Deep Snow in SW VA in mid April???, Locust (3700'el) & Glade (3900'el) Mts, Motel refuge.

It was extremely hard to make myself get out of my cozy sleeping bag and get dressed. I'd put the clothes I planned on wearing in the bag with me to keep them warm. That made it a little more tolerable. I noticed heavy condensation on my tent where it had been over my sleeping bag. My bag felt quite damp. Evidently, moisture was being trapped between the tent and sleeping bag. I needed to dry things out somehow.

I looked forward to my tuna sub breakfast - I knew I had a challenging day ahead as it was still snowing and windy out, and less than 20 degrees. The tuna sub, yesterday's laundry, my water bottle and the leftover can of soda were frozen. I ate the sub anyway.

We crossed the road in front of the main entrance and started climbing the crest of Brushy Mt. (3700' el) on to the ridges of Locust (3700' el) and Glade (3900' el) Mountains. The snow was drifted on the ridge from 8 to 18 inches deep. I got some extra bootlaces from my pack and tied my pant cuffs tightly around my ankles to keep the snow out of my boots. I trudged on. Descending Glade Mt. I noticed a significant decrease in the amount of snow. From the ridge I could look to the right and see a snow covered winter wonderland of mountains and forest while looking to the left I could see lots of green, some meadow and farmland, and almost no snow. I was headed into the valley on the left - an encouraging thought.

Snowdrifts on the AT along Hickory Ridge, across from Mt. Rogers NRA HQ.

It was a long, gradual descent from Glade Mt., past Chatfield shelter, across farmland and pasture, across the middle fork of the Holston River, and down into the US11-I 81 valley where there a host of civilization - and no snow - awaited. There was, among many other things, a motel and restaurant. I got a room and immediately set my gear out to dry. I used the motel's laundry to wash my clothes and dry my damp sleeping bag. I ate well in the restaurant and relaxed, called home and got a wonderful night's sleep on a real bed. I luxuriated in the shower for a long time. I arranged for a motel employee to shuttle me to Ceres for my next mail drop and then back down to the trail. The local forecast called for another night of record low temperatures (2 record lows had already been recorded this week), clear and no precipitation (snow). I was glad to be in a warm motel, drying out.