Winter Hammock Camping in the Smoky Mountains - High Winds, Snow & Rain
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ต.ค. 2024
- Join me for 3 days of Winter Hammock Camping, Backpacking & Hiking in the Smoky Mountains. GPS Data at www.sintax77.com
For this winter camping adventure, I’ll be doing a Gregory Bald Loop Hike, incorporating campsite 13 Sheep Pen Gap, campsite 113 Birch Spring Gap, and a hike to the Shuckstack Fire Tower. This is my second backpacking trip to the Smokies, but due to the shorter winter days, ice, and snow, I’ll be slowing the pace down a bit compared to my previous hammock camping experience there.
For an easier read, check out my full blog post here www.sintax77.co...
Official Sintax77 Merch Store bit.ly/2S6wP2h
A backcountry permit is required for all campsites in this area. You can reserve them for $4 per night on the Smoky Mountains National Park website here: smokiespermits...
Full GPS track Data, including campsites, water sources, etc, for this trip and many others can be downloaded in the above blog link or on my website’s Trip Data Page.
Trailhead Used: Twenty Mile Ranger Station Parking Area N35° 28.073′ W83° 52.601′
This parking area has room for several vehicles. The Twenty Mile Ranger station is right nearby and visible from the lot.
Trails Used, Day 1:
Begin at the Twenty Mile Trailhead
Twenty Mile Trail
Wolf Ridge Trail
Setup Camp at Sheep Pen Gap, campsite 13
This site is often rather windy. Two banks of bear cables are on site. I melted snow for water while here, but there is a spring 300 yards or so down the trail, which is the headwater for Panther Creek. By most accounts, it is often pretty muddy, presumably from animal activity. Try to find an upstream spot to source your water make sure to sterilize it properly.
Day 1 Mileage: 7 Miles
Day 1 Elevation Gain: 3,581′
Trails Used, Day 2:
Gregory Bald Trail
Appalachian Trail, Southbound
Setup Camp at Birch Spring Gap, campsite 113
This is a large multi-spot campsite with multiple designated tent areas. Some of these spots offer tree options for hammocks, but not all of them. Two banks of bear cables are on site. There is also a very nice reliable piped spring, and a single communal fire ring.
Day 2 Mileage: 5.5 Miles
Day 2 Elevation Gain: 1,732′
Trails Used, Day 3:
Continue on the Appalachian Trail South
At the intersection with Twenty Mile Trail, continue on the AT towards Shuckstack.
Shuckstack Spur Trail
Climb the 60′ Shuckstack fire tower
Return to the Twenty Mile Trail intersection
Twenty Mile Trail
Return to the Twenty Mile Trailhead
Day 3 Mileage: 6 Miles
Day 3 Elevation Gain: 700′
Grand Total 3 Day Mileage: 18.5 Miles
Grand Total 3 Day Elevation Gain: 6,013′
Notable Backpacking Gear:
National Geographic Smoky Mountains Trail Map amzn.to/2DdYT9s
EMS Longtrail 70L backpack go.magik.ly/ml...
REI Duck's Back 60 Pack Cover go.magik.ly/ml...
Hammock Gear Dyneema Fiber Hex Tarp www.hammockgear...
Titanium Tent Spikes amzn.to/2tXyhWE
Hammock Gear Zippered Bug net Hammock www.hammockgea...
Hammock Gear Burrow 0 Top Quilt www.hammockgea...
Hammock Gear Incubator 0 Top Underquilt www.hammockgea...
Tyvek Ground Cloth amzn.to/2WIAGRU
Optimus Polaris Optifuel Stove amzn.to/2CoxjG5
Zippo Lighter amzn.to/2FBpikz
Toaks 750ml Titanium Cookpot amzn.to/2D5iE34
Sea to Summit Long Handled Spork amzn.to/2uyl5GJ
Mountain House Spicy Breakfast Hash amzn.to/2DUKG33
Steripen Ultra UV Water Purifier amzn.to/2WJp8gS
Forty Below 1L Water Bottle www.40below.co...
