Knobstone Trail

[joseywales7450]

I'm planning on thru hiking the knobstone trail in early may. It's one of my new years resolutions and it's time to knock it off the list. I'm planning on caching food and water along the way so that I resupply everyday for the 3 days (about 15 miles a day) I am on the trail.


Anyone who has been on the trail have any suggestions?

 

[hickuleas]

It has been years since i did the Knobstone but i do remember numerous places it crosses roads. If you don't have a map i have some older ones. In some places fifteen miles in one day would be aggressive. When i did the trail it was 52 miles think it has been lengthened. Take a water purifier there was several places for water.

 

[55spartan]

What you going to carry with you, you know what I mean? Plenty of cache places to pick from where the trail crosses roads. I've go mine mapped out on a GPS.

 

[bw210]

We are going backpacking there in eight weeks, May 10th I believe. We called the DNR @317-232-4180 and ordered a water resistant 24" by 36" trail map for $4. It arrived the next day. Split up 50/50 per side, Very detailed with cross roads, mile markers, elevation, etc.

Wondering about water ourselves as we carry a filter & pills for pre-made dehydrated meals. Looks like May will be the best month to find water if any. May have to cache water also?

Also if anybody in the area knows about shuttles? Four of us are looking to park at Delaney Park Trailhead or Spurgeon Hollow Trailhead and shuttle south to Deam Lake Trailhead and hike north back to our truck.

Thanks in advance,
Brian

 

[joseywales7450]

well, if i understand that question correctly, i am getting my ltch in the next couple weeks and may just use this backpacking trip as an excuse to buy the g19 that i have been wanting to buy for a while.

I have a gps on my droid 2 phone that i plan on using for backup when locating caches along road crossings, i have a trail map as well. I plan on hiking from north to south. I'll cache enough food and water for 4 days on the trail but shoot for finishing it in 3.

I plan on hiking from Delaney Creek trailhead (south past spurgeon hollow) to deam (about 45-46 miles). so if i'm on the trail 3 days it's about 15 miles a day, and on the trails for 4 days it's about 11.5 miles a day. i know i can average between 12 and 15, so that gives me the extra day if i need it.

 

[joseywales7450]

that'll be the weekend after i plan on doing it. check this website, i believe it lists some shuttle services in the area. Knobstone Trail: Indiana Backcountry Hiking - GGeoXml KML Map Overlay

 

[Bazooka Joe]

Some beautiful country down there. I have hiked a large portion of the trail. Once the kids are older I am planning on hiking it primitive style, might even carry my flintlock with me. Have fun, and hope your in shape as some of those hills are killers. Theres one out there that we have named Mt. Mofo, right near Hades Canyon (your welcome to insert colorful name of choice.)

 

[philo]

You might try calling Jackson-Washington State Forest and see if they have a current list for shuttle service - 812-358-2160 ask for Brenda the office manager.

 

[Anonym]

I wanted to get the 60 miles in 3 days trip too, back when i was in much better shape. But I can tell you this, there are some parts of that trail that are very challenging. There are areas that are so steep that there are toe boards installed on the trail, and it's just as slow going down as it is climbing up! I did a 20 mile segment with some scouts over a day and a half, and I probably could have picked up the pace by myself or with more experienced hikers, but it wouldn't have been fun to keep that pace up for the other 40 miles!

Best of luck. Might need to get my butt in shape and tackle a few more segments of it soon...

 

[bw210]

You might try calling Jackson-Washington State Forest and see if they have a current list for shuttle service - 812-358-2160 ask for Brenda the office manager.

that'll be the weekend after i plan on doing it. check this website, i believe it lists some shuttle services in the area. Knobstone Trail: Indiana Backcountry Hiking - GGeoXml KML Map Overlay

Thanks. Looking forward to our first trip of the year. We have four hikes planned for 2011. So much easier planning when the kids want to come with.

 

[wildhare]

be careful it's turkey season as well at that time. Lot of guys like to hunt the knobs.

 

[bw210]

be careful it's turkey season as well at that time. Lot of guys like to hunt the knobs.

Thanks & duly noted.

 

[IndianaResident]

Good advice about hunters....

So how much help is a walking stick? I've never used one, but sometimes feel like I want it on steep hills.

 

[kwatters]

this site has a map and food-water cache points marked. You can click on the marked links and it will describe the mile point and location

Knobstone Trail: Indiana Backcountry Hiking - GGeoXml KML Map Overlay

click on the forums, there is a ton of useful info.

 

[Falkin88]

I've hiked the Knobstone trail several times now. The worst time I've hiked it was when I decided to hike it south to north and then turn around and hike back down south in five days. I can say that it was one of the hardest trail experiences I have had, twenty mile+ days on the Knobstone are tough and will kick your butt if you're not ready for it.

As far as caches I had went and placed water at the Leota and Oxley trailheads but I ended up not needing them because there were water sources on the trail that I was able to use my filter on so I picked them up when I was done and just used them to top off my water when I passed them. I'd probably still go ahead and cache water because there has been times when I was on the trail that water was semi-hard to come by but even then if you try hard enough you'll find it just not always fun to do. Also if I remember right the trail at State Route 160 is real fun . If you have any further questions about it let me know.