oops

Edited by isaac.mouser on 11/09/2010 13:53:21 MST.

We did the AT/Pine Mountain Trail/IMT

We got a shuttle from Damascus to Grayson Highlands State Park. We hiked over to Wise Shelter where we stayed for the night. We followed the AT up and over Scales to where the AT intersects with the Pine Mountain Trail (old AT). We followed it until it connected back with the AT at Rhododendron Gap. We stayed on the AT until we got to Deep Gap where we took the Mt Rogers trail down to SR 603. We crossed the street and followed the Flatop Trail until it connects with the IMT. We followed the IMT all the way back into Damascus. We only saw 3 people on the IMT and they were on horses. There are some really old shelters on the IMT.

Edited by Ewker on 11/09/2010 15:25:07 MST.

Good option Eddy. That hike would be much easier than the one I recommended and I do think the IMT is pretty cool. If you use the shuttle you could start about anywhere north and just hike the AT back into Damascus as another option.

Some many options, so little time.

Brad

I going to be staying in Elizabethton on the 18th then driving to kincora hostel in the morning of the 19th to catch a shuttle from Bob. I assume he will shuttle me and i will pay him, but i haven't been able to get anyone to answer the phone there, will keep trying.. Im going to do the shorter version (60 miles) since Bradford said the scenery is similar/better on roan anyway.

1.) Which footwear system should i use?


System 1:
Inov 8 roclite 315 Breatheable
X-static liner


System 2:
Inov 8 Roclite 390 Gortex

I will also have cuben waders as a waterproof layer for my feet, short gaiters, darn tough vermont boot socks and smartwool adrenalines.

The darn tough vermont boot socks are also my foot insulation at night, i wear the VBL cuben waders underneath and can layer the x-statics in there as well if needed.

2.) If i get done early could your recommend some places with 20 miles driving distance or so that i could check out that would only be an hour or less walk from a trailhead. I will definately check out the falls.

3.) Debating on leaving the stove at home. It would a save about 16oz including 1.3L ti pot, fuel, caldera cone, etc. I could still make FBC meals but just carry them in a cuben cozy in my jacket pocket til they were warm. I really dont have any problem eating lukewarm-semi cold meals. What do you guys think? That would take my packweight from 27.5LBS to 26.5LBS. My only concern would be the noodles being crunchy since they weren't in hot water, will they still get soft by just soaking?

My opinion--crunchy noodles suck. And warm drinks are nice. Be comfy and enjoy yourself. Save the SUL stuff for summer. It's getting dark early these days. Take the stove, whichever shoes you prefer, and maybe some camp shoes too. And have a blast.

Just curious--packing the hammock?

I'd like to see your entire gear list. 26-27 pounds sounds very heavy to me.

can i upload my gearlist directly to this site somehow or do i have to link to it?

Hold down control and scroll your mouse wheel forward to zoom in. Light colored items are items that im still myoging or haven't recieved yet.

Edited by isaac.mouser on 11/10/2010 13:02:39 MST.

@BRIAN yes i am packing the hammock. Im going with the Warbonnet Black Bird, was gonna bring a custom bridge that Grizz @ HF made me, but i don't have an underquilt that will fit it right now. Its sooooooooooo comfy and i prefer it to the WBBB. As far as insulation, i've get a winter yeti and a custom TQ that im making this week. Maccat deluxe spinn tarp.

@OTHERS
I will definately be able to shave 3-4oz off the fuel weight as i will only be cooking once a day. That 6oz number is from another trip. Unfortunately the GPS was bought for me by a family member and is not removable, as they track my progress online. Yes they've never hiked anywhere and have no idea that the AT is not antarctica. My wife also wants me to have it as I have a 1 year old as well and it makes her feel better knowing that i can push the emergency button and be rescued. So i cant remove that. I can lug an extra pound to keep my family from worrying too much. Bear spray is also there for them, but for me too. I know its just black bears and all that, and i've scared a few off in my day as well, however, i have a son now and think differently than I did before he was born. Maybe someday when you have a child you will be willing to sacrifice 8oz for a chance to see them again if your atttacked by a bear that you could have avoided. For 8oz, it seems like a no brainer. When i first began carrying loads and hiking, i was about 14-15. I never had a load lighter than 40LBS. I dont consider 27LBS to be heavy at all. I never feel the weight in a traiditonal sense of weighing down the shoulders anyway as use an Aarn and dont get any shoulder pressure from it. So i will have 13LBS behind me nad 6LBS in each from pocket, roughly. Makes carrying a load much easier when its properly centered. Think this:

Edited by isaac.mouser on 11/10/2010 13:35:29 MST.