Forty Below Bottle Boot insulator www.40below.co...
Kahtoola MicroSpikes amzn.to/2t7thxP
Garmont Momentum Snow GTX Winter Boots go.magik.ly/ml...
EMS Thunderhead Jacket go.magik.ly/ml...
Hardshell Pants - Military ECWCS Gen III Trousers amzn.to/2WzloP4
Outdoor Vitals Adventure Jacket bit.ly/2WHh940
Dutchware Sit Pad dutchwaregear....
Byer of Maine Tri-Light Camp Stool amzn.to/2GamV9m
Olight Wave LED Headlamp amzn.to/2D443Vq
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Correction: Good news for Dutch Wasp lovers, I was wrong, they still make them! dutchwaregear.com/product/wasp/
You might enjoy "Tunnel in the Sky" by Robert Heinlein.
(I'm a retired librarian. 😘)
Bears do not hibernate in the south. They do sleep more but light noises can easily waken them. They head to town to rummage trash cans when food is more scarce. Always be on the lookout for bears in the smokies!
And what do you do if you encounter one?
google that shit bfore u blieve this "bear expert" folks
@@1StarAtlas yes, why don't you. Black bear do not hibernate across the southern Appalachian mtn range. They do rummage trash cans if left outside and not bear proof trash receptacles. They love restaurant dumpsters. Maybe you should google topor and educate yourself.
If anyone wants to see Syntax77 complete his 3 Luxury Items Video I tagged him on... please thumbs up this comment....🤣... sorry buddy, I'm grasping at straws here...
Haha, no worries. I'll have to take a look.
🤣.... had to get the word out somehow!!! LMAO!!!!
@@sintax77 The Restless One is a nut! 😂😂 Actually he is a great guy and I camped with him in Ohio. Only problem is that he is a tent guy. 😬😅
uptrail71 circus tent!
I'm guessing a straw wrapper that he can use as a napkin... or tourniquet, a hot sauce packet, and a fast food plastic spoon for digging catholes will be his 3!!!
I like seeing the fog and snow and a real outdoor situation instead of a precisely planned out perfect video.
That's why I watch these videos to see something real and unplanned.
Very interesting. I can definitely see some advantages to the hammock versus tents in wet conditions.
Everytime I've hiked a large wilderness, I always think of how it was back in pioneer days. Cheers!
They used to ride boulders for miles.
I always enjoy trip videos when you include your delightful lady, your pooch or your bud Trailkilla, but I always enjoy these solos you film. Great work. Enjoyed it.
Finally real syntax 77 videos thanks
You are a true ideal of the western world. Thank you.
those Acme bags are just like the ones the Roadrunner uses! Great video...thanks for sharing with us.
Just spent the afternoon canoeing around Bristol harbour england..
Absolute bliss...
My mama would say...
It's your back yard..
Go look around it..
If your thinking of visiting the uk.. I'll put ya up...
-- Always love the description, ". . . what not, as well".
Close to where I live! Enjoyed this! Love the Smokies!
I used to do winter hiking on the AP trail, but haven’t done it in 8 years. Watching your videos makes me want to hike again.
Absolutely love this with the wind and bad weather,
Thanks for the video, Nice trip. The best part is you go. Raining, Cold, and snow you dawn your pack and head out. Most would see the forecast stay home. But you go. Kudos to you. Stay safe.
Sean, I was betting you were smarter than to climb that tower with that snow and ice and no view. I live in central Texas now, was raised in East Tennessee. The tarp up first, followed by everything else, is the way to go in the Smokies. The rain comes all the time. One just prepares. The wind in the Smokies has been officially clocked at greater than 300 mph, on Clingman’s Dome. So, you got a taste. The trail looked rough, poor maintenance, tough times for rangers and trail angels. Sorry, it’s long ride from Pennsylvania to find such a sad sight.
