camping/snowboarding

[crazyED_ntc]

has anyone camped on the appalachian trail at the top of blue mountain and then snowboarded? Im thinking, since i dont get off work sat. until 3 i could drive from south jersey...board until close....camp....then sunday just do an early shift and head back home.

 

 

...i just started hiking the app trail this fall and Ive become familiar with some of camping sites along it...some nice ones right at the top of blue....

 

 

My reasoning..to save money on food and shelter.

[Glenn]

has anyone camped on the appalachian trail at the top of blue mountain and then snowboarded? Im thinking, since i dont get off work sat. until 3 i could drive from south jersey...board until close....camp....then sunday just do an early shift and head back home.

...i just started hiking the app trail this fall and Ive become familiar with some of camping sites along it...some nice ones right at the top of blue....

My reasoning..to save money on food and shelter.

 

Well I thought about this but there are a couple of problems.

 

1. Camping is for through hikers only. So unless you are section hiking, you really aren't supposed to be camping there. This is to discourage basically what you are doing, as well as having people throwing parties in state lands without paying for campsites. It's a privilege to have the camping available in the first place.

 

2. It's cold in winter. Hopefully you have some serious gear if you are trying to camp anywhere during the winter, and are prepared for weather should it arrive.

 

3. Food will still need to be provided and cooked. So you will have to collect firewood and start a fire the cold, or you will need a stove that can operate under windy/cold conditions, as any spot on the AT which you can camp at will likely be windy and cold.

 

If you still want to do this I want to encourage you again to at least section hike a portion of the AT. Make it about HIKING and snowboarding. Perhaps park at the lehigh and hike to blue staying somewhere in the middle over night. Or you can come from wind gap for a longer hike. Either way, it's a hiking trail, not a bums refuge. Plus it will be a great workout carrying all that gear, and if you ever got interested in back country riding you would have all that kind of stuff dialed in.

 

Short answer, it's probably not a good idea.

[rgrwilco]

has anyone camped on the appalachian trail at the top of blue mountain and then snowboarded? Im thinking, since i dont get off work sat. until 3 i could drive from south jersey...board until close....camp....then sunday just do an early shift and head back home.

...i just started hiking the app trail this fall and Ive become familiar with some of camping sites along it...some nice ones right at the top of blue....

My reasoning..to save money on food and shelter.

 

 

i dont understand this at all? just go for the night session? i live in south jersey as well, and its only an hour and a half to blue...if your worried about falling asleep while driving, find a friend to go along. or go to bear creek, which is 45 minuits from south jersey. i cant imagine this being a problem-i do night riding on every saturday during the season.

 

maybe i just cant fall asleep while driving, but i dont see a need to stay overnight anywhere unless its further than jfbb, even if you do just go up for the night sessions.

 

think about it this way. bring your shit to work, leave at 3, get to blue at 430. ride till 10, and your home by at the most midnight. trust me, if you camp, you will be more tired in the morning than you think...

[crazyED_ntc]

good points..... still not sure what im gonna do. I got cooking down. My gear, well im still waiting on that 15degree bag but i have everything else that i need already. I was just thinking if i could get done boarding and be wasted enough to just pass out i would be up early as hell. Get a bunch of first time runs.... I would also like to see what im capable of doing as far as surviving a night up there.

[Glenn]

Also keep in mind any gear that is cold and wet; socks, gloves, hats, pants, jackets, thermals, etc will stay cold and wet unless you dry them with the fire, in which case they will be smokey as hell. Same goes for your body. You will need to setup camp after a long day riding/working and will be cold, wet and tired. Basically I would think you would want to test your gear either at a campsite in the winter, or on a trail where you can predict with a certain degree that you will be able to remain dry so if your gear doesn't keep you was warm as you thought you won't be screwed.

[Ski]

I would also like to see what im capable of doing as far as surviving a night up there.

 

x2 what Glenn said. But what you said in that line gets you a pass from any kind of 'bum's refuge' status in my book. I say give it a shot...and, heck, it's not like your camping in Northern Quebec.

[nick malozzi]

I'd have to say that you should be packing at least a zero degree bag if you are gonna be camping on the AT mid winter. Especially factoring in a long wet sweaty day of boarding before it. I did a section 2 years ago in March, and my zero bag was almost not enough.

 

Also the fact that you want to "I would also like to see what im capable of doing as far as surviving a night up there." Is the exact reason i would tell you not to do it. You should never go out on a trip just to see if you can survive. You should go out knowing you are capable of surviving. Not to mention the sentence prior to the one i just quoted makes me want to persuade you not to as well. Please keep in mind drinking may make you feel warmer, but thins your blood increasing your chances of hypothermia. In addition if you are drunk you won't be able to notice the first 2 stages of hypothermia setting in, and after that it is too late (especially if you are alone). I'm all for drinking and camping, hell i just spent 3 days doing it, but don't be stupid.

[toast21602]

I was just thinking if i could get done boarding and be wasted enough to just pass out i would be up early as hell.

 

bad idea.

 

i've seen a ton (well not a ton, but a good amount) of people come into the hospital who were drunk and either passed out in their car or somewhere else during the winter and didn't know that they had hypothermia and frostbite because they weren't able to realize what was going on.

[nick malozzi]

bad idea.

 

i've seen a ton (well not a ton, but a good amount) of people come into the hospital who were drunk and either passed out in their car or somewhere else during the winter and didn't know that they had hypothermia and frostbite because they weren't able to realize what was going on.

My point exactly. I'm gonna say just drive home.

[photog]

A good resource on the AT is www.whiteblaze.com some of those guys on there have been through it all. They might be able to give you a little more info as to what you might expect and why it might not be a great idea if you are Inexperienced at winter camping

Edited November 27, 2007 by photog

[crazyED_ntc]

and when i say wasted.....i really mean tired! I dont drink...... i have been know to smoke a few joints though

[A_B]

as long as you are respectful u wont get kicked off the AT, staying 1 night or thru hiking.

[crazyED_ntc]

im not planning on haveing a big fire or anything crazy...Im just sleeping and eating. I've hiked from 309 past little gap.... and last week i started at little gap and went up behind blue to scout out the area... I hiked almost to the next gap(forget what its call). I did that when it snowed last week.... im def gonna give it a go... whenever blue actually opens. haha... btw if i start freezing to death i will just walk to my car. Anyone out there trying to do this with me?

[rgrwilco]

if you provide the green, id be down. sounds like an adventure.

Edited November 27, 2007 by vincent vega

[Ski]

btw if i start freezing to death i will just walk to my car.

 

Yeah, exactly. I mean, there's a good chance it'll be 25 or 30 degrees. It can be 25 degrees in June where Sib lives and you're a 10 mile hike to your car. The AT in winter is pretty green circle when it comes to roughing it. Plus, you can dry a lot of your gear in the lodge before hiking back to camp. And I'm pretty sure there's cell service through there which would bring a Park Ranger in about a half hour...

 

 

I'd sell you life insurance for that trip. If, uh, I sold life insurance.

[Boarder1x9]

i was hiking up there and two of my friends took a wrong turn and ended up on the summit, it'd be cool camping then riding but it'd pretty cold and you'd have to carry your board.