View Full Version : Conditions Davenport Gap to Newfound
Chaco Taco
02-22-2010, 19:13
What are the trail conditions from Davenport Gap to Newfound Gap on the BMT?
Tennessee Viking
02-22-2010, 20:01
There are no conditions for that section of the BMT. lol. BMT takes the lower NC trails when entering the park and heading close to Big Creek station then over to Davenport Gap.
Rock sent me this link a while back. It has general conditions, but probably not the latest winter conditions.
http://www.bmta.org/BMTAwork.php
Chaco Taco
02-22-2010, 21:07
There are no conditions for that section of the BMT. lol. BMT takes the lower NC trails when entering the park and heading close to Big Creek station then over to Davenport Gap.
Rock sent me this link a while back. It has general conditions, but probably not the latest winter conditions.
http://www.bmta.org/BMTAwork.php
I have no idea what you just said dude.
Chaco Taco
02-22-2010, 21:09
In other words, has anyone been anywhere in the park around Mt Sterling???? or Newfound Gap?? Anyone talked to any thru's? Any TJ's with conditions in the Park.
curtisvowen
02-22-2010, 22:08
Chaco,
As of Feb 19th the rd. to Newfound Gap is open. I was there.
Mt. Sterling Rd.? Don't know but I'd say it's o.k.? but best to maybe have 4WD.
NoBo this past week said the snow in the Park was 4ft. deep around Clingmon's but once he dropped to what?....4K' then it was o.k. He had some sweet MSR snowshoes though.
Blowdowns on the BMT? I'd say that'll be the biggest problem.
Blowdowns north of me for 8 miles? Looks like a bomb went off, but that's 2nd hand intel.
Hope this helps.
Tennessee Viking
02-22-2010, 23:49
Just messing with you Chaco.
The BMT doesn't run the same ridgetop as the AT. It runs down in NC along the Lakeshore Trail to Smokemont to Sterling then up to Davenport.
I have an old classmate that works up at Purchase Knob. I will try to get some info from her.
Chaco Taco
02-22-2010, 23:59
Just messing with you Chaco.
The BMT doesn't run the same ridgetop as the AT. It runs down in NC along the Lakeshore Trail to Smokemont to Sterling then up to Davenport.
I have an old classmate that works up at Purchase Knob. I will try to get some info from her.
When I looked at the map I saw that it was on the same road as Newfound. Figured we could get there somehow. I just didnt really understand what you said. I got it now.
SGT Rock
02-23-2010, 14:05
I've heard that there are 4' drifts in the high country thru the local news. But in my experience they don't know what conditions are 20' past the trail heads.
Ox97GaMe
02-23-2010, 15:32
What I have noticed on the TN side of the park is that the most severe blowdown areas occur between 2100 and 2800 ft elevation. Not sure exactly why that would be, but it is pretty consistant on the trails I have hiked on this side of the park to gather info for SMHC and the park service. It is also consistent with reports I have been getting about the AT between NOC and Fontana.
The reports that we have been getting from hikers in the park is that snow is deep at higher elevations and there are a lot of trees down. Deep and Lots can be rather vague terms.
Road closures have made it difficult to get a good assessment of the park. I know first hand that the snow was knee deep along Mollies Ridge to Spence last week. I also observed that the snow was not really an issue until I had gotten above 4000 ft eleveation.
I got reports 2 weeks ago that snow at NFG was waist deep in some areas. Crews at that time had tried to get to some of the blowdowns, but didnt have snowshoes and only managed to get about a mile each direction before they bailed out. Fri, Sat, and Sun were pretty nice days on this side of the park and we had light drizzly rain on Mon. I would image that a lot of the snow is probably gone now. however, they are calling for colder temps and more precip for later this week. That generally equates to more snow on the ridgelines.
Chaco Taco
02-23-2010, 17:08
This is getting ridiculous.:rolleyes::rolleyes:
Ox97GaMe
02-23-2010, 17:32
you talking about the snow, or the thread. lol.
Between snow, ice, rock slides, and roads closed for repaving, it has been an adventure getting into some areas of the park this winter. I am SOOOOO looking forward to spring.
Chaco Taco
02-23-2010, 17:45
I am SOOOOO looking forward to spring.
Thats kinda where I was goin. I have cancelled atleast 3 hikes because of it. Seriously thinking about snowshoes for the both of us.
bigcranky
02-23-2010, 18:03
Thats kinda where I was goin. I have cancelled atleast 3 hikes because of it. Seriously thinking about snowshoes for the both of us.
Snow shoes are good. Fun. Etc.
My hiking partner and I were planning to go NOC > Dick's Creek Gap the second week in March. That's a week from Saturday. This is the only week we have to hike this year. Given the trail conditions we decided to punt and go hike the Florida Trail through Ocala NF.
