The crest of a trail

Getting a  band back together is easier said than done. People drift apart, habits and interests change, things get complicated. But sometimes it just a matter of calling up a couple of friends and saying, Hey, let's get together and jam sometime and then seeing who all shows up. Last weekend it was just a duo as Jon and I managed to get together for a short but rather spectacular run. First we were going to head to Grandfather Mtn. but then veered off course and went to Bowlen's Creek to run the first section of the Black Mtn. Crest trail up to Ceilo Knob.

At the trail head we met a couple of backpackers who reported having had to flee from the mountain top at 3am that morning due to ripping winds and freezing temperatures. It was almost 50 degrees down at the start  so how cold and windy could it really be up there? Well, as soon as we approached the 6000' mark the world changed and we were faced with exactly the conditions that had been reported to us. The wind must have let up for a little while as a layer of rime ice had formed and was being blown from the vegetation. Although I was under dressed and not wanting to linger too long up high the unexpected conditions were exactly what we had come in search of.