Dec 18-21 Snowstorm (with Roan Mtn Pics)

[Joshua8200]

So this TR starts out leaving Johnson City, TN on Friday Dec 18 afternoon at 3pm and arriving in Kings Mountain, NC at 10:30pm. Please see this thread for more details of that 7.5 hr ordeal: http://www.skinc.com/messageboard/showt ... hp?t=10979



The one picture from that drive, is near Patton Ave in Asheville. After driving back roads through Weaverville and Skyland, we got back onto I-26 heading south and thought we had cleared all the traffic problems. This is my wife, Erin, rejoicing:



Little did we know that just a mile or two down the road traffic was stopped again. Luckily we turned around (on the interstate) and drove back to Patton Ave. Then took hwy25 down to the Hendersonville Exit and I-26 clear of traffic down to Spartanburg.



We spent the weekend in Kings Mountain. Had a little a couple of family Christmas get togethers. Then it was back up to Johnson City Sunday afternoon. We stopped at one of the overlooks of I-26 near Flagpond, TN.



Lots of deep snow:





















Monday I made my usual snow drive up to Carver's Gap. It was intense to say the least. As I drove out of Johnson City, roads were completely clear all the way to Roan Mtn. However, turning onto hwy143 there started to be a couple of patchy sections of snow still on the road. The climb up Roan Mtn started out mostly cleared. At least it had been partially cleared.



But rounding one of the switchback and entering Cherokee National Forest (which I believe the elevation is probably around 4500ft) the road was completely unplowed. There were a few tire tracks...but still areas of untouched snow on the road. As I was driving up, I passed one truck and a Subaru having to BACK down the road. Rounding one of the last switchback, I had to switch to 4wd Low and creep the last mile to Carver's Gap at about 5mph.



I have said multiple times that it would take 2ft of snow to make the balds skiable, and I think that's probably an accurate estimate. This snowfall just buried the balds! There were drifts that I couldn't even find the bottom of. I couldn't really hike very far toward Round Bald...as I was without skis or snowshoes!













I hiked up the Appalachian Trail towards Roan Mtn High Knob, which is a little more protected in the trees. There was fresh ski tracks, but I never saw anyone else. Someone fired an AWESOME line through the trees near the parking area...would love to see pictures from that (but it looks like whoever left those tracks was solo too).



When I returned to the parking area at Carver's Gap. The TN-DOT snowplow was stuck and the driver of the Subaru (who had followed the plow up) was helping dig it out. Finally got that taken care of and the plow took off down the TN side. I walked around for a little bit longer then headed back down:

[skirt]

looked like a fun trip. those flakes look huge in the 1st pic.

[Josh]

You forgot your skis!

[Joshua8200]

For whoever was asking about what Roan Mountain would/will look like in a 'big' snowfall, this is better than the other thread you bumped up.