Southern Hikers

“So where do southern hikers go hike during the summer months.”

“The mall :-)

Actually, I try to get started hiking earlier in the day when it is cooler and before the afternoon storms roll in.”

“Get a yak and hit the river!!”

“anywhere you want to go. I have been to the Smokies the last 3 out of 4 weekends and had a blast”

“We go north.”

“I'm headed for Ocala NF this weekend.

Hmmm. That's north!
last edited: 7/06/05 9:36:06 PM”

“LOL, yeah...we do go north. Naa....I still would hike Mitchell or the Smokies if a cool trip was planned.

I am one of the nuts who actually like hot summer weather. [that's what I am saying now, sitting in a cool living room]

ask me again when sweat is dripping of my face.”

“Not sure of the spelling but it runs about 12 miles along the Blue Ridge Parkway on the east slope of Grandfather Mountain (permit not required) and into Moses Cone and Julian Price sections of the Parkway and is always very cool being in thick forest on the shady side of the mountain on summer afternoons thru the Lynn Cove gigantic boulder fields with small creeks and cascades and around and over a 400' high cliff.
last edited: 7/06/05 9:47:40 PM”

“Not sure of location is that in NC.”

“Grandfather is near Linville, NC
Lots of tourists during summer, but I like hiking it too.

http://www.grandfather.com/”

“Smokygirl, arclite, and myself hiked about 12-14 miles on Cumberland Island, GA a week and half ago, with a 12 mile paddle before and after.”

“Looks like a nice place. We were in Ashville awhile back but didnt get a chance to do any hiking.”

“I dont do much bpacking down here in the summer unless its in the smokies.

Mostly, I just find other activities to do like wakeboarding and swimming”

“Mt Rogers, Roan Highlands, Grandfather, Blacks, Shining Rock, Kilmer, S Nantahala Wilderness, Smokies, Anywhere on the AT, etc, etc. Off to Grandfather this weekend for an overnight with my 8 yo son.”

“After May 31st I just don't hike. It rains almost everyday in the NC mountains during the summer. That's what makes them so green and beautiful but I just can't handle it.

California is the place to be so I load up my gear and head to Beverly....the hills that is..... Sierras tall cool sunny see forever!”

“gem im another one that likes hot steamy weather while hiking :D it means you can hike super light! :D”

“i am a n.e. hiker even here with the hot and muggy days and the deer flies my hikes are fewer and shorter-the deer flies drive my dog crazy-i wait for the coolest mornings and start to look forward to fall --”

“With MDS and StoveStomper...get a Yak...I've definately got Yak brain....

80 Miles on the Memorial Day weekend, and most recently, a long 5 day weekend over the 4th of July camping and day tripping around the islands on Guntersville lake. I have begun experimenting with my Sail, so when the winds are up I'm sailing the yak...

Keeping cool is as easy as wetting myself down and letting the evaporative process beat the heat...”

“Are there any good islands for camping on Lake Guntersville?”

“Summer is golfing time not hiking time :D”

“When it gets too hot to work outside in August, I go backpacking in the Smokies to cool off.”

“There sure are a lot that look like they would be good for camping. I've been on one of the larger ones when I was a teen, and it was complete with short trails.

It was a long time ago though, so I can't remember where it was.”

“Summer is usually my time to take the big trips. I've been to Washington, Montana, Wyoming, and Hawaii to backpack during the summer. I also take a number of trips to the mountains of north Ga., NC, and VA. There are many more places to visit in my lifetime.

If I stay here, I'm out in a kayak.”

“Mitchell is much cooler, even in the summer time. Last year we experienced very cold temps on top of mitchell during the 4th of July. The hike up to the top...well that's a different story.”

“I'm have been wanting to get into kayaking during the summer around here but the entry fee is steep when you have to buy two of everything (one for me, one for my son?. My son deserves the kayak. I should just buy a canoe for now. I saw a new Pelican canoe with two paddles and some foam pieces to load it on top of the car for $340 at BJs.
It sure would be nice to go over to Lake Jocasse and access all those waterfalls coming right down into the lake. Maybe do some canoe camping in the summer and pick back up on the hiking in the fall. And did I tell you that you can carry cases of beer in a canoe?”

“sh, go on www.paddling.net and check out the classifieds. I bet there is some in your area for sale”

“We have done some boating but not enough experience to do long trips. Are any of those inflatable boats any good or would the money be better spent buying a good one to start with.”

“Stargate, what type of inflatable are you talking about---the kind that are entirely inflatable (like the whitewater rafting type) or those that just have inflatable pontoons? I have one that has two inflatable pontoons and a metal frame w/seat and oars that hold them together....looks similar to a catamaran without the sail. Those are great for long river trips; very stable---almost impossible to flip; can carry a person and at least 100 lb of gear; there are models made for gentle rivers and lakes as well as models for whitewater. You can find them on a lot of flyfishing websites. Dave Scadden is a manufacturer out west and makes a very highly rated boat. His boats can be found on the web. Not as much speed as a canoe and harder to portage, but they can handle pretty shallow water and some rough conditions.”

“The ones that are intirely inflatable”

“Wind chill @ Mt. Mitchell @ 9 pm on July 7 2005 28.2 deg F. Is that cool enough???”

“Where to hike?

Above 5000 feet.”

“I love hiking and backpacking in the summer because at the end (or in the middle) of a long hike I can find a deep pool of water in a mountain stream and go swimming!”