AT Hike

We're playing two nights at the Down Home in Johnson City, TN this weekend.  Woke up this morning to substantial precipitation mostly in the form of snow. Headed to the Appalachian Trail outside town for a quick hike (borrowed the fiddle players car for a couple hours). 2 inches of snow on the trail when I started, probably closer to 4 near the top. Only had a couple hours, but it was really cold and I was vastly under-dressed and alone so the time limit probably kept me in check. There were a few other tracks, mostly filled with snow. Didn't see another soul out there. Beautiful. Here's a couple pictures, they're nothing like Up In Alaska's shots but the clouds were low and there were no vistas:

 

I had my Keen Growler boots on. The boots were perfect, everything else was inadequate and as such, I tried to keep it mellow and pay attention to where my feet were falling (fortunately, with those boots on, I didn't have to pay too close attention).  When these boots wear out, I pray that Keen still makes them because I'd buy them again in a second.

Hiked about a half hour and started to hear a humming sound.  Thought I was coming up on a generator or something but I topped a ridge and stepped into a clearing under some whirring power lines.  It was pretty eerie with the cloud cover.

Tomorrow we're in Roanoke, then two days off in Charlottesville planning The Festy.  One day we'll be scouting the trail system at The Festy site, checking out ride/hike potential and also looking at the possibility of running a cyclocross race out there, as well as designing the layout of the site and daydreaming about the features (multiple outdoor lounges and fire rings, onsite camping, multiple stages, brewery onsite, beergardens...  the list will grow).  The Festy will be the single greatest weekend event ever.  More to come.