[at-l] March Forth trip report - Day 3

[Charles Copeland" <charles@uswnet.com (Charles Copeland)]

Day 4!! Day 4!!!  The suspense!!!  Did you make it???

:-)


Charles

P.S.  Seriously, this is a great story - I'm [mentally] right there - I was
on the trail in NC in February and it was *COLD* (but no snow).




----- Original Message -----
From: "Orange Bug" <orangebug74@yahoo.com>
To: "at-l" <at-l@backcountry.net>
Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2001 10:57 PM
Subject: [at-l] March Forth trip report - Day 3


> Day 3, March 6, 2001
>
> Zero milage spent in Tricorner Knob Shelter
>
> I heard wind all night but no crashed. I awoke to at least 1 more foot
> of snow (18 inches) and a very big wind. The plastic tarp over the cage
> is helping.
>
> The weather radio out of the Asheville airport suggest that downhill it
> is very bad, but not like here. I have no cell phone signal and I am
> very aware that I am in No Man's Land.
>
> I reviewed my choices. The wind in Ashville may make it -10 below zero
> (don't you like redundancy?) with blowing snow, and potential 60 mph
> gusts. If I go out into that and get into trouble, there will be no
> hope for discovery or rescue. I know that there must be no wet clothes
> to help avoid hypothermia. No direct contact with stone or wood. The
> folks who were killed or injured in the '93 Blizzard of the Century had
> left their campsites and shelters.
>
> The best idea is to lay in my Western Mountaineering Puma bag (zero
> degree)on top of the 3/4 Guidelite inflatable mat and the Ultra
> Ridgerest. I will spend a day to ponder the meaning of Life, and cycle
> wet stuff into the bag as my calories keep it toasty warm and dryer.
>
> Occasionally, I turn the radio to NPR and to the weather. The weather
> should imporve about noon, but the snow is brisk and said to be likely
> another 10 inches today and blowing with risk of white outs. I learn of
> children killing children in California, and VP Cheney having a routine
> blockage of his latest coronary artery stent. At least I'm not the only
> crazy person in the world, today.
>
> I am bored. I am warm. I am tired. I am also scared.
>
> One Platypus has frozen. I've stopped using the Safewater Anywhere
> inline filter as it seemed to stop up on the first day. I really see no
> big problem with untreated water just now. There are trash pop bottles
> here that help to substitute to hold water.
>
> Through the day, I believe I get another foot of snow, for about 2.5
> feet overall, with drifts against the shelter and trees. This is not my
> idea of having fun.
>
> OrangeBug
>
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