View Full Version : Cold Night on Roan Mountain!
Miss Janet
02-07-2004, 23:27
26 degrees here in Erwin = 16 degrees on Roan Mountain + 15-20 mile winds = -0 wind chill factor + 6-8I nches of snow = 8 really cold hikers on Roan tonight!! These guys were pretty well prepared and I am sure they will do great but ME... I have been cold all day just thinking about them out there!
I am sure the highlands were beautiful this afternoon with the new new snow and the sunrise tomorrow may be spectacular. I hope they took pictures for me... cause I am not going out there to see it myself!!
You winter hikers are tough!!
Any more groups want to get together and come hike in the area before thruhiker season? There is still time for some SHAKEDOWN hikes for this years class!
Miss Janet
02-08-2004, 08:00
26 degrees here in Erwin = 16 degrees on Roan Mountain + 15-20 mile winds = -0 wind chill factor + 6-8I nches of snow = 8 really cold hikers on Roan tonight!! These guys were pretty well prepared and I am sure they will do great but ME... I have been cold all day just thinking about them out there!
I am sure the highlands were beautiful this afternoon with the new new snow and the sunrise tomorrow may be spectacular. I hope they took pictures for me... cause I am not going out there to see it myself!!
You winter hikers are tough!!
Any more groups want to get together and come hike in the area before thruhiker season? There is still time for some SHAKEDOWN hikes for this years class!
Miss Janet
02-08-2004, 08:00
OOps, sorry about that!
Moon Monster
02-08-2004, 13:10
Roan can be a darn cold place, perhaps one of the coldest places in the entire south on average (including other NC/Tenn peaks).
A Carolina Mountain Club official told me that Roan High Knob can be ice-capped at times when the other two summits of Roan (High Bluff and Grassy Ridge Bald) are not. That's impressive because the Knob is only marginally higher (20-30 feet) than the other two. 20-30 feet can make the difference between snow or no snow!
Roan High Knob is just yards from the shelter--it's wooded, but there is a USGS benchmark on a rock there. Grassy Ridge Bald is a wonderful blue blaze destination less than a mile off the AT over the Roans. Grassy Ridge is one of only two fully 360deg. natural vantage points in NC (which means in the East also) above 6000 feet.
Miss Janet
02-08-2004, 18:35
Well my hikers are getting warmed up and ready to go back to the real world. After a hike yesterday where the winds averaged 20 miles an hour and the temps never broke the 20 degree mark, then a long freezing night with raging winds and heavy snow... 8-10 inches ... a lot of that IN Over Mountain Shelter. Then a LONG 4 1/2 miles of thigh high drifts of snow and very icy rocks down to Carvers Gap. The sky was a brilliant azure and the sun had the snow light up like diamonds. It was beautiful! And I am sure they will all remember that when they are warm again. There could not have been more difference from yesterday til today!
But I was sure glad to see them come over that ridgeline. 1 hour late I just wonder... 2 hours I worry... by the 3rd hour I am starting to make plans about what to do next!
Jack Tarlin
02-08-2004, 19:22
Janet---
I expect to be down your way in early March; if you wanna take some kids out on a "shakedown" hike, that's great! While you're doing that, I'll stay home and cook everyone dinner, i.e. you teach em about the Trail, I'll teach 'em about lasagna. See you in a month!
I spent the night at Birch Run Shelter (now only a single brand new shelter). They had forecasted the low for Duncannon to be 18, however my thermometer read 11 degrees at 8am (probably single digits before sunrise). Coldest night I have ever spent on the trail. Day before took six hours to hike the nine miles to the shelter from Caledonia.
Hello Miss Janet,
I guess I won't have time for a shakedown hike since I'm leaving from Springer on Feb 28th. Don't know how long it will take this time to get to Erwin but when I do I'll treat you to a burrito. I plan to take it real slow and spend a lot of time just chillin out. Of course at this time of the year, it's likely I will be just chilled. Maybe there will be another Ramp/Bluegrass festival to attend when I get there? Looking forward to another visit,
Lwop