| What's been going on.....
IMPORTANT UPDATE: The "suggested" ECS Winter Formal Date was December 16. However, it has officially been announced to December 17, thus forcing us to move the trip departure and return date or skip Winter Formal.......We will have to decided this fairly soon
Here is the planning space for the December 17-December 21 Smoky Mountain National Park Backpacking Trip, split among five people. Reservation will be made for six, in case someone else comes, but food and gear will not be bought for them.
The general area of the park that we will be in is indicated by the red circle on the map below:
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Projected Costs:
Lump Sum Costs- These two costs consist of gas and trail food expenses.
Gas- The approximate milage for the trip is 900 miles round trip, from Memphis to Newfound Gap. Gas cost per person is $32.00. Gas was calculated at 14.2mpg and at December's projected average gas cost of $2.55 a gallon. (This could very easily be lower than this projection.)
Trail food- The cost per person of food will be in the $20-25 range. Food will be bought in bulk servings and together with a Sam's Club membership. This will make eating on the trail less expensive.
Here is a list of those paying for trail food and the amount they will be paying. $25.00 is for the full trip all meals, Saturday night through Wednesday morning. Partial is as needed. The price could increase some, but not more than $7-8 at the most.
Stephen $25.00 Jordan $25.00 Chris $25.00 Daniel $25.00 Jay $10.00 - The total amount available to be spend on food will be approximately $110.00
The first installment (food cost) of the payment will be due on November 18. This is the final deadline for food to be bought for you. This way we will have time to purchase the food needed at lower prices, allowing us to purchase more food.
The second installment (gas cost) will be due on December 15.
Lump Sum Payment- $52-57
Personal Costs:
These costs can vary from person to person. Everyone must have a sleeping bag, rain gear, blankets, and clothes for temperatures below 20degress (F). Everyone must have gloves, hat, batteries and flashlight/headlamp. Meals on the way will be paid by each person individually. Travel meal costs should not exceed $25.
Tenative Menu:
Saturday Evening: Steaks, Garlic Bread, Hot Chocolate
Sunday Morning: Hot Cider, Pop tarts, Energy Bars
Sunday Lunch: Potato Soup, Hot Cider, Cheese Crackers
Sunday Dinner: Soup, Ramen, Pudding, Hot Chocolate
Monday Morning: Pancakes, Cider, Sausage, Biscuits
Monday Lunch: Jerky, Trail Bars, Crackers, Snacks
Monday Dinner: Ramen, Hot Chocolate, Mac & Cheese
Tuesday Breakfast: Pancakes, Sausage, Biscuits
Tuesday Lunch: Ramen, Cider, Chocolate, Snacks
Tuesday Dinner: Soup, Mac & Cheese, Pudding, Ramen
Wednesday Morning: Pancakes, Cider, Pop tarts
Wednesday Snack: The rest...
This is a list of foods from Sam's club. We will probably buy 80% of the goods on this list, and add pop tarts and some other snack foods from another vendor.
SAMS CLUB
BEAR CREEK
CHUNKY POTATO SOUP 3LBS 34 SERVINGS
Item: 946284
Price: $8.28
MARUCHAN
BEEF SOUP 36-3OZ.
Item: 885193
Price: $3.68
HILLSHIRE FARMS
YARD O BEEF STICK 3 LB ALL BEEF
Item: 013960
Price: $7.16
JACK LINKS
EXTREME SNACK STICK 30 CT
Item: 164672
Price: $7.42
KLEMENT S
BEEF SUMMER SAUSAGE 3 LBS.
Item: 223743
Price: $7.27
LANDIS THIN SLICED SIRLOIN TIP BEEF STEAKS 5LBS Item: 450782
Price: $10.41 Price may vary by Club.
BIG N MEATY SUMMER SAUSAGE STICK 48 OZ. Item: 862682
Price: $6.48 Price may vary by Club.
MARUCHANRAMEN VARIETY PACK 36CT BEEF/CHICKEN
Item: 682539
Price: $3.99 Price may vary by Club.
BAY BREAD ASIAGO ROASTED GARLIC / 21 OZ Item: 418798 Price: $4.46 Price may vary by Club.
