Cohutta Expedition in 24 Days

[Tipi Walter]

Looks like a sweet trip. Was Bam Bam hiking shoe less? I heard it was a thing.

No, he was stopped at a West Fork creek crossing removing his hiking shoes. We talked gear for 30 minutes.

[FlyFishNut]

Nope though it's hard to believe. The only snake I saw was a ring neck on the Jacks River trail. But I never got the furnace temps we're having now across the Southeast. Pit vipers love 95F in the Southeast forests . . . so my June/July trip should be worrisome as I try to avoid envenomation. The best advice I have is to Keep My Eyeballs Open and My Butt Cheeks Clenched. Amen.

Nice TR and pics!

You crazies can have the hot weather hiking/camping. Give me cold sleeping weather, no bugs nor snakes and I'll take some snow sprinkled in.

I hang up my pack except for some truck camping at summer trail races, otherwise I'll see ya in the Fall.

[Tipi Walter]

Nice TR and pics!

You crazies can have the hot weather hiking/camping. Give me cold sleeping weather, no bugs nor snakes and I'll take some snow sprinkled in.

I hang up my pack except for some truck camping at summer trail races, otherwise I'll see ya in the Fall.

I too love winter backpacking but ALAS our winter season is getting shorter and shorter every year. From year to year I always vow I'll never go out again in July/August but dangit here I am preparing for another summer trip.

And since our cold weather season is now about 4 months total, well, I can't see hanging it up for 8 months and not going out. The worse part for me is nighttime temps in the 80Fs when the tent becomes an oven with no ventilation. The forest itself becomes a sauna and there's usually absolutely no wind for weeks.

Solution? Maybe old trail hobo Bam Bam is right to bring a big D-cell tent fan---but then how long would the batteries last with it on all night, every night?

My solution is to find areas with long trails next to mountain creeks and camp nearby with the option of submerging frequently to cool off the cooked body.

[FlyFishNut]

I too love winter backpacking but ALAS our winter season is getting shorter and shorter every year. From year to year I always vow I'll never go out again in July/August but dangit here I am preparing for another summer trip.

And since our cold weather season is now about 4 months total, well, I can't see hanging it up for 8 months and not going out. The worse part for me is nighttime temps in the 80Fs when the tent becomes an oven with no ventilation. The forest itself becomes a sauna and there's usually absolutely no wind for weeks.

Solution? Maybe old trail hobo Bam Bam is right to bring a big D-cell tent fan---but then how long would the batteries last with it on all night, every night?

My solution is to find areas with long trails next to mountain creeks and camp nearby with the option of submerging frequently to cool off the cooked body.

Agree - and I don't limit myself to just cold weather camping. Fall and Spring are pretty spectacular here and warm days with cool/cold nights are pretty sweet and great sleeping weather.

The wild card is the weather and that makes it interesting! It can be warm or it can snow... or both in the same day.

Take this past April 20th. Not a camping trip, but a super sloggy trail race in Montreat called "Seven Sisters" showed us how NC can have snowy hemlocks in Late April. Gotta love it. GrayBeard was beautiful dusted in snow.

Yeah - the dreaded tent sauna. You get drenched in sweat - open your bag, doze off, wake up freezing, zip your bag.... REPEAT.

[Tipi Walter]

Agree - and I don't limit myself to just cold weather camping. Fall and Spring are pretty spectacular here and warm days with cool/cold nights are pretty sweet and great sleeping weather.

The wild card is the weather and that makes it interesting! It can be warm or it can snow... or both in the same day.

Take this past April 20th. Not a camping trip, but a super sloggy trail race in Montreat called "Seven Sisters" showed us how NC can have snowy hemlocks in Late April. Gotta love it. GrayBeard was beautiful dusted in snow.

Yeah - the dreaded tent sauna. You get drenched in sweat - open your bag, doze off, wake up freezing, zip your bag.... REPEAT.

At least you still have some hemlock trees left---in Joyce Kilmer/Slickrock and adjacent areas all of the big ones are DEAD.

Your post reminds me of the time I was camping at 5,300 feet in the NC mountains when a surprise snowstorm hit on May 7, 2017---

[martinb]

I'm hoping to be camped in that spot later this month.

[Tipi Walter]

I'm hoping to be camped in that spot later this month.

And I just might see you