Snow & Brutal Weather on the Appalachian Trail

This morning I slept in until around 7am and then slowly began getting up and ready. It looked like Road Soda was going to be arriving around 8am! I’m so excited to see him. The last time that I saw him was in May of 2024 when I left Philly and headed out to hike the CDT.

Eventually I got packed up. Then looked outside and realized that it hadn’t been raining last night. It had actually snowed a few inches! I have a feeling today is going to be pretty dang cold and rough. I walked over to Dunkin’ Donuts and was surprised by the accumulation. The ground was covered in slush and snow. My feet got wet just in the short walk next door for breakfast.

I had a donut and a piece of tiramisu for breakfast.

I’m so glad that Road Soda is going to be around today! I was sad when he wasn’t able to come out last weekend. But everything always happens for a reason. The timing couldn’t be better to have friend around. This morning the temps are in the low 30s with a lot of snow accumulation. And now it’s raining! So this certainly has the potential to be a difficult day. It will be a relief to have someone around to help us out if things turn sideways.

Back at the room I ate breakfast and drank a hot coffee. Then finished getting packed up and waited for Soda to arrive. After he got to the room we hung out for a little while before we set out. It was so good to see him again! Soda is one of my favorite humans ever. It’s wild that we haven’t seen each other in so long. I was seeing him every single day for months when we lived together. But when I moved back to Philly at the end of 2024 he had moved into a different place. So I wound up staying in an Airbnb for 5 weeks and was working constantly. We never wound up seeing each other even once!

Sometime after 8am we got things together and got rolling. Road Soda drove us back to the Crater Lake parking area. And today the ride was more like an hour, at least! Originally I was quite concerned that we wouldn’t be able to make it down the road at all. The conditions were so bad and the road itself was difficult to drive down on a good day. But his vehicle had all wheel drive and we just took it nice and easy. The difference between today and yesterday was absolutely crazy though. The road was fully whited out and there were trees leaning into the road, covered with heavy snow.

Driving down the snow covered road, headed back to the trailhead.

Just before 9:30AM we got dropped off and set out. Road Soda made plans with us to meet at a road in about 8-9 miles. We’re just going to reassess our plans at each road crossing today. It’s too soon to say how the trail will be and what kind of mileage we’ll be capable of. Plus it’s raining a bit now, and could pick up even more. So who knows how wet and cold we will wind up getting.

I was shocked by the trail conditions once we were back on the AT. There were 4-5 inches of snow in most places. But the hardest feature of the snow was the way it weighed down the surrounding trees and shrubs. The trail ordinarily would have been wide open. But today there were trees leaning over the trail which we had to duck under and go around. They would hit into you and dump snow onto you as you went by. It made the hiking very slow going for the first couple of hours.

I was shocked by the conditions this morning!

That’s definitely not something I was expecting. We were slipping and sliding all over the past and moving pretty slow. Even after just walking for 2-3 hours I was soaking wet and surprisingly tired. It was raining and we were getting brushed by so many shrubs. So my rain pants were basically soaked. They hadn’t fully wetted through. But my legs just felt really wet and I could tell my shorts were a little damp. Probably also due to the sweating as we made our way up and downhill.

By the time that we got near that first road of the day I was pretty dang cold. Soda walked out and met us on the trail. Then hiked back to the parking area with us. My rain pants were sticking to my legs because they were soaked. They hadn’t wetted through, but were so wet that it felt like they had. My torso was pretty much dry. But I just felt damp from sweating underneath the jacket, and all of the snow falling between my backpack and my back as I walked. My shoes were soaking wet but my feet really didn’t feel that cold. I had good blood flow going because we were keeping moving.

Our saving grace was Road Soda! Once we got down to the road we got into his warm car. His seats were even heated so I was a comfortable temperature in no time. But the warm car didn’t change the fact that I was quite soaked. I was just glad that we were able to take a break though without getting dangerously cold. Soda brought us McDonald’s so we feasted in the car. That was such a high point after a hard few hours of walking in the cold.

Typically I really don’t mind walking in snow. I don’t even mind my shoes and socks getting wet. And even rainy conditions don’t necessarily bother me too much. But because of the way that the snow was coating the trees and brush surrounding the trail, we got drenched. I knew I was safe to continue walking though. It was just going to be a pretty miserable next few hours if the conditions remained exactly the same.

The white blazes were often hard to follow because they were covered in snow.

