beautiful weekend in georgia

[ricky w.]

what a beautiful weekend at Red Top Moutain State Park in Cartersville, Ga. very depressing though how low lake level is.

[sherri s]

what a beautiful weekend at Red Top Moutain State Park in Cartersville, Ga. very depressing though how low lake level is.

And last weekend was wonderful at Vogel State Park near Blairsville, GA. It was cold, about 15 degrees on Sunday morning, but the snow made it a fabulous trip.

CookieDog and Sherri

[David & Leslie]

Thanx, Ricky and Sherri for your great campsite photos! Too much snow for the Geezers, however. Really like the selection of the Play Pac pic for the Home Page, too. Stay warm, all - L 'n D

[wildbill]

[quote]And last weekend was wonderful at Vogel State Park near Blairsville, GA. It was cold, about 15 degrees on Sunday morning, but the snow made it a fabulous trip.

CookieDog and Sherri

Attachment 11531


Curious what you do to prevent pipes freezing when camping with temps in the teens.

[BOBSMITH]

Nice photos! I used to live in the mountains of north Georgia (Ellijay). For some reason, I never visited Red Top Mountain State Park. Vogel was always one of my favorites, though. That one and Unicoi.

I, too, camp in cold weather with my Casita. I've never had a problem with freezing pipes, even when temps dipped into the teens. Is it because of the furnace? Not sure.

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<div align="center">At the Elkmont Campground, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, November 2007. Upper teens.</div>

[sherri s]

Curious what you do to prevent pipes freezing when camping with temps in the teens.

This is my first winter with the Casita, so I took the recommendations of most on the boards and winterized (RV antifreeze, etc), but I keep a container of water inside. I use it for cooking but do not use the sink, and use it for the toilet. I poured antifreeze (not sure how much, I didn't measure it) in the black tank and then emptied it when it was above freezing when I got home. I did keep it warm inside and kept the storage doors open or cracked most of the time. I probably overdid it, but I wanted to be safe over sorry. As I experiment with taking it out in the low temps, I expect to get more comfortable and refine what is actually needed to be safe from freezing pipes.

Sherri and the CookieDog

[sherri s]

Nice photos! I used to live in the mountains of north Georgia (Ellijay). For some reason, I never visited Red Top Mountain State Park. Vogel was always one of my favorites, though. That one and Unicoi.

I, too, camp in cold weather with my Casita. I've never had a problem with freezing pipes, even when temps dipped into the teens. Is it because of the furnace? Not sure.

Bob,
I have heard a lot of good things about Elkmont, but I camp and hike with my dog and since dogs aren't allowed on the trails in GSMNP, I haven't been there.

SS

[Pete Dumbleton]

You can still do some walking in Elkmont area because up the road from the CG is the area of former summer homes that the NPS is is buying out so you can walk those roads.

Side note: Near Elkmont is an NPS maintenance station and firing range and it that area is the pit where they keep the incorrigible bears

[ricky w.]

Thanx, Ricky and Sherri for your great campsite photos! Too much snow for the Geezers, however. Really like the selection of the Play Pac pic for the Home Page, too. Stay warm, all - L 'n D

How cool. Almost fell out of my chair when i saw my camper on the homepage. They have almost 90 spots at Red Top but there was only 5 campers in the whole park. Felt like i had the entire park to myself. Happy glassin'. Ricky W

[BOBSMITH]

This is my first winter with the Casita, so I took the recommendations of most on the boards and winterized (RV antifreeze, etc), but I keep a container of water inside. I use it for cooking but do not use the sink, and use it for the toilet. I poured antifreeze (not sure how much, I didn't measure it) in the black tank and then emptied it when it was above freezing when I got home. I did keep it warm inside and kept the storage doors open or cracked most of the time. I probably overdid it, but I wanted to be safe over sorry. As I experiment with taking it out in the low temps, I expect to get more comfortable and refine what is actually needed to be safe from freezing pipes.

Sherri and the CookieDog

The Great Smoky Mountains NP is just about my favorite place on Earth. No dogs allowed on the trails. I think the only exception they make is for thru-hikers on the Applachian Trail, and they must stay on the AT.

As a mailman, I'm not a fan of dogs, so I quite like the no-dogs policy of the park.

[Joe Z]

Ricky...
Seen your trailer on the Homepage and really liked it alot. Glad i found this post as i now know it's a "Play Pac" Do they still make them?____
Great Looking Campsite....Can't wait for spring

Joe

[Bonnie]

... Glad i found this post as i now know it's a "Play Pac" Do they still make them?____
Great Looking Campsite....Can't wait for spring

Joe

Hi Joe. Welcome to the board. The Play Pac is not made any longer. They are really neat little trailers. You may be able to find one, or you may find another type you like better.

[sherri s]

The Great Smoky Mountains NP is just about my favorite place on Earth. No dogs allowed on the trails. I think the only exception they make is for thru-hikers on the Applachian Trail, and they must stay on the AT.

As a mailman, I'm not a fan of dogs, so I quite like the no-dogs policy of the park.

Bob, completely understand your stance on dogs. I'm a dog owner (or I think I'm the owner) and I enjoy going along with the dog on hiking trips. She loves it and I enjoy taking her. I was around Long Creek Falls (just north of the southern terminus) on the A.T. a couple of years ago when another unleashed dog charged me and the CookieDog. It scared me and certainly frightened Cookie. The owner did finally restrain his dog, but I can see why many don't like dogs on the trail.
As for the thrus, I believe that they have to make arrangements for the dog to be shuttled to where the hiker will be exiting the Park.

SS and CD

[BOBSMITH]

Bob, completely understand your stance on dogs. I'm a dog owner (or I think I'm the owner) and I enjoy going along with the dog on hiking trips. She loves it and I enjoy taking her. I was around Long Creek Falls (just north of the southern terminus) on the A.T. a couple of years ago when another unleashed dog charged me and the CookieDog. It scared me and certainly frightened Cookie. The owner did finally restrain his dog, but I can see why many don't like dogs on the trail.
As for the thrus, I believe that they have to make arrangements for the dog to be shuttled to where the hiker will be exiting the Park.

SS and CD

Cool. I wasn't aware that they didn't even allow dogs for thru-hikers in the Park. I do a lot of dayhiking and section hiking in the GSMNP, and I don't recall ever encountering a dog, so I should have figured as much.

I don't hate dogs. I quite like them, in fact. I just don't like encountering unleashed aggressive dogs either when I'm working or when I'm hiking. I've been bitten three times. Once is quite too many. And, yes, all three times I was bitten by a dog that, the owner assured me, "doesn't bite". They all bite. The last one who bit me was a very small dog--the little bugger got me a good one on the ankle. Alas! I almost had to laugh while he was spitting out pieces of my sock which got lodged in his teeth. Still had to get a tetanus shot, and the dog had to be impounded for two weeks for observation. Not good for either of us, nor for the distraught owner. (Well, as you said, I think the human is the owner.)

[Byron Kinnaman]

(Well, as you said, I think the human is the owner.

Owner and leader of the pack might be two different things. Dogs are pack animals with a pack leader. If the owner chooses to let the dog be the pack leader then there's probably going to be troubles of some sort or another. If the owner will establish himself/herself as the pack leader things will improve.

I saw an interesting method to do this. Go a large open area, when the dog starts to go in one direction go away from the dog. After you've done this a bit apparently the dog begins to understand that you (owner) are the pack leader. As will all animal training things need to be re-enforced from time to time.