After three nights in Franklin I was getting restless and I was ready to get back out on the trail. I got everything back into my pack, grabbed a quick breakfast in the lobby, and sat and waited for the shuttle to arrive to take me back to Winding Stair Gab. As I waited Tin Man strolled through the lobby. He looked surprised when I told him I was returning to the trail today. He said the expected temperature that night was going to be in the single digits in the mountains with a wind chill of -10. He was taking another zero to avoid this savage weather. I couldn’t stomach another night in a hotel so I stuck to my guns to get back on the trail. A jolly German couple joined me in the lobby and soon we all piled onto the shuttle that ferried us back up the mountain.  

We arrived at the Gap and piled off the shuttle. I stood there and organized my things preparing for the hike to come. As I stood there fritzing with my gear I surveyed the scene. The highway was clear but there was snow covering all the surrounding ground. The sky was overcast and as I looked around I was unable to see several of the surrounding peaks. I had checked the forecast and it called for some brief snow showers which would soon subside. So of course there was a healthy amount of snow falling all around me. I looked over at the shuttle that was lingering, waiting to pick up any hikers coming off the trail, and for a moment I considered getting back on it. But NO! I was a hiker, damnit! A little snow was not going to shake me! So I hoisted my pack, which was now fat from a fresh resupply, onto my back and I set off into a winter wonderland.  

Starting off things were not too bad. The trail was easily visible and the climbs were decently graded. My friend, Kyle, had suggested I start listening to Jason Isbell so I had his tunes pulling me up the hills. As I climbed higher into the mountains things began to change. There was more snow and soon the trail was well covered over. 

 There was also a significant amount of wind. It’s moments like this when I begin to question the wisdom of marking this trail with white blazes. On a windy snowy day these markers easily disappear. Several hikers had come through before me that day so when I lost the white blazes I followed the footprints instead. I kept hiking and the weather got worse. The wind really picked up, sometimes gusting to over 30 miles an hour. It was then that I got a little spooked. The wind combined with increased snowfall caused me to lose the trail completely a few times. It is one thing to get a little lost in normal conditions. In these conditions with the temperature quickly dropping into the single digits I could find myself in serious trouble very quickly. In times like these I find it best to say a few prayers and just keep hiking.  

Soon enough some other hikers passed by and I even ran into a group of South Bound hikers. They had been hiking all through the winter. Though they looked a little ragged their spirits were bright. Seeing other hikers, especially on difficult stretches, always lifts my spirits. Maybe it’s the idea that we’re all in this together. The snow continued to deepen and the green tunnel turned into the wintry white tunnel. But soon enough I topped out on Wayah Bald. Under normal conditions there would be a beautiful view from the large stone tower located on the summit. Today I could barely see more than a hundred yards.  

The good news is the shelter was only a mile downhill from Wayah Bald. The bad news is that the trail was treacherously covered in snow and ice. At one point I took step and went sliding. I came to a stop with my foot wedged behind a rock and when I did I felt something sort of tear in my right knee. From that point on my knee felt sketchy and it hurt to take a step down hill. I managed to limp my way into Wayah Bald Shelter.  

The shelter was full so I decided to set up my tent on one of the tent pads nearby. I knew I would be in for one frigid night. I piled up snow around the base of my tent to keep the breezes out much like I had done with the leaves a few days before. I walked over to the shelter to cook dinner and visit with the other hikers. It was getting to be just wicked cold. Once I had my dinner made I had to race to get it into my belly before it turned into a pasta popsicle. After I got everything cleaned up I boiled a pot of water and poured it into my Nalgene bottle so that it would keep me warm in my sleeping back at least for a few hours.  
I sent a few text messages to my folks to let them know I’d made it to the shelter. I also let them know I injured my knee and I would evaluate it in the morning. They were worried about me spending a night on a mountain in single digit temperatures with a windchill of -10. I reassured them that while it would be absolutely miserable I would be okay. I put on every scrap of clothing I had and snuggled deep down in my 15 degree sleeping bag. The snow continued to fall and the wind howled. I questioned my sanity several times that night but by morning I was still there.