20 Days on Medicare

[Gonecampn]

Great pic and I hope you post more here on Whiteblaze. Your pic brings back memories of similar trips I've done in similar conditions---


A couple on the BMT at 9F in a gap at 5,000 feet.



Some backpackers at 5,300 in a late October sleet storm.


Uncle Fungus backpacking the Citico wilderness in a butt cold sleet storm. Check out his nice Arcteryx rain jacket which saved my butt.

^^ this looks like a fun and cold trip! Our overnighter was fun but even with the snow it wasn't THAT cold!

[Tipi Walter]

@rocketsocks - those are Snugpack ponchos, don't leave home with out them. They've saved my butt a few times, including when I was in the Amazon jungle, which was about as much rain as I experience on my first 5day / 6 night section of the BMT trail. July the 5th and I thought I was going to die on top of Big Frog from hypothermia! They trap heat, keep everything dry and can be used as a tarp/blanket.

Your Snugpacks remind me of a blue North Face Anorak I use to have back in 1982 as my backpacking rain jacket. It had a zippered chest pocket, urethane coated, long bottom hem to my knees. Very hot when climbing a mountain in the rain.

Regarding Big Frog Mt: I was up there a couple years ago in a long 180 hour rainstorm and it broke my last rain record of 153 hours. Here's a pic of me atop the mighty Frog---in the rain---

^^ this looks like a fun and cold trip! Our overnighter was fun but even with the snow it wasn't THAT cold!

There's January cold with or without snow and then there's February sleet cold. 0F is tough, 35F in sleet is also tough. High air humidity eats into the core. It's amazing how cold it can get and still rain.

[Gonecampn]

Yes. Those snug packs are too hot for summertime. We were prepared for a low of 20 AND rain / wind. Imagine my surprise when the flakes started falling! There was around 6 in on on the far side of Springer and around 4in in No Name Gap. The snow turned to sleet / freezing rain for about an hour or two just after sunset. I believe it warmed a tiny bit and cleared over night.

That at trip on Big Frog wouldn't have have been 2013? Rained on us for 4 days/nights. all the way to Fall Branch, Falls.

[Tipi Walter]

That at trip on Big Frog wouldn't have have been 2013? Rained on us for 4 days/nights. all the way to Fall Branch, Falls.

Funny you should ask---my long rain trip on Big Frog did occur in 2013, January 2-19. It started on Day 8 of the trip and continued into Day 16. I was camping on the Big Frog trail by a little Pond and this is what it looked like before a gully washer--- Luckily I was camped above the pond on a little level spot.



And then after the rain---same spot---

[Gonecampn]

Wow. Our trip was the first week of July '13. Must have been a wet year!

[Gonecampn]

If I could figure out what I'm doing here I would post a trip report.
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[Tipi Walter]

Great pics. Reminds me of so many places on the BMT with level campsites along a creek.


This pic brings up a question---Did you guys have any trouble finding or following the trail in the snow? I know the white blazes help but sometimes it's hard to follow an unknown trail in the snow, especially w/o blazes. Especially parts of the BMT.

[Gonecampn]

Believe it or not, we didn't have any trouble keeping on the trail. There was a time or two that we'd start questioning and one of us would run ahead to search for the next blaze. We were always on track. Much more snow than this and I think it could have gotten a little tricky. However ; on our 6 day "duck waddle" from Thunder Rock / Big Frog through the Cahutta and on into Cherry Log and Fall Branch there were MANY times that the 4 of us, all with very strong map and compass skills, had to confront more than one map and /or guide to figure out where we were or which way to go, and still second guessed ourselves a time or two. We had to do a lot of terrain association on that waddle. The Srgt Rock guides are a must.

Unfortunately this recent trip was cut short. We'd planned or a 3/4 day hike to the Taccoa River. Left a car on Dials Rd and drove the other to FS 42 and started our hike at the terminus. We completed the approach trail two yrs ago. After 4 miles of down hill I was having excrucating knee pain. This is not uncommon for me on downhills. However; I've never felt pain like this. We made it to somewhere past No Name Gap and found a nice campsite. I took some Naproxen in hopes of recovering from the knee pain, somehow I already knew this wasn't going to fix it. The next morning I was sore but not in too much pain but I knew the only reasonable thing to do was to head back out. I didn't want to risk going any farther and having no escape if the pain came back with such intensity.

The guys were supportive and believed that I had made the right choice. I was totally depressed. I've never gotten to hike in the wilderness with snow like that and I was loving every moment of it, even with the pain. As we headed back out toward FS 42 I had to decide whether to make the trip all the way back to the car with the guys or hang out and wait for them to pick me up at the second 42 crossing. I really wanted to hike because the snow got a little deeper as we went and the scenery was breathtaking.

My legs were staring to cramp a little so we stopped for a quick breakfast (cheese tortillas) break in a beautiful spot along the river. As soon as we started to hike again my cramps were gone but the knee pain was back even worse than before. When we made to the second 42 crossing I knew this would be my spot for a while as I waited for the guys to rescue me. They checked the road to make sure it was passible due to the snow and determined that it was. I set up a hammock and grabbed "2" twenty degree bags and my pillow, along with my stash of sweet tarts and pepperoni, my earbuds and my phone. I chilled out in the campsite next to the river and watched as many people hit the trail for their adventure. Made me sick. LOL.

It took the guys 1 1/2 to 2 hrs (maybe) to return with the car. I could have sat there for the rest of the day. They said that the snow was really heavy going up the mtn to springer. They thought they had missed the trail a couple of times but said the eventually they followed a dog track that stayed right on the trail all the way to the first 42 crossing. They said it was strange because it was only a dog track, no human tracks anywhere. Anyway .... that's my story.

I just returned from the Doc. It's been 4 days now and my knee is still not 100%. They took X-rays and said the cartilage looks great. We will be leaving on Sunday for Utah to work with a group of 40 boy scouts but we also have a short canyoneering trip scheduled. I'm going on the trip, pain or not! I go back to the Doc the end of March for an MRI. They seem to think that not finding anything today with the cartilage is a "good" thing?! Say it will probably be a minor surgery?! I just want to know what is wrong and get it fixed now. Patience is NOT a virtue that I possess.

So to answer your questions again .... no problem staying on the trail

[Tipi Walter]

Thanks Gonecampn for the trip report. I guess you guys could've pulled a zero day at the "campsite by the river" and still got some woods time in without doing any knee-busting hiking. Then leave on your scheduled exit day.

Often times mechanical issues (knee pain) work themselves out by movement and continued hiking. I have found this to be true with several ankle, knee and calf issues. Not relevant to you probably, so check back in with your doctor.

[Gonecampn]

Yeah, I've had this issue for going on three yrs now. Doc said they'd do the MRI and it would be a minor surgery to scrape away some of the bone. He hopes to do both knees at one time but since one is much worse than the other I'll probably have to wait a while for the second surgery. Said that there is almost no recovery time and I'd be back on trail a couple of weeks after the surgery. I'm dreading it but looking forward to it at the same time!

[Tipi Walter]

In and out it sounds like and you'll be back on the trail.

[Gonecampn]

Well, I'm here for my MRI today. I guess I'll know soon when I'll be able to hit the trail again. Hopefully it wot be too long!!!