Date: 2013-03-20
From: Siler Bald Shelter, NC

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light snow

Usually my eyes close moments after hitting my makeshift pillow, but last night I didn't fall off to sleep until around 9 PM. By 11:30 however I was awake again, and didn't sleep soundly for the rest of the night. My Thermarest Neo Air mattress, though very comfortable had been losing air during the night. Several weeks before I had spoken to the manager at our local REI at home, and it was his opinion that the loss of air was caused by the severe cold temps and not a problem with the mattress. So I had hung in there waiting for warmer nights and just dealing with the issue that at some point, my bottom/hips would be on the ground or floor of a shelter.On a night when the wind chill is -15, the very last place you want any of your body parts is on the floor of the shelter! This was the very first time in the 13 years that I've owned my 0 degree Western Mountaineering down bag that I had been cold while using it.I was sleeping in my long Johns, so put my zip off pants under my hips to give them some insulation from the floor. It worked for a while and I dozed off, but awakened shivering when I had changed position.I had my hat on my head and my snuggly fleece neck gaiter on too, but was having trouble finding a position that would be comfortable and keep the bitterly cold night air out of my face. I tossed and turned, not wanting to add air to my mattress and risk awakening my sleeping neighbors in the shelter as it can be a noisy, annoying process.Every couple of hours I looked at my watch, willing the night to go faster, but it never did and the hours ticked by while the temperature continued to drop and I continued to be uncomfortable and cold.At 6 AM when I got up to answer the call of nature, I realized that it had snowed during the night. A couple inches of fluffy, white snow blanketed the shelter and surrounding woods. Snow filled the boots and shoes that had been left under the picnic table. The lights from Franklin, below us in the valley twinkled and for a quick moment, I appreciated the beauty of it all, but just for a very quick moment as the cold night air actually hurt my face and hands as I rushed back to the relative warmth of my waiting sleeping bag.As I killed the next hour and a quarter waiting for the first hiker to begin stirring, I made the decision to do something I had never done....hike backwards the five miles to town and get off the mountains. It was a difficult decision, made under difficult circumstances, but for the first time since I have hiked, I was truly afraid for myself.The 5 of us in the shelter started packing up. No one cooked as we didn't want to take the time in the -15 wind chill temperature. No one drank as all water bottles, including 2 bottles of Gatorade were frozen solid. Packs were put together willy nilly as no one's hands were working. It was impossible to keep my hands warm, even with 2 hand warmers. Then my fingers became very painful and I was worried how I would keep them warm and healthy until getting down from 5,000 feet.I told Beerdra and Thistle of my decision to turn back, and it wasn't long before they decided to join me.In no time we were off, headed south on the .3 blue blazed trail back to the AT. I was so worried about my hands that I hiked with my hands in my arm pits. For a half hour I hiked like that until my hands warmed up enough to put them around my hiking poles.While in the sun, I was comfortable hiking quickly, but on the shady, windy side of the mountain, the wind blew through every layer of clothing I had on, including my rain gear. At one point I felt faint, something I had never experienced on the trail, and another time, sick to my stomach. I think it all stemmed from my fear of getting hypothermic.I made it back to Winding Stair Gap, 5.2 miles in just an hour and 45 minutes. I was flying on the 5 mile downhill with the dream of getting warm on my mind.