Date: 2018-12-09
From: Tray Mountain Shelter, GA

To: Low Gap Shelter, GA
Miles today: 15.4

The winds were monstrous overnight. I could hear branches cracking and falling. A big dead hemlock fell next to the shelter. The shelter was getting hit by objects. I was a bit nervous in the dark hearing those sounds. At daylight I could see that the trees were iced. No wonder they were breaking in the wind. Looks like an inch of ice. The ground had 2-3 inches of sleet and snow. I knew the risk of hiking today but I needed to go. I can only sit for so long. At 8 a.m. I started packing up. The shelter's floor was dusted with snow. My rainfly was frozen at the four bottom corners and the tent poles were frozen together. I was able to undo it all and get on the trail at 8:53. It was only a half mile to the top of Tray Mountain (4,430') from the shelter. Right away I knew I sas in trouble because it was hard walking in the snow and sleet uphill plus I was navigating around downed branches and bent over small trees. Then it got worse when I came to the Mountain Laurel filled summit. The Mountain Laurel was all bent down and too heavy to move. I ended up crawling underneath for a ways. At the small open summit I saw 2" of ice on some of the stunted trees there. As I continued I began to worry. If the whole trail is like this it may delay everyone's finish. I might have to evacuate. I crawled through the Mountain Laurel for 20 minutes then realized I lost the trail. As the woodlands opened up I just kept near to the side of the descending ridge. Eventually I came to switchbacks and was glad when I saw a white blaze. I considered heading off the mountain. I saw a forestry road and considered it. But the trail seemed good at that point so I thought I'd follow it for a distance. I saw a parking area where a tree must have fallen right next to a parked vehicle. The main part of the tree missed the vehicle but the branches must have hit it. It looked like the owner of the vehicle had difficulty getting the vehicle out by the looks of the mud. I wonder if it was the Alabama group because they had a truck parked in this direction on a forestry road. The trail was good to follow. Now it was just snow. When I went up Rocky Mountain there was ice but nothing like Tray Mountain. About a mile before Unicoi Gap I saw hiker tracks. Someone came up that far then turned around. At the highway at the gap is a large parking area. Jeeps were playfully driving over the plowed snow. Families with kids were playing in the snow, one even making a snowman. Maybe this snow is rare in Georgia. Earlier today I had wished I hiked this section yesterday. It did not rain hard as predicted. Today I just wanted to get to Blue Mountain Shelter about 8 miles. I thought about going on today to Low Gap Shelter but due to the ice I thought I'd be tired. Plus if I went on it would be after dark and I didn't want to get stuck in Mountain Laurel and lose the trail. But after I crossed the highway I saw two sets of tracks. Maybe I could follow the tracks and not get off trail. I'd decide at the next shelter. Going up the Blue Mountain was slow due to the steepness and the snow. I saw all the wildlife I'd see all day on this section. I saw several mosquitoes and I saw a snail moving in one of the footprints. I moved the snail to leaves along a log out of the snow. The hike up Blue Mountain was long. This was the third 4,000' mountain I'd climb today. But it was not icy like Tray Mountain. It seemed to have less snow, too. I was going to decide at Blue Mountain Shelter whether to go on or not to Low Gap Shelter. Back in Franklin when I was planning out the last week Low Gap was where I wanted to reach today. When I got to the side trail to Blue Mountain Shelter my body must have been on autopilot because I just kept walking on the AT. I said out loud "Well, I guess we're going to Low Gap." It was 2:45. The trail was well graded and running pretty contour. I noticed there was only one inch of snow. I remember the trail was on an old road for a few miles from Low Gap when I hiked north before. I was real happy at 4:40 when I reached that road. It would be around four miles of easy hiking into Low Gap. I'm so glad I continued and did not stop at Blue Mountain! Some places the treadway of the trail was just slush. But later it actually became clear of any snow on and off. As the evening descended I filled up two water bottles at a small waterfall. When I'd stop for a short time I'd get cold otherwise I felt comfortable. I arrived at Low Gap Shelter side trail at 6:25. I was so grateful I continued! This puts me in good shape to finish Wednesday with three days averaging around 14 miles each. I have 42.6 to go. I went down the trail and found the shelter. It was dark and a bit foggy. I immediately got the tent up inside the shelter. I didn't want to get cold. Here at Low Gap in 1997 I ended my first attempt at thru hiking the AT. I became sick then and had to get off the trail. I was devastated I had failed at my dream. But I didn't give up and the next year I tried again and finished. How sweet that was. And in a few days I'll finish my fourth and final time hiking the AT. How sweet. How blessed.