Yesterday's Hike On The AT

C

CM_Rick

Joined
Jan 10, 2011
Messages
1,402
My cousin and I went on a "not so quick" 6 miler yesterday up in the Smokies. We started at the Clingman's Dome road and AT parking area with intentions on making the 15 mile hike to the Dome. It didn't work out. There was a decent amount of residual snow left over from the major storm we had a few weeks back. At points it was about 3' deep. Last time I ever go winter hiking in the Smokies without snowshoes. It was rough. Here are some pics.

Some scenery on the way up. Took these for my cousin's research paper on the dead trees.
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Me at our starting point, though we went in the other direction. Just wanted to show the sign.
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Lots of snow and an abundance of birch trees, tinder ally. I wanted to fashion a pair of snow shoes, as there was a great availability of the required materials, but my cousin was worried about making time, so I pressed on without them. Lesson learned, next time I'll make them anyways. It would've made good pics too. I regret not doing so now.
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Coyote scat and some human sign. If there are any women out there with a small foot, I found this nifty set of ice spikes you can have, lol.
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I know more pics would have been better. I didn't even get a knife pic in there, but as I said my cousin wouldn't really let me play around. I need to get into the photo taking habit. The wife was always the photographer in the family.

Hope you guys liked what you saw.
 
Nice pics! Snoeshows in snow like that is always a diffucult decision. If its too shallow, you are carrying those suckers on your back the whole time cursing them, if you try to use them when there isn't enough snow - diminishing returns, when they are required they are like gold. My pal and I were on the cusp of diminishing and we decided not to take them. Then it snowed another 6" and suddenly we were in snowshoe territory....I guess that is how it goes.

Keep them lady spikes they can come in handy!!
 
Sweet pics. Maybe resize them next time though? :thumbup::D

I love it down there. I hope to get down sometime this year. It's been a couple of years.
 
Thanks, all. Believe me, kgd, when I say, I wish I had some or made some yesterday. It would have been much better. I wanted to leave the spikes at the Mt. Collins At shelter, but we didn't make it that far, so I ended up with them. They're nice, like brand new. I really can't imagine why they ditched them so soon.
 
Lucky dog. I was in Gatlinburg on Saturday for the All-East orchestra concert (my daughter was playing). When we left I took the Gatlinburg bypass and stopped at one of the overlooks. The sun was just setting on the ridges of LeConte with a clear sky background. It was beckoning me, but alas, I couldn't go.
 
awesome pics mate and good luck on the tracking course, I just did my scout patrol procedures course last year which is basically tracking and survival, I can honestly say the skills you will learn will stay with you for the rest of your life, some of our modules were based on tom browns stuff. your scouts will benefit to from an instructer with the skills you will gain.

regards,

Stew
 
Don M,
Glad you at least took the drive. The bypass is great when you don't want to be in Gatlinburg. Maybe we'll do some hiking some day.

Stew,
That is awsome that you've got it under your belt now. Tom's lessons are some of the greatest, and its great you got some of the instruction based on them. I am really looking forward to Tracker School, and yes the scouts in my our unit will benefit greatly. Thanks for the good wishes, and same to you.

Mann,
Yeah the snow up there definitely taught me a lesson. Man, that summer sausage, cheese spread, and crackers were good after wards, lol.
 
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