Finished North District!

I'm getting down to the wire at last.  On March 20, with Sky1ine Drive open only in North and Central Districts I picked up a few segments of AT in the Park.  It was a delightful day:  sunny, 30s, with a steady breeze.  In North District I parked at Beahm's Gap, took the sidetrail to the AT, then walked south as far as Pass Mt. Trail (2.2 miles plus a couple of tenths in sidetrail and pre roadcrossing AT).  The snow was crusty and about 2-3 inches deep.  I was unable to walk on top of the snow most of the time.  The trail climbs steadily to a shoulder (Pass Mt. Junior?) where there are some nice peekaboo views then up to the top.  It then descends moderately to the trail junction.  No one had broken trail since what must have been a recent light snow.  It was obvious that underneath the top snow layer someone had been on the trail. That was my last trail or trail segment to complete in the North District.  Yahoo! 

After returning to the car, I drove south to Milam Gap and walked south on the AT as far as the Laurel Prong Trail.  Someone had hiked northbound on the trail but that didn't make the walking any easier.  In fact in some ways it was better to avoid the previous foot prints and go for the virgin snow, which sometimes held me up.  As with the first trail, the snow was 2-3 inches deep but going up steeper pitches it got much deeper.  At some points I sank in as much as 6 inches.  The snow was brilliant in the bright sunlight, so brilliant, in fact, that it hurt my eyes.  To be sure of my footing I kept staring at the snow.  At one point, however, I looked up at the clouds and they were a brilliant pink.  This was, I think, because I had burned my eyes with the snow.  You can see from the pix that the clouds aren't pink.  After that point I tried to look at the trees and dark objects, watching the trail only with my peripheral vision. 

The mountain I was hiking up (nothing too steep) was Hazeltop.  What is it with the "Hazel's" in the Park?  I took a sidetrail to a lovely overlook to the west. 

Looking east from Hazeltop

Looking east from Hazeltop (Cat Knob?)

Looking west from overlook on Hazeltop

Looking west from overlook on Hazeltop

Then I went to Bootens Gap and hiked south as far as the Bearfence Mt. sidetrail.  By the time I started (2 pm) the snow was smooshy on this east-facing trail.  I encountered an interesting looking snapped tree across the trail.  Where the trail dipped low, I encountered dirt and mud.  But then, as it ascended toward Bearfence, the snow came back, got less slushy and footsteps in the snow became frozen and slippery.  Once again I opted to walk on the virgin snow.  When I reached the trail junction I decided it would be more pleasant to walk back on Skyline Drive.  The trail down to the road was icy where people had stepped before.  The walk back was great because the road has terrific views to the west. 

 Miles for the day 12.1; new trail miles 6.0.