[at-l] March Forth - Day 4

[orangebug74@yahoo.com (Orange Bug)]

March 7, 2001 Wednesday

Tricorner Knob to Cosby Knob Shelter

The snow stopped and wind has died down. It is cold as Hell, if Hell
were to be cold. My boots a frozen harder than ever (this is news?).
But all my other clothing is dry. I leave the shelter by 7:45AM, after
getting the camera to work and turn on for the first time since Sunday
afternoon, as the battery was too weak with the cold.

I posthole everywhere. The are no signs of anyone's passage. A tree
blocks the access to the AT behind the shelter, but I get under and
gone.

There has been much drifting and blowing of snow. As the day
progresses, I see hoar frost and snow on trees by me and on nearby
ridges. I si very quiet.

The climb is 2 hours of work, hard work. I know that this is Mt Guyot,
but so what? There is really nothing to distinguish this post hole and
drift from any other. The down hill is good.

I called Liz from Guyot and will try again later. I told her I am
alive, have all my fingers and toes, but that I am not having fun. She
is not impressed. I'll try calling her again later, as I wonder if I
will need evacuation or if there is some way of getting baled out of
this doomed hike. 

I did not stop once for 3-4 hours. I tried to sit once and the tree
limb broke under me. The was no need for a fall out here alone. At
Midday, the sun comes out and I find a clear rock on Hell's Ridge, pull
out a seat, and reassess my situation. If I spread eagle, the steam
rises rapidly off my shell and rain pants. I have walked in Vapor
Barrier socks, and my feet are toasty warm, although my gloves are not
working. I have thin glove liners and a pair of half finger gloves. I
tried to Vapor Barrier with latex over the liners, and it does not
work. My thumb, fore and middle fingers are a bit white but no
blistering. Capillary flow returns when I cover them in my armpits.

I learn a new use of a pack cover. The is no new snow or precipitation,
but each branch I've touched has dumps tones of snow on the pack.
[Everyone snuggled up to a warm dry moniter can now say "DUH!"] The
pack is soaked as am me. I rearranged stuff and covered the pack. I
still haven't found a use for those crampons as I post hole along, and
wonder just how inadequate those snowshoes would have been.

After a few bites of lunch and warming in the sun, I set back downhill
and posthole further, especially whenever the trail heads west and
north on the ridge into Tennessee. I start follow a fox's tracks. He is
better hydrated than me - or at least brage more. But his track helps
show where the snow is firmer.

At Camel Gap, I see the first people in 2 days! These are more Spring
Breakers, who are heading for Inandu Trail and a campsite off the AT. I
am not quite sure how they got here, but I like having someone else's
track to punch down the snow.

My hands are cold and wet, but I am so happy that this is the only
uncomfortable part.

I hit Cosby Knob after a bit of a climb and enter the shelter about
3:30PM. This was a 1 mph day, and I am proud of it.

The shelter is dirty and clearly has been well used the past few days.
There is urine everywhere, but the water supply is piped and looks
good. I am particularly tired, and wind up cooking more than I can eat.

There is no cell phone signal here. I brought too much food, and just
enough clothes. I am happy to have Davenport Gap within a day's walk
and wonder about how to get home. Imagine that I had hoped to be out of
the Smokies 2 days ago! Thank God I will be out of it soon!

OrangeBug

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. 
http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/