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Smokies Winter Trip

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    • Rasty wrote:

      Stayed last night at campsite 37 instead of Sterling Mountain. I broke a hiking pole and needed a new one. I'm in Gatlinburg tonight dining beer and eating pizza. Heading to Cosby tomorrow for the snow. Should get about 6" of new snow. Winter camping is challenging. Sweating is the biggest challenge.

      Yes, ventilation has to be delicately balanced between being too cold or retaining too much moisture. I adjust clothing at the high and low points along the trail to match exertion level. I pull a zippered fleece around the chest straps. It is extra large so I can zip it most of the way up at the low points, and unzip at the high points. If I am still too hot, I would rather bare my chest than my head. Removing my hat is an absolute last resort for me.
      I am human and I need to be loved - just like everybody else does

    • Rasty wrote:

      Stayed last night at campsite 37 instead of Sterling Mountain. I broke a hiking pole and needed a new one. I'm in Gatlinburg tonight dining beer and eating pizza. Heading to Cosby tomorrow for the snow. Should get about 6" of new snow. Winter camping is challenging. Sweating is the biggest challenge.

      Ahhh Gatlinburg!
      The memories!
      The horror of it is still with me....!

      Having said that (and meant most of it), I maintain Gatlinburg is the perfect trail town.
      It has cheap accomodation (one hotel anyway), lots of fast greasy food options, an outfitter, and if you need inspiration to get back on the trail, you just look at the other people in town...... ;)
      Resident Australian, proving being a grumpy old man is not just an American trait.

    • OzJacko wrote:

      Rasty wrote:

      Stayed last night at campsite 37 instead of Sterling Mountain. I broke a hiking pole and needed a new one. I'm in Gatlinburg tonight dining beer and eating pizza. Heading to Cosby tomorrow for the snow. Should get about 6" of new snow. Winter camping is challenging. Sweating is the biggest challenge.

      Ahhh Gatlinburg!
      The memories!
      The horror of it is still with me....!

      Having said that (and meant most of it), I maintain Gatlinburg is the perfect trail town.
      It has cheap accomodation (one hotel anyway), lots of fast greasy food options, an outfitter, and if you need inspiration to get back on the trail, you just look at the other people in town...... ;)


      I've been to Gatlinburg four times. Twice in February, once in April and once in July. The town changes throughout the season from stressful in July to really nice in February.
      Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.
      Dr. Seuss Cof123

    • TrafficJam wrote:

      Were there other hikers at Mt Cammerer?
      How cold was it in the tower?


      Never saw anyone or any tracks. The tower was about 20 degrees. It was nice up until around 9 when the freezing fog started rolling in. I was trying to read Stephen Kings the stand for the 6th time and it was getting too cold to sit around.
      Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.
      Dr. Seuss Cof123

    • Trip Report

      Day 1 to 4 - Great Smoky Mountain National Park -

      Camped out at Campsite 37 after breaking a trekking pole and abandoning my original plans. The next day I went to Gatlinburg and bought a new set and did some day hiking around Sugarlands. Day 3 hiked up the AT to the Mt. Cammerer lookout and got caught in a nice snowstorm. The next morning I hiked south to low gap and then down to the Big Creek trail which is an awesome trail going along the creek. The snow was anywhere from 6 to 10 inches.

      appalachiantrailcafe.net/galle…lbumExtended/41/?pageNo=1

      Day 5 to 7 -

      Linville Gorge Wilderness -

      Planned this hike in about 5 minutes while driving. Downloaded a "Map" onto my phone. The original plan was to hike from Wolf Pit Road to Tablerock mountain then dip down into the gorge and cross the Linville River on the Spence Ridge Trail the take the Linville Gorge Trail south and recross the river at the end of the Gorge. The plan had one small problem. The bridge was washed out and the Linville river isn't something to screw around with when the water level is high. I didn't find out the bridge was out until I reached the parking lot just below Tablerock mountain. The only option at this point was to go back the way I came. Linville Gorge is someplace I need to come back to and spend a week. Camped two nights, the first night I camped at about 3500' just below the Chimneys, the second night at Shortoff Mountain. Plenty of Ice and snow.

      appalachiantrailcafe.net/galle…lbumExtended/42/?pageNo=1
      Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.
      Dr. Seuss Cof123