PLAYING IN THE SNOW
It seems that every winter we get to do a couple of dayhikes in the snow. But it’s been years since I’ve done a backpack in the snow. Last weekend though, I got the opportunity to change that. A friend was leading a trip to Mt. Rogers, and they had gotten a couple of storms the week before. Christy had a conflict, but gave me her blessing to go without her. She didn’t seem to regret missing the chance to camp in the snow.
I drove up towards Yadkinville where I met Joel and Henry. I was surprised to see that Myron, Dorcas, and Izzak were also there. We were waiting for another guy from Hendersonville, but after 30 minutes he still hadn’t shown up. We consolidated vehicles and headed for Mt. Rogers.
The original plan was to hike to Rhododendron Gap from Grayson Highlands SP. That’s only about 2 miles, so I was somehow able to talk Joel into a more ambitious route. After much discussion we decided to do a shuttle hike from Elk Garden to Grayson Highlands. That would bring Saturday’s hike up to a whopping 5 miles.
We arrived at Elk Garden around 11. Joel and Myron went to Grayson Highlands to run the shuttle while the rest of us endured the wind. It was cutting right through the gap, and there was no way to avoid it. They finally returned around noon. I thought about having lunch in the parking lot, but settled for a quick snack. We loaded up and hit the AT, heading up through the snowy meadows.
The views were great, but the hike really got nice in the woods. The snow out in the open was patchy at best, but it was 6" deep and pristine back in the forest. The lack of tracks indicated that nobody had been this way since the last snow. We reached a pleasant flat area around 1 and had a late lunch. Afterwards, we began a tough climb on the west side of Mt. Rogers. It was tough going in the snow, but it was worth it. It’s hard to beat walking through a forest of spruce and fir with snow underfoot.
I reached a fence and a beautiful meadow well ahead of the rest of the group. I stopped there to relax in the sun and enjoy the view. The snow-covered peaks of Whitetop and Rogers Ridge were clearly visible. To the south, Snake Mountain and The Peak were prominent. Eventually everyone caught up, and it was time to move on.
We hiked beyond Briar Ridge and reached the Thomas Knob Hilton (the AT shelter) at 4pm. We were averaging a mile an hour, so it was time to think about a campsite. The shelter had a few occupants already, and a whole troop of boy scouts was approaching. That was enough to get us moving. We decided to head for Rhododendron Gap, but to keep our eyes open for campsites before then.
We crested a scenic ridge with a spectacular view to the south. Myron and I fanned out to search for campsites. I didn’t see much, but Myron struck it rich. He found a great spot off the trail in the woods. It was in a small, flat clearing, totally surrounded by balsams. The wind continued to howl above us, but there wasn’t so much as a hint of a breeze in camp. We didn’t think twice, but began setting up camp immediately.
I picked a flat tent spot, but Joel chose to pitch his tent next to mine. I was thrilled, since Joel is notorious for snoring. Saucony looked exhausted, so I let her sleep in the tent after I got it up. We all hiked back over to Thomas Knob, where we joined a crowd at the spring. We made it back a little before dark. I enjoyed a chili dinner, and Myron and Dorcas baked a cake which they shared with everyone. Some whiskey and cider rounded out the evening nicely. Before bed, we walked back up to the ridge crest to view the lights on the ski slopes at Beech and Sugar mountains. It was impressive, but not nearly as spectacular as the stars above. There was no moon or clouds, so the sky was stunning. The only thing that would have made the evening better would’ve been a fire. Finding wood buried in the snow would’ve been a challenge though.
The last time I camped at Mt. Rogers in the winter was in college. We were camped on the snow that time, too. I was in a rented down sleeping bag, and we were using my roommates walmart brand tent. The tent wasn’t very good to begin with, and my roommate forgot the ground sheet. That night it rained, and of course the tent leaked. I woke up in a worthless down sleeping bag full of icewater. There was actually a stream of snowmelt and cold rainwater running through the tent. I thought I was going to die that night for sure. I survived though, and managed the icy hike out the next morning. I swore that day that I’d never winter camp on Mt. Rogers again, and I’d never use a down bag in cold weather.
So, 10 years later I was back on Mt. Rogers camped in the snow. I had brought my 25- degree down sleeping bag, mainly because it’s lighter and more comfortable than my synthetic bag. Luckily, the worst thing that happened was that the dog pushed me off the sleeping pad in the middle of the night. I woke up on the snow with quite a chill. It took awhile to warm back up, but there was no disaster like 10 years ago. Later raindrops woke me and I got up for a bathroom break. Fog had rolled in, and the wind continued to howl. Our camp looked desolate in the fog and snow. The sight brought back flashbacks of the trip 10 years ago. It was wonderful jumping back into that warm, dry sleeping bag.
I got up around 8, after 11 hours of sleep. We had a whole herd of ponies in camp, which really excited the dogs. We had to keep them tied up all morning, but that didn’t stop them from barking. It was still foggy and raining a little, but we decided to cook breakfast anyway. I had dumped my water before bed to keep it from freezing, so I didn’t have any for cooking. Instead I melted snow, which worked great, though it took awhile to get it to boil. I had cocoa and oatmeal, but Myron and Dorcas decided against baking sweet rolls, which was a huge disappointment to all.
We hit the trail around 10. It had iced over that night, which made the hike out a little hazardous. Luckily I got a new pair of Yaktrax ice walkers from Campmor only a few days before. This was the perfect opportunity to try them out, and they worked great. I could walk right across the ice without giving it a second thought. As we descended Wilburn Ridge the ice gave way to rock, and I took them off.
Eventually we all reached Myron’s truck at the overnight parking area near Massie Gap. We all piled in, and drove back over to Elk Garden to get Joel’s truck. As we left Elk Garden, the fog lifted, and there was nothing but blue sky above. Why do all our trips to Mt. Rogers seem to end this way? We had a long, sleepy drive back to Elkin where we stopped at Basin Creek for burgers in front of the fireplace. It was a great way to end a fine trip in the snow.
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