I did a lot of winter hiking there as a youngster, no permits then, no GPS. For weather, we looked up. Good thing about winter is we can see the geography, the lay of the land, no bugs, less people, no rangers (heh), no bear. We didn’t hang bear bags, ever. And never once had trouble from a bear. Mice gave us fits in the shelters, bear, never, nothing, ever. Deer scared us one morning, eating the leaves we had pissed on the night before, outside the tent. Thanks for sharing. Texas
That it absolutely false. The highest wind speed ever recorded in the US was at Mount Washington at 231 mph. Know your facts guy.
I did this trail last summer. That first section is a lot of up hill. Great videos, can not thank you enough for them!
Hey Sintax 77 I’ve been watching you for years now and I’ve always really enjoyed your solo trips. You’ve inspired me to take on the trails and go backpacking myself. I’m really glad I found your channel and I can’t wait to see your future endeavors!
I'm done with shepherd hooks! Light but like you say easy to lose and they just don't work well. Thanks for bringing us along.
Well hello, nice to meet you. I enjoyed the trip, thx
My son and I hiked the Twentymile trail last October! We was both excited to see you there! We actually seen 3 bear so it was definitely an exciting trip for us. Lots of good memories, awesome to see you there as well!
I am liking your vids more and more each one.....well done.
Great video my friend be safe and be good
Here in the South (Dallas Texas) it is pronounced as Puh-KAHN. . . it always makes me giggle to hear Northerners say it as PEE-kahn. Great videos. . .I just wish we had some places around this area to do some camping. We have campgrounds around Dallas, but they are all pretty much built out as Glamping sites.
Here abouts(NC), we say it "Pee-can".
Enjoyed the video, and the effort you put into filming it! I'm about an hour from the GSMNP, and backpack a couple of weekends a month there. The climb to #13 is tough from any direction, and Wolf Ridge has lots of places that make you think you're near the top, only to round a switchback and keep climbing. Someone else mentioned this, but there is another (better) water source on the other side of the bald. Follow the path marked with the "no horse traffic" signs to the location of the old Moore Springs shelter, where there is a reliable spring. The path loops back around to rejoin the Gregory Bald trail near the junction with the Gregory Ridge trail.
The metal box at #113 is a storage box used by the park service to store tools and such. No more bear boxes in the park - just cables. That site gets closed for bear trouble pretty early in through-hiker season, so the signage may have just been left out. The stone wall there is also part of an old shelter that has been decommissioned.
If you want to see pics of the views from any of these places, feel free to track me down @bobcarrphoto on social media. Again, thanks for sharing!
I hope you do more smoky mountains videos . There great
Dude watching your videos over the years has been a huge inspiration for me.
You never disappoint ,thanks for sharing all your amazing adventures with us.
If your ever out in California,it would be an honor to meet you.
Keep rocking my friend.
Nice video! Good to see you back in the saddle again.
seeing the amount of completely un-nowledged people who go out and camp, I am quite excited to get out there.
I usually don't watch videos this long, but this trip video was very good! If you came up to my area rather than the Smokies for this trip it would have been a nightmare.😱 A 25 year old hiker died in the nasty weather conditions. It was over -20 F lake effect snow blizzard and wind chills between -35 to -50 F.
Thanks, Bob. That's some scary stuff. Always sad to hear of events like that.
That why we have the National weather service, however you really have to follow their advice. Yes it is sad. Something to learn from.
For those of you looking to download the GPS data for this trip, or read the full blog post - www.sintax77.com/winter-hammock-camping-in-the-smoky-mountains/
Great work: many have no idea the work to edit & blend footage, let alone the camera work itself--somehow recording for hours with minimal power in cold, wet conditions. I always appreciate the warmth of the local sub shop & huge, hot meatball sub. Maybe a ruben or some chicken noodle soup too. See you all out there.
Thanks, man. Glad you enjoyed the vid, but you're making me hungry over here! ;)
Just found your video an glad you loved our mountains here. There pretty special to us to. Love this video
Guess you couldn't hear me telling you not to do it in this weather. Rather you be careful. Quite an adventure!