KRAFT
EASY MAC 18 CT BOX Item: 967882 Price: $5.88
SWISS MISS
MILK CHOCOLATE COCOA 54 OZ CANISTER Item: 051179 Price: $3.88
CLIF BARCLIF CRUNCHY PB BARS 12 CT Item: 688823 Price: $9.88
AUSTIN AUSTIN CHEESE/CHEESE 36 CT Item: 186841 Price: $3.87
HOODY S INSHELL PEANUTS SALTED 5 LBS. Item: 964700 Price: $3.88
KRUSTEAZ BUTTERMILK PANCAKE MIX 10 LB Item: 001865 Price: $5.47
MID AMERICA FARMS INSTANT NONFAT DRY MILK 4.4 LBS. Item: 216817
Price: $7.86
MAGNOLIA SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK 6CT/14 OZ Item: 765600 Price: $5.68
Helpful Gear Sites:
http://www.campmor.com
www.rei.com
www.backcountry.com
A great pack deal:
Mountainsmith pack
Walmart has lowest prices on everything basic:
Silverware $2.00
Mess Kit: $4.94
Pack Poncho $0.76
Light Poncho $2.96
Full Rain Gear $9.86
Small Tarp $3.88
Water purification kit $4.96
Small Led Headlamp $11.50
Midsize propane stove $18.96
Propane Fuel Bottle $4.12
Lexan Muli Silverware Set $5.94
More products and deals:
Eureka Getaway 2 7x5 Wenzel 7x7
Petzl Myolite 3 Headlamp
Standard Iodine Water Tablets
Specialty Water Treatment
Because of the long drive, we will most likely need to leave early on Saturday, December 17. This will be hard because of ECS Winter Formal being the night before (Friday). Also we lose an hour of daylight in the Eastern Time Zone. We must leave in time to get to the Ranger Station, stamp our backcounty passes, and depart from the drop point an hour before sunset.The drive will take approximately 7.75 hours including ONE stop on the way. The needed departure time is 7AM Saturday morning.
Suggested Travel Schedule
7AM Leave Memphis
8:15AM Pass through Jackson
10:30 Drive through Nashville
10:30-11:15 Eat in Nashville or Mt. Juliet
(EST Time Change) 2:00 Get off interstate for Galitburg
3:15 Arrive at Smoky Mountain National Park Sugarland Ranger Station
3:30 Head for Newfond Gap on US 441
4:00 Reach the Gap, Park, Unload
4:15 Reach AT Trailhead and hike to Icewater Spring
5:00 Arrive at Icewater Spring
Updates to continue hardcoreoutdoors@gmail.com for questions and suggestions
10-22-05
Here's life lately....... 5/25: Out of school!!!
5/30-6/2 I went backpacking in Cherokee National Forest with several friends from Jackson, TN and in conjunction with Covenant Presbyterian Church. The first night we camp on the North Carolina/ Tennessee line at 4200 feet. That night we encountered 50 mph winds and above. 5/31 We got up at 5:30 EST and started packing...a nine mile downhill trips in the soaking rain. Thanks to rain gear and good planning me and all my stuff stayed entirely dry. Around 7 that night we arrived at our campsite at 2400 feet elevation, after a very slow day of several injuries and some people not conditioned to backpacking. That night I took a bath in 55-60 degree water, and felt like I would freeze to death. This became a daily routine. The next morning, only 4 of us set out for hte 9.2 trek uphil through Gregory's Hell on trail 105 coming out of the bottom and back up to Beach Gap, 4200 foot elevation. We left at 10:30 and arrived at the top at 4:30. That night we got the car, and drove within several hundred yards of where the rest of the party was that night and enjoyed a meal. Nect morning...packed up and went home,but stopped at Calhoun's in Loudon on the way.
6/4- Spent all day at Ducks Unlimited Outdoors Festival
Week of 6/6....loose ends....painting, gardening, pressure washing...readying a house to sell.
6/10- Got embarassed by Davis in skeet shooting..and hosed in SWAT that next night.
6/13 - Saw Sammy Sosa play @ Pringles Park.
6/14- DRIVER'S ED. GAG. Slept through most of it...thanks goodness for the good people there.Started office summer job. :)
6/15- More of the same.
6/15-7/1- Gone skiing...partying...got done with drivers ed....gone dirt biking..gone fishing...worked ALOT..getting ready for RYM :) saw some movies....not much out of my ordinary....except...well never mind :)
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