Damascus to Atkins

[Father Dragon]

Looks like there is a break in the crazy weather for the next week so I'm heading out from Damascus tomorrow towards Atkins.

Anyone know the trail conditions ... blowdowns, snow pack in the highlands, can I still order pizza from the partnership shelter?

[Doctari]

Not aware of trail conditions, but Pizza can be had,,, if you wait till 1600 (4PM) to call. I suggest ordering extra sauce if getting from Pizza Hut, ESPECIALLY if getting the Vegetarian pizza, mine had about 1/2 a teaspoon of sauce, on a "large" pizza. Otherwise it was tasty.

[SawnieRobertson]

I am not kidding when I say to be sure to bring crampons or the like. Think Vermont with fields of snow. I did see tracks going towards Chatfield Shelter up from VA 16 across from the Mt. Rogers Headquarters building this afternoon. There was a car parked there, and the tracks were fresh. The PATH maintainers have not had a chance to find out what is out there, much less do anything about it. Still, some reports may be in. You might check with them, also the Mount Rogers group. We ARE having some melting, but until next week we are also going to have snowmelt that freezes very hard. It's beautiful but pretty miserable.--Kinnickinic

[JJJ]

Last weekend some friends and I walked the AT north, just a half mile, from Elk Garden parking and camped over night. The bald was hard with just a few inches. Once we hit the treeline it was a good 2'. That's about where we stopped. This was the WNW side, things may be different on the SE faces.

There's a little music video on my blog site gives a little idea of the snow now, but it will be melting and freezing next week.

As of this afternoon, it looked like ~4500' upward was still under heavy rime frost.
I'm driving up to Elk Garden tomorrow and trekking over to Brier Ridge on the horse trail hopefully to test some snowshoes.

[Cedar Tree]

I am not kidding when I say to be sure to bring crampons or the like. Think Vermont with fields of snow. I did see tracks going towards Chatfield Shelter up from VA 16 across from the Mt. Rogers Headquarters building this afternoon. There was a car parked there, and the tracks were fresh. The PATH maintainers have not had a chance to find out what is out there, much less do anything about it. Still, some reports may be in. You might check with them, also the Mount Rogers group. We ARE having some melting, but until next week we are also going to have snowmelt that freezes very hard. It's beautiful but pretty miserable.--Kinnickinic

Those footprints were probably mine. I went up there Thursday Afternnoon to check the condition of the Trail. I only walked up the trail about 30 yards. The snow was very deep there, drifts over my knees in several places. I was going to do that little section from 16 down to Atkins, but I have postponed again. Hurry up and melt Snow!!
Cedar Tree