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Has anyone heard from any of the people who have already began their thru-hike? Just wondering how far they have gone and the trail conditions.
Has anyone heard from any of the people who have already began their thru-hike? Just wondering how far they have gone and the trail conditions.Have read on trailjournals of bad wintery conditions, and of hikers having to leave the trail because of it. Also one hiker was saying he had heard of bad conditions in the Smokies.
conditions sound bad north of Dicks Creek Gap....one bad report today at Trail Journals from Frankie the Sleeper
http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=299044
poor guy spent a miserable nite at Muskrat Creek shelter last nite, below zero wind chill, snowing, and he came down with stomach cramps and diahrea middle of the nite, his group hiked out to hwy 64 today and hitched to Franklin. His photos show he was using an MSR Sweetwater water filter, it froze up and busted on the trail. Hope the poor guy is okay, he started from ASP on 2/15. Wish him and his group good luck for a quick recovery so he can get back on the trail
The Smokies had more snow today now 3-4 feet on the ground above 5000 feet.
rambunny
02-27-2010, 12:32
Atkins Va. isn't fun right now either.
Wow! I just finished reading Frankie the Sleepers journal, 80 miles in 12 days. It sounds like it's really bad down there. I'm just guessing the 1st or 2nd week in March sounds about right.
Roughin' It
02-27-2010, 21:08
reading all these journals makes me nervous. i mean i still have 2 weeks until i start, but i sure hope some warmth and sunshine are coming.
Rocker here just wanted to let yall know the trail is in rough shape. That night at muskrat creek was no fun the snow blew into the shelter and soaked our sleeping bags. Frank has gone home for the time being. The going has been extremely slow. Snow drifts have been as high as 5 or 6 feet. Just ordered a pair of snowshoes to be sent to Fontana. The smokies are going to be brutal! If your starting early just be ready the snow is PIA!
Good luck yall
Turtle Feet
02-27-2010, 22:08
Rocker here just wanted to let yall know the trail is in rough shape. That night at muskrat creek was no fun the snow blew into the shelter and soaked our sleeping bags. Frank has gone home for the time being. The going has been extremely slow. Snow drifts have been as high as 5 or 6 feet. Just ordered a pair of snowshoes to be sent to Fontana. The smokies are going to be brutal! If your starting early just be ready the snow is PIA!
Good luck yall
...and Rocker is hiking about the same speed as Turkey & Thrasher. Thrasher has been posting updates on trailphone.net
We are actually hiking together. There's a group of 4 of us who are planning to stick together at least until we are thru the smokies. I also reccomend bringing maps in case you need to bail out, like we did the other day.
JonnyWalker
02-27-2010, 22:39
Nice thing about starting in conditions like this is it gives you stories the vast majority of AT hikers don't have. Bad thing is you have to actually experience said conditions to get the bragging rights.
Trailweaver
02-28-2010, 03:12
Anyone remember the Donner party? I cannot imagine hiking in these conditions. On purpose, I mean.
Maybe the trail tells you when it's time to start.
Cedar Tree
03-01-2010, 12:08
I started the 13th at Springer and made it to Unicoi Gap (Helen, GA) on Saturday the 20th. Very difficult walking in deep snow, especially the thigh high drifts. I am waiting out the snow for a little while and hope to get back on shortly.
Atkins Va. isn't fun right now either.
Meanwhile, I plan to do some shorter sections here around Marion. Rambunny, I was out your way yesterday checking trail conditions at the Settler's Museum. I didn't see any footprints, but the little bit of the trail I walked was was much more manageable than what I experienced in GA. I made some changes in my gear: dropped my 20 degree for 0 degree bag, and dropped my alcohol stove for a cannister stove. I need to do a couple shakedowns with this new stuff, so I might as well knock off some trail miles while I do it.
Cedar Tree
Chaco Taco
03-01-2010, 12:11
There is a small group pushing through the Smokies right about now. 30-40 inches on the ridge right now. Im heading up to the trail this afternoon to check some spots
sasquatch2014
03-01-2010, 12:22
Takethisbread aka Digger said he was going to be heading out of Fontana either yesterday or Today. At least that is what I heard from him when I called him at 4:15am from the warmer....and he answered the phone! Why?