It was hard getting out of the car! I was so dang comfortable. But I at least wanted to get in as many miles as possible for the day. On a day like today I think most hikers would have taken a zero. If you wake up in town and realize it has snowed 4 inches outside, that could be a tempting idea. Especially because we didn’t zero yesterday. Our goal though was to make it as far as we could. That way we can save the zero day for worse weather if possible. Doing so would leave us in a really good position.

Sometime around 2PM we mustered up the courage to keep moving. There was another road in about 5-6 miles so we planned to meet up with Road Soda there. Then we could reassess our next move. If the next couple of hours were anything like the last few, then we might just call it a day there. Luckily there is a motel not far down the road near the trail. So we could get a ride with Soda and get dry and warm for the night. But we’re just going to play it by ear.

Hopping back on the trail after our short break in Soda’s car.

The rain was alot lighter when we set out from that road. And there was notably a bit less snow on the upcoming trail. Plus, the path was wide and there were no branches overhanging the trail. So we weren’t getting whacked by branches and brush. That meant we stayed alot more dry and comfortable! I actually dried out alot over the next hour, which I was so glad about. Even this slight change in conditions made all the difference. Things had really turned around quickly.

A fire tower just off the trail.

This section of trail had more like 2 inches of snow on the ground. Which also felt like a lot less in comparison. So we moved along the trail much more quickly and the weather didn’t slow us down much. That was such a relief! The next handful of miles went by at a totally normal duration of time. And when we were a mile or so out from the next road, we saw Road Soda! He hiked out to meet us and then walk back with us. It was fun walking along the trail with him. And brought me back to the short hike that we did together in 2024 in PA.

Walking with Soda and Punisher up to the next road.

The trail brought us up to an overlook with a large pavilion type area. I was surprised to see that the massive space under the pavilion was wet. Apparently the roof does not keep the rain out! So I wouldn’t suggest cowboy camping there on a night with bad weather. By around 4PM we got out to the next parking area. Road Soda had parked there to meet us. But because the weather had turned so dramatically, we decided to push a bit further. Originally it looked like we would be doing about 14-15 miles for the day. But if we could get a few more miles in then that would be even better.

The covered stone pavilion which is just up from a road and trailhead.

There was another road 3.5 miles ahead. So we planned to meet Road Soda at that road to wrap up the day. Even though the weather had improved a bit, I was still pretty wet. I could tell that the clothing under my rain gear was damp and cold. And my socks and shoes were drenched. If we had the option to go into town and get dry, then I figured we should probably take it. The temperature is only going to get colder over the course of the night. Even setting up inside of a shelter would have probably been uncomfortable. There’s no need to suffer unnecessarily if we don’t have to.

Road Soda, Punisher and myself.

Once we met back up with Soda we had to decide what to do next. There was a town, Port Jervis, about 20 minutes away. And between here and there was the High Point Motel. It wasn’t too far from trail either which was nice. So we planned to grab food and what not in town. Then try to stay at that motel if they were open.

At slightly higher elevation there was notably more snow.

We hit up a Walmart and grabbed a few things. My hips been a little tight so I got a microwaveable heating pad to lay on. Those are absolutely magical. I knew it would have me feeling fantastic by the end of the night. That’s something I used to use alot more when I was hiking and workout out while living in an apartment or vehicle. They aren’t super light and you need a microwave to heat them. So it can’t be used on trail, and only in town. But they cost $5 at Walmart and are well worth it just for town alone!

Dropping down to the road for the turnpike, where you can head into Port Jervis.

I also got some uncrustables and drinks. Then we went to Wendy’s and hung out there for a long time. After that we decided to drive to the motel and see if they had a room available for the night. Road Soda brought us down there and then hung out for a while. We got checked into a room and then got warm and comfortable.

I got electronics topped off and laid out some gear to dry. Then just chilled with Soda for a while until he headed out. I think there’s a chance we’ll see him again in a month or so! I have a bit of a plan up my sleeve which has the potential to be very fun. So stay tuned for that! After he left I took a shower and then got some video work and writing done. I’ve actually found it a lot easier to do more frequent YouTube videos rather than one weekly video. Which has been taking some pressure off!

Punisher’s mom mailed him some meals and other goodies. And along with it she sent some delicious baked treats! The box went to Unionville, which we will be passing by tomorrow. But we weren’t going to make the post office due to the weekend. Road Soda actually got the box for Punisher today which was killer. That saved us some time and aggravation which was amazing.

Per usual I stayed up way too late doing writing and video work! But at least I was lying in bed on a heat pad the whole time. So that was something. Eventually I finished up though and called it a night. Tomorrow I’m sure there will still be snow on the ground. But the highs are supposed to be in the 50s! Which would be such an amazing change of pace.

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