Late December GSMNP

[Track3307]

Good Afternoon all,

I am planning a hike into the GSMNP in late December - Comments and suggestions will be appreciated!!

Day 1: Leave home around 11AM, arriving into Fontana around 5PM and checking into the Fontana Village Resort for a night of good food and drink.

Day 2: Get up early that morning, travel to the Fontana Marina and canoe to Campsite 90 (2 Hours). Set up camp at Campsite 90 and hike the 3.5 miles up the Lost Cove Trail to the Shuckstack Firetower. Take photos, and return to Campsite 90 for well deserved rest.

Day 3: Wake up early that morning, canoe back to Fontana Marina. Hit the Fontana Village Resort for a farewell meal and hit the road!


Let me know what you think,

Thanks!

[Slo-go'en]

I guess it all depends on the weather. I wouldn't want to be out on that lake in a canoe unless it was a nice calm, sunny day. If you expect to have that day in late December by chance, well, good luck to you!

Lets see. Sun rises at 7:13 AM and sets at 5:27 in the GSMNP on December 27, the weekend after Christmas. That give you about 10 hours of daylight. I think the 2 hours to cross the lake and up the cove is probably a bit optimistic. There is usually a stiff wind blowing down the valley which you'll have to fight against to cross a large open stretch of lake.

Lets say it takes you 3 hours to get to camp 90, then spend another hour setting up camp and having something to eat. If you left at sun up, it's now almost noon. Now you have about a 6 mile round trip to hike with a big climb. You can expect the trail to be icy and slow going. Better bring a good flashlight!

Sounds like a nice trip to do in July, but end of December seems a bit iffy to me.

[HooKooDooKu]

Canoeing in the middle of winter across a wide lake sounds like a recipe for disaster if you don't know what you're getting into and are prepared for the worst...

Scenario: You get to the mouth of the Eagle Creek sluice (that's about 2 miles away from the marina) and your canoe flips over. In the process, a sharp stick floating in the water punctures a hole in the bag containing your warm gear and sinks to the bottom before you're able to retrieve it. If the water temperature is about 40º, you've got a little as 30 minutes to get out of the water... and then once on land you've got to find a way to warm yourself. There isn't any trail on the GSMNP side for over 1 mile, and roads are as much as 3/4 of a mile up steep heavily forested land on the marina side. Now what?

It's only a 5 mile hike from the AT/Lakeshore trail head to campsite 90. I'd say go for it... but substitute a hike to #90 for the canoe trip and save the canoe for spring or summer.

[swisscross]

Native Americans traversed large bodies of water in canoes year round.

What is your boating/canoeing experience?
I have only flipped one and it was on purpose.


I would reconsider doing this trip alone. Just in case HKDK's scenario does become reality it is much easier to right a canoe with two people.

[TNhiker]

also----keep in mind----the water levels are down during winter......TVA draws the lake down......

i have made this trip solo over a few times----in a heavy wind, but during summer.......and also had the pleasure of losing the canoe while on CS 87 which is an island......thankfully the marina boys were around to help me out.....

also, if you do it----i would seriously consider stopping by the old copper mine on your way out......its up on of the coves coming outta eagle creek and imo, is one of the best artifacts of the park...

http://www.ecjones.org/scenery/_Grea...opper_Mine.pdf

that gives a ton of history of the place......

i can give you more directions if you want it.....

and agree with the not doing shuckstack portion........

thats a good climb outta 90......

i would just set up camp-----maybe take a stroll up to the iron bridge and maybe a touch furthur (you'll start getting into creek crossings shortly thereafter, and thats where i would make my turning around spot) but thats just me.....

[TNhiker]

oh, and i would plan (unless you speed paddle) more than 2 hours for the paddle...

i think it took me closer to 3 hours each time, but then again, im a leasurely paddler with a big bathtub of a canoe.....

[Kerosene]

Don't drink too much on the evening of Day 1.

If it were me, I would probably hike the 3.6 miles up to the Shuckstack firetower and camp at Birch Spring Gap 1.2 miles further on along the AT, returning the following day.

[PatmanTN]

Kerosene,

FYI, walked by Birch last weekend and it was closed due to aggressive bear activity.

[Track3307]

I should have prefaced this a little better; I'm traveling with a friend and currently live in Anchorage, AK, so I am quite familiar with the ice/snow/steepness. Not to mention we have a whole 5 hours of daylight right now, so 11 will be fantastic. Having a established trail will also be quite nice and out of the norm

That being said, I greatly appreciate the concern and fully intend on making a judgment call on the ground as to whether to hike up the gut out of Fontana or canoe in.

@TNHiker - I definitely will be looking into Old Copper Mine, thank you very much for suggesting it!

[TNhiker]

I can post a map of where its at next week (I'm using phone now)...

[Track3307]

I would love a copy. Thanks again!

[Bronk]

Anybody else remember the post a couple years back about the guys who were out on a lake in the winter time and the wind kicked up and the canoe sunk right out from under them? They swam for the shore and made it just about there but were soaked and freezing...they were about to give up when the wind and waves washed their equipment ashore and they were able to get into some dry clothes and warm up. They ended up hiking out that night.

[TNhiker]

sorry it took so long, but here's a link to the map of the mine....

http://goo.gl/maps/SKP2E



basically, the water to the left is eagle creek----it makes a hard left and then a hard right-----at that hard left is ecoah branch.......and in that cove, go back and its on the north side of the shoreline (top of map)....

what yer looking for is a small rivulet of a stream dumping into lake and there's a tree that looks like people have tied up boats on (because they do)...

go ashore here----and look to the right and you'll see a set of stairs...

follow these stairs up and you'll run into the old mining site in a few minutes.....

be prepared to spend, i would say, at least an hour back here exploring....

its that cool...

now--on the south side of the shore----and mainly in low water (which it should be in december)----you'll see the foundation of the old brick furnance building......

have fun........