Snow Ride Campbell County

Snow Ride Campbell County

Sat. Jan. 23, 2016
Dana & Kenny Koogler 

  We only got 1/4  inch of snow in Blount County.  We decided we'd head to Campbell County and ride the new RZR in Sunquest/Royal Blue. We figured it would be pretty and fun.

We had several features there we wanted to check out.  We planned on hunting up 

Waterfall Hollow Branch Falls which we have yet to locate.  We wanted to revisit
the waterfall in Thirteen Hollow.  We wanted to see if there was a way to check out Number Twelve Hollow and find out of there were any waterfalls in there? I have not been to Town Rock yet and we thought we'd go see that.  We had all kinds of fun things planned.

    We figured since the only road that was bad at our place was the 1/2 mile out to Rt 411 from our lane...... and the trails start right off I-75 we'd be in great shape.  Well........ it did not turn out that way.  We wondered why no one was out trying to ride and enjoy the place when we arrived?   We were soon to find out.  The first reason was that it was COLD. Very cold and damp.  The second reason was that they got several inches of snow on Tuesday while we got 1/2 inch.  Tuesday's snow melted and refroze.  Then it snowed another six inches atop that icy mess.  It made it hard to get around in anything!   

 

            We parked alongside Flatwoods Road just past the Adult XXX World.

We took off from there and it wasn't long until we realized what a foolish idea we'd had.

The trails had so much snow and icy all the shrubs and bushes were bowed down in them.

Getting through was darn near impossible making slow going even slower.  Lots of downed trees in the trails.  Now and then we'd see an abandoned vehicle stuck in the road or alongside it.   We did see a few people later in the day. It was beautiful, but the cold and damp and wind was biting.     The new RZR 1000 performed great, but it doesn't matter what you have....... getting around in that stuff in deep snow atop ice is tough.

           We saw a few elk and some red birds and hawks.  We enjoyed the frozen forest.

We didn't take long to decide just how bad an idea this was. All we wanted then was to leave and get back to the truck and home. 

            We both ended up with sore throats despite how we bundled up. 

I learned that I needed warmer layers and hot hands for my mittens and boots.

We got home. I got in a hot bath.  I got warm and got in bed.  When I woke a few hours later my sore throat and upset stomach were gone.  I was no longer cold.  I do not want to do that again and neither does Kenny.

This is what Thirteen Hollow Falls looks like from a previous visit.  We'll go back but it is going to be no snow!

A few photos of elk and snow and the RZR and Kenny.  I looked a lot like him in that I had snow blown all over me. Even part of my hair was frozen!