That’s for the videos. Keep on keepin on
Took a family vacay to Fontana Dam years ago! Nice to actually know where you are somewhat.
Two thumbs up as always I'm going to have to watch this later when I get home
I made a one piece snakeskin for my tarp from, believe it or not, a bath puff. Untie the center of it and pull it apart. It's a long durable tube you can cut to length. Lightweight and gives your tarp a chance to dry out as you hike.
Very interesting! Great tip, thanks for sharing :)
Hanging out with the widow maker. 🤪😂
Awesome video of an awesome loop! I went on this loop in late March a few years back with two of my friends that had never been backpacking and it brought back some great memories.
To clarify about Gregory Bald, it is unclear on why it was initially bald, some say settlers cleared it, others argue that it happened naturally. In either case, the park actually maintains it as a bald. I was leading a trip up there with teenagers last summer and there were park rangers that were up there with lawn mowers! If they didn't do that, the forest would naturally start taking over.
If you have any questions about the Smokies, shoot me a message, I have quite a bit of experience there.
I’ve always loved all your videos - but in this one your ongoing commentary and story telling was especially engaging. Your solo trips are always my favorite and this one is a perfect example of why. Good stuff!!
Thanks, Denali. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Good trip. High winds always concern me in the backcountry. Nabers Drive In in Bryson City has some pretty good CB and fries.
Love there peanut butter shakes
Hey Sintax. Good trip video. You're in my "backyard"! I have a cabin in Pigeon Forge. Glad you had a good time. R.
That's awesome. I had a great time. Thanks, Robert!
I hiked the AT in georgia a few years ago during gov shutdown. Public bathrooms in National forest were locked. I'm surprised backcountry permits were issued during shutdown.
Yup, I even spoke to a ranger in the parking lot on patrol when I was leaving. Said they were still out there. In the Smokies, at least.
Yes that was definitely an awesome Wendy winter hike
I would love to do a hike with you one day if you're up here in Cleveland Ohio
I hope you and Sarah thru-hike the AT at some point? Have you guys ever thought about it?
The hat, the hat, where did you get that warm looking hat with the ear flaps!!
it's a Cromer? thays the style of hat I think.
Love your video!
Great video!!!!
I always do a hard eye roll hearing northern people say Appalachian makes my head hurt lol but other than that, wonderful video been in that area many times but have yet to venture into the woods so thanks for taking us along :) p.s. app-uh-latch-an is how the locals say it lol
Weird question, but could you spray paint your tent spikes a bright color so you could find them more easily? Just a thought... great video!
ARE YOU CRAZY?!? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH WEIGHT THAT WOULD ADD?!? 😲 just kidding...good idea ☺
I use bright colored electrical tape to show visibility.
@@davidwalker9594 Good idea. I wrap mine in colored ribbons
They make orange topped titanium Sheppards hook stakes. I got some on amazon like 6 years ago they are 1oz for 6 of them and it was 20 or so bucks
I don't get scared easily, but I don't think I could camp alone like you. Any tips besides "just get out there"?
Stop acting like a bitch.
Hope you are armed.
I spray paint the tops of my shepards hooks with neon orange so I can see them easier. Last week I did a 4 day trip at Watkins Glen and boy was it cold. One night it got down to -19* windchill. Daily temps were all under 15 degrees. Snowed for all 4 days straight was a great time. Have you ever been to Watkins Glen, I know your a Pa guy?
Great tip on the orange paint! I haven't explored Watkins Glen yet, but I'll have to check it out now. Thank you.
Should try a Sawyer Squeeze Water Filtration System.. I cant believe how affordable these things have gotten lately. I think its awesome that I can afford one of these and go camping ad drink stream or standing water without pills.
Forgive my ignorance, but I had to google what a bear cable was. LoL
I am curious to know, how far was tree bridge at 14:09 from fallen tree at 13:47.
And if a frog farts in the woods, can a bear smell it?
Actually..Flowing water can become chilled to several degrees below freezing
It was fun ! I can’t do this anymore due to health, so thanks for bringing me along !
