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I go CCW in the summer time, because my knees would rather go up the steeper FW trail and down the OBP. In the winter, I do the reverse, because 1. butt sliding potential on FW, 2. prevailing winds tend to be on my back, and 3. descended off Lafayette can be tricky in bad conditions, so best to...

Hincks is my usual way to/from Gray Knob from Appalachia. I don't think it's any more prone to ice than other trails. It's steeper than Lowes (with the exception of the stretch below the Log Cabin), but not really any worse than other N.Prezzie trails. There's a tricky stream crossing this...

Congratulations on wrapping up the Long Trail over a number of years. I haven't done the whole thing, but the section from 108 to Whiteface is one of my favorites (so far). I'll go against the grain and say that I enjoy the (lack of) blazing on the LT. I think the Whites are overdone, but the...

With deep snow cover, it can be really easy to miss. The trail isn't cut very high, and I've seen the snow depth basically fill in the whole thing. However, as stated, in summertime, it's readily apparent. It's one of my favorite unofficial 4Ks!

Kudos to Billy for being brave enough to state what was sure to be an unpopular and misunderstood idea. I agree whole-heartedly. Pursing a hobby can be healthy or destructive. Some people have exceptional abilities -- including natural skill, financial sustainability, lack of social and...

So which mountain ranks last? I would have guessed South Twin was in the top 10. It seems like you are really in the heart of the Whites on South Twin.

It always depends on the particular year, of course, but mid-May is most likely going to be nightmarish. I remember a craptacular few days in that area during that time of year. The Twinway b/t South Twin and Guyot made me want to cry. (Is it okay to admit that on here?)

Mount Rogers is a great respite from the tree tunnels in that part of the country. Long, expansive views and open fields for quite a few miles of hiking. I took my wife there for her first true backpacking experience (3 days / 2 nights in a tent), and lured her with the promise of wild ponies...

"If our tent ripped away in the wind or the poles broke or we got caught in a flash flood or broke an ankle, it could be the end," Well, yeah... that would describe a lot of backpacking trips. Of all the tales of courage and valor during the Colorado flooding, this one is pretty far down the...

Yes, if going to the Travelers, just keep driving north on I-95 past Millinocket. I forget the exact directions, but go in through the north gate. That is *much* quicker than going through the south gate and driving through the park. I think it took me a couple of hours to drive from Roaring...

I have a pair of Patagonia R1 fleece plants. I've had them for about ten years, I think, and love them. Great for around camp in cool summertime, or as a mid-layer in wintertime.

I had planned to, but when I got to the turn-off, my feet were starting to hurt, and my engine was winding down. Two years of grad school was taking its toll. :( I passed on by, figuring I had plenty of other balds to spend time on, and I wasn't peakbagging southern 6ers anyway. ;)

Thanks for the advice, all. My wife dropped me off on Tuesday at noonish at Iron Mtn Gap. I hiked 6 miles that day to Clyde Smith Shelter, very non-descript, but just nice to get the legs warmed up. Wednesday was about 15 miles over Roan, the balds, and into Overmountain Shelter. Beautiful...

Grays and Torreys are a good place to start the 14er quest, since they are class 1 and *relatively* easy. To spice it up, you can take Kelso Ridge up to Torreys. (I think Gerry Roach puts it as class 3 with a few class 4 moves; I didn't think it got to class 4, but there is one hairy section...

I was living in Colorado at the time, but came home that summer for a friend's wedding. My brother and I made a pilgrimage to the viewing site. Just a sad moment to lose an iconic piece of our landscape.

I've done the BB Trail a bunch (though not recent enough to give a trail conditions update). I have done it during this time of year, too, and it can be awfully treacherous. There are lots of places to take a bad fall. Personally (and I'm making a speculation as to actual conditions), I would...

My wife is spending some time at a retreat center near Asheville, NC, just after Memorial Day, and I'm planning to hit the trails for about three days. I was thinking of a section hike along the AT, either in the Roan High Knob or Bald Mountain stretches. I'd like to avoid GSMNP. I'm not...

It's been a few years, but if I remember correctly, there were several paths / footbeds / trails up there that criss-crossed. They weren't signed or blazed well, but I don't really remember having any problems either. Maybe my memory is bad, or my navigation is great :)

My theory is that there are two kinds of 48ers... those that start hiking with them in mind, and those that pick up the idea after they have been hiking awhile. I had already been hiking for about 15 years when the idea of 'doing the 48' struck my fancy. By then, once I tallied up my list, I...

Great place to finish the 48! West Bond would also be a great finale, but it depends on the route you are taking. This is coming from someone who finished on Waumbek on a drizzly day. :rolleyes: