Waiting out the Weather
Sunday night was fucking cold. I'm sorry about the language -- i'm trying to keep this journal clean -- but there is just no other way to describe how cold it was. My thermometer read 0 degrees F at 9PM, and it got town to -10 at some point in the night. A water bottle that I had in my sleeping bag with me was FROZEN SOLID in the morning. Needless to say, it was a rough night and I didn't sleep at all. In the morning, I walked about 6 miles trying to warm up, but couldn't get my core temperature up. I also couldn't melt the ice in my water bottles. I called Ron Haven from Franklin -- he is an absolutely awesome guy who will do anythign he can to help out hikers -- and he brought me back to his hotel where I'd stayed last time I was in town (uh, saturday night). He'd even told me not to go out, it would be to cold, but typical me, I didn't listen. If you're reading this Ronnie, I just want to say thank you again. You've been a life saver for me this past week.
It doesn't look like it's going to warm up until the weekend, and even then a cold spell might hit again. I've called Cloud 9 in Hiawassee and they are coming to pick me up so I can wait out the weather there, with Crutch and Zero (he's holed up there). I have to say, the people I've met along the trail so far have been the most generous and amazing people anywhere. It seems an entire community has sprung up along the trail, dedicated to helping thru-hikers finish.
I'll be in Hiawassee, and I will post before I leave and head out again.
Quote of the day: "Hiking is just walking where it's OK to pee." -- From Demitri Martin's "Person."
posted by Josh @ 12:26 PM
7 Comments:
going backwards?
so what are the rules? when you go backward or forward by car, do you need to be transported to the spot where you stopped walking in order for it to be valid? Or do you need to walk all over again what you have just done in the past few days?
anyways, i imagine georgia is warmer than north carolina. NC just sounds cold.
in answer to the question in the previous comment about "rules", there are NO rules, u hike what u want to hike but of course, most hikers that plan to hike the whole AT, do not plan on skipping any sections. Josh has probably decided to go back to Hiawassee,GA because the Cloud 9 is cheaper to stay at and Josh knows several hikers there.
FYI, here is the 10 day forecast for Franklin,NC
Remember Franklin is a lower elevation than the AT so it could be as much as 5 to 10 degrees cooler on the trail.
Also, Gatlinburg,TN has Elevation of 1586 ft which is 15 miles on Rt441 to the AT and the elevation is over 6000 ft.
From looking at the forecast for Gatlinburg,TN, I would say that the AT in the Smokies will get some snow this week and it probably already has some. Be prepared for cold nites in the Smokies. Bring extra food, in case, u decide to stay in a shelter extra time on a day when it may be raining and 35 degrees.
Finally, this time of year, it is likely that Rt441 will be closed from the AT to Gatlinburg after snow and/or ice storms so that is why I suggest carrying 1 to 2 days extra food while hiking the Smokies.
For anyone interested, here is a link to the AT Companion (book) with info for GA thru TN.
Good Luck.
Josh, where r u on the trail (before the return to Franklin/Hiawassee)?
Josh, just concentrate on "hiking smart" and hunker down when the weather calls for it. You've got all the time in the world, and the most important thing is staying safe out there.
My daughter has been searching through quote books to find something to put under her yearbook picture, and I came across this one and thought of you:
"The distance is nothing. It's only the first step that's important." -- Marquise Du Deffand
(Sort of a ripoff of that old Chinese proverb "A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step", but I liked it anyway)
Stay warm and hang tough, Josh. Try to buddy up with those other hikers for a while...this is a tough time of year to be out there alone. Sending you good vibes from across the miles!
Fannypack, I believe Josh was at Wayah Bald in NC when he got picked up yesterday.
Josh, It can only imagine how cold it is out there. I am at a lower elevation and probably a bit further south, and this is the coldest weather I have ever been in! The wind is by far the wost! I hope that you wear lots and lots of warm stuff! Is it evident that I don't know much about hiking...Hang in there, Spring will be here in a few weeks!
Josh--it is even cold way down here in Mississippi. However, in N GA and NC mountains--the wind and altitude get to you. Hang in there--hunker down. Resurface in a few days!! Keep the website going so we can follow your progress.
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