Huh, I'm Len in Washington state. But I didn't send you anything. A bit of a surprise to randomly hear my name.
Paint the ends of your hooks with a bright color so you dont loose them i found wasps
Hello my outdoors friend, I am really enjoying this video. You always do a fine job of filming. You also set a fine example when out in the wilderness. I believe the bears pulled the signs and locked the food locker. They often do that to confuse the hikers. You do a fine job of narration, that keeps us U-tubers informed as to what is going on. I am going to kick back and watch the rest of your fine video. Take care, be safe and have a lot of fun. See you on the next one. 🤗
You should check out Mt. Mitchell in yancey county NC. Highest peak this side of the Mississippi... i love it here. Close to the Blue Ridge Parkway...
This is how we know you, a real Sintax77 video. 👍
The balds date to the 1940's. Large drought and fire got the trees. Then a few years of heavy rain washed the top soil away. Now we have just grasses and scrub. The trees are coming back in spots.
The wrangler deserves a real name. Something like the “black knight ( ‘‘tis but a flesh wound”) calling it the trusty Jeep isn’t doing it justice :) also I have a complaint on this otherwise great video. You couldn’t add 30 seconds of video of the cheeseburger? I need closure Another great video. Jay-Creature
Where you been? Thought you dissapeared.
You were fairly near to me and i was out in this same storm. It was ROUGH man! We had big trees dropping all around us!! Glad you made it through safe!!
Loved your hike. And a huge thanks for saying ‘on THE trail’ as opposed to people saying ‘I got on trail today’. My biggest pet peeve. Why do they do that????
Actually water moving that fast can get below zero with out freezing due to the force of the waters movement.
Hahaha dope video man!
Yeah baby cheeseburger time
Love this video, it’s my first. I especially appreciate your natural flow. you are very real. Not being perfect shows me I can do it and not be perfect too (and probably still survive). Lol.
You need to show the cheeseburger like you did in older trips.
Tim Crusham , what cheese burger? It didn’t make it of the grill.
I've watched this video 3? 4? times and really enjoy it (Been dealing with a foot injury that has taken me off the trail for a year+, so you're my vicarious hiker). I really appreciate the work you put into making all of your videos as well as your tips and ideas. I hope I can cross paths with you one of these days. Hike on, my good man! It's cheeseburger time!
Oooh...campsite 113 aggressive bear sign was old...just saw the sign on a Liz Kidder's AT thru hike vid from early 2018!
@@brendan2386 oh...so it's all about you isn't it? ISN'T IT?!? You checked the side of the bear box I suppose...and lo and behold...NO AGRESSIVE BEAR SIGN!!! not until YOU SAVED THE DAY AND ALERTED THE BEAR POLICE!!! Yeah...thanks Brendan...thanks for making it all about you...god forbid I was able to come up with an answer to the sign...NOPE....NOT WHILE BRENDAN IS AROUND...NOT POSSIBLE!!! ...selfish bastid 😳 ....just kidding ☺
How'd you like the Outdoor Vitals jacket in the rainy weather? I'm waiting on my preorder!
I've been loving it. It dries quick and continues to still function well while wet. It's actually my go-to winter jacket for around town, as well as on the trail.
Masya Allah
Very good place
Safety First
Yeah!
Nice! I've got over an hour and thirty mins of enjoyment ahead of me. Thank you!
Great video.....made my palms sweat when you started climbing the stairs at the fire tower.....way to steep!
Looking forward to your next hiking adventure.
That first night setup... I did that once, set everything up and settled in, shifted around in my hammock a few times and noticed my butt was touching ground, and my tarp had some slack... Got up and looked, one tree didn't even have the top half, and was totally rotten, it was leaning pretty hard. I disconnected that end of the hammock and tarp and dragged everything over to another tree. Everything got wet, tore my rain pants, and had to trim out a bunch of brush in the middle of the night. Good times.
