If you have any plans to hike the AT in the Mid-Atlantic this weekend, you might want to think again. Looks like Isabel is bearing down hard on the East Coast. If this storm turns out to be the whopper that is expected, y’all might want to think about calling your local AT Club after the storm hits. Especially if you’re chain saw certified. They might have their hands full with down trees, etc…
http://www.appalachiantrail.org/hike/dbase1.html
Little Bear
Yeah, I was gonna say something to all you silly sobos but I guess you’ve been watching the weather channel. We had a wind storm before Erwin that rattled the windows in owt-one. Stuff falling all over. Good luck.
BW
Does anyone know when and where the storm is supposed to hit and to what degree?
I am supposed to do a 60 mile section between Bulls Bridge and the Hudson river starting Saturday, will we be postponing our entry if we were due for starting on Saturday?
Any response will be seriously considered!
skunker
It doesn’t really matter where it’s gonna make landfall. It’s gonna be wet in the NY - CT area. Suggest you keep an eye on weather.com and consider alternative plans. There could be 8-10" of rain or more with this storm. That could make hiking very unpleasant.
I hiked in the Catskills some years ago when the remnants of Hurricane Bertha (“don’t ya come around here - anymore”) hit the East Coast. That storm was not nearly as large or strong as Isabel. We received 7" of rain in about 5 hours. Coming back from climbing Mount Whittenburg, the stream crossings were unbelievably hairy.
Little Bear
If any SOBE’s need to get off the trail between Harrisburg Pa and Penn Mar Email me I can help.This area is expecting 5 to 8 inches of rain and winds around 50 mph sustained. streams will be uncrossable. Its expected to hit here Thursday night thru Friday.
used to be Yang
Since I am starting a 10 day section hike tomorrow, will everyone be on the lookout for me floating down the trail?
FreeBird
As someone who went through the eyewall of Andrew in '92, I wouldn’t be on a trail anywhere between Virginia and NY starting tommorow. But then, I’m not you.
Take a snorkel and a helmet.
Harlz
Those '03 thru-hikers have been swimming since day one, eh. They’ve hardly had a dry day since Springer, now they’re ending it in a hurricane.
line drive
The one thing to remember about hurricanes is their unpredictability (remember this one is a female! LOL)
Hugo in '89 came in at Charleston, SC and travelled NW up through the mts. of NC. Was there 3 weeks after it passed and trees were down everywhere. And this was 300 miles inland! Just be aware and have a course of action ready.
Gramps
Don’t forget that tons of those will be weekend by wind and the ice this winter will bring more down.
BW
BC thinks back to when Tracy nuked Darwin at christmas time in 74… an entire capital laid to waste, 220-300km/h winds.
if any of yas are in its path, I hope you all fare well!
Bloody Cactus
That’s what my wife tried to tell me as Andrew appoached. We were lucky to get out with our lives. About 5AM the neighbors had the roof ripped off over their heads so they threw the kids on the floor and turned couches over themselves where they cowered in the 150 mph wind and rain for two hours.
Harlz
SNP began closing the Park Wed. afternoon in anticipation of a repeat of what Hurricane Fran did here in '96. There was horrible damage to the trees, trails, Skyline Drive, and some Park infrastructure then, and deadly flooding in the nearby Valley. It took weeks to get all reopened. If anything, Isabel has the potential to be even worse, but let’s hope for the best. It DOES seem as if everyone is being more proactive this time.
Hikers on the Trail were ordered out of the Park Wednesday. The campgrounds, backcountry, and all facilities are officially closed. I was up at Thornton Gap offering assistance in evacuating hikers about 5pm Wed., and have had a couple calls this AM (Thurs.). It is generally thought everyone (the Park knows about) has gotten out, but of course there’s always the fool who will try to stick it out. Some are holed up in Luray, others have yellow blazed south to the Daleville area.
“Skyline”