Ski-Hike 2/14/06

This was orignally planned as just a cc-ski outing. Because all roads in the GSMNP have been closed for a couple of days at low as well as high elevations, a neighbor suggested that I consider entering the park at Wear's cove and then skiing the park road to the Little Greenbrier school road and then play it by ear. Because I thought that this might be too challenging for the novice skier, I only contacted two experienced ones but neither could go.

Parked my car at the Wear's cove entrance to the park (the road into the park was blocked as expected). Although closed to vehicular traffic it had been graded but it was icy; thus I carried my skis and proceeded to walk carefully ~one mile to the to Little Greenbrier school road. Once I had passed this gate (this road is always closed in the winter) I put on my skiis and skied to the school house and then up the road and the side-trip to the Walker sisters' cabin. (Did one stream crossing on skis.)

Upon my return from the Walker sisters I decided to ski Little Brier Gap Tr to its terminus at Little Greenbrier Trail (latter was hiked 2/10/06). (It was not until then that I realized that I had hiked this trail with Bill Woodrick last summer; we had planned to hike to the Laurel Falls trail but one of Bill's friends could not make it.) I carried my skis coming down Little Brier Gap Tr. until I reached the Walker sisters' turn-off. The trail now had numerous bare spots; if I could not avoid all of those (most caused by trip up), at least one ski could stop (not too good a situation). When I reached the park road (now open to traffic), the ~one mile, mostly up-hill, seemed quite long in my ski boots.