Knobstone Trail

[Tilly]

Anyone want to hike the Leota to Elk Creek section the 14th of November? That's the first weekend I have open.

How long is this? I'm moving to Lafayette in a few weeks so I'll be closer to that part of the state.

Of course, I still have no idea what I'll be doing in terms of employment, etc, so I don't know if I'll have weekends...

[rpenczek]

I use the KT to warm my Boy Scouts up for the AT. We have hiked the Northern 1/2 of the KT and the boys and I found it much more difficult than the Roan Highlands and the Grayson Highlands (the two AT trips we have done in the past two years).

As to water, we stash jugs of water at road crossings.

I am looking forward to doing the Southern section this November or next April.

Tilly,

There are plenty of nice trails not too farm from Lafayette. Check out the Deam Wilderness (cake walk compared to the KT), which has some really nice trails and camp spots. It should be about a 2 hours drive from where you will be living.

[Gorp-Gobbler]

OK - so you all have me questioning myself. It's been a long time since I hiked the southern portion of the KT. Is it the younger me that thought it wasn't so bad?

Anyone want to hike the Leota to Elk Creek section the 14th of November? That's the first weekend I have open.

You know I would if I was up there.

I hiked all of the KT last year in "Day Hike" fashion, several Out-N-Backs.
It was rugged but I didn't thing all that bad, course that might be in part to my long legs.
Hiked both loops, the southern twice which has a Bad@%*! hill, doesn't it Bigmac?

[Gorp-Gobbler]

Good to see you back on the site Tilly. As you can see I moved to TN.
More trails but so far no hiking buddies like I had up there.
May have to look toward the Nashville area for them.

[ChinMusic]

It was rugged but I didn't thing all that bad, course that might be in part to my long legs.

If you didn't find the KT "all that bad" you should be golden for a NOBO....good sign.

[bigmac_in]

You know I would if I was up there.

I hiked all of the KT last year in "Day Hike" fashion, several Out-N-Backs.
It was rugged but I didn't thing all that bad, course that might be in part to my long legs.
Hiked both loops, the southern twice which has a Bad@%*! hill, doesn't it Bigmac?

If you didn't find the KT "all that bad" you should be golden for a NOBO....good sign.

Yeah, I didn't much like that hill, but we had already hiked about 10 miles or so that day as I recall. Still, I've gone up much worse on the AT.

Gorpy's a strong hiker, the AT won't beat him.

[sloetoe]

Hey boys and girls!
A buddy of mine (who goes 9.5 on the whole 50 mile KT) has set a date of December 12/13 to double it -- a "Katy-Katy" as he's called it. I'm going to crew, and there will be other Indy hikers joining in to hike some or run some or crew some or all three. Right now I know of who are aiming at the whole 100 -- no idea of what might be for 50, 25 or less. Some DNR guys are saying they'll be there to photograph the whole thing -- I'll believe it when I see it. (I think it'd be a hoot to just camp at Leota (~25 miles) and watch the goings-on from there.)

In any event, I'm hoping to get some new-boots from the Indy or Cincy backpacking meet-ups, and introduce them to people with some miles (that's you guys, right?), so if'n you're interested, keep watch at
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/kt50

Hope you're all doing phine.
sloetoe

[Tilly]

Setting sights on the Knobstone Trail in May...maybe.

Does anyone know if there are outfitters in that area who would set up a shuttle?

Am I asking for trouble hiking in Southern Indiana in May? Mosquitoes, chiggers, 100% humidity....?

If anyone has hiked on it recently I'd love to hear any thoughts.

[sloetoe]

Setting sights on the Knobstone Trail in May...maybe.

Does anyone know if there are outfitters in that area who would set up a shuttle?

Am I asking for trouble hiking in Southern Indiana in May? Mosquitoes, chiggers, 100% humidity....?

If anyone has hiked on it recently I'd love to hear any thoughts.

1) None to date. Shuttles in general in the KT/Salem area are hard[/impossible] to come by. You've got to "bring your own." There are meet-up groups (meetup.com? .org?) in Cinn., Indy, and L'ville that you can join (for free) and ask for a specific date, to trade with another hiker (or join a group hike)...

2) Skeeters? Nah. Just camp on a hill. Plenty of hills on the KT, beleive me. Chiggers? YES!, but I don't know when the season is. I got them (first time in my life!) around August 8. Ticks? All over Indiana woods. May would be approaching prime season, but I certainly wouldn't let that affect your choice in the least bit. Humidity? Hey, this is the midwest. Same as MidAtlantic states. Humidity happens. That said, I wouldn't let that affect your choice in the least, either. And water is good on the KT year 'round. (Pretty much. You might have to work a tad for it, but.... no worries.)

3) Data Sheet: Do you have one? Have I posted one here? (I meant to.) Not sure, so I'll go hunt it up. Just like an AT data sheet.

