Introduction
I decided not to photograph the mud. Hopefully, you aren't disappointed. After hiking, using a twig, I dug out clumps of mud, still lodged in the tread of my hiking boots. The icicles, snow, views, and experience were worth a muddy hike!
Welcome, cool weather hikers, to the 75th entry in the hiking topic section! Yesterday's hike on House Mountain was my 198th along those rugged and scenic trails.
Yesterday, according to our front porch thermometer, the morning low was five degrees Fahrenheit (F) or -15 degrees Celsius (C). Under a crisp, clear, and perfectly blue sky, the late afternoon high at the house rose to 38 F or 3.3 C.
Icicles along the West Trail
Yesterday, at about 1 PM, the outside thermometer showed 31 F or -0.5 C at the house. Shortly thereafter, cranked and ready, my 2006 Frontier took me to “my mountain” for another great hiking adventure! The temperature in the parking lot was probably about 31 degrees. Seven vehicles were in the parking lot at our arrival. The ridge, at a 2,100-foot elevation, was cooler, probably in the mid-to-upper 20s. A light and cool breeze was blowing. Layered properly but not excessively, I didn't sweat a drop. Hiking when it's cool enough to not sweat is great!
Touching the sign near the sheltered picnic area at 1:30 PM exactly started my hike up the west trail. I expected mud, but there was more than I thought, especially in the lower areas along the trail. Thankfully, I wore my older pair of hiking boots, instead of my warm-weather hiking shoes. As mud clumped into the tread, nearby rocks were useful for scraping excess mud from the soles.
Taking my time, due to the mud, having navigated through the four lower switchbacks, I started hiking up toward the first upper switchback at 1:52 PM. Nine minutes later, I reached the sixth and final upper switchback.
That's where I expected to see icicles. I wasn't disappointed. The following photograph, taken at 2:04 PM, looks up, to the north, and along the south side of the mountain.
Those were huge sheets of icicles! Can you see the ones farther in the distance?
After hiking farther up and west along the trail below the ridge, I paused to take the next two photographs.
Looking up, the view is to the northwest, facing the south side of the mountain. I took the shot at 2:15 PM. A few steps farther along the trail, and a minute later, I took the next photograph.
The icicles in the distance are not as noticeable as how my eyes saw them. About this time, a younger man was hiking down the trail. We exchanged a brief and friendly hikers greeting. He continued down, as I continued up.
Snow below the West Bluff
At 2:26 PM, I reached the west bluff. Ah! I never grow tired of seeing the views around and below me. Having hydrated myself quite sufficiently, I took a leak toward Knoxville. Just before I took the next photograph, a man, about my age and using two metal hiking sticks, negotiated the trail just east of the west bluff. Circling down and around below me, he never did see me! In silence, I stood and watched him hike away.
Five minutes later, at 2:31 PM, I took the following traditional photograph of my trusty old canteen and Mike's ball cap.
To the left in the image, do you see the shadow of the space alien? His left arm was outstretched. What was he holding in his left hand? His right arm was touching his thin legs. The space alien must have been above and behind me. I never did see him. Am I joking? My adoptive brother-in-law, Mike, who was with me in spirit, laughed.
Where is the snow? In the valley at the house, we had snow flurries last Sunday with no accumulation. Snow had accumulated on House Mountain, as the next image shows.
More snow was below me. I took the photograph at 2:49 PM. The rock outcropping, denoting the west bluff, is above the snow. The view looks up and to the east. I enjoyed crunching frozen snow as I stepped on it. It also helped clean caked-in mud from the soles of my boots.
Conclusion
I had started hiking down the same west trail at 2:45 PM, only pausing to take the above photograph. Careful negotiation down and through the muddy areas slowed my descent. I also paused to enjoy the views. Touching the same marker near the picnic area at 3:45 PM ended my hike. Two hours and fifteen minutes in the woods, even if muddy, was better than not having been there! Almost out, I met a young man hiking in. That must have been his truck in the parking lot. My truck was the only other one there.
Did you want to see more icicles? The article from 1/10/2024 was a late entry about my two House Mountain hikes in one week in January 2018. That article includes six photographs of icicles.
How about more snow on House Mountain? A quick search for “House Mountain snow” on my website turned up at least four articles that include snow photographs. See the articles from 9/3/2006, 1/10/2010, 1/26/2010, and 1/31/2010.
Yesterday's hike was in honor of my maternal uncle Bobby (Robert Allen Wood, 5/14/1939 - 1/18/1941), my wife's aunt Mona Beckner (1/18/1922 - 4/8/2022), our great-niece Bethany (born on 1/20/2005), my adoptive mother, Ozella Scott (1/21/1930 - 4/26/2023), and my father, Earl Ferrell (9/17/1927 - 1/25/2008). Each beloved family member was either born or passed away around the day of this hike.
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