i am a new poster. i have recently been turned on to hiking and my brother and i will be hiking the AT thru the park the first week of October. i was on Mt Sterling this weekend and was amazed how cool it was. can anyone tell me what to expect for nightly temps in the park at the higher elevations? what about day time temps that time of year. any help would be appreciated.
Gray Blazer
08-13-2008, 23:19
Mt. Sterling is pretty high up there. Prolly about the same 500 ft up.
Tennessee Viking
08-13-2008, 23:29
Once you get above the 4000 mark, the air will get cooler. The bottoms will be around 60-70s during the day, while the higher elevations will be around 10-15 degrees cooler. Then temps might go into the 40s at night.
Best thing to do is to change out of your sweaty clothes at camp.
At this point we can talk about average temperatures, but actual temperatures can vary considerably from the average. If you're starting from home to hike the section, you can fine-tune your plan by looking at the long-term forecast right before you leave.
For me, if I were planning to hike that section then, I would bring a 20-degree sleeping bag, a warm hat, warm gloves, a layer of fleece, and good rain gear. During the day, you'll probably be fine in shorts and T-shirt--unless you get a cold rain, which is not unlikely. For that cold, rainy day (or days), you need clothes that are warm when wet, and rain gear to block wind and hold in warmth. Something warm and dry to change into at night would be good, too.