This day began dark, dreary, and cold, just like the litany of days that have been passing by us since the winter solstice crossed our calendars a month ago. A devotional book I read says that yesterday is the most depressing date of the entire year. It’s been cold forever, the holidays are done, bills are coming due, and we are headed into that long empty stretch on the calendar.
Thirteen of us decided to take matters into our own hands and brave the elements and make a hike from the top of the highest mountain in South Carolina and work our way about six miles to the west. We had no expectation whatever of snow and ice being the offering of the day. We arrived at the summit of Mount Sassafras by car (yes we partly cheated) and set off from the trailhead to find that the north side of the mountain was completely covered in snow and ice. For one wearing nice walking shoes worn smooth by five years of walking, this was an ominous sign. It did not help that I had met up with the group sans gloves, and walking sticks. I thought we were having just a fine little Saturday afternoon walk. Fortunately, my friend Tom was a bit better prepared and had spare gloves and a sturdy stick for me to use. I traded him a bottle of water for them as he had forgotten his water. I did not feel quite so stupid, knowing that a very experienced hiker had shown up with no water. Traversing the ice and snow did prove challenging and caused me to focus closely on each little spot that might allow me some safe footing. I also made a note to get some appropriate boots since it is my plan to hike with some regularity once again.
At late morning in the space of a mere hundred feet we came off the snow and ice and found ourselves walking on dry leaves under the branches of a majestic deciduous forest. The three dogs in our midst were delirious with the new found traction and streaked off into unknown regions. The cloud covered thinned and teased us with the promise of thready weak sunlight. We took the opportunity to take the first of two stops to eat and soon thin streaks of blue sky on the horizon were making us ever more hopeful of a warming trend. Actually, I was more interested in the possibility of bright photons that could chase off those winter doldrums, which can get intense this time of year.
We set off our repast and soon found ourselves walking in an evergreen forest with a cobalt sky overhead. The under story consisted of majestic rhododendron. The sun-drenched hemlock, spruce, and rhododendron forest with warm leaves covering the ground seemed far removed from the dark ice and snow we had traversed but three hours before. The climate for our second meal break was rather grand. The sky was much like an October one with jet contrails indicating the trail taken by those not interested in walking with us over the mountain. A short nap in the leaves followed. We completed our journey about 3 PM, loading up dogs and gear and heading back to the low lands. Walking can certainly exceed economy class most of the time, and it makes us less dependent on foreign oil.
Craig Johnson
Sassafras Mountain, South Carolina
Thirteen of us decided to take matters into our own hands and brave the elements and make a hike from the top of the highest mountain in South Carolina and work our way about six miles to the west. We had no expectation whatever of snow and ice being the offering of the day. We arrived at the summit of Mount Sassafras by car (yes we partly cheated) and set off from the trailhead to find that the north side of the mountain was completely covered in snow and ice. For one wearing nice walking shoes worn smooth by five years of walking, this was an ominous sign. It did not help that I had met up with the group sans gloves, and walking sticks. I thought we were having just a fine little Saturday afternoon walk. Fortunately, my friend Tom was a bit better prepared and had spare gloves and a sturdy stick for me to use. I traded him a bottle of water for them as he had forgotten his water. I did not feel quite so stupid, knowing that a very experienced hiker had shown up with no water. Traversing the ice and snow did prove challenging and caused me to focus closely on each little spot that might allow me some safe footing. I also made a note to get some appropriate boots since it is my plan to hike with some regularity once again.
At late morning in the space of a mere hundred feet we came off the snow and ice and found ourselves walking on dry leaves under the branches of a majestic deciduous forest. The three dogs in our midst were delirious with the new found traction and streaked off into unknown regions. The cloud covered thinned and teased us with the promise of thready weak sunlight. We took the opportunity to take the first of two stops to eat and soon thin streaks of blue sky on the horizon were making us ever more hopeful of a warming trend. Actually, I was more interested in the possibility of bright photons that could chase off those winter doldrums, which can get intense this time of year.
We set off our repast and soon found ourselves walking in an evergreen forest with a cobalt sky overhead. The under story consisted of majestic rhododendron. The sun-drenched hemlock, spruce, and rhododendron forest with warm leaves covering the ground seemed far removed from the dark ice and snow we had traversed but three hours before. The climate for our second meal break was rather grand. The sky was much like an October one with jet contrails indicating the trail taken by those not interested in walking with us over the mountain. A short nap in the leaves followed. We completed our journey about 3 PM, loading up dogs and gear and heading back to the low lands. Walking can certainly exceed economy class most of the time, and it makes us less dependent on foreign oil.
Craig Johnson
Sassafras Mountain, South Carolina
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