Tales From The Wood Booger: There Is No Business, Like Snow Business At Rich Mountain

Thursday, March 17, 2022

There Is No Business, Like Snow Business At Rich Mountain

The surprising snow last weekend gave me, maybe, my last chance for a hike in the white stuff. So, Sunday as I like to say "there's no business, like snow business!

So, where to go? Just like my last snow hike, to Beauty Spot, my first thought turned to the Smokies. Like in February any trip to the National Park always depends on if Newfound Gap Road is open. Because of the winter storm Saturday it was closed and I figured it would be Sunday and it was. With sunshine and rising temperatures, I didn't know what would be there on Monday (which by the Newfound Gap webcam was not far off). The other reason is the price of petrol. It is a long trip to Newfound Gap and if it wasn't great I would have felt it was a waste. Because of the amount of snow, there were closer options. Plus in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) you can't fly a drone and I kind of wanted to take the Nostromo up again. So, I decided on a favorite place of mine...Rich Mountain Fire Tower. See it's 0.15 miles off the Appalachian Trail (AT) which means I can fly it there.

GSMNP 2018 (TL), Rich Mtn. (ML), Beauty Spot (BL) & Saturday snow (R)

Anyway, it was forecast to be cold Sunday morning but I was getting up early with the time change it made it where I could run the drone for its first sunrise, and even with 12-degree temperatures the drone performed great and the pictures were amazing. When I arrived at Tanyard Gap it was much warmer as it was 15 degrees. While it was cold, I mean two-hand warmer cold, at least the wind wasn't blowing. There was also plenty of snow which is why I came. It took me a little longer to pack up because of the drone, but I finally started up the trail. Did I mention there was snow? Well, eventually it got to the point where I had to put my microspikes on. I don't know if it is just the snow or I am out of shape or both, but this trip up just gassed me.

Sunrise over St. Clair

Pisgah National Forest (PNF) Snow Adventure

Start of day (T) & end (B) at Tanyard Gap

Snowy AT

Microspikes time

Up to...

...Rich Mountain Fire Tower

However, once there and got the Nostromo up it was well worth it. I mean the views from the tower are great, but with the drone, I got a view of the tower from above. This is why I wanted the drone to get pictures and footage like this. Because of running the drone, lunch, and just enjoying the tower, I spent an hour-and-a-half there.

Tower from 150 ft.

Northeast Vista

East Vista

Southeast Vista

Southwest Vista

Me & the Drone

In that 90 minutes, it was amazing how much the trail started to change. When it had been snow it was now slushy ice, which is actually slicker, so I had to put on the micro-spikes. Before long the trail transitioned from slush to mud and by the time I arrived back at Tanyard Gap half, the snow was gone. But I had one more thing to do. I got the Nostromo out and set it up far enough from the AT and got some nice shots from above. If it was my last snow adventure it was a great way to end it...