Merry Christmas to ME!

**stormcrow** · 12-06-2008, 16:38

Honestly, I did not provoke anything...at least not consciously...I dont think.

My lovely wife just informed me that if I want to take off on Christmas Day (or the day after), that I have her blessing. I have the green light to head down to Springer and start walking! She said she would miss me but could not think of anything I wanted more soo... I should be able to go until the 2nd or 3rd of Jan! Just about 2 solid weeks of AT goodness before I have to get back to the REAL world. Just thought I would share. I have major planning to do.

Right now I have to figure out transportation. I am going to leave MY vehicle at the beginning of the hike and just TRY to get someone to get me back to my ride from wherever I make it to. I am a pretty strong walker but I am still going to be conservative and say I can average 15 miles a day.

Anyway, I just wanted to share with some people that I knew could appreciate the coolness of my situation. It's no thru-hike but these are the best chunks I am going to get...and to be honest, it would be hard for me to leave my family much longer than that anyway...

Adam

**Peter_pan** · 12-06-2008, 16:44

Congrats.... Winter days are short.... It is hard to get out of the bag/quilt, especially in a comfortable hammock, in the cold... GA mountains are tough....Recommend a few 8-10 mile days to start....Take it easy, winter is no time for shin splints or sprains.

Enjoy!

Pan

**stormcrow** · 12-06-2008, 17:20

Thanks Pan,

You are probably right. I do not really have a set number of miles I HAVE to get so I will just play it by ear! I am happy to get ANY!

Winter hiking will definitely be new to me so I am going to make sure I have what I need. With Christmas here money is going to be tight so I will probably be heavier than I want to be...(cheap insulation isnt light.....

..)

Adam

**Coffee** · 12-06-2008, 20:57

That's a great time of year to be on the AT. I was out there last year at that time. Just take it from me and save for ankle and don't night hike out of the Fontana Dam Resort after having a few too many. Your ankle will think you.

Just keep in mind it could be cold and dark. Or not so cold and dark. I remember the nights lasting a long long time. With a couple really freakin cold. The going it's that bad down there. Contact the hostel that shuttles people to Springer. They might be able to help you.

I'm jealous. Winter hiking is hard to beat.

**Dutch** · 12-06-2008, 22:02

If you park at Hiker Hostel they will take you to Springer and you can get picked up at NOC. I'd be jealous, but I'll be in the Grand Canyon. Kayak Karl is leaving Nobo Jan 1.

**thorwren** · 12-07-2008, 00:33

I'll keep you guys up to date while he's gone.

**Shug** · 12-07-2008, 01:55

Lucky you .... what a superb time to be on the AT. A great Christmas gift and renewing for the soul.
Redheaded you .... red headed wife ... gotta be redheaded kids.
My 17 year old daughter has beautiful red hair too. What a gift.
Video???

**TDunc** · 12-07-2008, 06:52

Same here, redheaded wife, redheaded daughter, and yes, I was (once upon a time).....

I too wish I could take that hike. That would be a wonderful time.. That is a great gift!

**slowhike** · 12-07-2008, 08:08

I hope you'll take a few pictures Stormcrow, or maybe some video!
Walk carefully & be thoughtful.

**Youngblood** · 12-07-2008, 08:51

Keep updated on the weather forecast. Winter storms can be life threatening if you get caught in them in the southern Appalachians. The snow, temperatures, wind, icing, etc can be much worse in the mountains than it is in the cities where the forecasts are. You are a young guy and are strong enough to hike out of things that others can't, but be careful anyhow.

You are not too far away from road crossings on the Georgia section of the AT at any time. But the dirt roads may be closed in really bad stuff and the only traffic you can count on is the paved road crossings. When I backpack in the winter I seldom see other folks on the trail, so you have to figure you are on your own. Icing on the boulders, rock faces, etc can be treaturous in spots and can be present long after rain or snow has occurred (but isn't always there). It always seemed too sporadic to try and use footwear specifically for it, in my opinion. I try to handle it carefully with hiking poles and use the bypass trail around Blood Mountain. However, I have landed on my tush on the bypass trail where just a few small rock face type steps where iced. (I was hiking alone and glad I set down gently on a flat surface and didn't bust my tail bone.)

Just driving to some of the gaps that are trailheads for the AT from a nearby city sometimes exposes you to temperatures that are much lower and winds that are much higher. Same with snow and ice.

Picking campsites are obviously more critical in colder weather but you have limited daylight and miles to cover, so you have to make some tradeoffs with that. Many times the winds are calm during the day only to pick up during the night. Having as current a forecast as you can with the expected wind direction can be a big help when it comes time to quickly figure where you might be out of the wind. Don't forget your compass as the trail zig zags all around and sometimes the cloud cover is thick enough that you can't tell where the sun is. Camping at the shelters isn't a bad way to go, especially if you are using a pad so you can hunker down in the shelter if you need/want to but it can determine your daily mileage.

Be careful, safe, and have fun. Oh yeah, take a cell phone, conserve the batteries, and store the phone numbers for Mountain Crossings, the Hiker Hostel, etc that you might need to come get you.