Winter at Dolly Sods

The pictures below are from a trip we took late in the winter of 1990. We haven't been successful at getting back since. It was a beautiful gift to be able to see these sights in winter.

East of BlackBird Knob

Back in March 1990 a friend and I managed to drive an old Chevy station wagon to the top of Dolly Sods and park at the Red Creek Campground. We only got stuck once. It took us 2 hours to get the wagon out of the ditch.

We started hiking from the campground west towards Blackbird Knob. In the deep woods, the wet snow had stuck to the sides of the tree trunks. At some places the pine boughs with the snow on them were so heavy and close together that you couldn't pass between them.

Northeast of BlackBird Knob

On hilltops and open plains of Dolly Sods, the hiking was easy because the snow had blown off into the valleys and the wooded areas. Along this open area, there were many shallow depressions in the ground that were filled with 12 inches of snow with the peaks between the depressions blown clear of snow. It was easier than walking through the drifts in the lowland and woods, but you never knew how deep your feet would go into the depressions, so we stumbled often.

Looking Down on Red Creek

Crossing Red Creek was a challenge. We didn't have the luxury of a frozen stream to walk across. The hill to get down to the creek-bed was steep and slick. We had to hold onto trees and traverse across the hill to safely get down.

Carefully Crossing Red Creek

Like I said Red Creek was a challenge. We were aware that falling in the water or even putting one foot deep in the water could easily end our trip for us. We didn't have a spare pair of dry boots, and I have very poor circulation in my feet. We made it safely across.

Admiring Red Creek Beauty

The scene from the banks of the Red Creek was bright and beautiful. The snow was hanging off the pine trees making a beautiful winter scene. Getting up the other side of the creek-bed was even more challenging than coming down into the creek-bed. We made it and ended up having a great overnight trip.