View Full Version : A Little Hike
Jeremy Peyton
12-09-2012, 22:20
Well after our last trip to the AT over Memorial Day, my wife and I are going back for a small few day hike. It will include a couple of days at hike inn followed by a hike from Woody gap to Neels gap. Any suggestions for hiking this section? Do you think blood mountain shelter will be full mid December? How volatile is the weather on blood mountain? Thanks for your help in advance!!
Jeremy aka Bullfrog
Jennifer aka Turtle
magic_game03
12-09-2012, 23:20
Blood mountain shelter is not a great place to shelter if you can help it. While it is beautiful during the daytime it is a stone building that becomes an ice box at night and does not warm up with the morning sun. Because of its long existence it is also densely packed with mice throughout its foundation. It also lacks a water source. But it does look cool in photographs.
Jeremy Peyton
12-10-2012, 07:12
Good information, thank you for the honesty.
joshuasdad
12-10-2012, 15:23
I hiked Neels to Woody in the PM on Easter day last year. If you are hiking near the (original) Hike Inn (on the road to Fontana), you should be able to handle that hike as a day hike. I think that Neels to Woody would be easiest, as the parking for Neels is not good(requires unsafe road walk, or a pretty long blue blaze (like 1 mi)), and it is good to get the steep uphill out of the way at the beginning.
max patch
12-10-2012, 16:18
If I understand you correctly you are doing some day hiking as well as an overnight at Blood Mountain. I'm going to assume you are staying at the Hike Inn on the GA approach trail.
I'm going to take a brief detour from "straight forward" and make one alternative suggestion...Park your car at Hightower Gap and get shuttled to Amicalola. I'd hike to the Inn, spend one night, and then hike northward for the "backpack" portion of the trip. Plenty of good places to spend the night that will make it an easy 2nd day to your car. Stover Creek Shelter - 3 Forks - Long Creek Falls - Hickory Flatts Cemetary (no water) and Hawk Mtn Shelter are all possibilites. I'd then make Blood Mtn the day hike.
Back to straight forward...I'd hike Woody to Neels, saving Blood for the evening. No water. I doubt the shelter will be full but you need to assume it will be and pack accordingly. You may or may not be paid a visit by the resident skunk.
As a practical matter you probably won't hike to Neels as there is no hiker parking there. There is a large parking area about 1/4 mile N of Neels on the main road. That parking lot has a blue blaze to the AT, intersecting the AT about 1/2 mile or so S of Neels. Don't worry about hiking alongside of the highway as you don't have to. Most day hikers do not hike that last 1/2 mile on the AT to Neels. They park in the lot, and when the hike is over, drive to Neels where parking as permitted because at that point they are potential customers and not hikers. They'll tow you so don't even think about parking there if you are not in the store.
Jeremy Peyton
12-10-2012, 16:49
Thanks Max, we are staying 2 days at hike inn, then hiking out and driving to Neels gap where lumpy will shuttle us to woody gap and we will hike back to Neels over the next 2 days with an overnight at woods hole or blood mountain.
joshuasdad
12-10-2012, 17:44
Also note that Blood Mountain is or was an area where bear canisters are required. Apparently, there are a number of smart bears which know how to snag bear bags...
Jeremy Peyton
12-10-2012, 17:54
We have the URSACK. I thought that message expired back in July.
max patch
12-10-2012, 17:58
Also note that Blood Mountain is or was an area where bear canisters are required.
Seasonal. March 1 thru June 1.
Jeremy Peyton
12-10-2012, 23:02
Looks like we may get some snow, I know I sound crazy but I want to hike in a little to med snow
max patch
12-12-2012, 12:01
On the Atlanta TV news last nite they said there was a "possibility" of snow next week at "elevation" in the N Ga mountains. And since Blood is the highest point on the AT in GA maybe you will.
magic_game03
12-12-2012, 12:20
Hey Jeremy, Just out of curiosity, have you ever "post-holed?"
max patch
12-12-2012, 12:34
Thats not going to be an issue next week in GA.
magic_game03
12-12-2012, 12:45
Thats not going to be an issue next week in GA.
Didn't say it was. I didn't even imply that it would.
Blood mountain is one cold shelter with no fireplace (plugged for safety) and heavy bear activity. Great hike though.
Jeremy Peyton
12-13-2012, 11:16
Hey Jeremy, Just out of curiosity, have you ever "post-holed?"
I'm sorry, whats Post-holed?
magic_game03
12-13-2012, 12:50
Besides freezing to death or getting your tongue stuck to a metal light pole, it's probably the worst experience you can have in snow. When snow gets too deep you cannot walk with a stride, it's the point where you have to start post-holing. Because the indentions left behind resemble a post hole and of course the act of make them requires you to use your leg like a post.
You mentioned that you wanted to see little to medium snow. I don't know exactly what your idea of medium snow is but I just had the though of you getting your wish and getting about 2 feet of snow which would require a bit of post-holing. Because I've been there I just had a bit of deja vu that gave me a little inside laugh, and so I was just wondering if you knew the term when mentioning 'med snow.' Just out of experience I'd say the average hiker walks about 2-3 miles an hour, while post-holing it flips to 2-3 hours per mile.
Jeremy Peyton
12-13-2012, 16:41
Besides freezing to death or getting your tongue stuck to a metal light pole, it's probably the worst experience you can have in snow. When snow gets too deep you cannot walk with a stride, it's the point where you have to start post-holing. Because the indentions left behind resemble a post hole and of course the act of make them requires you to use your leg like a post.
You mentioned that you wanted to see little to medium snow. I don't know exactly what your idea of medium snow is but I just had the though of you getting your wish and getting about 2 feet of snow which would require a bit of post-holing. Because I've been there I just had a bit of deja vu that gave me a little inside laugh, and so I was just wondering if you knew the term when mentioning 'med snow.' Just out of experience I'd say the average hiker walks about 2-3 miles an hour, while post-holing it flips to 2-3 hours per mile.
Now i see, Light to Med to me is a dusting to 1-5 inchs. I used to live in Colorado and I have hikied in Rocky Mountain Nat Forset as a boy scout many many years ago. Looks like the weather has changed and no snow. Oh well. Next time :)
Jeremy Peyton
12-22-2012, 01:32
Well, the hike went great. We camped on big cedar mountain the first night. Then we hiked to Neels the second day. We were going to sleep at Blood Mountain but weather and the fact that some kids trashed the shelter didn't make it that appealing. So we hiked down to Neels and headed for the Brevard/Asheville area. We hiked the Lovers Leap Trail today. It was snowing and beautiful. Just wanted to update my post. Thanks for the space
Bullfrog and Turtle