Things you learn..

[10-K]

Well, just got back from hiking Daleville-Pearisburg and I learned some stuff on this hike....

For starters, on my quest to save weight I planned on packing 2 silk liners instead instead of taking my down bag. I figured I'd just double bag the liners - it's summer, right?

Next, I decided that I didn't need any rain gear - it's summer -if you get wet you'll dry out quickly.

Let me just say that I'm SO glad that at the last minute I decided to take my down bag. That's good.... I did NOT however take rain gear. That's bad.

What happenned is that it rained on me all day - I was soaked to the bone. At night I was around 4000' elevation, the temperature dropped, and that cold, bone chilling fog rolled in. I couldn't see more than 50 yards or so.

I was soaked to the bone and if I had only taken those 2 liners I would have been a prime candidate for hypothermia. As it turned out, I was able to strip naked, dry myself off with my pack towel and bundle up in my down bag, snug and warm. It continued to pour down rain all night and all the next day. Fortunately, the next morning I just had 12 miles left to hike into Pearisburg and get back to my truck.

I will also always take at least a plastic .99 poncho - I had to get out of my tent and move a stake - it would have been very nice to have had something to keep my dry when I left the warm confines of my bag.

[Blissful]

Esp since VA hasn't had rain for weeks - you lucked out.
Always be prepared, you never know what the mtns will dish out.

(I know 'cause I brought my 40 degree bag to W VA and it got down into the 30's. I so wished I had packed my 25 degree, but I'm like, no way is it gonna be that cold in mid summer)

[ed bell]

I was in Banner Elk, NC (kinda close to Roan Mountain/ Hump Mountain)two Fridays ago and it dropped to the mid 40's and I couldn't have been at more that 4000'. I've been at 5000' on June 26th in Pisgah National Forest off the BRP and it hit 36deg F.

[Kirby]

The Shenendoah's got hit with a snow storm in early May, I was going through the Rollercoaster in pouring rain while it was 40 degrees.

Kirby

[Cabin Fever]

I was in Banner Elk, NC (kinda close to Roan Mountain/ Hump Mountain)two Fridays ago and it dropped to the mid 40's and I couldn't have been at more that 4000'. I've been at 5000' on June 26th in Pisgah National Forest off the BRP and it hit 36deg F.

Funny because I was on Roan two Fridays ago and it was in the mid 40s. I was glad I had a base layer to wear in my 45 degree bag or I would have been shivering all night.

[Marta]

At the beginning of August, I took a small group of first-time backpackers on an overnighter to Walnut Bottoms (low elevation campsite in the Smokies) on the hottest weekend of the year, with no rain in the forecast. I brought a 65 degree sleeping bag. Wouldn't you know it...it rained the evening, the temperature dropped, and I was just barely warm enough.

[Homer&Marje]

I went to SNP in March, it was in the mid 50's or so but a huge rainstorm was up and down the east coast, we drove down anyways 10 hours through rain, it stopped when we got there and we started our hike. 2 hours later golf ball sized hail started coming down on us, we set up the tent in it and got soaked with ice and water. Nearly froze that night the temps dropped to 15 F and had 50 mph wind gusts all night. Boiled water in a nalgene bottle saved us i'm sure. We only had 30 degree bags at best (I don't remember what there temp was) but they are pretty warm, unless there is 50 mph wind gusts and 15 F. Could have used a warmer bag.

[stranger]

What I've learned over the years and a few thousand miles of hiking is that there are only 3 things that are going to happen that you need to worry about in terms of weather.

- the cold
- the rain
- the cold and rain

If you can deal with that, you are pretty much sorted.

[Tipi Walter]

This is always the ULers dilemma: How to endure harsh conditions w/o undue weight. I think many of the ULers take it to extremes, and you nearly reached the extreme by not taking a sleeping bag. Was your trip just for one night? Imagine if the trip stretched out for 12 days?

I was in Banner Elk, NC (kinda close to Roan Mountain/ Hump Mountain)two Fridays ago and it dropped to the mid 40's and I couldn't have been at more that 4000'. I've been at 5000' on June 26th in Pisgah National Forest off the BRP and it hit 36deg F.

I remember backpacking close to Banner Elk one year and on May 19 a light snow fell on my camp. And of course there was the recent occurence down here in the southern apps when I was camping at 5000 in very late April, basically May first, when a sudden snowstorm hit me and my tent. This same storm caused Cuffs and Eman to abort their partial BMT thruhike. I didn't get the whole story, but I believe they were a bit underequipped for such conditions and had to turn back. I'd like to get a full report from them on the matter.

[juma]

10-k, other than the rain, how was water on the trail - springs running?

juma

[NICKTHEGREEK]

The Shenendoah's got hit with a snow storm in early May, I was going through the Rollercoaster in pouring rain while it was 40 degrees.

Kirby

Virginia tries to make visitors feel at home

[fehchet]

I always carry wool long underwear both bottom and top in my pack. Also a rain shell.

[MOWGLI]

I recently learned to keep a sharp axe or chainsaw in my vehicle if I'm going to be driving lots of Forest Service roads.

[Tipi Walter]

I recently learned to keep a sharp axe or chainsaw in my vehicle if I'm going to be driving lots of Forest Service roads.

I always keep a bowsaw in my car just in case though it's probably too flimsy for any real work. But in a pinch . . .

One time I was parked at the low-water bridge at Warden's Field in Citico wilderness and left my old truck for 10 days. When I got back I found a huge tree had fallen ten feet from my truck and blocked part of the road coming in and out. I squeezed past but . . .

Many times on the Cherohala Skyway I've had to squeeze past nasty blowdowns right on the road, and one time going up the Tellico River road I was completely stopped by a pine blowdown until some others showed up and we cut and manhandled the thing away.

[Two Speed]

I recently learned to keep a sharp axe or chainsaw in my vehicle if I'm going to be driving lots of Forest Service roads.

What about the "check the directions" thing?

[MOWGLI]

What about the "check the directions" thing?

Yes, I learned to never ever copy and paste directions from the internet without checking them first.

[Two Speed]

Fortunately I haven't been busted by a wise guy on that particular issue, so I'll take your experience as a warning and move on.

FWIW a friend and I were driving out after doing a day hike on the Tear Britches down to that trail on the river and up Chestnut Lead (yeah, I should remember the name of that trail) when, on the way out we came up on a 4, maybe 5" maple that had fallen across the forest service road. All I had was a machete, so I went nuts on the tree with that. Was able to cut it enough that we were able to get the thing out of the way and continue on home.

[10-K]

10-k, other than the rain, how was water on the trail - springs running?

juma

It was pretty dry.

I always start out with 3 liters. If I see that most of the listed water sources are running and hikers coming in the opposite directions say they haven't had any trouble finding water I drop down to 2 liters. That's worked for me every month since last December.

This hike there was the first time I've ever started carrying 4 liters later in the day because I wasn't sure I'd have enough to cook and clean up with at the end of the day and have enough to start hiking with in the morning. It's a real bummer to haul a gallon of water around for 3-4 hours. (but it's probably a bigger bummer to be out of water first thing in the morning....)

[Jim Adams]

It was pretty dry.



This hike there was the first time I've ever started carrying 4 liters later in the day because I wasn't sure I'd have enough to cook and clean up with at the end of the day and have enough to start hiking with in the morning. It's a real bummer to haul a gallon of water around for 3-4 hours. (but it's probably a bigger bummer to be out of water first thing in the morning....)

Don't go to the PCT!
geek