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mjb90
03-04-2013, 23:47
My friend and I are currently planing a trip for the upcoming week of March 9th - 13th. We were hoping to do Roan Highlands starting at Hughes Gap and finishing at the Kincora Hostel. We will be driving Friday from the Indianapolis, IN area and starting early on Saturday. We both have some back country camping experience but this will be our first shot at long distance backpacking. Does this section seem like it will be managable in our time frame?

My thinking was:
Start at Hughes to Overmountain Shelter (11.4 mile day)
Overmountain to Mountaineer Shelter (18 mile day)
Mountaineer to Kincora (15.6 mile day)

Then we'd stay at Kincora and leave then next morning.
Maybe it would be better to cut this one short and add another day?

Also we are seeing the snow forcast for later this week and wondering whether its going to warm up much this weekend. Would anyone recommend doing a section further south instead?

Thanks for any feedback!

bert304
03-05-2013, 08:53
An 18 mile day might be real tough depending on how fit you are.

Malto
03-05-2013, 09:08
I would watch the weather. There is a major storm bearing down on the east right now. Also, don't make the assumption that what Johnson City gets for weather will be what is up on the ridge. Rain down low could be snow, or even worse, ice at elevation. Second, you may find an 18 mile day challenging to complete. Nobody can answer if you could do it, probably not even you at this point. Add a bit of weather to the mix and a challenge could become a search for Plan B. ( I would suggest scouting out options that would allow a shortened trip.)

As far as a different section. I learned a huge lesson this year around snow on the AT. I made the false assumption that snow would be worse the farther north that I went. In fact, I have discovered, at least this year, that VA has had much worse snow and ice than we have had up here in PA. So...... If the upcoming storm tracks south of the Mason Dixon line then you could find wide open, or at least more friendly trail north in PA. You could also head down and do the Section north of Springer but N Ga may not be much better.

moldy
03-05-2013, 09:52
That is a very reasonable schedule. Your 18 mile day will start with the humps so the heavy work will be before lunch. There will be a good amount of left over snow at the top of Roan. Don't even think about camping up there. After this weeks storm blows through you should have cold and windy but crystal clear conditions. Gloves, hat and scarf required. Best photo opp of the year for the humps. Take a good camera.

FlyPaper
03-05-2013, 10:07
I also think you're likely to find this too far as a new hiker. Although at age 23, it's not out of the question.
Make sure you have good shoes and socks. New hikers that have joined our group have often made poor choices
on footwear, in spite of advice to the contrary.

mjb90
03-05-2013, 13:02
Thanks for all the comments. As for the 18 mile day and the 15 mile days, I was thinking it might be best to split those differently and doing those sections over 3 days of closer to 10 miles each. Any recommendation for intermediate sites? We will be bringing a tent so shelters aren't required.

I will keep an eye on the weather and try to plan an option for moving it further north or south if the storm . Can anyone make a recommendation for a good 3 or 4 day section either near Springer or somewhere a little further north?

Would everyone recommend parking at the destination and shuttling to the starting point the first morning or the other way around? My plan was to park at Kincora since I'd guess that my car would be a bit safer there.

Thanks again!

Malto
03-05-2013, 14:00
I always shuttle to the start and then hike back to the car. Your timing can then be variable.

mjb90
03-06-2013, 19:30
I just got off the phone with Bob Peoples, he said that they currently have about 5" of snow and are worried about more coming. If the weather clears up but there's still snow left over, will there be any difficulty in finding blazes and navigating this area?

If more snow does hit and it doesn't clear up before the weekend we may do Springer Mtn to Neels Gap instead.

Chaco Taco
03-06-2013, 19:52
overmountain to mountaineer is doable. Besides the climb out of Overmountain, not really much else in the way of uphill. There is one climb that is a bit steep after 19 but thats really about it. But why would you want to do an 18 mile day through that section??? Personally, esp if the weather clears out, Id take it easier and enjoy it. From Carvers to 19 is one of the best sections on the trail. Thats just me. And yes if the weather still sucks, Id go further south. That area can get really cold with the amount of open balds and summits.

Chaco Taco
03-06-2013, 19:54
I just got off the phone with Bob Peoples, he said that they currently have about 5" of snow and are worried about more coming. If the weather clears up but there's still snow left over, will there be any difficulty in finding blazes and navigating this area?

If more snow does hit and it doesn't clear up before the weekend we may do Springer Mtn to Neels Gap instead.
Not with 5-12 inches, no. There is a blaze about every 100 yards or so. Id pack in microspikes though and some warm clothing and a 0 bag

mjb90
03-06-2013, 21:33
Thanks for the help! Bob agreed that I should call him during our drive down Friday to see how the weather was shaping up for the weekend and make the decision then. Can't wait to get out either way.