Virtual Hike: Hiking in the clouds. (and rain) AT Mile 60.

Because of the low lying clouds in the Appalachian range on rainy days you usually end up hiking in an eerie fog. But that fog is actually a cloud that has shrouded the mountain your on. It makes for a very interesting hiking experience. Because of this nature of storm, its rare when you actually end up in a drenching thunderstorm, like what you experience often in Florida. Most of the time its just this very wet fog.

Hiking all day and getting sweaty and wet can be very dangerous in the mountains. You have to be prepared for unexpected wind chills and cold fronts in these conditions. For safety I hike with all of my gear and dry clothes in waterproof containers (Dry Bags). I always have a warm dry pair of clothes to get into after hiking, as well as a very stable tent, and warm goose-down sleeping bag that will keep my dry and warm as I sleep.

A good example is last year coming out of the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC). After the NOC it is about a 6-mile uphill section of trail. I hiked this in a light drizzle, during my hike my rain jacket got me sweaty and my hands were wet from the rain. On the trek uphill it was partly cloudy, with the sun peeking through at steady intervals. Once I reached the top of the mountain, and got on the other side of it, everything was frozen. The trees were leaf-less and icy, an eerie contrast from the bright green foliage on the other side of the mountain. I started to worry because I immediately began to shiver and my hands began to feel extremely cold due to the wetness and the wind hitting them. I started clenching and unclenching my hands on my trekking poles to keep the blood flowing. I zipped up my rain jacket tight even though I was wet underneath; to keep in any warmth I had. Fortunately the shelter was only a half mile down the trail and I made it there in only a few minutes at a slight jog. I was able to immediately change and get into my sleeping bag. After I warmed up a bit I cooked some hot food and was back to normal. I stayed up for quite awhile and watched my first experience with snow drift out of the clouds and gather on the trees and ground. You don't get any snow in Florida. :>

After that day I learned my lesson about how fickle the weather in the mountains can be.