View Full Version : Section Hike in December
I have about a month off of school from Dec 15- Jan 7 and would like to do a section of the AT and would like to find out if anyone is interested in joining me for part if not all of the trip (I'm a little hesitant to do a winter backpacking trip solo and my family isn't too excited about the idea). I'm planning on Doing something in the GA,TN,NC area and maybe even doing Springer Mountain to Davenport Gap or possibly the BMT (I'm also willing to take other suggestions if anyone is interested in any particular sections). If anyone is interested or has any good section recommendations please let me know!
omg! i just got back from G.A and let me tell you is was sooooo cold my water froze! from one FL girl to another bring good gloves, and some kind of ski mask the wind was BAD! good luck and i hope you stay warm!
Jeanette
11-21-2008, 18:08
Yes - ditto to the above! I just did a section hike near the NC/VA border and it was unbelievably cold. Temps in the single digits at night at higher elevations (my water bottles froze solid overnight)... plus the hiking was a bit treacherous because the ground was covered with a thick layer of leaves with snow & ice on top. Do be careful, and make some contingency plans in case you need to take a detour to a hostel or a town to warm up.
Bigglesworth
11-21-2008, 22:03
That time of year, hike where you do have some "outs" like road crossings, hostels to get out of the cold for the night, etc. I now live near the VA/TN line and could possibly take a long weekend, so if you end up around there, PM me in advance and I may be able to join you for a few days, or give you a ride into town if you need a hot shower and warm meal to thaw out!
Blissful
11-21-2008, 22:15
It's getting cold pretty early (we are having mid winter temps now in VA, in the teens in the lowlands, (it was 1 degree at Wintergreen near the AT with wind chill factor today) - and I have heard rumors of a snowy mid Atlanitc (?) So be prepared if you plan to go out.
Thanks for the tip about the cold... I'll def. pull out stuff from my snowboarding gear then (It's a good thing I lived in OR for a bit b/c I have a bunch of cold weather clothes). And thanks for the snow tip but do you think it will be to the point where I should consider bringing snowshoes or crampons? I'm getting really excited and can't wait to get on the trail!
Will be backpacking in Dec.-. Amicalola to N.C. not sure about date, probably before or right after Christmas. I'm pretty new to this. Plan to do thru-hike 2009, so trying to get in shape.
Blissful
11-23-2008, 21:14
No I wouldn't worry about snowshoes or crampons. But you could get snow and ice is all, just to be aware. Might consider bringing yak trax for traction. I would have at least a zero degree bag if not less.
Jeanette
11-24-2008, 10:18
Gaiters would be a good idea too. Let us know how your trip turns out!
A friend and I are doing Deep Gap, NC to the NOC in mid Dec. It's not a whole section but it's still fun. Maybe we'll run into each other!
It's really, really cold. On my last trip in TN we got all forms of precipitation including pea sized hail (that stuff hurts). Like Jeanette said, take some gaiters for sure and I highly recommend a winter buff or ski mask type covering for your face. You already know how to dress for the cold from living in OR :)
Have a great time. I wish I had time to hike an entire section this winter. I did the whole GA section in October with a small group of friends and it was wonderful. Lots of ups and downs that could get icky in ice so do be careful.
To give an idea of what gear/clothing you may need, I just finished a three-day trip from Deep Gap, NC to Winding Stair Gap over Thanksgiving. Temps during the day ranged from low 40s to low 50s and the lowest it got at night was in the 20s. Had a good bit of drizzle and rain yesterday (the last day).
Definitely be prepared for rain and wind! Also, plan to get to camp around 4:30 in the afternoon. You will need time to set up your tent, start a fire, etc and it gets dark soon. You'll probably only have about 9 hours total hiking time during the day. It takes longer to do things in the winter.
I hiked with a friend so we shared a tent (the REI Half Dome -- fine for southern winters). Sharing a tent keeps you warm.
Sleep system
WM Ultralight 20 degree bag: This thing is killer and true to its rating. I think I should be rated even warmer than that. Nice and light, but expensive. Worth every penny. I found sealing up the draught collar really kept me warm. One night, all I had on was socks, wool shorts and a short sleeve wool shirt -- I was *that* warm!!
Exped 7 Downpad Short: Never thought I'd buy this thing, since it seems "heavy" compared to the Prolite 4 I'm used to. This was my first trip using it and it was amazing. Really toasty and comfortable. Expensive, but again, definitely worth it. I might use it during the rest of the year because it's so comfortable (even though it would be overkill in summer). It's a short size, but I just used my pack under my feet at the bottom -- no problem.
Clothing
Buff polar fleece: Very versatile for hiking or sleeping
Golite Ether jacket: For wind or light rain protection -- can also use for sleep if it's really cold
Campmor Equinox silnylon poncho: Used as jacket and pack cover during the rain
Manzella windstopper gloves
Marmot full zip Powerstretch fleece jacket: Excellent for hiking and could use for sleeping as well
Smartwool Zip-up L/S lightweight top: Good for hiking and sleeping
Smartwool S/S microweight shirt: Good for hiking and sleeping
Smartwool midweight long johns: For sleeping
Brooks running tights: I wear these hiking, alone if warm enough, otherwise with pants over them
Campmor rain pants: I wear these hiking when it's cold or rainy
Smart wool light cushion hiking socks: A pair for hiking and a pair for sleeping
Smart wool boxer style wool underwear
Marmot Venus down jacket: For around camp (not hiking) -- could also use for sleeping if it got really cold
Footwear: I tried some new shoes that I didn't like at all. The shoes were so bad I ended up wearing my crocs for the last part of the hike! Next time I'm trying some new Keen Targhee shoes (low cut) with gaiters. Outside of winter, I wear trail runners. I hate hiking boots of any kind.
To extend the sleeping bag if it got to, say, the single digits at night, I would probably bring along a Jacks R Better summer quilt to throw over my bag or wear my down jacket and a pair of down pants. If I think it's windy, I'll also bring along a face mask of some sort.
Have you finalized your plans yet?
Texasgirl
11-30-2008, 18:22
Planning a winter hike as well. Thanks for the extensive comments all, and Lucinda thanks for your clothing list. Question to Lucinda... with all the winter gear, what was the weight of your 3 day pack trip? Necessary weight, I'm sure, but I'm curious what to expect (don't know which of you packed the tent)
I am really bad about weighing in, so I'm not sure how much the total weight would be!
I can stuff everything into my Granite Gear Vapor Trail pack with lots of room left over and I carried half the tent. My pack is usually very light. I use Aqua Mira, so no water filter and an Esbit stove, so all I do is boil water. I guess I am sort of on the lighter side. Definitely under 30 pounds, probably closer to 25 including food.
Thanks lucinda for all the info. The clothing list looks like what I've already set out and after realizing my sleeping bag probably won't be warm enough even with the fleece liner I have I asked my mom for a 0 degree bag for an early x-mass gift (so I should be nice and toasty at night :) ). I haven't finalized my plans yet but I have slightly altered them. I decided to postpone the BMT trail till this summer and have been talking with someone about doing the foothills trail and a section of the AT in that area instead. Right now I'm looking at mid december (after the 12th) so if anyone will be in that area let me know and maybe I'll see you on the trail!
generoll
12-02-2008, 09:29
I'm thinking of doing a short section of the AT from Sams Gap to Erwin. Probably start around December 8 or 9. If you'll pardon me for entering the ladies room, having another driver would remove the need for a shuttle.