Suggestions for a Thanks Giving Hike anywhere in US not on the AT

[hammock engineer]

I posted this over on HF and didn't get any good suggestions so I thought I would give WB a try.

Not sure why, but I am having problems coming up with a place to go hiking over Thanks Giving. The only criteria is it needs to be a half days travel from New Orleans. There is no good hiking close, so I already accept it will be a plane ride and a rental car away. Plus I am looking for some fun in the snow.

Any suggestions on some spots to hit up? I'm looking for places within a 3 or 4 hour drive of a major airport. Hopefully involving snow. I'm headed with a friend from Norway and our winter gear is collecting too much dust in the deep south. I have been eyeing snow shoes for a few years now, so needing a pair for the deep snow isn't an issue. I feel comfortable sleeping below zero so temps aren't a concern. I don't have the technical experience for anything too sketchy so I would like to stay away from anything involving more than hiking.

Thanks in advance.

[Jack Tarlin]

Well if you're determined to hike in the snow, then you may have to forget about the South. Even the Smokies aren't guaranteed to be white in November. So the "half a day's travel" thing might be a problem; you might need more time if you're determined to hike in the snow.

If I were you, I'd start thinking about New Hampshire or Maine or Northern Vermont. The airports in Manchester NH, Portland ME, and Burlington VT are all good ones, and all will put you within a few hours drive of some great hiking.

Good luck!

[hammock engineer]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm open to longer trips. I only have Wednessday through Monday morning open and was trying to make the most of it. I'm feeling the need to get out of the South. Too many swamps and Bayous where I live and nothing even close to a hill.

[Mags]

Most people are looking to AVOID the snow. ;)

Half day from New Orleans, and snow, and not on the AT? Oy Vey!

You could try the Tahoe Rim Trail. Fly into Reno, take a shuttle to South Lake Tahoe and hike away. You can easily hitch into another town once done, take the public transit and get
back to SLT to take a shuttle to Reno.

http://www.pmags.com/joomla/index.php/Outdoor-Writings/tahoe-rim-trail-journal.html#planning

You'll probably find some snow in the southern half (Desolation Wilderness and Carson mountains)...if not overly deep. It is only 1.5 hrs away or so by airport shuttle and Reno should be a relatively short flt from N'Orelans.

For DEEP snow.. Even Colorado may be a problem in November (though, with this year, you never know) except possibly really up high (San Juans). But, that is nowhere near a major airport (Durango is small and $$$. Albuquerque is quite a bit aways. Again, snow may or not be in quantities you desire by Turkey Day. It is a crap shoot)) FWIW, I don't usually backcountry ski until mid-late December most years. And skis even need less snow than snowshoes to truly be usable. Turkey Day is very much the
cusp of late Fall/early winter. There is usually enough snow to make hiking a PITA, but not enough to really ski/snowshoe.

Further north in the Rockies may of course do-able..but even further away from major airports and even more travel time.

Not sure about the Cascades.

Naturally, if you just want some light snow to play in and not really worried about snowshoeing, anywhere in the northern latitudes is going to be fine...if freakin' cold and subject to possibly nasty conditions. Be prepared!

Finally, if you are getting into snowshoeing, I wrote this doc for a snowshoeing workshop I did.
http://www.pmags.com/joomla/index.php/Outdoor-Writings/intro-to-snowshoeing.html

[hammock engineer]

Thanks for the suggestion. Later winter would be nice, but have to plan around the days I got. Forgoing the shoe shoes for just some snow isn't a show stopper.

I'll look into that. Flying into Reno is a good option. Plus would make a fun night out followed by an early morning ride to the trail.

I'm thinking if I stay out east it will be north LT or 'Dacks somewhere. Out west with some higher mountains would be nice. Sitting on a boat looking out at Mt Rainier in WA now and that got me stuck on snow.

[Mags]

Now that I think about, the Desolation Wilderness in itself is a great hiking area. Esp when you are hiking, it is going to be pretty underused. You can easily hitch out (or even get a shuttle) to the Echo Lake area. Naturally, if you have a car rental, the time to and from the TH is even shorter. Plenty of hiking options off the PCT/TRT in addition to those trails. You could easily take in a loop hike with the four days you have in this very beautiful area.


