have to learn to love rain and thunderstorms!
I just wish we had tested our seam seal job on our new Tarptent we just got a couple of weeks ago, but it's too late now...lol
Just went out and bought a 19.95 Frog Togs rain suit, and am ready for action!
joshuasdad
05-13-2014, 12:46
Just make sure you have some dry clothes, especially if you sleep at any elevation. Temperatures could easily dip into the 40s or even 30s. I just had a wet hiking experience, not looking to repeat that so soon...at least there won't be 2-4 feet of unstable and undercut monorail on the mountains!
Yeah, it's definitely chilling down into the upper 30's to low 40's...Thomas Knob Shelter is at 5400'.
I had an all day hike in 37 degree rain last December, and did not have rain pants. My waterproof boots became a bowl of water as my pants wicked water into them! Somehow I avoided hypothermia, I guess because I had a decent rain jacket on and kept my upper body dry.
Lone Wolf
05-13-2014, 15:17
what kinda idiot hikes in the beautiful area and stays in a crowded, dirty, norovirus-ridden wooden box?
Teacher & Snacktime
05-13-2014, 15:55
Yeah, it's definitely chilling down into the upper 30's to low 40's...Thomas Knob Shelter is at 5400'.
It sounds like a fun time (barring the thunderstorms of course). Who knows, maybe we'll see you at Thomas Knob....Snacktime and I and Farmer Chef and Family are planning a picnic in the area. We'll try to save you some chips or a Snickers bar or something!
what kinda idiot hikes in the beautiful area and stays in a crowded, dirty, norovirus-ridden wooden box?
Oh, not us! We are hiking to the shelter area, but are staying somewhere in a meadow nearby. I have never been to this part of the trail, so I am not sure exactly where, but our trip leader said there are a lot of nice areas to put our tents in the general vicinity. I would never sleep in a shelter!
It sounds like a fun time (barring the thunderstorms of course). Who knows, maybe we'll see you at Thomas Knob....Snacktime and I and Farmer Chef and Family are planning a picnic in the area. We'll try to save you some chips or a Snickers bar or something!
We are not sure when we will get there...if we take the short cut down Pine Mountain Trail, it may be at picnic time. Our plan was to take the AT all the way around, but who knows with the storms.
It would be great to meet you guys there though, so hope the timing works out!
AlabamaMack
05-13-2014, 16:14
Ok, question here regarding the shelters. I'm planning to hike Fontana to Clingman's later this year, and as I understand it (I am a fairly new "weekend hiker") staying in shelters is REQUIRED in the GSMNP unless I'm a thru-hiker. I'm not. I would prefer to stay in my tent, but I've seen stuff saying I could be fined if caught. Is there an "out," or are fines extremely rare, or what??? And are the shelters that bad? If so, I might choose to hike elsewhere...
and the can of worms gets opened yet again...
my computer isn't letting me copy and paste, but look under the shelters forum, nc and Tennessee, and there's a thread about shelters in the park.....
Teacher & Snacktime
05-13-2014, 16:38
Ok, question here regarding the shelters. I'm planning to hike Fontana to Clingman's later this year, and as I understand it (I am a fairly new "weekend hiker") staying in shelters is REQUIRED in the GSMNP unless I'm a thru-hiker. I'm not. I would prefer to stay in my tent, but I've seen stuff saying I could be fined if caught. Is there an "out," or are fines extremely rare, or what??? And are the shelters that bad? If so, I might choose to hike elsewhere...
TNhiker is right about the can of worms....
I'm not experienced by any means, so my opinion on things like the value of shelters would probably be considered worthless to those who claim to be "in the know", but nonetheless....
I've visited some shelters and slept in one. I've never been particularly offended by any of them. I figure if I'm willing to sit on the deck and have my lunch break then they're good enough to sleep in should I need a roof to stay out of the rain or I just don't feel like putting up my tent.
As far as GSMNP....very recently Snacktime and I had the wonderful experience of accompanying Ox (OxGaMe97) on a tour of the Mt. Collins Shelter as he explained the renovations/upkeep to a new group of maintainers. I really didn't see anything to complain about here. The place was new, clean, very nicely situated and had a great privy. I'd stay there in a heartbeat.....as long as the other occupants showed no sign of the dread norovirus mentioned earlier.
My conclusion....shelters in and of themselves are not dens of vile and vermin....they can be nasty and they can be nice.
In the GSMNP they are required, so accept it and make the best of them.27025
saltysack
05-13-2014, 17:00
what kinda idiot hikes in the beautiful area and stays in a crowded, dirty, norovirus-ridden wooden box?
Now that's TRUE!!! I go to the trail for solitude...guess I'm a loner..
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Namtrag.. when I thru hiked in 2006, I passed through Damascus in early May. Probably my coldest night on the entire trail was at a shelter on the side of Mount Rogers. Cloudy, damp, drizzly, very windy, fingers froze. And you are choosing too hike in just such weather.. if not even worse. You truly are an idiot if you carry through with this plan!! Seriously? 2.5 inches of rain and t storms and wind and you are going to START a hike in that??? The Red Cross will be waiting for you at the end :-)
:)
What kind of idiot/moron would head to Damascus tomorrow, be shuttled to Grayson Highlands and begin a trek from Old Orchard shelter back to Damascus, with a planned overnight at Thomas Knob on Thursday, knowing that there are going to be severe thunderstorms with 2.5" of rain forecast for Mt Rogers that day?
