Scree - December 30, 2010
Snowy News
The Smoky's are ripe for snowy adventures. Recent weather in East Tennessee shows they are indeed having winter. It is not a huge storm; but the snow and ice makes for wintry adventures. The knoxnews.com article highlights a few places to take advantage of the snowy conditions.
Of course for some in Gatlinburg you can have too much of a good thing ... The snowstorm over Christmas left many stranded in their cabins. All those mountain roads were unplowed. Chains were required for all vehicles in order to maintain traction.
Hearing the victims of the snowstorms stories it seemed like that being snowed in for the Holidays was very tragic - so, where do you think we could sign up to experience such misery?
(wate.com)
Snowshoeing Hikers Lost
In Washington, a group of four hikers and a dog went on a snowshoe excursion. As there adventure got underway an unexpected snowstorm joined them. For some reason, the hikers decided to leave the trail and following compass directions try to return to the trailhead by going cross-country. It was unclear why they decided to leave the trail; but soon they found themselves in an unpredictable location. With limited visibility and snow covering their tracks, they called 911.
After spending the night out in the wilderness, rescuers found the hikers the next day with the help of a cell phone company.
One of the hikers was a novice; but was one of the most vocal members of the group. The novice's advice was,
"Don't go off the trail. Be prepared for more than you expect. Keep a level head to foster a positive experience. And, if you want to stay warm, don't eat the snow!"
Sounds like the hiker learned a good bit in just one outing. This year there have been quite a few tragic endings to lost stories. These hikers used their savvy to weather the storms. Hopefully, take will take the time to learn more about navigation and backcountry travel. We all have so much to learn!