And, compared to other places out West, it is not that high. It's highest point is under 10k..most of the trails do not go that high. Most of the area is in the 7-9k range. Acclimating is not as huge an issue (still, you are coming from BELOW sea level. ;) Take it easy). You WILL get the cold you want, though. :D


SLT makes a great place to chill before and after the hike. Plenty of cheap motels on the CA side of town, all the services a hiker needs and easy logistics to and from a major airport that is close by. Plus casino gambling on the Nevada Side ! :D
(SLT, CA and Stateline, Nevada are literally next to each other)

The link I sent in the previous post has the shuttle info.

Here's more info on the Desolation Wilderness:

USFS info for permits and such:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/ltbmu/recreation/wilderness/desowild/

Wiki site with good info and photos:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desolation_Wilderness

MAp to get:
http://www.wildernesspress.com/product.php?productid=16589

Good luck and have fun!

[Doctari]

I know a few decent 3 day loops in the Smokies, some spend a mile or so on the AT, but not much more. My favorite is: Elkmont campground: Jake's creek trail Cucumber gap trail to Little river trail to Goshen prong trail to AT to Buckeye gap to Miry Ridge trail to Jake's creek trail. About 20 miles total.
And I may be able to go with you.

[sheepdog]

Fly to Marquette Michigan. Hike the pictured rocks national lakeshore(Grand Marias to Munising). Lots of snow great lake views and an icy wind of Lake superior.

[Captn]

Big Bend, Guatalupe Mountains National Park, Southern portion of the CDT or the SCal part of the PCT. Ice age trail in Wisconsin, Penhoti trail in Alabama, Ouichita trail in Arkansas, Garden of the gods in Illinois, North Country trail, Arizona has TONS of hiking.

[Sly]

A section of the TRT/PCT sounds good but I'd just take the shuttle from Reno to Tahoe City as the trail runs through town. Sixty miles south brings you to Desolation Wilderness/Echo Lake and easy access to South Lake Tahoe. If you need to bail early you have Barkers Pass or the Tahoe Yosemite Trail which brings you to Meeks Bay on the western shore of Lake Tahoe where you can easily hitch back to Tahoe City.

[wheatus]

fly to anchorage and head up to the eagle river nature center. hike the iditarod trail over to girdwood. its only 26 miles but it should take you 3 or 4 days, snowshoes a must. if you do happen to get there early, spend the day at Alyeska!

[Doooglas]

Go out to Canyonlands Nat. Park around Panguich Utah and pray for snow.
If it doesn't, you will still see one of the most incredible places on the globe.
Arches is a short drive away and is also pretty insane.

[Shutterbug]

I posted this over on HF and didn't get any good suggestions so I thought I would give WB a try.

Not sure why, but I am having problems coming up with a place to go hiking over Thanks Giving. The only criteria is it needs to be a half days travel from New Orleans. There is no good hiking close, so I already accept it will be a plane ride and a rental car away. Plus I am looking for some fun in the snow.

Any suggestions on some spots to hit up? I'm looking for places within a 3 or 4 hour drive of a major airport. Hopefully involving snow. I'm headed with a friend from Norway and our winter gear is collecting too much dust in the deep south. I have been eyeing snow shoes for a few years now, so needing a pair for the deep snow isn't an issue. I feel comfortable sleeping below zero so temps aren't a concern. I don't have the technical experience for anything too sketchy so I would like to stay away from anything involving more than hiking.

Thanks in advance.

Consider hiking the first section of the Colorado Trail. It starts at the south edge of Denver and goes to Brekenridge.

[Shutterbug]

I posted this over on HF and didn't get any good suggestions so I thought I would give WB a try.

Not sure why, but I am having problems coming up with a place to go hiking over Thanks Giving. The only criteria is it needs to be a half days travel from New Orleans. There is no good hiking close, so I already accept it will be a plane ride and a rental car away. Plus I am looking for some fun in the snow.

Any suggestions on some spots to hit up? I'm looking for places within a 3 or 4 hour drive of a major airport. Hopefully involving snow. I'm headed with a friend from Norway and our winter gear is collecting too much dust in the deep south. I have been eyeing snow shoes for a few years now, so needing a pair for the deep snow isn't an issue. I feel comfortable sleeping below zero so temps aren't a concern. I don't have the technical experience for anything too sketchy so I would like to stay away from anything involving more than hiking.

Thanks in advance.

You might also consider hiking a section of the Wonderland Trial in Mt. Rainier National Park. I was there last week and snow is down to the 6,000 foot level. If you hiked the section of the Wonderland Trail from Sunrise to Box Canyon you would be assured of enough snow to satisfy your needs.

