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View Full Version : Are you hiking between Sam's Gap and Watauga Lake?



Flush2wice
10-16-2007, 18:31
If you are planning a hike in this stretch and you ned an accurate weather forecast, you need to go here- http://www.raysweather.com/
All other weather sites take averages from the nearby NWS data. These averages don't hold true for the ridge lines and don't take the mountains into account. Ray's forecasts are WAY better than The weather channel.com, wunderground, NWS or any other.
Here's the breakdown:
Sam's Gap to Erwin (maybe even Beauty Spot) click on Wolf Laurel in Madison County.
From Beauty Spot to 19E, click on Avery County / Newland. This includes Iron Mt. Gap, Hughes Gap, Roan Mt. , the balds, the barn, Hump, etc. You might be tempted to click on Mitchell but that's in Spruce Pine and the weather there doesn't resemble that of the ridges.
19E to Watauga click on Watauga/Watauga lake.
Obviously you can lower the temps a bit from what he has since the trail is on the ridges but otherwise he is usually dead on.
If there are other weather sites that are accurate for other sections it might be useful to post them. I live in this area and I can vouch for Ray.