We had at least five inches of snow yesterday and last night, much of it before bedtime. There’s expected to be some melting today, which will refreeze tonight, creating very hazardous road conditions.
On the upside, it was incredibly beautiful this morning, with the deep quiet from the snow and the changing colors as the sun came up. Wonderful to see the woodpeckers and the rabbit and fox tracks in the snow. Good day to sit by the fire and think things over. I’m glad I’m not out on the trail. The forest service asked the through hikers to delay starting for Maine a few days ago, and I hope most of them heeded it.
Speaking of the trails, the Benton McKaye folks are working to reroute the trail up to the Falls Branch, to move it further from the creek. I understand the Blue Ridge chapter of Trout Unlimited is also coming out in force. Here’s the announcement from the BMTA. The Falls Branch is on Stanley Creek Road, a little to the east of the trailhead at Stanley Gap.
Georgia Work Trip: Please join us as we work our second trip on Fall Branch Falls. We made a good dent in this tough re-route in February, but we’ll need a few more trips to finish the job!! Meet for breakfast at 8:00 at the Village Restaurant in Blue Ridge. Or meet us in the parking area for Fall Branch Falls at 9:00. A call or e-mail to let us know you are coming is most welcome (it helps us plan for the right tools and safety equipment), but is certainly not required.
Trip leader is Barry Allen (770-294-7384) or barry.w.allen AT att.net
First-timers are most welcome! For what to expect, what to wear, what to bring, go to http://www.bmta.org/pdfs/WorktripsWhatToExpect-revSep2011.pdf
WEATHER POSTPONEMENT: If weather forces a change of plans, the trip will NOT be cancelled in most cases. Instead we will simply postpone the trip for one week. Because of the changeable nature of North Georgia weather we wait as long as possible before postponing. Usually the decision is made early Friday evening and circulated immediately by email.