[Ladytrekker]

Pensacola, Florida area on the Florida Trail. You can hike Eglin AFB, but you will need to get a permit and must be a member of the FTA. ($30.00). Also the GET runs up in that area into Alabama.

[Slo-go'en]

Come to New Hampshire! We already have a decent amount of snow on the summits!

Fly to Manchester, rent a car and drive up to Randolph, NH (about 2 hours). Park at Lowe's, cross the street and go up Lowe's path to the RMC Gray Knob cabin. (google it for more info, see my video on youtube - search for videos by KD1JV)

This puts you just below tree line and easy access to Mt Adams, Madison or Jefferson for a ture artic experiance without too much effort. Snowshoes are not needed this early in the season, but crampons are highly recommended, espcially above tree line where the snow gets to be hard packed from the wind.

Gray Knob has a caretaker and wood stove, but don't count on the stove ever being lit. It usually warms up to 30-40 degrees inside with just a few people hanging out. You don't need a tent or sleeping pad, as there are mattress in the sleeping loft. It's usually pretty quiet up there on T-Day weekend. The big hassle will just be flying anywhere that weekend, its a big travel weekend.

[hammock engineer]

You might also consider hiking a section of the Wonderland Trial in Mt. Rainier National Park. I was there last week and snow is down to the 6,000 foot level. If you hiked the section of the Wonderland Trail from Sunrise to Box Canyon you would be assured of enough snow to satisfy your needs.



That might be an option. Right now I am in a shipyard in Anacortes, WA and I think it is Rainier I see in the distance.

[Shutterbug]

That might be an option. Right now I am in a shipyard in Anacortes, WA and I think it is Rainier I see in the distance.

From Anacortes you are probably seeing Mt. Baker. On a really clear day, it might be possible to see Mt. Rainier from Anacortes, but not today.

If you need additional information on the Wonderland Trail, I can help. I know that eastern section well. To get a feel for what it is like, check the pictures on my web site -- http://picasaweb.google.com/shutterbug.dave/WonderlandTrail2007#

These are pictures of the section I recommended. They were taken in August, so there will be more snow in November.

[Mags]

Sixty miles south brings you to Desolation Wilderness/Echo Lake and easy access to South Lake Tahoe


Quite frankly, I was underwhelmed by most of the TRT. The stretch south from Tahoe City to PCT is blah IMO. Once you get into the Desolation Wilderness area (pretty much as soon as you join up with the TRT/PCT), the trail becomes a backcountry trail and is quite nice.

That's why I am suggesting go to the Desolation Wilderness. There is an entire network of trails and you can easily make a loop; with or without the PCT/TRT.

One of the advantages of doing a lot of hiking outside the long trails is that well, I tend to not just think linear or always long trails. :)

[Shutterbug]

That might be an option. Right now I am in a shipyard in Anacortes, WA and I think it is Rainier I see in the distance.

I apologize. My suggestion probably won't work. I just checked the Mt. Rainier web site and was reminded that the road to Sunrise closes due to snow before Thanksgiving. One could still a hike in Mt. Rainier National Park, but would have to use a trail head along a road that is kept open during the winter.

[A-Train]

I posted this over on HF and didn't get any good suggestions so I thought I would give WB a try.

Not sure why, but I am having problems coming up with a place to go hiking over Thanks Giving. The only criteria is it needs to be a half days travel from New Orleans. There is no good hiking close, so I already accept it will be a plane ride and a rental car away. Plus I am looking for some fun in the snow.

Any suggestions on some spots to hit up? I'm looking for places within a 3 or 4 hour drive of a major airport. Hopefully involving snow. I'm headed with a friend from Norway and our winter gear is collecting too much dust in the deep south. I have been eyeing snow shoes for a few years now, so needing a pair for the deep snow isn't an issue. I feel comfortable sleeping below zero so temps aren't a concern. I don't have the technical experience for anything too sketchy so I would like to stay away from anything involving more than hiking.

Thanks in advance.

The Adirondacks are great and will be under snow then. You are a 2-3 hrs drive from Albany or less from Burlington VT or Montreal

[The Solemates]

come hike with us along PA's Mid State Trail: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=39063&highlight=mid+state+trail&page=4

[beakerman]

Well you all missed teh obvious Lone Star Hiking Trail just north of Houston. That fits his bill to a "t"...

Half a days drive to get to a trail head and you can hike loops or even a section if you want. Granted it's not full of hte vast scenic vistas you get withteh mountainous trails out west but very nice none the less.

