Post by GaliWalker on May 11, 2020 8:40:37 GMT -8
Winter wonderland in May
Otter Creek Wilderness, West Virginia
The northeast had some unseasonably late snow, ominously termed the "thundersnow" event. Since, by now I’m no longer in winter hiking mode I waited until Sunday, a day after the event, in the hopes that most of the snow would have melted by then.
The hike was to be in West Virginia’s Otter Creek Wilderness. My access into the region was via the Mylius Trail. The hike began tamely enough. Snow free and only moderately steep. 1.7mi of walking got me to Mylius Gap, on Shaver Mountain, where I hung a right, to make my way up the spine of the mountain. By now, there was about an inch of fresh snow on the ground. For the first mile the trail remain clear, but thereafter it was a snowy walk. Pretty soon I was oohing and ahhing as I passed through snow-plastered hemlock and rhododendron groves.
New life
Along the ridge (selfie)
Winter wonderland in May (selfie)
Snow plastered (selfie)
Hemlock forest
My delight was short-lived, as 3mi through this winter wonderland I ran into a wall of rhododendron thickets: heavily laden with snow, the rhododendron bushes were bent over to block the trail. I would whack the branches to shake the snow off, which would allow the bushes to lift slightly and grudgingly grant passage...for a few yards. Then, repeat. After 1hr 10min of this, to travel a paltry 1mi, I gave up. My original plan had been to take Possession Camp Trail down to Otter Creek. However, by now, I was totally soaked and dispirited. My leggings were sodden, and water from them had drained into my Gore-Tex boots. (Note: When water gets into waterproof boots, it stays there.) Even though I figured I was only a short distance from the junction, enough was enough.
Rhododendron thickets, beginning to encroach on the trail
Illuminated
There's a trail in there somewhere...1mi of this!
I retraced my steps to Mylius Gap, treated myself to a consolation side trip to Otter Creek, and then hightailed it back to the car.
Otter Creek
Stats: 13mi, 7.75hrs
PS. I saw absolutely no one else on the hike.
Otter Creek Wilderness, West Virginia
The northeast had some unseasonably late snow, ominously termed the "thundersnow" event. Since, by now I’m no longer in winter hiking mode I waited until Sunday, a day after the event, in the hopes that most of the snow would have melted by then.
The hike was to be in West Virginia’s Otter Creek Wilderness. My access into the region was via the Mylius Trail. The hike began tamely enough. Snow free and only moderately steep. 1.7mi of walking got me to Mylius Gap, on Shaver Mountain, where I hung a right, to make my way up the spine of the mountain. By now, there was about an inch of fresh snow on the ground. For the first mile the trail remain clear, but thereafter it was a snowy walk. Pretty soon I was oohing and ahhing as I passed through snow-plastered hemlock and rhododendron groves.
New life
Along the ridge (selfie)
Winter wonderland in May (selfie)
Snow plastered (selfie)
Hemlock forest
My delight was short-lived, as 3mi through this winter wonderland I ran into a wall of rhododendron thickets: heavily laden with snow, the rhododendron bushes were bent over to block the trail. I would whack the branches to shake the snow off, which would allow the bushes to lift slightly and grudgingly grant passage...for a few yards. Then, repeat. After 1hr 10min of this, to travel a paltry 1mi, I gave up. My original plan had been to take Possession Camp Trail down to Otter Creek. However, by now, I was totally soaked and dispirited. My leggings were sodden, and water from them had drained into my Gore-Tex boots. (Note: When water gets into waterproof boots, it stays there.) Even though I figured I was only a short distance from the junction, enough was enough.
Rhododendron thickets, beginning to encroach on the trail
Illuminated
There's a trail in there somewhere...1mi of this!
I retraced my steps to Mylius Gap, treated myself to a consolation side trip to Otter Creek, and then hightailed it back to the car.
Otter Creek
Stats: 13mi, 7.75hrs
PS. I saw absolutely no one else on the hike.