4) There WILL be a group-ish hike/run of the KT -- currently 4/17, but possibly moved up 4/10. Go here for more info.
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/kt50

[sloetoe]

Wow! These data were compiled 9 years ago! SHEEESH. But, they're all still solid, in 2010.

--- In [email protected], Sloetoe <sloetoe@y...> wrote:
Just how rough is the Knobstone?
19,290' in 43 miles (the end at DELANEY PARK)
19,400' in 50 miles (taking the full "figure 8" between SPURGEON
HOLLOW and DELANEY PARK)
438'/mile, or similar to ascending *and* descending a
219'hill per mile.
cum S->N Trail segment Rise/FallSum average/mile
7.0 JACKSON 7 3830 547
11.1 St.Rd. 160 4 1940 485
16.6 NEW CHAPEL 6 1670 278
24.7 LEOTA 8 2710 338
31.5 ELK CREEK 7 4440 634
37.2 OXLEY 6 3270 545
43.5 SPURGEON 6 1430 238
---- ---- ---
~44m 19290' 438'

Note how much tougher are the two sections DEAM to SR160 (the
first 11.1 miles) and the middle 12.5 miles from LEOTA to OXLEY.
These two sections rise/fall amount to 13,480' (70% of KT total)
in their 23.6 miles (or 55% of total).

Here's some great shots of a 10 hour, 50k run from DEAM to ELK
CREEK. We were going at a good pace to complete in 15 hours, but
my quads were shot from the beginning. Ouch!
http://osl.iu.edu/~tveldhui/albums/2002/Knobstone/


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
KT MILEAGE DATA, S->N
0.0 DEAM LAKE TRAILHEAD (State Rec. Area 1.0 left parking,
Wilson Smith Rd swimming, camping, showers, phone)

2.1 Reed Rd (Jackson Rd 2.0 left, Blue Lick 2.5 right)

2.2 H2O, Camping

4.8 Bartle Knob Rd (JACKSON RD TRAILHEAD 0.5 left)

5.4 H2O-

6.0 View, Camping (bushwhack Round Knob)

6.3 Parallel Jackson Rd to left.

7.0 Jackson Rd bears left 0.15 to farm pond (untried)

7.3 View, Camping (ledge)

7.6 H2O-

8.2 Bartle Knob Rd[!] (Jackson/Westflat Rock Rds 1.0 left,
Pixley Knob Rd 0.4 right)

8.7 H2O-

8.8 Pixley Knob Rd. (New Liberty/SR160 2.5 left,
Blue Lick 2.5 right)

9.8 Camping (ridge to right 0.0-0.2)

10.2 View Camping (ridge to right 0.0-0.2)

10.7 View (to right across dirt rd)

10.9 View Camping

11.1 H2O, SR160 (I65 3.6 right, Henryville 4.0 right)

11.9 Parallel/crisscross dirt rd. Views along rd.

13.0 Cross dirt rd; begin descent to Bowen Run.

13.2 H2O- (Bowen Lake Picnic Area, Parking, Gun Range
0.35 bushwhack right)

16.6 NEW CHAPEL TRAILHEAD H2O

18.4 Parallel/crisscross dirt rd. Views will be to right

19.0 Dirt road bears left

19.8 View, Stairs

19.9 H2O, Camping

20.3 H2O, Camping

20.6 H2O, Camping, Amphitheather (to right)

21.2 H2O, Camping

22.2 H2O, Camping

22.9 View, Camping

24.3 H2O-

24.6 Leota Rd (Leota 2.2 right)

24.7 LEOTA TRAILHEAD (Lee Saylor/New Salem/Pinley Rds 0.1 left)

26.2 Swain Hill (View, Camping, to right)

26.6 H2O- ???

27.4 Camping (to left at point-of-land)

28.0 H2O- ??? (to right down hill)

29.1 Camping (to left around south-pointing arm)

29.7 H2O- ???

30.5 Elk Creek Lake (H2O, Camping)

30.9 Elk Creek Lake (H2O)

31.1 Elk Creek Lake (Camping [tiny]

31.5 ELK CREEK TRAILHEAD (H2O, Camping, Parking)

33.0 H2O-

33.7 Old SR56/Smith Rd. (SR56 2.2 left, Elk Creek Rd 1.8 right)

34.0 Camping (knowl to right; highway noise!)

34.7 SR56, H2O (Salem 10.0 left, Scottsburg/I65 12.0 right)

35.9 Camping (knowl to right; highway noise!)

36.1 H2O

37.2 OXLEY MEMORIAL TRAILHEAD H2O-
Bane Hollow Rd

38.1 New Cut Rd (West Point Rd 1.2 left)

38.2 BUSHWHACK (when trail veers right/NE. Follow contour
due N 100yds, thence N down arm 100yds)

38.3 H2O, Camping

39.0 West Point/Pumpkin Center Rds

40.4 Dirt Road (West Point Rd 0.3 to left)
Extensive views to right, rejoin trail @ 41.0

42.2 View, Camping (to right at point-of-land)

42.5 H2O, Camping, pines (Delaney Lake 1.3 left)

46.6 Camping (on height-of-land)

46.9 BUSHWHACK (at height-of-land, follow ridge 0.6 right
[due W], thence descend 0.2 [due S] to
Delaney Park parking area)

47.4 DELANEY PARK TRAILHEAD (0.3 right, parking, showers,
camping, phone)

NOTES:
1) These data were compiled over a single weekend hike in
November, 2001; [unfiltered] water was somewhat low, leaves were
off the trees ["Views"]. Directions off trail (to left or right)
are 20-200yds unless otherwise indicated.

