Snow Days 2026

Kenny & Dana Koogler

Gabe & Mia Koogler

Adam, Crystal, Michael and Tessa Lindsey

Michael's girlfriend Olivia and her sister Emma

Grandmother Ruth Lindsey

Brooke and Rowan Nix

Jason Ledbetter

Papa Mike Lindsey

    Kenny and I were born and raised in Virginia. We lived there until twenty-four years ago.   

We were accustomed to snow and plenty of it.  Bitterly cold temperatures, snow and ice that lay on the ground most years until you had Mud Season in March.   East Tennessee and the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains has much less predictable weather.  We have had Februarys that were False Spring and 70 degrees.   We have had sub zero Winters. One thing we have far less of is snow. Especially not significant amounts of it.  Most of the time you get a few inches and by 3 pm that same day it is melting or gone.   We finally got 8 to 10 inches of snow and the just right temperatures to have it stick around a couple days.  We went to Ace Hardware in Townsend and purchased four tobaggan sleds.  We brought our sliding saucers we've had since Jared & Crystal were little. We went over to the farm in Townsend to go sledding as the Whole Fam Damily!  

above and below:  Out front of Ace Hardware in Townsend. They had the best deal on sleds!! 

     Kenny finally broke out his solo stove I bought him two Christmases back.  He built a fire at the top of the hill.  We parked at the bottom.  The snow was dry and powdery which is very unusual for our area.  

Below: The first morning of snow from our front lawn. Our house looks cozy. 

      The first day we just mainly went up and down the hill on foot.  A few trips were made up and down with Jason's side by side, but we all got plenty of exercise.  The farm is extremely hilly and a great place for sledding.  The only obstacle was Papa's Quonset Hut at the base of the hill. 

We managed to avoid hitting it the entire time!  Michael managed to pull off the most crazy and daring ride of the day by going down the front yard, crossing the road, and ending up in the pond not once, but twice!  

       I wore it out.   I think Adam and I made more trips up and down that hill than anyone else.

I had the most crazy wreck of the day. Tessa wanted someone to go down the hill with her on the sliding saucers.  No takers, so Nanny said okay. I'll go.   We went down together, but somewhere along the ride I spun out and headed to the left minus my hat and my saucer. I rolled bodily across the snow six or seven times.  You could see the imprint the next day where I carved my own path.  It was hilarious.   I had snow caked in my hair.  I stood by the fire at the hilltop warming up and felt a chunk of snow slide down my back and the crack of my behind!  Now THAT's what I call a wreck! 

Below: Olivia and Crystal in the distance.  The solo stove is fired up.  

   

Below: First day of sledding.  

Below: my glove finger in the corner of the frame... sorry.  Quonset hut and up way in the distance Grandmother's house. That is the hill we came down.  

Below: just looking at the tree line during the snow storm. Day 1

Below: Day 2 of sledding. It had stopped snowing and was clear and cold.  You can see the mountains in the distance. 

Below: Looking out over Townsend. Grandmother's house in the right corner.  

Below: Day 2 Michael Rowan and Brooke.  Our RZR. We brought it day 2.   By now I was sporting a bite shaped bruise on my right wrist, my back was bruised and my left hip.  

Below: Day 2... Brooke and Emma and Mia and Papaw Kenny

Below: Crystal Mia Tessa and Gabe and Papaw Kenny

The first day we went sledding until it got to be supper time.  We went into Grandmothers after we dried off and shed our boots and coats.  We had taco soup and was it ever good!   It was great to see one another and fellowship.    

          We had a couple memorable days for certain.

 Below is a video clip of sledding.