NicksNWAdventures now that’s a prime example of adapt and overcome!! Hikelife haha
NicksNWAdventures I’ve started a channel of my own if you’d like to check it out. Ty
@@HikeLife me too, for a little over a year now
Subbed
NicksNWAdventures that awesome man! Keep it up! Subbed you as well
No matter what way you take up to Gregorys bald, it's all steep. And it's always windy at 13, every night I've stayed there. GSM is my backyard. Good trip
Slow it down, do the opposite of fast hiking, its sounds to me like somebody is getting old..
That trail is well maintained. The wind likely had brought those trees down very recently.
Yeah, everything looked pretty fresh and green.
It was clear in August.
@@sintax77 with the shutdown, they were able to maintain a skeleton crew with the campsite fees. They had to keep closing all the roads due to 60-90mph winds blowing down trees and of course snow. That's why I always pay my Backcountry fees, they help with many things.
OV tribe! Hi do you like your outdoor vitals jacket?
I want you to know how much I appreciate, learn from, laugh with, and relive National Parks and hiking trips I've taken. Used to live in Knoxville and I know those mountains! Keep making videos!!
Thanks, that's awesome to hear. I'm glad you're enjoying them.
Syntax77, I really enjoy your videos and sense of adventure! You provide me a vacation from day to day stuff without needing to leave my desk, lol. So 8n your many adventures, how many schetchy folks have you come across? The wife and I usually meet nice people when out and about but have met a few that creeped us out. Would you consider doing a story video sharing some creepy tales of folks or critters that had you second guessing your choice to go to or through that location?
Paint tent spikes Orange maybe.
Good point. A little dayglo spay paint would be pretty simple and effective.
On your load out you say "plus camera gear." Is it about 5-10 lbs
Great winter backpacking! Thanks for sharing it with us ❄️❄️🌨️🌨️🏕️🏕️
I actually got cold listening to the wind. Nice adventure and good filming.
So enjoyed the video. Wholesome entertainment! Thanks
Thanks, Susan. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Awesome!!👍 I can't wait to watch this video tonight, but first I have to edit a video for my other channel. I'll give you a comment after watching this video.
had enough crap weather for this trip? sure had the mix of weather
I really did get a decent mix of everything on this one. I certainly made it interesting and kept me on my toes!
You Sir, are hardcore. There's NO way I'd sleep under those trees in that wind. That's the nice thing about tents, they work well in open areas lol
Hardcore or simply oblivious, haha
In this case there were no open areas.
This type of video has been way over due. I really enjoyed watching and appreciate the time it takes to film and edit.
Great video...loved it. So beautiful there in the Smokey’s. Thanks for taking us along. 😊
I have tried overnighting in a hammock in my backyard as a trial, but was having pain in my knees because of a lack of support underneath them. I have done some research, and found that I need a longer hammock than an ENO Double Nest for my height. I am 6'1". I would love your take though @sintax77 , and/or anyone else that would like to pass on some knowledge. I have been a hardcore tent and tarp bushcrafter for some time, but would like to try hammocking if possible.
Eno sags a little much after a long night. I use a kammok double, but you might want to hit up warbonnet. Great quality.
Watch Suge Emerys videos. He's a clown but the hammock king.
And for the knees, learn how to properly set up a Ridgeline. I have an adjustable amway steel (not really steel) that I love.
Last, don't lay straight, and I can't stress it enough. Get the Ridgeline and lay as sideways as you can and still be in the hammock. Youll be comfy in no time!
Have fun hanging sack!
Love your older classics. Bet I have watched this 10 times. The weather turns nasty and the man keeps on going and then it gets worse - he hikes at night and ties off to a dead tree in a windstorm 😮. Awesome adventure
Watched from my other account but I wad thrilled to see a trip video up! Great video! I had dinner with Sintax77 propped up on the salt shaker. 🤣
Thoroughly enjoyed your trip your videography is great let's someone feel like they are there with you had to subscribe after watching keep up the good work 👍
Looks like a fun trip! I've been wanting to hit the Smokies but haven't made it out that way just yet... Thanks for the video!