View Full Version : Smoky Mountains Wind Storm...Closed
white rabbit
10-17-2006, 18:11
I had planed to hike in the Smokies the rest of this week but I got a call from one of the rangers today. Seems the park had a bad wind storm yesterday and trees are down everywhere. The Western side of the park is closed through at least Friday.
http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/windstorm.htm
Wow, talk about good timing, we were just up there the first week of October and the weather was great. Hope everyone in the back country is OK.
TIDE-HSV
10-17-2006, 22:30
My wife and I were there the last week in September. We had one stormy night, when were at Kephart shelter. The other three days were absolutely great. I haven't seen that far in the Smokies in many years...
NECKBONE
10-17-2006, 22:47
I'm heading up there starting Sunday for 5 nights. Hope it will be alright by then.
Neckbone
My wife and I were there this past Thursday thru Sunday. We came out at the Elkmont campground. Hopefully they've seen the worst of it.
We are starting at Elkmont and working our way down to Cades. Packing for some bad weather, hoping for the best. Hey, Neckbone maybe we will see you on the trail.
NECKBONE
10-18-2006, 22:41
They're talking about some bad weather coming in from the middle to later in the week. Maybe we will run into each other. I'll be at #18 on the 25th; and #6 on the 26th. Hope to see ya'll thar.
Neckbone
white rabbit
10-19-2006, 12:24
Update:
http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/stormupdate2.htm
I'm still going tomorrow. I will be parking a Newfound Gap Friday and hiking North. I had a couple of friends that were going to go but they have backed out so I will go it alone.
Thanks for the update. Good luck on your hike
Frolicking Dinosaurs
10-19-2006, 13:19
My preacher was out hiking with his 15 yo son and another teen when this hit. Luckily, they were in a valley with mountains on all sides so the wind went over them. He said the wind was actually howling as it went over. He mentioned passing thru an enormous number of blowdowns on the trip back and he had a really difficult time driving out of the Tremont parking area. He wasn't exactly sure where they were, but it sounded like it was between Tremont and Cades Cove to me - probably near the wonderful skinny dipping hole along West Prong Trail as he is an avid trout fisherman.