WhiteBlaze Pages 2024
A Complete Appalachian Trail Guidebook.
AVAILABLE NOW. $4 for interactive PDF(smartphone version)
Read more here WhiteBlaze Pages Store

Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 46
  1. #1

    Default Hiking next week GSMNP - partner?

    I will be in the GSMNP next week. Specifically hiking dates 1/3, 1/4, and 1/5. Looking to see if anyone wanted to go along with me. I'm doing out and back day hikes all three days. PM me if you're interested!

  2. #2
    Registered User
    Join Date
    05-12-2011
    Location
    Sylva, NC USA
    Posts
    45

    Default

    Sorry, I have to work. Otherwise...

    Gonna be quite cold. Bring spikes - a lot of ice at higher elevations.

  3. #3
    Registered User
    Join Date
    06-25-2012
    Location
    Lurkerville, East Tn
    Age
    64
    Posts
    3,719
    Journal Entries
    1

    Default

    Overnight lows in Knoxville range from 8 to 14°. Hard to imagine how hard the wind might bite on a ridge up in the mountains! Hope you got plenty of insulation.

  4. #4

    Default

    I know it's going to be super cold. I have my cold weather gear and I hiked the snow storm last March but I don't even think it got past -3 degrees on LeConte then. Hopefully I won't turn into a popsicle lol anyone else want to come??

  5. #5

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by centerfieldr162 View Post
    I know it's going to be super cold. I have my cold weather gear and I hiked the snow storm last March but I don't even think it got past -3 degrees on LeConte then. Hopefully I won't turn into a popsicle lol anyone else want to come??
    My brother and I are planning on doing the AT through the park January 20 thru 27. I'd be interested in your experience in your hike. Any advice you can share would be awesome.

    Good luck in your hike. It is bitterly cold in the Smokies this week. Be safe.

  6. #6

    Default

    Be safe!! BRRRRR
    Trail Miles: 4,927.6
    AT Map 1: Complete 2013-2021
    Sheltowee Trace: Complete 2020-2023
    Pinhoti Trail: Complete 2023-2024
    Foothills Trail: 0.0
    AT Map 2: 279.4
    BMT: 52.7
    CDT: 85.4

  7. #7

    Default

    Mt LeConte always gets walloped with low temps. On Jan 1 the low was -6F. On Jan 2 is was -5F. Today's low is 4F.

    On time I was nearby on Hangover Mt at -10F and LeConte had -22F. What a difference.

  8. #8
    GSMNP 900 Miler
    Join Date
    02-25-2007
    Location
    Birmingham, AL
    Age
    57
    Posts
    4,861
    Journal Entries
    1
    Images
    5

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by centerfieldr162 View Post
    I will be in the GSMNP next week. Specifically hiking dates 1/3, 1/4, and 1/5. Looking to see if anyone wanted to go along with me. I'm doing out and back day hikes all three days. PM me if you're interested!
    How was it?
    A hiking buddy was up there last week doing a few day hikes posting pictures on Facebook showing the snow on the ground and reporting the temperature.

  9. #9

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by HooKooDooKu View Post
    How was it?
    A hiking buddy was up there last week doing a few day hikes posting pictures on Facebook showing the snow on the ground and reporting the temperature.
    It was a really good trip! I will post a longer description later tonight whenever I'm not at work and I have time to upload some pictures.

    I hiked LeConte via Alum Cave, Rocky Top, and Charlie's Bunion. The trails were very icy, definitely needed my spikes as I had already figured. I've been hiking gsmnp for a while and I don't know why it still surprises me when I see clueless tourists, but I saw several people trying to hike LeConte without spikes, some even in shoes like duck boots... Crazy. Got caught in a lot of snow on top of Rocky Top and couldn't see a thing. It was cold outside but I did just fine with my midweight merino shirt and a pullover on top of it. I had my puffy and rain jacket in my backpack in case I needed them, but I never got cold until I stopped to take some pictures and I had sweated enough for it to soak my shirt. Not as much snow on top of LeConte as I expected, but there was at least 8 inches on the ridges leading to Charlie's Bunion and also Rocky Top.

  10. #10
    Registered User
    Join Date
    06-10-2008
    Location
    Nashville, TN
    Age
    42
    Posts
    398

    Default

    fun stuff! let's see the photos. Alum Cave is quite the adventure when icy. I once saw a teen-aged kid come within inches of a big icefall at the bluffs.

  11. #11
    GSMNP 900 Miler
    Join Date
    02-25-2007
    Location
    Birmingham, AL
    Age
    57
    Posts
    4,861
    Journal Entries
    1
    Images
    5

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by centerfieldr162 View Post
    I hiked LeConte via Alum Cave, Rocky Top, and Charlie's Bunion.
    ??? Rocky Top ???
    I thought that was an alternate name for Thunder Head Mountain along the AT just outside of Cades Cove.
    I'm familiar with 'Arch Rock', 'Eye of the Needle', 'Inspiration Point', 'The Bluffs', 'Gracie's Pulpit', 'Cliff Tops', 'High Top', 'Myrtle Point', 'The Jump Off', 'Charlie's Bunion', and 'The REAL Charlie's Bunion' in that area you descript. But I'm not familiar with anything called 'Rocky Top'.

