Date: 2008-01-22
From: Russell Field Shelter, GSMNP

To: Derrick Knob Shelter, GSMNP
Miles today: 9.2
Weather: light snow

I woke up at 6am and had 1 1/2 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and 24.37 ounces of Starbucks for breakfast. :-)It was 25 degrees out. It had gotten down to 20 degrees overnight, but was warming up some by morning.I got up early because I was planning on walking 16 miles to Double Spring Shelter today.I was all packed and walking in the falling snow at 8am.It was another beautiful day out here on the Trail. I heard that it was supposed to change over to rain and I would have a 100% chance of precipitation all day long and tonight.The new snow made it about 4 to 5 inches deep and I had about a 600 foot climb to Spence Field Shelter.It was fairly slippery, but not too bad except in the steeper areas....then I really had to watch my footing....I've got a no-fall record going on now. I haven't taken a tumble on this walk yet! :-)I did get to the side Trail to the shelter, but I kept on walking.The winds had picked up and the temperature was holding at 30 degrees.The precipitation was switching from snow to wet snow to freezing rain to snow pellets and back to snow. It couldn't make up its mind what to do. :-)I saw where a bear had walked across the Trail and his tracks headed off into the woods. That was just a half mile after the shelter trail.Not long after that I saw where turkeys had been scraping snow away looking for food.I kept walking up towards Rocky Top. The snow had gotten about 6 to 7 inches deep and it was slow going...especially on those steep parts.I couldn't see but about 50 yards because of the fog and snow. The fog was leaving some rime ice on the tree branches.It might have been harder to walk, but it was beautiful out here.I had been walking in some snow yesterday and I could see where two sets of prints were going my way and two sets going the other way.Today I was walking on virgin snow...I like that. :-)I kept moving because of the wind.I descended a little, then climbed up to Thunderhead peak.I was getting hungry, but didn't want to stop in that exposed area, so I kept walking.It was just about 11am when the snow changed over to all rain....and for the rest of the day.The temperature stayed right at 30 degrees all day too.That is my least favorite weather to walk in because you get wet and it chills you to the bone.The other bad part of the rain was that I was now walking in a very slippery, slushy Trail.That would have been okay had it been flat, but there were few flats spots. :-)I had to take baby steps on the ascents and descents and I was still slipping and sliding....but I was able to stay upright thanks mainly to my hiking poles.I walked by Beechnut Gap, made a climb, then back down to Mineral Gap.I was only walking about one mph after the rain started and made the Trail so slippery.I figured it would be a loooong day if I was going to Double Spring Shelter.I looked at my map and saw Derrick Knob Shelter was about 3 1/2 miles away. I figured I'd get there and make up my mind about whether to walk on or not.I climbed the next steep bugger and took even more time descending. It was really getting slick and I was getting in some good skiing practice. :-)The rain continued and I was glad to get down that last descent to Sugar Tree Gap.I saw I had just 1.1 miles to the shelter and it took nearly an hour to get there.It was empty and I was cold and wet, so I stripped all the wet clothes off and warmed up in my sleeping bag for a while.When I warmed up, I put on some dry clothes and walked down to the spring for water.I can't believe I was able to stay upright on that little walk. I slid down a good part of it, then after filling my water bottles, I had a hard time getting back up the Trail.This is home for tonight. :-)I ate the rest of my lunch and then had my dinner. I made a liter of lemonade and am nice and warm in my sleeping bag.It's 5:30pm and I'm still the only one here and the rain is still falling and its still 30 degrees.Glad I'm not still walking in that! It wouldn't have been so bad had it stay snow all day. Tomorrow is supposed to be better weather.Another great day on the Appalachian Trail! :-)