Date: 3/31/04
Starting Location: Standing Bear Farm
Destination: Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles: 18.5
Total Miles: 264.8
Well, it was bound to happen eventually. Celebrated my third-week trail anniversary today as our good weather came to a screeching halt as 70-degree sunshine was now a steady day-long snowstorm. And, yes, for those of you back home up north, this is still North Carolina. You never quite know what you're gonna get in the mountains whether it's north or south, and today it's the white stuff and a lot of it. Professor T and I chugged along over Snowbird and Max Patch, the latter in a very windy sleet/snow. This is the place (Max Patch) that you often see beautiful summertime pictures of as the quintessential southern bald summit. Yet there we were on the expansive bald grassy summit thinking it was more like a mini version of being on Mt. Washington. Only had posts with white blazes (not the best color in snow) to show us the trail for the mile up and over the grassy/snowy bald top until we got back into the woods. Full shelter with Seiko, Takoma Ted, the Wrens, Rainbow Bright, and of course Professor T. Chilly night with some beautiful snow. Feels like home!