Chaco Taco
03-01-2010, 12:29
Takethisbread aka Digger said he was going to be heading out of Fontana either yesterday or Today. At least that is what I heard from him when I called him at 4:15am from the warmer....and he answered the phone! Why?
and you called him at 415am??
sasquatch2014
03-01-2010, 12:43
Well.....Yeah! It seemed like a really normal thing to do at the time. We had been talking about him while hanging out upstairs during Sat night at the Warmer. I figured we would be leaving a msg on his VM. This could be the start of a very bad thing.
Me and my college buddies when we lived out in Co decided if we weren't sleeping then we could use the phone and if it woke you up and you were now not sleeping you might as well be up and not sleeping with us having a good time. See it makes perfect sense.
rjridgely
03-01-2010, 14:08
My early attempt, Jan 21st thru Feb 11th
Hey everyone...
thanks to those who listened to my Trailphone posts.
To Clear up any speculation, wondering or cyber-hiking rumors......
I started Jan 21st from FS42, it was raining hard and did no go to the Springer Summit. It was basically crappy weather and bare ground until I got to Neel Gap. From Neel Gap until within 2-3 miles of NOC I walked in some form of crusty or powder snow, ice, ice steps etc. Thank goodness for my VASQUE Super Alpinista mountaineering boots. Hiawassee Inn IS CLOSED. Something to do with the previous mgrs getting out late last summer and the new mgrs getting busted for running a meth lab mid Jan (accouding to the prev. mgr). Took 2 hours to go 2 miles thru the Rhod's at Dick's Creek gap after the Ice Storm, I really needed a machete....&.....my petzl ice climbing helmet......hit on head 4 times by falling ice and once by a 2" x 3 foot limb over the next 2 days. I encountered one THRU (Nature Boy) @ Rock Gap Shelter and one other THRU (Rocck) @Wayah Shelter. Both younger and faster hiking than thee. I was again alone at NOC...had the entire Bunkhouse system to myself. Met up again with Rocck the morning of my 2nd day at NOC. He had gone ahead of me, made it to Sassafras Gap Shelter, tried to head on to Brown Fork Shelter and not omly lost the trail because of blowdowns and un-seeable blazes but was so slowed from his normal pace....he turned around. He called ahead to Stand Bear Hostel and spoke with Curtis who advised that trying the Smokies was ill advised.....2 THRU's (names unk) just took 13 days to get through them and were so badly bruised, cut & worn out that they stayed a day and left the trail.
I did not leave the trail at this point because I was hurt or scared or or mentally unfit / prepared etc. I left because I was for the most part SOLOING. Years and Years of wintering in the NH White Mts. & discussions with both a hiker 30 years younger than me AND a hostel owner who has seen MUCH more over the years than me & my brain (personal survival tool).........all led to my decision.
No right...no wrong...just instinct.
If ya need more details...just ask.....
[email protected]
traildust
03-01-2010, 14:39
Here is an update from Mama Bear and Papa Bear. Telling story.
On Friday at 3 a.m. I woke up in room 20 at Haven’s Budget Inn with CNN discussing healthcare on TV. The room lights were lit, and the heater was pumping out hot air, so I decided to start packing up my gear and roll up my sleeping bag to prepare for our return to the AT. At 3:30 a.m. CNN was still discussing the healthcare meeting between President Obama and congressmen and women. But at least everything was rolled up and packed up for that 7 a.m. wake-up call the following morning. So, I tried to go back to bed hoping CNN would drone noise enough to send me to sleepland. No such luck. I then-tried laying there with the remote control flipping through the 65 channels searching for a channel to sing me to sleep. Local channels had yesterday’s weather and violent crime reports of the local area. The weather channel gave grim weather reports of places far away. Most of the other channels were of someone trying to sell some contraption or device.
4 a.m. came suddenly with no sleep in sight, but I thought I felt a lump or bump in my chest. I woke up Mama Bear,” Hey, do you think this lump might be cancer?” She reluctantly woke up and tried to check it out. She didn’t know but she did tell me that I had another on my other side that was similar, so maybe I should see a doctor down the road about it. Then she said, “You know what? Those blisters on the back of my heels, I just remember I was told by a doctor not to neglect sores on my fingertips or feet so I shouldn’t go back on the trail til they are healed.”
“What?”
I said, “They will heal, cause that’s what the body does. It heals.”
Mama Bear then reminded me I wasn’t a doctor and didn’t know much about healthcare. So 5 a.m. came and I was still up. Mama Bear got up and threw her water bottles away, said she was going to mail her backpack home and start hitchhiking.
