The Catamount Trail Forums

"Lynn Fisher" wrote:
In fact I think camping isn't allowed on a good portion of it.

"sambartlett" wrote:

Wow, that's a lot of questions! Better to ask them now than in the deep woods, deep snow (I hope) in the deep dark.
I've skied the whole CT and thought about doing it as camping tour, and done some winter camping, so here are some of my thoughts on your questions: (also see the thread
http://www.catamounttrail.org/forums/posts/trips/skiing_the_entire_ct_in_big_sections_this_winter/

Map and compass: Yes! Esp the maps, just bring the guidebook. In some spots, we are not allowed to put blazes, the roadwalks are not always blazed, it is easy to miss a turn, and blazes get taken down or fall down. And you'll need to get out to towns, so you need maps for that anyway. Compass maybe not, if you are good at maps.

Warm boots: You'll probably want something other than your ski boots for hiking/hitching into town, and for around camp.

Backpack: Good luck with this. Many long tourers use sleds of some sort. I often think, as I'm skiing a tricky part of the CT, what would this be like with a pack or a sled?
A full winter pack gets your CG way up and makes falling and getting up really hard. A sled is cumbersome and reduces your mobility as well, but I think I'd opt for a sled, and give it some trial runs before I headed north.

Food/towns: Good luck here too. The old village store is fading fast. You will often have to go pretty far out of your way to find much more than chips and beer. (But maybe that's enough?)

Water/Thermos: Dehydration is a big problem in the winter. I've never found eating snow to be very satisfying and it can be polluted (deer droppings carry giardia) too. I think the UV pen might be the best bet, but you'll probably want hot water for warmth too, for psychological reasons even if you don't believe it will warm you
directly. I've usually managed to keep my camelback going, but I start it with hot tap water and it can still freeze on a very cold day. Plastic bottles filled with hot water can be nice to keep in your pockets around camp to warm your hands, esp if you eschew the chemical packets.
If you use a pump, make sure the filter, etc. can be drained well enough to keep from freezing.

Skins: Yes! Nearly all of the CT can be done w/o skins if you have the exact right wax and/or are a very good climber. But not all of it and you can't sidestep/ herringbone it either,
some parts are too narrow. And with a big pack or a sled, you ain't climbing alot of the 'easier' parts either w/o skins. You might even keep them on for the steeper downhills, esp with a sled.

Repair/just in case: Since you don't have to worry about being benighted,
you can skimp on this and just hike to a road if you break something.
With a heavy pack you are much more likely to break a pole or ski, and the postholing will be harder too. We get broken poles a lot on tours, sometimes boots or bindings, rarely skis.

Socks/mittens/clothes: Have you done winter camping? The AT in the fall is not the
same as being out in a wet snowfall all day, being soaked to the skin and chilled to the bone, and then having to make camp as the temps plummet. You'll wish you had a complete set of dry clothes at that point.

Whistle: Definitely useful in a group situation, not so much if solo. I'd bring SPOT, cell phone coverage is iffy along the trail. Things can get critical in a hurry in the winter.

Tent: A three-season tent usually won't hold up under a deep wet snow. Most of the time you can probably get away with a three-season, esp if it is well ventilated, but heavy snow could collapse/crush it.

All that said, go for it, and keep us posted if you go. I've thought about doing it,
seems that multi-section long days would be the way to go, but, esp with pack or
sled, don't count on doing even one day if you are solo and breaking trail in deep
snow. If you do some of the southern section, let me know, I might keep you
company for a day or two.
Sam