Given all the hikers that we meet from Florida up here, thought it was time to return the favor... :)
rainmaker
02-26-2010, 22:06
If I may use this thread, what are the conditions from NOC to Fontana in terms of snow depth? I'm trying for a hike next week.
Chaco Taco
02-28-2010, 20:20
If I may use this thread, what are the conditions from NOC to Fontana in terms of snow depth? I'm trying for a hike next week.
Anything above 4000 ft will be rough
checkout NWS link for GSMNP - 2 days ago snow depth and temps
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/productview.php?pil=RTPMRX&version=2&max=61
Newfound Gap = 30" snow. Low = +9
Mt Leconte = 46" snow. Low = -1 high = +6
hope spring comes soon, I'm waiting to start north til last week of March
Was at Newfound Gap yesterday. Hiked the Thomas Ridge Divide tr. The snow is still deep. The trail had 2" of fresh fine dusty snow on a hard crust this morning. Sank 3-4 inches w/ each step compared to knee deep last weekend. Managed 1.6 mph pace w/o pushing hard. Hwy 441 was iced over and closed. Plow driver slid into a snow bank. Was brutal cold and windy last night during my visit to the trees.
aBRG2far
03-03-2010, 09:52
50in of snow on Mt LeConte today.
Talked to a freind of mine in TN on Sunday who said 3 feet at N. Gap at that time. He does trail maintanence but not there, just the skinny he heard.
any guesses on a date when the AT will be cleared thru GSMNP? by mid April?
Ox97GaMe
03-03-2010, 22:43
I was up at NFG on Sunday. There was 3 ft average around the parking lot. They got more snow yesterday and a light dusting today. The report I got from LeConte this morning stated base snow of 54 inches and drifts of up to 80 inches. LeConte is at 6600 ft. Basically everything above 5000 ft in the park still has considerable amounts of snow and it is tough going, but hikers are making it through. It appears to start getting bad around Siler's Bald and continuing to TriCorner.
As for clearing the park of blow downs. Crews are working the areas they can get to right now. I cleared Doe Knob to Russell Field a couple weeks ago. Crews have finished from Davenport to Mt Cammerer. I heard that a crew did from Fontana to Shuckstack recently. And a crew managed to get from NFG S to Indian Gap.
The SMHC is planning a major blowdown removal effort the first weekend in April. That starts a 3 week window when the park allows use of chainsaws in the backcountry. This is dependent on the snow levels in the park at that time of course. Until then, maintainers will be going out when possible to remove the smaller debris from the trail. At this time, the snow is so deep, a lot of the blowdowns are completely buried under snow.
SGT Rock
03-04-2010, 20:17
Supposed to be in the 50s up there this weekend. Some rocket scientist can probably calculate the rate of snow melt.
Supposed to be in the 50s up there this weekend. Some rocket scientist can probably calculate the rate of snow melt.
too many variables, temp, wind speed, shade, humidity, ground temp, number of hikers tramping thru...:D
SGT Rock
03-04-2010, 20:58
too many variables, temp, wind speed, shade, humidity, ground temp, number of hikers tramping thru...:D
You forget, this is WhiteBlaze. Someone here ALWAYS thinks they know everything.:rolleyes:
You forget, this is WhiteBlaze. Someone here ALWAYS thinks they know everything.:rolleyes:
...or more than us
SGT Rock
03-04-2010, 21:17
Zactly....
Slo-go'en
03-04-2010, 21:50
Trust me, it will take more than a couple of 50 degree days to melt all that snow up there! A packed down trail takes the longest. The first snow to go is that around the south sides of trees. Rain doesn't do a lot, it just soaks through. A good dry wind will speed the melt up a lot.
one year ago... still a lot of snow at Leconte Lodge area the first week of April.
Erik and Vesna from "A Walk in the Woods", a Smokies guide service out of Gatlinburg, took Travel Channel's Samantha Brown for a weekend backpack trip to Leconte a year ago, weekend of April 9th.. checkout the slides at their link
http://www.awalkinthewoods.com/
BTW, "A Walk in the Woods" is a 1st rate guide service in the Smokies, they offer shuttle service too.
SGT Rock
03-04-2010, 22:04
Not to be confused with the book.
one year ago... still a lot of snow at Leconte Lodge area the first week of April.
Erik and Vesna from "A Walk in the Woods", a Smokies guide service out of Gatlinburg, took Travel Channel's Samantha Brown for a weekend backpack trip to Leconte a year ago, weekend of April 9th.. checkout the slides at their link
http://www.awalkinthewoods.com/
BTW, "A Walk in the Woods" is a 1st rate guide service in the Smokies, they offer shuttle service too.
Here's a direct link to the pic
http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Samantha_Brown/Photos/Slideshow_Smoky_Mountains?s=9
yep, not to be confused with Bryon's book!
Erik said Samantha Brown handled the backpacking fine, (plus she's kind of cute) it was the poor Travel Channel camera guys who had to lug those heavy batteries up the mountains that had the toughest time!