Okie Dokies: Winter Hike in the Smokys

We hiked (~75 miles) the Appalachian Trail (AT) through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in early February and spent four nights and part of a fifth day. Before launching into the Smokys, “It’s not snowing and it’s not that cold up there”… they ‘said’ while sitting at 2,500 feet. «You won’t need those snowshoes. No… overkill.»

Up and up we go in the snow

Once we ascended to 4,500-5,000 feet, the consequences of Winter Storm Gianna were very evident. It was slow punching through the mountainsides with 12 to 18 inches of a week’s worth of snow and snowshoeing down the mountains. The first three days of the walk were like this; punch through mountains between 4,000 and 6,000 feet high and then snowshoe down the slope. We were lucky enough to follow the snow tracks of our friend Moose (thanks, man). Moose, who is a very experienced hiker, was the only other hiker we saw there the entire time.

hole after hole

Cold days and even colder nights

Our mandatory (per park policy) shelter stays seemed to be at 5,000 feet or higher. Cold is an understatement. I shivered to sleep most nights (and was wearing quality, high-end cold weather gear). My fingertips are still numb from the bitter cold nights of hoisting my bear bag through a system of hanging metal cables and filtering stream water. I felt like I had the perpetual numb «ice fishing fingers» from growing up in northern Minnesota.

a lot of snow

Out of the snow and into the ice

On the fourth day he came out of the snow and onto the ice. The AT was solid ice as far as the eye could see. Using micro spikes mile after mile after mile. It was cold and certainly slippery, so the hike was very slow. Our last night in the Smokys was spent at Tricorner Knob Shelter. We were above 6,000 feet and the temperature was well below 0 degrees (probably not taking into account wind chill as well). This was probably the coldest night I have spent in my hiking and camping experiences for 50 years. Even in a shelter with three people inside and a large tarp covering the entire opening, everything froze. I mean everything… socks, trail shoes, isobutane fuel; all of that was not put inside your sleeping bag or quilt. Of course, you can’t put all your items in your bag, so some things were sacrificed. The next morning was a real mental journey trying to get our socks and shoes, in particular, to even “break in a little” to put on our feet. Cold, cold, cold. Frozen feet again!

On ice rink

Browsing now

The last half day of the trip was a free and clear walk. Lihat juga mnh4. Neither snow nor ice. We were obviously on the downside of the Smokys (heading “north”) which had not been affected, or at least much less severely, by winter conditions. We headed to the Standing Bear Farm lodge to warm up and defrost our fingers and toes.

Finally warming up at the Standing Bear Farm lodge

The experience

I’m glad I experienced the Smokys and their stunning beauty in the dead of winter. However, without proper (and quality) winter hiking gear, winter camping/hiking experience, and fellow hikers included, I would not recommend this type of trip in early February. There were too many risks to manage and mitigate. Thinking about it though, what an AT Smokys trip it was. The pure atmosphere, the stillness, the night sky, the animals, the hikers in love with the trip and my still cold body. I would do it again in a heartbeat, but be careful and think about your abilities and options if you want to do this hike in January or February.

happy walker

This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any products or services you purchase using links in articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price they would otherwise pay, and their purchase helps support The Trek’s ongoing goal of bringing you quality backpacking information and advice. Thank you for your support!

For more information, visit the About page of this site.