2) "H2O" indicates (pretty much) moving-and-clear. "H2O-"
indicates water was moving-but-silted or standing-but-clear.

3) "Camping" is available pretty much anywhere along the KT; the
indicated spots are clearly established, may have fire rings.

4) "???" for H2O cites at 26.6, 28.0, and 29.7, reflect the fact
*one* of those points (and I don't know which) was mismarked on
my map -- and therefore mis-estimated on these mileage data.

[bigmac_in]

Hey Sloetoe,

Good information right there. I'm going down for an overnight, and about 20 miles on the southern section in April (24th?).

[bigmac_in]

Setting sights on the Knobstone Trail in May...maybe.

Does anyone know if there are outfitters in that area who would set up a shuttle?

Am I asking for trouble hiking in Southern Indiana in May? Mosquitoes, chiggers, 100% humidity....?

If anyone has hiked on it recently I'd love to hear any thoughts.

Tilly - PM me when you're getting ready to do this, I might be able to help you out. I'm in Bloomington, which isn't real close, but closer than most.

Big Mac

[Tilly]

Hey Sloetoe, Thanks so much for posting the data sheet. That is a lot of help!

[on_the_GOEZ]

I am planning a KT YoYo starting the 9th or 10th of July. I will be starting in the North. I have thru-ed Knobstone before (Sept 1-4 '09) and absolutely loved it, despite local rumors of an escaped convict on the loose in the area! 8/

I was wondering if anyone had interest in joining for me for part or the whole of the trail. I will drive to Delaney park early in the morning and planning for 6 nights. I live in Bloomington and I am willing to arrange rides for those with interest.

PM me or reply with questions so we can start arranging! KT - Here I come!

p.s. for those who have no knowledge of KT - it's strenuous!

[Tilly]

I am planning a KT YoYo starting the 9th or 10th of July. I will be starting in the North. I have thru-ed Knobstone before (Sept 1-4 '09) and absolutely loved it, despite local rumors of an escaped convict on the loose in the area! 8/

I was wondering if anyone had interest in joining for me for part or the whole of the trail. I will drive to Delaney park early in the morning and planning for 6 nights. I live in Bloomington and I am willing to arrange rides for those with interest.

PM me or reply with questions so we can start arranging! KT - Here I come!

p.s. for those who have no knowledge of KT - it's strenuous!

I didn't see any escaped convicts in May but you will love the detour right along a vicious Sharpei/Bull Mastiff farm! Enjoy!

[slovakiasteph]

Setting sights on the Knobstone Trail in May...maybe.

Does anyone know if there are outfitters in that area who would set up a shuttle?

I don't know if you already hiked the KT, but I found this website the other day:
http://www.indianaoutfitters.com/Out...adventures.htm

I believe I also came across another person who shuttled, but I didn't bookmark the page.

SK

[on_the_GOEZ]

Heading out this coming Monday for a SouthBound Thru of KT. If any other WBers want to join last minute, PM and feel free! we have rides, gear, and whiskey arranged..

[sloetoe]

Good luck on your hike, GOEZ -- at this point, you should have plenty of water [!!!], but some of those stream crossings could get you might wet, between the sharp current and mud... Wish I was out myself, though!!

[fredmugs]

Water? Really? I have hiked all except the southern most 5 miles of the KT and I have never seen a drop of water on the trail anywhere. Of course I did not hike it during the spring either.

I did go up to my chest fording Saddle Creek in the Deam Wilderness last weekend. That was fun but I did confirm that my GPS is in fact waterproof.

[on_the_GOEZ]

[QUOTE=fredmugs;1126080]Water? Really? I have hiked all except the southern most 5 miles of the KT and I have never seen a drop of water on the trail anywhere. Of course I did not hike it during the spring either.
QUOTE]


I thruhiked KT in September of '09 and had no trouble with water whatsoever. I carried an extra 2 liter jug just in case but I feel as though there are enough stream crossings and small ponds that one wouldnt have to worry about water, unless they are there in the dead of summer. Even on Tecumseh Trail in July of last summer, it was not scarce..maybe im just not that picky of a water drinker

At this point, Im just hoping that it stops raining. Me not like hammock much in lotsa rain... Admitted, me need new tarp