View Full Version : Early hikers are through the Smokies.
Snowleopard
03-13-2010, 12:22
Dave Brannan and Jesse (JB) have made it through the Smokies as of March 12.
http://trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=300526
It sounded difficult.
Has there been any word of others making it through yet?
curtisvowen
03-13-2010, 12:33
They left this morning around 0900, great folks.
Had shorts on and gaiters, nice weather for around here.
Snowleopard
03-16-2010, 14:14
Photos for the smokies from Dave Brannan and Jesse(JB) are posted on trailjournals:
http://www.trailjournals.com/photos.cfm?id=515829
Very interesting and tough conditions by the looks of it.
sidebackside
03-16-2010, 14:29
At least they're not hiking through alot of snowhttp://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/images/icons/icon12.gif
Good pictures.
Those were awesome photos. Good for them!
hellomolly
03-16-2010, 15:23
Wait a sec, are those pics of the Smokies...? Really? Where are the four-foot drifts everyone's talking about?! :eek:
Snowleopard
03-16-2010, 16:04
Wait a sec, are those pics of the Smokies...? Really? Where are the four-foot drifts everyone's talking about?! :eek:
I think they're standing on each other's shoulders in most of those.
What part of the upstate NY are you in? There were places in the Catskills with 6' to 8' of snow this past weekend. And, sadly one fatality there from hypothermia; deep wet snow can be very dangerous.
Chaco Taco
03-16-2010, 17:11
Just hiked from Hot Springs to Sams with The Gentleman and Sun Dial. Cool guys. Their stories from the Smokies were insane.
those guys should get a bonus from ATC and WB for making it thru the Smokies in those conditions. Great photos. That deer in the photo is looking at them thinking "are you guys crazy? what are you doing up here this time of year?"
the snow and ice are pretty, I'm too much a wimp and prefer to wait for late April early May to hit the Smokies, maybe see a few wildflowers by then
hellomolly
03-16-2010, 18:55
I think they're standing on each other's shoulders in most of those.
What part of the upstate NY are you in? There were places in the Catskills with 6' to 8' of snow this past weekend. And, sadly one fatality there from hypothermia; deep wet snow can be very dangerous.
I'm right on the southern cusp of the Adirondack Park... about 40 minutes northwest of Albany. I heard the Catskills got some snow, like you said, but it's certainly nothing like what they got a few weeks ago... that was INSANE! 50+ inches in a single ridiculous storm that lasted a week. I went skiing. :banana The 'dacks still have a lot of snow pack but they got some rain this past weekend. Good for hikers... no good for skiiers/ice climbers. :-?
hellomolly
03-16-2010, 18:57
And scratch my last post... I just looked at the first few pictures in which you could see the ground through the snow. Didn't see the ridiculous post holing. Those guys are badass!
Snowleopard
03-16-2010, 19:16
That was 6' to 8' cumulative snow in the Catskills not this weekend.
I have walked through 5' to 6' of snow in the Catskills from a single storm; that was more like swimming than postholing -- great fun, but not something to do for any distance.
I imagine that conditions here are similar to down south, except they're starting with more snow than we have. We have 6" to 18" of dense, wet snow that's not quite enough to hold me. All the snow we've had recently here has been elevation dependent; 300' lower and the snow is mostly gone. It's pretty unpleasant walking without snowshoes. It's also going to be hard to keep your feet dry without snowshoes, and the water in melting snow is 32F.
Everybody be careful out there and let us know how you're doing.
hellomolly
03-16-2010, 21:32
That was 6' to 8' cumulative snow in the Catskills not this weekend.
I have walked through 5' to 6' of snow in the Catskills from a single storm; that was more like swimming than postholing -- great fun, but not something to do for any distance.
I imagine that conditions here are similar to down south, except they're starting with more snow than we have. We have 6" to 18" of dense, wet snow that's not quite enough to hold me. All the snow we've had recently here has been elevation dependent; 300' lower and the snow is mostly gone. It's pretty unpleasant walking without snowshoes. It's also going to be hard to keep your feet dry without snowshoes, and the water in melting snow is 32F.
Everybody be careful out there and let us know how you're doing.
Ah, I misunderstood what you meant. Yes, that snowfall was insane. I went to Hunter Mountain in the middle of the storm and to get there you have to drive a very narrow mountain path through a deep ravine. The minute you hit a certain elevation, the rain immediately turned to snow and LOTS of it. It was surreal.
The Solemates
03-16-2010, 22:54
I didnt think their photos were that bad for winter conditions...??
Thrasher
03-16-2010, 23:05
Just hiked from Hot Springs to Sams with The Gentleman and Sun Dial. Cool guys. Their stories from the Smokies were insane.
Is the Gentleman is from the UK? Really nice guy. He is fast.
And scratch my last post... I just looked at the first few pictures in which you could see the ground through the snow. Didn't see the ridiculous post holing. Those guys are badass!
Yeah... the deeper snow doesn't come until the end of their photos.
Chaco Taco
03-18-2010, 17:21
Is the Gentleman is from the UK? Really nice guy. He is fast.
Yea thats him. He really is a nice guy. Going to be done by June it looks like
Snowleopard
03-20-2010, 19:15
Brianle (gadget) has reached Hot Springs. His journal has the tale: http://postholer.com/journal/viewJournal.php?sid=8a5a519c86a541452d1c45b888a258 7f&entry_id=13182
Snowplow is a professional photographer and it'll be worthwhile watching his blog for the photos; his Smokies photos aren't up yet, soon...
http://benbenvieblog.com/