Date: 2009-02-22
From: Chestnut Ridge (3700')

To: Davis Farm Campsite (4000')
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: overcast clouds

02-22-2009Fraser FirSection HikerGeorgia to MaineChestnut Ridge to Davis Farm CampsiteSince I have been out on this trip (four days now), I have slept almost eleven to twelve hours every night. I suppose it is much needed sleep because I work pretty hard at home and with two boys, they help keep me young and very humble.Speaking of keeping me humble, that is exactly what the trail continues to do to me. I went to bed pretty early last night. As I stated yesterday, I read quite a bit before bed and enjoyed a beautiful sunset. I woke up around 3am and checked outside for precipitation. Some snow accumulation on the ground but nothing of major importance.I wake up for the day around 8:00 am and I am so glad that I hoisted a tarp above my tent. There are several inches of snow on the ground and it is coming down pretty hard. The tarp is approximately six inches above the dome of my tent, thus, I am able to load everything up without incident. My tent, pack, clothes and sleeping bag remain dry.This is a far cry from the fiasco I found myself in near Iron Mountain Shelter last winter. I woke up to snow on the ground, wet gear, wet food, a wet tent and everything was frozen solid. I put on frozen underwear to start that early March Day. Talk about a classroom on the trail. I got the lesson on foolishness that morning. I had forgotten to hang something to dry and or put something in my pack to at least stay ¢unfrozen.¢Bob Peoples picked me up later that day in Damascus and advised me that a tornado had ripped through the area (about two miles from where I set up camp.)Everything is packed and I am out of water. I can melt snow or advance some two to three miles to a possible water source. Breakfast was very good.It appears as though the temperature is actually dropping. I am really tired and wonder what in the world is going on? I ate a delicious breakfast and so I snack some more. The snow has increased in concentration as it drops on the mountain floor. It is accumulating to over five or six inches at this point. The snow just keeps piling up. It is absolutely beautiful. We do not get much of this in Gainesville. Certainly not the accumulation. The last time that I saw this much snow was on top of Grassy Ridge in North Carolina in April of 2005.The wind speed is picking up and I am in full winter gear. Pretty much four outer layers and three lower layers with two pairs of mountaineering socks. I have on a small hat that covers my ears over my winter hat that covers everything except my facial extremities. My trail runners were waterproofed before I left. My feet are warm and cozy for the moment.I am starting to think about either bailing in Bland or turning left on the AT and hiking out to a town called Ceres, Virginia. There are facilities there. (According to the AT strip map). I could hike down to Ceres and follow Walker Creek and Hwy 42 to Bland.Or I could stick to my original plan and continue on to Pearisburg and take shelter at the Davis Family Campsite . These mountains do not play around. It gets cold very fast.It was not a matter of IF but WHEN the snow was going to come.I am not liked surprised about the snow or anything it is just the point of being on an exposed ridge on this particular day. My family thinks that I am insane for the winter section hiking. The weight of the gear and the fatigue of carrying it coupled with the risk has me second guessing the climb up Chestnut Ridge. Sixty pounds has been much more than I have bargained for. There are simply too many ounces to shed and re-evaluate. I can get by in the summer with thirty to thirty five pounds. This is the real meal deal.Let me think about this for a moment before I do anything. I am going to weigh the risk with the intended destination. I have been looking forward to Burkes Garden forever. I am not upset at all. I do not panic and understand that this is all part of the game. It is just a matter of how I want to play the game at this point.I ended my Virginia section last summer with a severe sore throat and a surgical procedure for an inguinal hernia. (I hiked with that hernia for sixty miles and just kinda dealt with the pain)hmmmm¢¦.. decisions¢¦decisions¢¦¢¦.What would you do??