Will this Florida boy survive?

[DBRIGGS9]

My next AT trip I have planned is March 19th-26th. Going from Franklin, NC to Davenport Gap, TN. With lows at night potentially in the 20s at higher elevations going through the Smokies do you guys think I'd be warm (or do you think that you'd be warm) with Capilene 2 long sleeve shirt and pants, nice socks, a baclava, a Golite Ultra 20 (older model, 20* is speculated), on a Neo Air in my Tarptent or a shelter.
I don't have a lot of cold weather experience and don't want to not have warm enough clothing and gear, but also don't want to bring too much.

What do you guys think?

[Moose2001]

That time of the year, you have a potential of seeing single digits in the Smokies. Unusual but not unheard of.

I think you'd be warm hiking in what you described. You'll need a wind/rain jacket. I'd also make sure I had a warm fleece for camp/night. Good warm hat and a pair of gloves also. Finally....I'd take a heavy set of thermals for sleeping.

[bigcranky]

Yeah, more clothes for sleeping -- and keep them dry! And you'll definitely need a warm insulating layer when you stop hiking, like a fleece or down jacket. Don't forget a warm hat and mittens or gloves. The Neoair isn't designed as a winter pad -- you might want to add a closed cell foam pad under it. (Sleeping in the shelters is cold, since cold air gets under you.)

[DBRIGGS9]

Oh yeah, I do have a Montbell U.L Down Inner Jacket I plan on bringing to sleep in if need be, and to wear around camp. Definitely going to get some gloves and a warm hat. I supposed I'll bring a full length CCF (Gossamer Gear) to go under my Neo Air

So for sleeping I would be in my Tarptent or a shelter, my Golite Ultra 20 quilt, wearing:
Capilene 3 top and bottom (sufficient?)
thick wool socks
a baclava
my Montbell down jacket (warm enough?)


And for during the day I'll probably have some zip-off pants, with Capilene 3 top with my Frogg Toggs jacket over it as a windshell.


Sorry for all the questions, I've just never really done any backpacking in weather colder than the high 30s

[Mrs Baggins]

Went out with 4 other ladies Saturday - Snickers Gap to Harpers Ferry. Three of them had never backpacked and they asked me what the first thing was that I do when I stop for the night. I said "Change my clothes!" I immediately change from hiking clothes into dry warm things - top and bottom base layer, nylon yoga pants, polyester long sleeved top, out of the boots and sweaty socks into dry socks and camp shoes. Then I pump water and set up camp. If it's really warm out I don't use the base layers or the dry socks in the evening.

[restless]

As time starts drawing nearer, check out this site:



http://www.weather.gov/view/prodsByState.php?state=tn&prodtype=climate

Scroll down a little over half way until you come to something that looks like this:


SMOKY MOUNTAIN TEMPERATURES AND PRECIPITATION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
950 AM EDT SUN OCT 17 2010


FOLLOWING IS THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
INFORMATION, VALID FOR A 24 HOUR PERIOD ENDING AT 7:30 AM.


STATION ELEV HIGH LOW PCPN SNOW DEPTH

SUGARLAND CENTER 1600 68 35 0.00 0
NEWFOUND GAP 5000 55 31 0.00 0
CADES COVE 1900 72 43 0.00 0
OCONALUFTEE 2040 69 30 0.00 0
MOUNT LECONTE 6400 55 29 0.00 0


This will give you weather info for this previous 24 hours at various poinjts in the Park, as well as at Mt. LeConte. This should be a good indicator of what to expect.

[Danielsen]

Yeah, get a cheap CCF pad and sleep with your down jacket and baclava on when necessary. Make sure that quilt is tucked tight, too. You should probably make it just fine if you do that.

[bigcranky]

That list sounds a lot better.

[DBRIGGS9]

Thanks guys. I feel much more confident with this advise. I really appreciate it.

[Praha4]

you'll have to put in some pretty big days to make it from Franklin, NC to Davenport Gap in 7 days. (Mar 19-26)

allowing 4-5 days from Fontana to Davenport, to get thru the Smokies, that only leaves you 2-3 days to get from Franklin to Fontana.

it's doable, but keep in mind the number hours daylight you'll have that time of March, and the weather conditions and very possible ice and snow in the Smokies and higher elevations will slow you down.

good luck

[DBRIGGS9]

you'll have to put in some pretty big days to make it from Franklin, NC to Davenport Gap in 7 days. (Mar 19-26)

allowing 4-5 days from Fontana to Davenport, to get thru the Smokies, that only leaves you 2-3 days to get from Franklin to Fontana.

it's doable, but keep in mind the number hours daylight you'll have that time of March, and the weather conditions and very possible ice and snow in the Smokies and higher elevations will slow you down.

good luck

Yeah, I realized I'm going to have to shorten the trip a bit. Franklin to Davenport in 7 days is about 14 miles per day. If it was Summer it wouldn't be a problem, but with potentially snowy, icy weather I'm not sure how many miles a day would be realistic.

[bigcranky]

Hmm, Franklin (Winding Stair Gap) to Davenport Gap is approximately 130 miles, so in 7 hiking days that's 18.5 miles per day. It doesn't sound like much, but there's a substantial difference between 14 and 18+ mpd for most hikers.

Depending on exactly when you start on day 1, and how much driving you have to do on day 7, you might consider just hiking the Nantahala section from Winding Stair to Fontana, which is 60 awesome and tough miles, with a nice break in the middle at NOC for a hot meal and a bunk/shower.

If you can get 7 full hiking days, you could push to Newfound Gap, which IIRC is about 95 miles from Winding Stair. That would be a decent 7 day hike in March (though I would want to do it Southbound.)

[StorminMormon]

Hey, let me know as you get closer - I might hike some of it with you. Don't think I'll be able to do the whole hike (do to work constraints) but maybe I can meet you along the way and hike 30 or 40 miles with you (if you like, that is). A buddy and I are planning a hike from Davenport Gap towards Clingman's Dome for next year, but I think we'll be doing it later than March. I'm hiking around Hot Springs next month and just loaded up on winter clothes, so I need to plan another cold trip to justify all the new gear.

[DBRIGGS9]

Well I'm starting at NOC, which is Franklin I thought, but just realized I'm thinking of Wesser...So I'm starting there at NOC, simply because that's where my last trip ended as I'm working my way north without trying to skip sections or hike parts I've already been to. Plus NOC is really accessible. So given that I'm starting at NOC and find 12-15 mile days comfortable in warmer weather on the trail since starting at Springer. I'll say I'll do 10 mile days, just to play it safe in case I run into some bad weather which puts me at about Newfound Gap.

Is there a place I can park my car at Newfound Gap?


And storminmormon, I'd love to do some hiking with you, but my dates are pretty set in stone, as I'll be going on this trip during my Spring break from college.