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shelb
01-07-2012, 23:16
As a teacher, I am doing my section hiking in the summer months (mid June - end of August). I have hiked in Virginia in July and Maryland/Pennsylvania in August.
1. How does Georgia compare in July/August to any of those? (Please advise on what it is like on the Trail, not in Atlanta!)
2. Is it more apt to be a lot different the last two weeks of June?
Thanks!

Lightfoot70
01-07-2012, 23:21
I live in north Georgia and all I can say is just be prepared to sweat. It can get pretty miserable. Hope and pray for a mild summer. Atleast it makes you appreciate the swim holes.

Papa D
01-07-2012, 23:23
The north Georgia mountains are certainly much cooler than Atlanta in the summer and can at times be rainy and cold but I'd say that warm temperatures are much more likely - MD and PA are probably good states to compare with. Clearly subtract 10-12 degrees from ATL, but if ATL is 100, that could make it 88 in the mts. - that would be about as bad as it would get. 78 is more likely.

Freedom Walker
01-07-2012, 23:25
Several WB members live in the North Ga area and can give great advice on this, plus it has come up before and you may be able to find the thread. From what I remember from the discussion it can be hot and humid, but in the mts a few degrees cooler than Atlanta.

Summit
01-07-2012, 23:41
You can count on hot and buggy from late June thru August. You'll be praying for some rain to cool things off. Nights can be miserable. I started out with no clothing on laying on top of my quilt and sweating. Mayyyybe by early morning it cools down enough to throw a lite cover over yourself. Hope you enjoy yourself!

shelb
01-08-2012, 00:35
When we were in the SNP last July, it hit 100 degrees in the park! I was told it was 115 in the valley. Our VI hike temps ranged from the 80's to 100. However, there were NO bugs! This was very strange to me, as in Michigan we have bugs ALL summer! We brought 4 bottles of 100% deet to last 12 days of hiking/vacation and only applied it 2 times! (Much different than the previous year when we were in Michigan's UP and used 1 bottle/person in a 6 day period!)

Are the bugs mosquitoes, black flies, no-se-ums, or something else?

Sierra Echo
01-08-2012, 00:39
Very dry!!!

Sierra Echo
01-08-2012, 00:40
When we were in the SNP last July, it hit 100 degrees in the park! I was told it was 115 in the valley. Our VI hike temps ranged from the 80's to 100. However, there were NO bugs! This was very strange to me, as in Michigan we have bugs ALL summer! We brought 4 bottles of 100% deet to last 12 days of hiking/vacation and only applied it 2 times! (Much different than the previous year when we were in Michigan's UP and used 1 bottle/person in a 6 day period!)

Are the bugs mosquitoes, black flies, no-se-ums, or something else?

Yep! All the above and chiggers! You dont even want to know where I have gotten chigger bites before!! Helps to keep your pants on in the woods!

shelb
01-08-2012, 00:45
What do you use to keep Chiggers away? It appears they are like ticks, but do not burrow in. Do they attach or just bite?

Slo-go'en
01-08-2012, 01:58
What do you use to keep Chiggers away? It appears they are like ticks, but do not burrow in. Do they attach or just bite?

Oh they burrow in. I thought I had some kind of itchy heat rash, turns out it was chiggers. Nasty little buggers and hard to get rid of once you got them. I don't know which is worse, hiking in long pants in the heat or getting chiggers because you didn't.

Freedom Walker
01-08-2012, 11:04
Yep! All the above and chiggers! You dont even want to know where I have gotten chigger bites before!! Helps to keep your pants on in the woods!

Hey Sierra, how is the knee doing. I am slowly improving and with the workouts at the gym hoping to be back out there by spring. Ditto on the chiggers. They will get you when nature calls as well.

allen3150
01-08-2012, 11:10
Can be very hot and humid - pack light - be aware of water source conditions

FatMan
01-08-2012, 11:48
Mid June in GA can be springlike. But by the end of June you are definitely in summer. For GA in the summer high temps at elevation on the AT are typically low to mid 80s, and rarely get to 90. But don't take too much comfort in that as it is the humidity that will get to you. Unless you have the rare nice breeze you will sweat like mad. Expect your clothes to drip and never get dry at night.

I disagree that GA is all that buggy. We have virtually no mosquitoes at elevation, and the no-see-ums are more common in Spring, but in Summer we do have gnats, flies, and yellow jackets. And as mentioned above, stay out of the grass to avoid chiggers. Also, camp where there is little vegetation as most of the ground cover is filled with poison ivy.

Best bet is to get up before dawn and be on the trail with the morning light. The hottest time of the day is usually between 3 & 4.

Depending on the weather pattern it is not uncommon to have late afternoon thunderstorms, some can be quite severe and come on very quickly. Some of these can quickly drop the temperature bringing hypothermia into play if you don't have good rain gear.

In the past five years we have had two where water was a major concern. Stay informed of water conditions.

Here is a link for up to date weather conditions for milepost 17.5 from Springer. Unfortunately this weather station was only installed last week so there is no history for past summers.

Grassy Gap AT (http://www.wunderground.com/weatherstation/WXDailyHistory.asp?ID=KGASUCHE4)

Summit
01-08-2012, 12:59
Best way to reduce chance of getting a bad case of chiggers (also called red bugs) is to use a clothing treatment called Permethrin:

http://www.rei.com/product/768970/sawyer-permethrin-pump-spray-24-oz

Treat chigger bites by coating the bore hole with clear fingernail polish. Let dry and apply a second coat. I've heard some disagree with this treatment but all I can say is it worked fantastic for me. The first time I got eaten up with chiggers I was in misery when a guy came along and gave me his little bottle of clear fingernail polish, and the immediate relief was incredible.

But if you use the Permethrin treatment, chances are you'll never have any bites to treat!

Sierra Echo
01-08-2012, 14:02
Hey Sierra, how is the knee doing. I am slowly improving and with the workouts at the gym hoping to be back out there by spring. Ditto on the chiggers. They will get you when nature calls as well.

Much better thank you! Its cranky today. I'm guessing because of the weather.

Cookerhiker
01-08-2012, 16:35
You can count on hot and buggy from late June thru August. You'll be praying for some rain to cool things off. Nights can be miserable. I started out with no clothing on laying on top of my quilt and sweating. ...

I experienced this exactly as you said.....but in NJ!;)

jacob_springsteen
01-08-2012, 20:17
Here is a link for up to date weather conditions for milepost 17.5 from Springer. Unfortunately this weather station was only installed last week so there is no history for past summers.

Grassy Gap AT (http://www.wunderground.com/weatherstation/WXDailyHistory.asp?ID=KGASUCHE4)


That's some warm weather in northern Georgia. Possible drought conditions along the AT for the '12 NB's?

DaSchwartz
01-09-2012, 01:38
As a teacher, I am doing my section hiking in the summer months (mid June - end of August). I have hiked in Virginia in July and Maryland/Pennsylvania in August.
1. How does Georgia compare in July/August to any of those? (Please advise on what it is like on the Trail, not in Atlanta!)

Cooler then Harpers Ferry on average due to the higher altitude with nights being even cooler... Yes, it does not get hotter as you go south from Maryland on the AT. I would say 5 to 10 degrees cooler on average.