I told her, “You’ve gotta be kidding, come on, you’re getting your trail legs and you’re really hiking good now.”
“No,” she said, “I’ve got bad blisters on both heels, there’s going to be snow up to my waist-if not up to my chest, it’s going to be life-threatening cold, and your worries about cancer reminded me that I can’t take chances out on the trail. It’s not worth it. So, I’ll do it on my own terms, without the snow, and in sections.”
She mentioned a home base, something about getting a job and health insurance, being a Mom, and a life more like normal people.
I tried to reassure her that while it’s totally insane and not practical to keep hiking the AT in winter, it is so worth it.
And then, 6 a.m. came and she began making calls. First, to bus stations, and other places listed in the Franklin yellow pages like Rent A Wreck, and Enterprise Car Rental. Enterprise no longer allowed one direction car rentals and Rent A Wreck didn’t have much more else. So, Mama Bear then called her sister in Alabama. “Please come get me and thank you very much, I’ll see you when you get here.” Mama Bear hung up the phone and tried to go back to sleep. She said her sister was driving 300 miles to pick her up. I couldn’t believe it. Stunned.
From 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. I tried to talk her out of quitting the trail with no luck. So, then I started suggesting that she could return later to the trail after some time off. She could catch up with me at NOC in four days. Or, four days after that, maybe at Fontana Dam. Or, tack on another week, she could meet me in Gatlinburg. When her sister came at 2 p.m. we carried Mama Bear’s belongings to the SUV. And then it hit her. I just told her I hoped to see her in four days at NOC and walked in to the motel room. She was gone. Lesson learned is, if you have a good woman you need good rope or else she can easily get away.
I called my Mom and said, “Mama Bear is gone so now I’m going to be hiking it alone.” At 2:30 p.m., I called Mama Bear up to apologize for not having waved good-bye. Mama Bear then told me she really missed me for the 40 minutes she had to endure during our painful separation. She began begging her sister just to let her out of the car. So, she told me if I’d go to Alabama with her, for a week, she’d get back on the trail with me in 8 days.
I paused and then said,” Yes.”
Her sister had to swing the SUV around because she had already driven to Georgia. Mama Bear plans to return to the AT with me in 8 days. And, we are currently having fun in the Alabama sun.
Papa Bear
traildust
03-01-2010, 14:41
Posted Yesterday 28 Feb
It snowed in Fontana again today. Made the 2nd lap to Fontana slack packing. Knee-Deep is still at Fontana Shelter, waiting for an order from Neel's Gap and for Fahmah to make his decision whether to head in to the Smokies with him and another hiker at the shelter. Fahmah is still considering his options.
There are stories of a couple hikers came out of the Smokies this week, one with frost bitten feet. Told of drifts up there chest high....that could be over Fahmah's head! They had made it to Newfound Gap but then lost the trail and had to walk 7 miles down a road from Clingman's Dome. It took them 7 days to make it to Newfound Gap. NOAA is forecasting 70% chance of another snow storm on Tuesday. What will that do in the mountains? After all, it is WINTER in the Smokies
rambunny
03-01-2010, 14:42
Good for you smart hiker-that trail will still be there. Nature Boy called here the other day. It seems he's skipping high elevations.Good luck to all who are panting at the starting gate.
As you all probably know this has been a big snow winter in western NC. Right now 1-2 feet of snow on the trail is pretty typical for the higher elevations from the Smokies to Roan Mountain. We're also gettting reports of a lot of down trees. Our maintenance crews (Carolina Mountain Club) will moblize soon, but will be hampered by the snow and ice on the trail and on the access roads.
sasquatch2014
03-01-2010, 17:53
Has anyone seen or heard anything about where Trek is at this point?
Shlep messaged me yesterday. She reached hiawassee. Said there have been some cold nights and a lot of ice, but she is managing alright.
I am currently on the train now on the way down to GA...
reached hiawassee from unicoi gap or from dicks creek gap?
sasquatch2014
03-01-2010, 18:48
Shlep messaged me yesterday. She reached hiawassee. Said there have been some cold nights and a lot of ice, but she is managing alright.
I am currently on the train now on the way down to GA...
Next time you talk to her tell her hello from me. Have a great time out there remember fun can be had in any weather. The Cat in the Hat proved it.
