Date: 2012-02-12
From: Sam's Gap

To: Spivey Gap
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: clear sky

The morning was very clear and cold, but the winds down in town had died down quite a bit. Jackie picked me up and we headed south on I-26. Since there is no exit on I-26 for Sams Gap, we crossed the North Carolina border and swung back north. Jackie pulled over at a truck area, I said goodbye, and started hiking. I was glad that the Trail started up almost immediately because it was COLD. Going uphill almost always warms me up enough. I crunched through the snow, and was surprised to find tracks coming down the hill. I would have thought it too early for people to have come down that morning and that snow from last night would have covered any tracks from the day before. I wondered if people had stayed at Big Bald last night (mighty cold!) and come out this morning early. It was a puzzle. The sky was completely cloudless and a wonderful blue. I stopped for a few pictures along the way trying to capture the beauty of the day. Temperature control was an issue the whole hike. When I was in a shady, windy area I was very cold, but just a few moments later I would be in a sunny, somewhat sheltered area, going up a slope and would break out in a good sweat. I tried to moderate the changes by playing with the combinations of gloves/mittens/neck gaiter/hat to quickly adjust the temperature to suit the need of the moment. Finally I emerged onto the bald. I could feel how cold it was with a very strong wind blowing. I knew I wouldn't be able to stay out on the bald long, so I decided to hike to the top without stopping and then turn and take in the view - along with some pictures. That was a great idea in theory, but when I stopped and turned, the wind staggered me back. Instantly my cheeks burned. I'm from the Midwest. I know about windchill warnings. That was one up close and personal. I turned tail and fled. The views were fabulous, probably the best I've seen this entire hike. The air was crystal clear. All the dust motes and water particles had sense enough to stay home, unlike this hiker. The snow all around and on the other mountains gave a better sense of texture to the scene. I really wished I could have stayed to take in the view. But for the first time on this hike I was seriously worried about frostbite. I hurried on as fast as I could go, hoping to get down to the comparative shelter of some trees before I froze. This was not just a quick up-and-over but continued out in the open for a ways. At one point I hit a waist-high drift, but in most places the drifts were only 6-10 inches. Finally I dropped down to where some low trees blocked a bit of the wind. At some point in this stretch I found I was following someone's ski tracks. Since that person had already broken through the drifts I found it easier going. I turned off at the side trail for Bald Mountain Shelter hoping for a chance to rest, eat and drink. The wind was not strong at the shelter, but it was still quite cold. I was there for 15 minutes or so until I got too cold, and then it was back to the Trail. After Little Bald the Trail turned frankly downhill. I knew that Jackie and Tom had plans for the evening, so I tried to take advantage of the slope to make up time. Unfortunately, the snow was deeper here, making the way a bit more difficult. Physically it wasn't too bad, but often it was hard to tell if the bumps in the way were rocks or logs covered by 2 inches of snow or they were drifts. A place that looked flat might actually be a step down covered by snow. I never knew if my step would break through or land on something solid. If had taken the time to probe with my trekking poles it wouldn't have been a problem, but I didn't feel that I had the time. As a result I took the first falls of my hike this year as I slipped and slithered downhill. Nothing damaged other than my pride. When I reached High Rocks I called Jackie as she had told me that would be the last place I would likely have signal to get a call out. From there it was just 2 miles to Spivey Gap. Other than a few big rocks initially, the Trail was straightforward. I was even able to shuffle-trot some. From High Rocks I had followed some foottracks and dog prints all the way down. I wondered if I would see anyone at the parking in the gap. But when I got there no one was in sight. The road was quiet and no cars passed. Jackie had told me that if she wasn't there to start walking toward Erwin to stay warm, so I did. I hadn't gotten very far when she and Tom drove up. I think that I was late enough coming down off the mountain that I made them late for (or miss entirely) their planned event, but even so they were both very gracious and accepted my apologies without hesitation. Then they even went out of their way to take me to a KFC so I would have hot food with me when I got back to the motel. Jackie then offered to take me back to Spivey Gap in the morning so I could complete the section to Erwin as a slackpack. Thank you for your kindness, Jackie and Tom. The day had been gruelling, thrilling, and a bit scary. There were times that I really doubted the wisdom of having gone out like that, especially alone; too much could have gone wrong. But the views had been stupendous and had ended ok. I hoped that tomorrow would be easier and a bit less exciting.