In search of rime ice.

The colossal winter storm that dumped 1'-2' of snow from Virginia into New England just barely grazed us here in the southern Appalachians. In fact, it wasn't until the back end of the low pressure wrapped around us on Saturday night that we received a light dusting. Once the clouds lifted enough for me to see the ridge connecting Brasstown Bald to Young Harris College, I spied the upper half of the mountains bathed in rime ice.

For those unfamiliar with the term, Wikipedia describes it as "a white ice deposition that forms when the water droplets in light freezing fog or mist freeze to the outer surfaces of objects, with calm or light wind. The fog freezes usually to the windward side of tree branches, wires, or any other solid objects." What it provides is an unreal environment of white. It's as though everything has been bathed in milk. I knew once I saw it on the upper slopes, that I was going to get up there to take some photos.

My dogs (hiking companions)are gone for the rest of the week, so I was going to have to do this one solo. For the past year, I have rarely hit the woods without at least one of them. Having grown accustomed to their presence, it was weird to take my stick and hike under my own power and speed. They also serve as a security blanket of sorts. I feel protected when I have them with me,tugging at each arm, taking in all the smells, using a greater sense of hearing than I have to alert me when there is a bear nearby (this occurred a few months ago on the Miller Trek Trail when we were heading down slope through a dense patch of underbrush. They just stopped dead in their tracks, both staring off the right side of the trail. I thought nothing of this until I heard the crack of a limb and saw a black mass of fur moving toward us. It wasn't big, probably a juvenile, but a bear nonetheless. We must have been upwind, because it just kept coming towards us. Rocket began to bay, and the bear turned a 180 and took off through the brush, much to my relief).

Even though I didn't have them with me, it was a much more peaceful hike. No arms getting jerked this way and that; No worrying about keeping them hydrated; Being able to leave the trail and bushwhack through the trees without getting leashes tangled.

I got a late start and arrived at the rime formation by about 5pm. With sunset at about 5:25pm, the stay would be short. I went through a roll of film, not sure whether the light would cooperate and give me some good shots. It was absolutely beautiful, even though it was a light layer of ice. The light is actually deceiving in that the ice reflects the filtered sunlight very well. When I looked down into the bottom lands and noticed street lights twinkling, it was time to head down.

Making pretty good time, ( who can't when it's downhill all the way?) I ended up being in the dark for the last 1/2 mile or so. I whipped out the headlamp once I could no longer make out the terrain under my feet. A good headlamp is a lifesaver and I can't believe that I have only had one for the past year. Prior to that, I either cut my hikes short, or stumbled out of the woods in the dark.

The pictures turned out pretty well, and I got in 3 hours of not sitting in front of the TV. A good hike while the Falcons were pulling one out in the last minute against the Jets. A pretty good ending to a cold, gray day.