A Week on the AT: 12/5-12/12, Neels to F ranklin

“Simple plan: Park car in Franklin, NC, shuttle to Neels Gap, start hiking north back to Franklin.

Hope to do the 77 miles in 7 days with a resupply in Hiawassee. Day to day schedule will be based on how we feel that day, with no set plan. This is Mugsy-friendly trip. If I stop at a shelter I will be tenting. We should run across several SOBOs as they finish up their thru.

If we get to Franklin on the 12th there is a WhiteBlaze get-together in Franklin: 3rd annual Hikers Christmas & South Bounder Party at the Franklin Memorial Park & Jaycee's Bldg. http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=55331”

“I'm interested in this trip. I need to check to see how much PTO I will have.”

“I would like to do this too. Right now I am a maybe.”

“I'm thinking we might start the hike on Friday, 12/4 instead of Saturday, 12/5.”

“I'm not going to be able to do this one :(”

“12/4 will work for me.”

“Looking forward to meeting you again mildbill. Your injury just prior to you getting to Kincora last year kept our visit short.”

“Lucky you.”

“LOL!! Hyway is pouting.”

“I was calling chinmusic lucky for ONLY having a short visit with you.”

“thats a fine section of trail. the cheese factory campsite is the site where i organized a couple of hiker feeds in 05 and 06”

“So I guess it means his luck is running out if I go on this trip.”

“I got my eyes on the Cheese Factory as a possible camp for night 2.”

“Hey Chin! Will you give Athena my email addy?

thanks!”

“stomper - done”

“Wish I could make this, but theres no way.
Have a great trip!”

“Mildbill, Mugsy, and myself have successfully made it from Neels Gap to Hiawassee. Athena came down sick and had to bow out.

Got a late start on Friday but managed to make it to Low Gap under headlamp. It snowed afew inches over night which made the trail just that more beautiful.

Day 2 ended at Blue Mountain Shelter which grants a perfect angle for a sunrise. The night was cold, prob near 10. Thank you Montbell 0.

Day 3 ended at Tray Mountain Shelter. Lots of climbs on this day was about all this flat-landed could handle. It was neat to hike up into snow and back down out of snow all day. The night started out colder than the previous night but warmed a bit before dawn.

Day 4 was perfect hiking weather around 40. Got to Dicks Creek Gap and hitched into Hiawassee. After a shower it was on to an AYCE.

We will prob take a zero tomorrow due to biblical rains in the forecast. Hope to get a shuttle to Deep Gap on Wednesday and on to Franklin.”

“good for you guys.”

“Def taking a zero today. Conditions look downright dangerous until tomorrow morning.

...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 AM EST WEDNESDAY...   THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 AM EST WEDNESDAY.   SOUTH WINDS WILL STEADILY INCREASE ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE NORTH CAROLINA AND NORTH GEORGIA MOUNTAINS THROUGHOUT THE DAY. WIND GUSTS COULD INCREASE TO AS MUCH 40 TO 50 MPH ACROSS ELEVATIONS ABOVE 4000 FEET BY EVENING. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT GUSTS AS HIGH AS 60 MPH WILL OCCUR TONIGHT. TREES MAY BE TOPPLED WITHIN THE WIND DRIVEN RAIN...AND POWERLINES COULD BE DOWNED BY THE HIGH WIND.   PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...   ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS CAN MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT.”

“When Wildbill and I section hiked all of Georgia a few years back, we zeroed in Hiawassie due to a weather report like that, only ours called for rain in the valley and snow up high. Except the weather held off and we had a gorgeous zero day and the following day we hiked 25 miles in a blizzard.”

“More wind
last edited: 12/08/09 12:41:32 PM”

“Dang.  Looks like tomorrow may have to be a zero as well. We will be going over 5500 ft so I expect a LOT of blowdowns. 60 mph gusts does not sound like fun. 

...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM EST WEDNESDAY... ...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM TO 7 PM EST WEDNESDAY...   THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A HIGH WIND WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM TO 7 PM EST WEDNESDAY. A WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM EST WEDNESDAY.   SOUTH WINDS WILL STEADILY INCREASE ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE NORTH CAROLINA AND NORTH GEORGIA MOUNTAINS THIS EVENING. WIND GUSTS COULD INCREASE TO AS MUCH 40 TO 50 MPH ACROSS ELEVATIONS ABOVE 4000 FEET AFTER MIDNIGHT. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT GUSTS AS HIGH AS 60 MPH WILL OCCUR LATE TONIGHT.   AFTER SUNRISE...THE STRONG WIND GUSTS WILL MIX DOWN INTO THE VALLEYS AS WELL. OCCASIONAL WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH WILL BE COMMON ACROSS ALL THE MOUNTAIN AREAS...WITH SEVERAL WIND GUSTS OF 60 MPH OR GREATER AT HIGH ELEVATIONS. WIND OF THIS MAGNITUDE IS EXPECTED TO TOPPLE NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES BECAUSE OF THE WET SOIL FROM RECENT RAINFALL EVENTS.   THE STRONG WIND GUSTS WILL DIMINISH AFTER SUNSET ON WEDNESDAY EVENING.   PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...   ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS CAN MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT...ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES AND FOR ROADS THROUGH MOUNTAIN PASSES. USE EXTRA CAUTION.   A HIGH WIND WARNING MEANS A HAZARDOUS HIGH WIND EVENT IS EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS OF AT LEAST 40 MPH OR GUSTS OF 58 MPH OR MORE CAN LEAD TO PROPERTY DAMAGE.   ”

“Sounds cold!”

“Hey Chin!!
It ain t worth dying over!!!!
Seriuosly!!!
See ya later, well maybe???
Randall”

“Hang in there. Hope the weather lets up for you.”

“Hey, what sort of tent you got that holds up to 60 mph gusts. I gotta know and buy me one.”

“I used a Eureka Solitaire set up in a windbreak created by a low hump between a fire road and a trail. The Solitaire performed like a charm since it is pretty low slung, very little wind got through. Wildbill set up about 20' away at a right angle to me and his hubba hubba waved around like a car flag at interstate speeds.”

“After two says in Hiawassee, and not being able to arrange a good shuttle to the trail, Mildbill and I called Ron Haven in Franklin and shuttled there.

Mildbill was more interested in getting home than dayhiking so he took off.

Mugsy and I did a slackpack from Wayah Bald to Winding Stair on Thursday. The views from Wayah and Silar Balds was stunning. It was still windy but well worth it.

Today we slacked from Mooney Gap to Winding Stair. Got to take in the infamous Mt Albert. Even with the rocks having significant ice cover, the climb wasn't all that bad. The views from the firetower were as clear as the day before. Met a SOBO that looked liked he needed a pizza. I guess 2000+ miles can do that to some. lol

Ron Haven is putting on a Christmas hiker bash tomorrow. I'm gonna take that in before heading home.

While I'm disappointed that I didn't get all of the sections done that I had planned, it still was a great trip. I talked to some that were out there during those two days of terrible weather and they said it was real bad.”

“I really enjoyed the hike. We had a little wind, snow, sunshine along with a few steep climbs. But after the weather turned for the worse and we got stuck in the motel for a few days, I figured it was time to head home.”

“Glad you all are safe. Chin that section you dayhiked is a really pretty section.
last edited: 12/11/09 8:12:13 PM”