Falling timber is probably your worst danger up there.
It's just overnight. 24-30 hours tops. How tough can it be?
Be dry. Be safe.
Wayne
Eddie Valiant: "That lame-brain freeway idea could only be cooked up by a toon."
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One of the few times that I can say "been there, done that" -- ha!
2005? 2006? Hurricane Helen? I can't remember the fine points, but the hurricane barreled through north Georgia/southern TN and NC and left blow-downs all over the place. It was more a huge pain in the butt crawling through that mess than it was scary, though. Guess I was too stupid to realize that one of them could just as easily blow down on me than elsewhere. I stayed in a shelter, though, so I didn't have to worry about my tent withstanding the winds.
I've been caught out hiking in the tropical storm remnants of two hurricanes. One was in the middle of the 100 mile wilderness - it rained hard for 24 hours, starting about noon. Spent the night in an over stuffed lean-to with a tin roof inches from the top of our heads. The noise was deafening.
The other time was on the northern end of the Long Trail, but that one moved off quicker. In both cases I got really, really wet and hiking in that heavy, wind driven rain wasn't a whole lot of fun.
So, I would say, go next weekend.
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The forecast track means this hurricane has two things going on that might reduce the impact inland: by Friday, it should be curving east, and its right side (the much stronger side) should be at sea. Based upon the current track, the impact to the Appalachian chain in Virginia could be negligible, though that is subject to change if the hurricane moves significantly west of its currently forecasted track.
There was a somewhat similar situation in 1979, when Hurricane David moved north, just of the eastern coast of Florida. I lived in Miami at the time. The wind and rain were negligible. Now, this hurricane is stronger and it's path uncertain, so there aren't any guarantees. But places that do end up 100 miles west of the eye aren't going to get clobbered - people in that area are more likely to wonder what the fuss is all about. Of course, it's a different matter for those in the path of the eye or to the right of the storm.
One thing I detest about activity during and after a hurricane is the humid maritime air mass, down right nasty.
your far enough away from storm track to be unnaffected, except cloud cover and maybe some sprinkles.
I hiked in this area in 2004 in the rain spin of Hurricane Ivan. With a few others I holed up for three days in garage hostel near Catawba. Media estimates where between 10 and 22 inches of rain in the period. Soon afterwards I came across a road and was met by snowplough clearing the road of mud. The real issue was the amount of water in the streams what were normally a few inches deep but were now torrents and virtually impossible to cross on the regular trail. As I was solo I gave up on those and took a High Level route which still had lots of water on it.
I want to thank everyone for their bits of wisdom and advice. As a newbie who hasn't done anything beyond day hikes, I do have a bit of a crisis of confidence. So many firsts in one trip (that far with that much weight, hiking in rain, never having slept on the trail) is daunting. And driving 3.5 hours to one of the most scenic spots on the trail only to not be able to take in the view.
Just go...what's lil rain and wind???
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When hurricane Sandy Hamden land fall in NJ the Delaware Water Gap some 60 miles inland was not spared. Mt. Minsi on the PA side lost a bunch of tall pines. Good luck if ya go, don't forget to look up.
Thats when hurricane sandy "made land fall"
auto correct blows!
One more Mt Minsi looking into NJ
My buddy and I revised our plan and will do something a little closer to home, in southern PA. Were thinking of starting at Old Forge and heading north to Rocky Mountain shelter for the first night. Not sure where a good parking spot 5-6 miles north of that is though.
I seem to remember that trip! As I recall, it began with dinner at the Homeplace followed up by a water-delivery escort to the 311 kiosk! Sorry you had lousy weather.Originally Posted by illabelle
We hiked from VA311 (Catawba) to Daleville one wet weekend. It started out alright that Friday evening when we got on the trail. The next morning at McAfee's Knob, everything was fogged in. We couldn't see the valley stretched out below the bluff. Had somebody take our picture on the Knob, but it was hard to see anything, just a blob in the whiteness. Later in the day it was raining pretty good at Tinker Cliffs. We had marginally better visibility, but still poor, so we just briefly glanced at the rocks and plodded on. Reached the shelter, stripped down to nothing, and changed into dry clothes.
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Last edited by Teacher & Snacktime; 10-05-2016 at 15:08.
"Maybe life isn't about avoiding the bruises. Maybe it's about collecting the scars to prove we showed up for it."
Yep! That's the trip, alright! I'm sure we'll be back up there one day and redo that section. McAfee and Tinker are easy enough to get to, and too special to settle for a foggy view.
The track has changed considerably and if you still wanted to do your original trip you very easily could. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/grap...daynl#contents
Section hiker on the 20 year plan - 2,078 miles and counting!
This is what I was about to say. They are even saying that it will take a tight curved turn east and be well off the coast of NC at 2 am Sunday. (From the last projection I saw.) I live in eastern NC and my town is only "projected" to get 1-3" of rain. I have lived here long enough to know not to trust in that fully but since I am planning my own trip this weekend to mid-west NC, I still plan to go if this projection is at all accurate.
You have to do what you feel is right for you, regardless of what anyone else says. If you are not comfortable then wait but I don't know that weather is going to be an issue for you. And trust me when I say, it truly sucks to be looking out your window at the white fluffy clouds cruising through the crisp blue sky and you thinking about the trip that you are supposed to be on.(Of course I'm sure the same could be said for the opposite occurrence too.
)
I once camped in Pisgah during a three-day tropical storm (something had stalled the storm and it just sat overhead). I learned two things that long weekend: (1) I suck at paying attention to weather forecasts and (2) I pick really good waterproof tents.
It is an adventure to have if you want to have such an adventure. But most people only need that adventure once. Your gut telling you that you won't be comfortable is all the authority you need on the subject. Because you won't be comfortable. Your gut will see to it, even if the outside environment is fine. And why sign up for that kind of advanced-warning discomfort?
As with many hurricanes Matthew may come to naught, and we tend to deal with them well enough along the coast. But the issue I have is a somewhat dismissive sentiment to a hurricane's potential dangers inland during the storm and in the days that may follow.
Camille may be an extreme case, but take the time to read about what the storm did in central Virginia in August 1969. We get to deal with the winds and storm surge along the coast, but in the days that follow the real dangers inland is the sudden flooding.
igne et ferrum est potentas
"In the beginning, all America was Virginia." -William Byrd
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