AT in Virginia Mid November Suggestions/Advice Please-New Guy Here

[Bigwaterkayaker]

Hey Everyone,

First time poster here. I am planning a trip on the AT mid Nov. I am looking for any suggestions or guidance, please bare with me. I know I am asking for a lot of info, so here goes. I am looking to hike somewhere with my 3 buddies in the area known as the balds in VA. Mt Rogers or maybe Graceland Highlands. I am looking to do 5-7 miles a day and we will be hiking for a total of 5 days.

If possible can someone suggest some routes or areas to check out that fit this criteria? For the record I will say all of us are in pretty good shape, but I have not backpacked in 10+ years. I have been getting some practice in the past few weeks. Not looking to do anything extreme, just good hiking with views.

I am most concerned about water sources and temperature of mid Nov in VA. I have mummy bag and will get a down coat if need be. I can look up average temp for that area, but does anyone have any first hand experience up there that time of year? Do I need winter gear? Are there shelters we can stay in?

I guess weather, water and route are my biggest questions. Can anyone give me some tips? Thanks.

[Slo-go'en]

First thing you need to do is get a good map of the area so you can see what's what and were it all goes. There are a number of trails through that area and several loop possibilities. For this The National Geographic "Mount Rodgers High Country" map #318 is a good, detailed map of the area.

As for temps and weather I'm guessing from the way this fall has been shaping up it won't be too cold there in mid Nov, but definitely chilly. Probably be good hiking temps if it isn't raining. Cold rain that time of year is your biggest worry.

[wornoutboots]

Welcome BWK!! :welcome I suggest you hit up Lonewolf for a shuttle, park your car in Damascus & have him drop you at Fox Creek then hike back to your car. You'll cross the Grayson Highlands and much more. The weather can be anywhere from zero degrees or worse with the winds up there but you can get out of it in some of the wonderful campsites. Or it can be 40's & sunny. Be sure to watch it closely before take off. You can hit up Mount Rogers before heading out to grab any extras that may be needed due to the current weather conditions. There are plenty of shelters along the way. It's about 40 miles so you won't have to kill yourself. ~Enjoy~

[Bigwaterkayaker]

Thanks Everyone that replied. I appreciate it. I will pick up a map, I assume the maps will list the water that is available? Does anyone know how easily water is to get in this area of the trail?

[RADHiker]

Welcome! In the summer water is quite plentiful, but not sure about fall/winter. That is one of my favorite places to hike...hope you enjoy it. Take a camera...tons of views.

[LittleRock]

Bring plenty of warm clothes. I was just up there last weekend, and temps were already getting down to around freezing at night. The temps weren't really a problem, but there were strong winds that made it feel even colder, especially since there is not much tree cover in a lot of places. Water shouldn't be an issue. Last weekend, there was so much water it felt like the trail was a creek half of the time.