Go tothe lone star hiking trail group on Yahoo and learn more...

[beakerman]

ohh I missed the snow part...my bad but it's a nice trail anyway even without snow.

[Slack-jawed Trog]

I posted this over on HF and didn't get any good suggestions so I thought I would give WB a try.

Not sure why, but I am having problems coming up with a place to go hiking over Thanks Giving. The only criteria is it needs to be a half days travel from New Orleans. There is no good hiking close, so I already accept it will be a plane ride and a rental car away. Plus I am looking for some fun in the snow.

Any suggestions on some spots to hit up? I'm looking for places within a 3 or 4 hour drive of a major airport. Hopefully involving snow. I'm headed with a friend from Norway and our winter gear is collecting too much dust in the deep south. I have been eyeing snow shoes for a few years now, so needing a pair for the deep snow isn't an issue. I feel comfortable sleeping below zero so temps aren't a concern. I don't have the technical experience for anything too sketchy so I would like to stay away from anything involving more than hiking.

Thanks in advance.

Hey Now, HE!

Hie yourself up to the Southern Berkshires in Mass. If you are not spotting cars for a linear hike, you can make a dandy little loop on and around Alander Mountain from your car. Check out the Mass. DEC info: http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/western/mwas.htm

Alander trail map: http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/trails/print/mt-washington.pdf

There is no guarantee of snow, of course but last MLK weekend I did use snowshoes to hike/camp up there! ;)

Enjoy your hike, wherever you go.

[Medic!]

Try the Superior Hiking Trail along Minnesota's North Shore of Lake Superior. The snow will fly very soon up there, and the southern terminus is less than an hour from Duluth Intl Airport, and about 4.5 hours from Minneapolis/St. Paul Intl.

[mkmangold]

Big Bend, Guatalupe Mountains National Park, Southern portion of the CDT or the SCal part of the PCT. Ice age trail in Wisconsin, Penhoti trail in Alabama, Ouichita trail in Arkansas, Garden of the gods in Illinois, North Country trail, Arizona has TONS of hiking.

Good suggestions. As a processed cheesehead, I'd suggest the Ice Age Trail. You could fly into O'Hare (about 2 1/2 hours from New Orleans) and the drive to the Kettle Moraine Southern unit (Eagle, WI) is just over 2 hours depending on time of day and construction. Flying into Milwaukee may take longer because of layovers but the drive to Eagle from Mitchell Airport is about 45 minutes, and less dependent on traffic.
However, if you could get a flight to Duluth, MN, you could hook up right there on either the North Country trail and/or the Superior Hiking Trail. If not, the flight to Minneapolis is about 3 hours but the drive to Duluth is close to 2 1/2 hours. At that time of year, the area should be loaded with snow while the southern part of the Ice Age Trail is a crap shoot: one Thanksgiving I remember the snow being knee high, once ankle high, once the first snow of the year, and once (2005) it was close to 60 degrees. Have fun no matter what you choose.

[David@whiteblaze]

my only offering is the pinhoti. the maps are so outdated, you could feed them to a goat and he'd get more outta them than you would. What i did is bought maps of the trail, a map of the ranger district and marked the shelters on the trail map. It's pretty wild in places, so expect a few tight squeezes, and for about 1/2 mi. N of coleman lake trailhead, its almost like someone just walked thru a field at random and painted a few scarce white blazes w/o actually clearing the trail.

So theres my two cents, dont spend it all in the same place.

[MomNtheWoods]

North Pole.

If you are hell-bent for snow, it's guaranteed. Look out for reindeer working out for first string sled crew.

However, if you truely want a trail (that's not the AT) the best kept secret in the SE is Pisgah National Forest in western NC. Beautimus!

[hammock engineer]

I know a few decent 3 day loops in the Smokies, some spend a mile or so on the AT, but not much more. My favorite is: Elkmont campground: Jake's creek trail Cucumber gap trail to Little river trail to Goshen prong trail to AT to Buckeye gap to Miry Ridge trail to Jake's creek trail. About 20 miles total.
And I may be able to go with you.

Sorry buddy looking for something new. Plus this is going to be a good test on how we travel together with my buddy I'm going to Australia with next year.

[hammock engineer]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. It really did help. The plan is to get tickets into Burlington, Vt. From there it could be the 'dacks or the LT. I think that is going to be a last minute choice.

Thanks again, WB comes through again.