ICE ICE BABY
Christy, Myron, Dorcas, Bob, Sauconey, and Izaak joined me for a backpack to Rogers Ridge last weekend. Rogers Ridge is located in the northeast corner of Tennessee. It's a separate place from Mt. Rogers, Va., though they are within sight of each other.
The hike started with a tricky crossing of Gentry Creek. It had rained all day Friday, and the water was knee deep and moving fast. We considered crossing on a fallen log, but it was too wet and slippery to attempt. We traded in our boots for tevas and braved the cold water. After 5 minutes of dancing, we had that numb ache out of our feet and we were ready to go.
The hike started on an old jeep road. It climbed relentlessly in the first two miles. Eventually we reached the crest of the ridge, and the hike was easier from then on. The trail was occasionally a footpath, but frequently followed old roads. It was well blazed except around junctions and other uncertain areas, where all markings were absent.
Friday's rain had left a thick fog over the mountain. We could see only a few yards, yet it was cold and windy.
We hiked another couple of miles when we encountered an old, upside down bus at the edge of the woods. After this odd landmark, we reached a junction. Here the trail went either ahead or to the right. We decided to go around the knob and went right. On our return Sunday, we took the direct route over the peak.
It was along this stretch that we heard gunfire above us. What could be in season in Tennessee in February? Hikers, probably. We hiked on, a little faster than before.
We arrived back on the ridgecrest in a meadow. The fog was even thicker, and visibility was down to only a few feet. It was very disorienting on the bald, trying to follow the unmarked trail. We spent almost an hour searching for a campsite, before finding a spot sheltered from the wind. It was on the east side of a knob, in a meadow at the edge of the woods. It was a pretty spot, and would normally have had a great view back into North Carolina.
As we set up camp, the fog began to freeze. Yes, we witnessed a whole new weather phenomena. Ice fog. I'll bet you won't hear that one on the weather channel. It was 3:00 in the afternoon, and the temperature was down to 27 degrees. Later, I found out that it was 70 back home in Charlotte.
As we set up camp, the ice began to accumulate. It was on the tent, the trees, and even the dog. We spent the rest of the afternoon on a hopeless quest, wandering in the fog looking for water. We didn't have any luck, but we were fortunate enough to find our way back to the tents.
That evening, Christy and I enjoyed a meal of soup and quesadillas. Myron and Dorcas had Etoufee, and Bob enjoyed his ChilliMac in a bag. Despite the early hour, I was exhausted. The full moon we had anticipated was hidden, so we went to bed early.
I finally woke at 9AM Sunday, after 13 hours of sleep. The morning sun wasn't there to wake me, as the fog was still with us. Temperatures were still below freezing, so we decided to go for an early walk to warm up. We were on the verge of getting our water from a frozen puddle, so we decided to make one more attempt to find a spring. After a long walk, we finally found a spring at the headwaters of Gentry Creek.
After a pleasant, late breakfast of pancakes, we decided to walk down to the corner of North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. From the end of the Rogers Ridge trail, a narrow, rough road followed the forest property boundary to the corner. The line was marked with a simple USGS disk, but nothing more.
On our return, the fog finally began to lift. Some of the mountains in North Carolina appeared, though Grandfather Mountain, Mt. Rogers, and Whitetop were still hidden by clouds. Although the fog hid the best views, it provided scenery of a different type. All of the shrubs and trees had thick, wind blown layers of ice on them. As the sun began to emerge, the meadow looked like an endless expanse of crystal.
After a snack, we finally broke camp around 1pm. The late departure was easily a new record for us. We hiked out by the same route, though some views did open up for us.
We decided to try the log over Gentry Creek this time. It had dried, and traction wasn't bad as we tip toed across it.
It was a good trip, despite the classic winter weather. Then again, it was kind of nice to have a winter trip that actually felt like winter.
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