Blissful
03-01-2010, 18:56
Thanks for all these updates. Wow looks like tough stuff. Guess it will make one stronger...
Chaco Taco
03-01-2010, 18:57
Shlep messaged me yesterday. She reached hiawassee. Said there have been some cold nights and a lot of ice, but she is managing alright.
I am currently on the train now on the way down to GA...
Good luck and stay safe, see you in a few weeks;)
Chaco Taco
03-01-2010, 18:58
Thanks for all these updates. Wow looks like tough stuff. Guess it will make one stronger...
Yea the ones that finish this year will be warriors, especially of its a hot summer. Wow, the extremes for those early birds
reached hiawassee from unicoi gap or from dicks creek gap?
Hmm, not sure..
I did not leave the trail at this point because I was hurt or scared or or mentally unfit / prepared etc. I left because I was for the most part SOLOING. Years and Years of wintering in the NH White Mts. & discussions with both a hiker 30 years younger than me AND a hostel owner who has seen MUCH more over the years than me & my brain (personal survival tool).........all led to my decision.
No right...no wrong...just instinct.
If ya need more details...just ask.....
I agree with you 100% RJ. These are not the kind of conditions to be going solo in. Keep it safe out there. BTW, here in Southern Indiana it will be in the mid-fifties by the weekend. It's been a long winter (no matter where you live), but spring isn't far away.
Next time you talk to her tell her hello from me. Have a great time out there remember fun can be had in any weather. The Cat in the Hat proved it.
Will do and thanks! Yep, as long as you are prepared for the weather and not trying to meet an agressive schedule, the weather should be manageable.
Good luck and stay safe, see you in a few weeks;)
Thanks! Hopefully it is just a few weeks, but who knows...
Lone Wolf
03-03-2010, 22:44
Has anyone heard from any of the people who have already began their thru-hike? Just wondering how far they have gone and the trail conditions.
:D we got one thru-hiker here in damascus that is being arrested by police as i type. he met a local and went to the local's home where they've been drinking all day. the hiker and local got in a fight and the local's family called police. it's startin' early :rolleyes:
:D we got one thru-hiker here in damascus that is being arrested by police as i type. he met a local and went to the local's home where they've been drinking all day. the hiker and local got in a fight and the local's family called police. it's startin' early :rolleyes:
Yes, but the police are the friendliest of any trail town (or so they say).
;)
Keep us updated on this story, LW. Sounds like it could be a hoot!
Lone Wolf
03-03-2010, 23:00
Yes, but the police are the friendliest of any trail town (or so they say).
;)
Keep us updated on this story, LW. Sounds like it could be a hoot!
i'm gettin' bits and pieces on my police scanner. pretty normal hiker BS but usually not this early
climber2377
03-03-2010, 23:04
this sure sounds like it is going to be a rough go at it. still so excited to get out there and give it my best. i have no way out but thru, so i m either going to take it slow, or hang out some where and take a few zeros if the going gets rediculous and wait for some melting to take place. see you all in a little over a week!!!
Thrasher
03-04-2010, 18:40
Turkey and I came home today. We're going to go out in a 3-4 weeks back at the NOC. Went to Sassafras Shelter and couldn't see the trail and lots of trees down so we went back to NOC. We dropped Rocker and Will off at the Hilton in Fontana and I think they are going to go into the smokies. Two other guys we talked to were talking about heading out Saturday so they may all go together. I think the register said Tim from the UK, takethisbread, and someone else left today. I don't remember seeing OMRiver as going with them. The snow has been fine for us up until NOC and I don't think we could have handled it in the smokies so we're waitin it out a few weeks. We also ran into Tom and Brenda in Franklin the other week. They were waiting on Tom's blister's healing.
sasquatch2014
03-04-2010, 21:37
:D we got one thru-hiker here in damascus that is being arrested by police as i type. he met a local and went to the local's home where they've been drinking all day. the hiker and local got in a fight and the local's family called police. it's startin' early :rolleyes:
Person Number 1: So you were hiking the AT last year?
Person number 2: I hear there was tons of snow.
Hiker: Yeah the snow was tough but not as bad as spending time in the jail in Damascus.
Both: What?
Hiker: Yeah I would have been one of the first one to Baxter I was making really good time but then I got thrown in Jail in Damascus and had to do 30 days and help clean up after Trail Days.
Both: Yeah nice talking to you but we have to go. (As they quickly make their retreat)