Ike, I've gotta call you out on the electric toothbrush! Not for weight reasons, it's just, well it's just wrong.

Your list makes me realize I need to find a deal on a winter UQ. If you ever decide to abandon the winter yeti in favor of the bridge setup, let me know. Back to the cold, hard ground for me for a few months unless I break down and get one. (This is where you offer me your UQ...)

On the bear spray thing--I was recently knocked flat and bitten by someone's off-leash dog. I didn't get hurt badly and I love dogs, but for a couple seconds there while he was coming at me, I really wished I'd had some spray. I should have used it on the dog's owner who didn't even apologize when he pulled his dog off of me.

Have a great trip.

I see you found my one weakness, the electric toothbrush. I did compromise though and remove an excess plastic covering and unscrew the back portion. However, I love my HARD bristle toothbrush. The harder the better, just don’t feel clean with those soft bristled ones. BTW if you want a discount on a Winter Yeti, im selling it after this trip. Unfortunately my trips are only once or twice a year for now(wife in school, new baby, demanding job) now. For next year i'd like to go lighter with a Cuben from enlightened equipment. 8-9 months will give me plenty of time to save up for it anyway. I will ship it to you for $190 when i return, it will have 5 days use since i bought it just for this trip.

Edited by isaac.mouser on 11/10/2010 14:10:00 MST.

Yeah, I'm just messin with you on the toothbrush. Sort of ;-)

That's a nice offer on the UQ. I have a 3 season yeti now, but I wonder about the 3/4 thing in the winter. I've never used a hammock in the winter, so let me think about this. I have to run out for a while, but I might PM you later if I decide or have questions. Thanks again. And enjoy the hike.

"I going to be staying in Elizabethton on the 18th then driving to kincora hostel in the morning of the 19th to catch a shuttle from Bob. I assume he will shuttle me and i will pay him, but i haven't been able to get anyone to answer the phone there, will keep trying.."

Ike, Bob at Kincora has a hearing aid so speak clearly when talking to him
He usually has an answering machine on taking messages

enjoy your hike

I left a message for Bob, hope to hear from him. In the meantime, does anyone know anybody that will shuttle me from erwin to iron mountain gap?

Thanks

Ok so i am unable to contact Bob Peoples for shuttle services and i am not familiar or cannot locate any other shuttle services in the area. I need to cut a 10 mile section off of the right section in the image below. I have circled the section i need to cut off. I need a name of where i need to start at in order to finish at Uncle Johnnys, so i can tell Uncle Johnnys where i need to be dropped off. Please also say what i will be missing by excluding that seciton. See below.


Also, if you guys could speak to the danger of hiking in deer season in this area, i would appreciate it.

Edited by isaac.mouser on 11/17/2010 12:05:23 MST.

Cut the 10 miles off on the north (Dennis Cove) end. It is deer season in TN/NC so I would advise some blaze orange.

Done, i've decided to cut the 10 off you said. Im so excited for this trip! I will do a trip report when i get back.. I will be off work for a few days so i should have time to edit and put it all together. Thank you guys so much. Without your help, i would have never been able to put this trip together on such short notice. I love this site!!!!!

A few pis from that section to wet your appatite...




Unaka Mountain


Overmountain Shelter

Edited by Mocs123 on 11/17/2010 13:58:26 MST.

Topo 9 (delorme) is showing the mileage for this hike from Walnut Mountain Road to Uncle Johnnys as 44.66 miles. Does that sound right to you Bradford?

The older (~2006) AT guide I have shows it as 57 miles. Uncle Johnnys is at mile 338.7 and you cross Walnut Mountain Road at mile 395.7.