Glad I'm not hiking

[Pennsylvania Rose]

As much as I wish I was hiking, I'm glad today's not the day. Temp here in Central KY is 1, with windchills between -10 and -20. Waaaay too cold for us in the south - school was even cancelled today, so I don't have to go to work!!!! Wonder how the early hikers are coping.

[Chaco Taco]

As much as I wish I was hiking, I'm glad today's not the day. Temp here in Central KY is 1, with windchills between -10 and -20. Waaaay too cold for us in the south - school was even cancelled today, so I don't have to go to work!!!! Wonder how the early hikers are coping.

Im def not jealous of them this week. Some of the coldest air to hit the south this decade

[rhjanes]

I looked at Mt Wash this AM. 60 MPH winds and gust to 100. Windchill was -70

[rafe]

It is pretty much the season for "peak cold" in New England. By the end of February some warming should be noticeable. We've even got snow on the ground (about 2" or so) in the Boston 'burbs. Whoopee!

[moxie]

It is just 2 degrees above totally miserable in Maine today. I have two wood fires burming and the house is still cold. The wind is out of the north and just screaming and snow is blowing across all the roads. Today's high may reach 5 degrees in Augusta but it is 10 degrees colder in the woods. Oh well, if we didn't have days like this we wouldn't appreciate the nice days. Skiing was excellent over the weekend on fresh powder, the lakes are now frozen enough to drive on them, weatherbug just fashed on my PC with a dangerous wind chill warning. The groundhog didn't seee his shadow but any chance of an early spring is just a distant dream. I'm going back to bed until April.

[Blissful]

Yeah when they said this could go on for a few weeks here in VA, it made me nervous as my start is March 1st. I now plan to get a silk liner for my bag and maybe some warmers, just in case. The liner will help my bag go down to the single digits (it's a 15 degree bag).

[Michele]

Yup..same story here in Michigan. Leaving for work this morning, the temp was -4 with windchill at -25. Our weatherman called it "stupid cold," and I couldn't agree more. Just brutal. If this keeps up, I'll have to get a battery warmer!

[Chaco Taco]

Yeah when they said this could go on for a few weeks here in VA, it made me nervous as my start is March 1st. I now plan to get a silk liner for my bag and maybe some warmers, just in case. The liner will help my bag go down to the single digits (it's a 15 degree bag).

Yea, I am also a little nervous about my March 9 start in the Smokies.

[madstang]

My son left Springer Saturday noonish. Cold, clear, frozen. I posted some pix - they can bee seen on the GA views. The trail is pretty much flowing ice above 3000'. He reported in yesterday from Suches, one of his trail crew already dropped out with some back pain. the other two are headed North. I think the exact quote was; "It's colder than I imagined it would be. I imagined it would be very cold."

[Halfstep]

Hello Everybody,

I have been lurking around for a couple of months getting a lot of information from searches. Awesome site...I have bike camped, car camped, and hiked for years. Just never put them together by carrying my gear on my back. Figured this would be an good time to come out of the wood work...did my first overnighter this weekend, low temp hitting 12. Don't know what the wind chill was...not sure I want to. Did a loop around Apple Orchard falls in southwest Va. Camped at the Cornellious Creek shelter. My tent looked like one big ice crystal inside Sunday morning but pretty much stayed comfortable. Would I have been better off to stay in the shelter to avoid all the condensation problems (my bag was pretty much frozen too around my face from my breath I suppose, ended up burying my head completely inside my bag to take care of that problem) or is a tent warmer in the long run?
Bottom line, I had a great first experience, cold or not, and feel like backpacking is a natural evolution for me. I look forward to MANY more trips. I live within 10 miles of the AT...closest access point being Catawba Mountain. If I can be of help to anyone concerning this area please ask...

HalfStep

[Gray Blazer]

Halfstep- Welcome to White Blaze. I know what ya'll mean by cold temps. Our high in north FL is only getting in the 60's. I know you feel sorry for us.

[Ron "So Big" B]

Welcome Halfstep. I am rather new to the site as well.

[DavidNH]

As much as I wish I was hiking, I'm glad today's not the day. Temp here in Central KY is 1, with windchills between -10 and -20. Waaaay too cold for us in the south - school was even cancelled today, so I don't have to go to work!!!! Wonder how the early hikers are coping.

yeah it is cold out.. there is always at least a shart cold snap or two every year. Up here in New New Hampshire the wind is howling and it can't be much over zero. NO WAY would i go hiking on a day like this!

Pennsylvania Rose..I'm surprised they cancelled school down in KY. Don't they have insulated and heated buildings?

DavidNH

[woodsy]

halfstep, thanks for sharing your trip. to other new WBers too

[madstang]

Halfstep -

the tent is warmer. you have to consider ventilation to get rid of the condensation or you'll have the ice problem you were describing, or, in warmer weather, just plain water on the inside of your tent. If you have a shelter to yourself, you can set up a bivy inside teh shelter. A bivy isn't muc bigger than just a sleeping bag, but you'd have both then. A shelter to block the wind and a tent to block the critters (mice are a problem in some shelters). HTH - 'Stang

[madstang]

The Bear Bait Boys have just reported in from mountain crossings (walasi-yi) I was impressed with the thirty miles since Saturday afternoon. They report that it is so cold in the N.GA. mountains that it is scary when nature calls. A fear of things freezing off. They were glad to see indoor facilities.
Such a report makes me glad I'm not female.

[Pennsylvania Rose]

Pennsylvania Rose..I'm surprised they cancelled school down in KY. Don't they have insulated and heated buildings?

DavidNH

Well - the boilers at the two schools behind my house gave up the ghost last night. The main problem, though, is kids standing outside waiting for the school bus. Generally, they have to walk at least a block or two, up to 1/2 mile in rural areas, then stand and wait during the 15-20 minute window that busses have. Many folks around here just don't prepare for this kind of cold when they're buying school clothes. As a matter of fact, my local Wal-Mart has already sent their snow pants, boots, long underwear and warmest coats to stores in more northern climes, and are now stocking shorts and bathing suits. So even if you went out this weekend to prepare for this bitter week, you'd be hard pressed to find what you need.

Anybody know if hikers are heading into towns, or are they toughing it out?

[madstang]

My hikers are staying on the trail. Today, in N.GA., they walked from the Gooch MT shelter to Walasi-Yi by lunch. They plan to stay in the next shelter north. Some talk about leaving clothes out to dry, then checking them after they became stiff intead of dry.....

[hammock engineer]

The cold snap is a good thing. I'm planning on testing my setup tonight.

Anyone with me?

[ASUGrad]

Let me think, Hammock. No.