I and a few others are just that idiot.
I did exactly that last year, same hike only we went in a massie gap. It was a good time and there must have been at least a dozen tents at Thomas Knob Shelter, within 100 yds or so no tenting space at the shelter. Had folks there making a movie to. I think you will get snow and plenty of it at Thomas Knob Shelter when the storm hits. My daugther will be there with you all tell her "Indigo" I said hey!
Weather-man
05-13-2014, 17:42
Just left Thomas Knob shelter this morning and came off the trail at Elk Garden.
- The walk from Fox creek (are you going this way...?) to Old orchard shelter and then to the top of the hill is a good walk, about 3 miles all up hill. Also, the walk from Wise shelter to Thomas knob is only 5 miles but most of it was a "stair stepper" work out! Good stuff.
- Water at Thomas knob was kind of mucky but you'll be able to pull out as much clean water as you need if you're patient. Bring a dipping cup.
- There are some beautiful meadows before the shelter and after. Really breath taking stuff. We stayed at the shelter....we were dry on water going in (came from Hurricane) and once we hit the shelter we were beat as it was a long day. Walking out this morning we saw many more beautiful campsites. You may want carry some water from Wise (last good water before TK shelter) or water up about 1/2 miles after TK shelter (nice running small creek over the trail) and find one of the meadows. I'm sure your buddy has a good plan.
I'm writing this from Damascus and it was pouring a few minutes ago but stopped now. Weather for Troutdale on Thursday calls for 100% rain but no Thunder storms that I see. You'll be up high with big exposure so watch the skies.
It's a really great section. We did 45 miles in 3 days which was a bit much on non-trail legs and feet. Her feet are semi-hamburger and both my boots blew out. Sore legs and had a blast
Hope you enjoy!
Thanks for all the info guys, and yeah, I looked on mountain-forecast.com and it's calling for lows in the upper 30's at Mt Rogers itself, so hopefully no snow!
Especially appreciate the info on the water at Thomas Knob. I will definitely bring a cup to dip with as I use a gravity flow filter, and the dirty bag won't dip too well from what you say! Who knows, after all the rain, it may be easy!
Also, they lowered the rain to ONLY 1.7" on Thursday, a mere shower.
I am not 100% sure where, but MRO is shuttling us tomorrow late to a trailhead where we will walk a couple miles to Old Orchard Shelter...Thursday we will either take the AT all the way around to Thomas Knob, or take the Pine Mt trail to cut off some distance, depending on the weather. Then Friday, we hike to Lost Mountain Shelter. Saturday, we hike on the AT, then on the Va Creeper Trail to camp along the creek, supposedly about 5 miles east of Damascus. Then Sunday a short trip into Damascus to see a little of Trail Days and get our cars to go home. My wife and I have hiked Grayson before twice, but we did a loop from the backpackers' lot around through Scales and up the Crest Trail until we hit the AT again, then turned left and went back to the car. So the section to Thomas Knob and on to Damascus is all new to us. We will have fun no matter what!
Old Hiker
05-13-2014, 20:01
Had severe t-storms on White Mt south of Thomas Knob, lots of LARGE lightning and thunder, heavy rain and wind in 2012. The Trail was running with water. Plenty of water sources from there until Mt. Rogers, if I remember correctly.
Watch the mud puddle(s) about 300 meters north of Thomas Knob. That's where my thru-attempt in 2012 ended. Sprained/cracked ankle. Lots of open areas north of Thomas Knob to tent - about 50 meters or so past the stile was were my last hours were spent.
Good luck.
AlabamaMack
05-13-2014, 20:43
Will do -- thanks!
AlabamaMack
05-13-2014, 20:43
Thanks for your insight.
I got hammered by a driving rainstorm coming down Mt. Rogers just this past Saturday morning. Loved every minute of it. The wind tore my Zpacks cuben fiber rain cover off of my pack and sent it sailing. Later in Damascus, I thought I saw a woman wearing it as a head net.
Friday late passed Thomas Knob where some guys were setting up some type of Hawaiian torch lights out in front of the shelter. I decided to camp far, far away. Don’t know where the torches ended up during the wind. Just another reason why I never stay at shelters regardless of the weather.
Friday late passed Thomas Knob where some guys were setting up some type of Hawaiian torch lights out in front of the shelter. I decided to camp far, far away. Don’t know where the torches ended up during the wind. Just another reason why I never stay at shelters regardless of the weather.
Yeah those tiki torches are the scourge of the AT. :rolleyes:
Tron-Life
05-14-2014, 00:33
I was up at Thomas Knob a few weeks ago during spring break and was surprised to find that the shelter and the area around it are pretty well protected from the elements. It was quite cold when I was up there as well, definitely below 30 degrees and raining and we were fine. That shelter is pretty sturdy and offers great protection, especially in the upper level. If it get really bad and you can't stay in side, pitch your shelter in the rather close copse of trees by the knob.