  12. #12

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by HooKooDooKu View Post
    ??? Rocky Top ???
    I thought that was an alternate name for Thunder Head Mountain along the AT just outside of Cades Cove.
    I'm familiar with 'Arch Rock', 'Eye of the Needle', 'Inspiration Point', 'The Bluffs', 'Gracie's Pulpit', 'Cliff Tops', 'High Top', 'Myrtle Point', 'The Jump Off', 'Charlie's Bunion', and 'The REAL Charlie's Bunion' in that area you descript. But I'm not familiar with anything called 'Rocky Top'.
    It is along the AT on Thunderhead Mountain. You can see the "rocky top" label on the GSMNP trail map. It's a side trail on the AT. There are two rocky summits, the first is what they call Rocky Top that was supposedly the inspiration for the song. This has just been my understanding from recent reading.

    http://www.hikinginthesmokys.com/thunderhead.htm

  13. #13

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by centerfieldr162 View Post
    It is along the AT on Thunderhead Mountain. You can see the "rocky top" label on the GSMNP trail map. It's a side trail on the AT. There are two rocky summits, the first is what they call Rocky Top that was supposedly the inspiration for the song. This has just been my understanding from recent reading.

    http://www.hikinginthesmokys.com/thunderhead.htm
    Didn't mean side trail. It's the first rocky "summit" you come up to on the AT. I could barely see once I started on Bote Mt Trail because of the snow.

  14. #14
    GSMNP 900 Miler
    Join Date
    02-25-2007
    Location
    Birmingham, AL
    Age
    57
    Posts
    4,861
    Journal Entries
    1
    Images
    5

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by centerfieldr162 View Post
    It is along the AT on Thunderhead Mountain. You can see the "rocky top" label on the GSMNP trail map...
    I get it now... you were describing 3 separate hikes:
    1. LeConte via Alum Cave
    2. Rocky Top
    3. Charlie's Bunion.

    Because of the proximity of LeConte to Charlie's Bunion, I though you were describing one long hike. That was further reinforced by the fact that 'High Top' is a pile of rocks on the summit of LeConte that someone could mistakenly call Rocky Top. So I thought you might have meant you hiked a huge loop of Alum Cave, Boulevard, AT to Charlie's Bunion and to New Found Gap.

  15. #15
    Registered User
    Join Date
    12-19-2005
    Location
    Knoxville, TN
    Posts
    3,715
    Images
    3

    Default

    ??? Rocky Top ???
    I thought that was an alternate name for Thunder Head Mountain along the AT just outside of Cades Cove.




    it's sadly also the "new" name for a city here in tennessee----old lake city...........or old coal creek......

  16. #16
    GSMNP 900 Miler
    Join Date
    02-25-2007
    Location
    Birmingham, AL
    Age
    57
    Posts
    4,861
    Journal Entries
    1
    Images
    5

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by TNhiker View Post
    it's sadly also the "new" name for a city here in tennessee----old lake city...........or old coal creek......
    Rocky Top, TN
    According to Wikipedia, the city was founded as "Coal Creek", renamed to "Lake City" in 1936, and then "Rocky Top" in 2014.

  17. #17
    Registered User
    Join Date
    08-14-2017
    Location
    Knoxville, TN
    Age
    58
    Posts
    103

    Default

    Renamed to Rocky Top in honor of the University of Tennessee's fight song. If you are FROM here it's a solemn thing. People here lose their minds over UT, going as far as painting their cars UT orange, or building houses in the shape of a "T" so it shows their loyalty from space. It's a state law that if you say the word Tennessee at any time, you must also say "Go Vols".

  18. #18
    Registered User
    Join Date
    12-19-2005
    Location
    Knoxville, TN
    Posts
    3,715
    Images
    3

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by HooKooDooKu View Post
    Rocky Top, TN
    According to Wikipedia, the city was founded as "Coal Creek", renamed to "Lake City" in 1936, and then "Rocky Top" in 2014.



    yup.

    just like i said in my post....

  19. #19

    Default

    Sorry in advance for the annoying picture rotation. The website insisted on rotating them and I couldn't figure out how to fix it.

    LeConte via Alum Cave 1/3/18. Lots of ice on the trail. Not as much snow at the top as I expected.

    20180103_085055.jpg20180103_101739.jpg20180103_103240.jpg20180103_110933.jpg20180103_112021.jpg20180103_114002.jpgG0180992.JPG


    Rocky Top via Anthony Creek Trail to Bote Mountain Trail to the AT 1/5/18. I didn't get many pictures as my gopro froze up and wouldn't turn on and it was snowing too hard to pull my phone out. I only had an otterbox on it and didn't want it to get wet.

    20180104_095629.jpgIMG_20180104_210554_417.jpg

    Charlie's Bunion 1/6/18. Caught the sunrise at Newfound Gap parking lot. Really pretty trail this time. It was like a winter wonderland up on the ridges. It was very icy down from the water source at Icewater Spring Shelter.

    20180106_090101.jpgG0271178.JPGG0331301.JPGG0351359.JPG

    Overall great trip. Offseason is my favorite time of year. There were maybe only ten cars in the parking lot at Newfound Gap.

  20. #20

    Default

    Also, two short videos I took on my last day. The first is up on the ridge heading to the bunion and the second is at the bunion.


    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1k-L...ew?usp=sharing

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1srb...ew?usp=sharing

Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 LastLast
++ New Posts ++

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •