Snowflake Bentley & More

Since the snow is flying in various parts of the northeast and in the R2R mountains to the west, many folks are worried about road conditions, missing work/school, shoveling out the house and garage, etc.  I confess to not being a snow fan .... if it shows up for a day, the roads are still clear, and then the snow disappears, well that's the kind of snow I like. Many folks are the opposite ... the more snow the better.  Regardless of whether you like snow or not, most are intrigued by the snowflakes themselves. Probably the vast majority do not know that the discovery that "no two snowflakes are alike" was made in the small rural town of Jericho, Vermont by Wilson A. Bentley (1865-1931).  The video above (about 8 minutes) documents how Wilson Bentley came to photograph snowflakes - no easy task and quite remarkable. There is also an official website if you'd like to know more (biography) and see other information, including 'snowflake links'.

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Snowflake Bentley was the 'first', but there are some more recent snowflake images that have shown up and they are absolutely stunning. Russian photographer Alexey Kljatov's collection of high-resolution magnified flakes makes this widely-held belief that no two snowflakes are alike more convincing. The photographer has provided a Flickr link to many of his images (one picture from the link is shown below). Be sure and look at them all .... perhaps it will change your perspective of all that "white stuff" next time you're shoveling snow!

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For some man-made snow art, check out Simon Beck's facebook page, specifically the photo albums ..... the page is public, so you should be able to see the images. He makes designs with footprints in the snow and they are quite complex and beautiful.

Enjoy the snow however you choose to experience it  .... whether out and about or inside, staying nice and warm and looking at video and pictures!

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Note: At the time I started working on this post, the weather widget on the blog was showing 2 degrees and 32 mph winds at Wintergreen! Not surprisingly, there was a Severe Weather Alert for 'wind chill' ...... if you're going to be outside, stay safe out there!!

The Fog Comes On .... And Stays!

 

 Looking southwest from Greenstone Overlook, BRP mp 8.8 with the fog 'blanket' over the Shenandoah Valley showing in the distance.

The fog views off of the BRP overlooks and the AT were just spectacular yesterday (Nov. 16). Our crew was putting in at Humpback Rocks Picnic Area, but we traveled on a little ways to check out the views from Greenstone Overlook before doubling back. During the day, we had views from the AT as well: Battery Cliffs and Humpback Mountain View (a good distance up the mountain from 'The Rocks'). Here is a collection of photos (and 1 video) of the fog views. You really had to be there .... the pictures just don't show the distance perspectives and the every-changing nature of the fog.

From Greenstone Overlook on the BRP (9:30 - 10:00 a.m.):

 

 View southwest.

 

 

 

 

 View west across the Shenandoah Valley.

From "Battery Cliffs" on the AT which overlooks Wintergreen (12:00 p.m):

 

 

Southwest view .... that would be the Shenandoah Valley if you could see it!

 

From the Cliffs, panning east to west (closeup) and back (more distant view).

From Humpback Mountain View, overlook immediately off of the AT (2:00 p.m):

 

Looking mostly north.

 

West across the Shenandoah Valley - there was a "roll" of fog and unfortunately, it doesn't show up that way in this picture.

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I believe the Robert Frost poem says the "the fog comes on little cat cat feet ..... and then moves on."  To put Saturday's fog in AT terms, it came on big bear paws and stayed!

(Photos: Merlot)

Humpback Rocks Farm in Fog

 

Humpback Rocks Farm cabin 

with Humpback Rocks high in the distance.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is always beautiful, no matter the time of year or the weather. Saturday, we were treated to some fabulous and unusual views when persistent fog stayed around the entire day. These series of pictures were taken around 9:30 in the morning as our volunteer work crews gathered at the Humpback Visitor's Center, before heading out for a day of maintenance on the Appalachian Trail.  

 

 

 

 

 

 Looking south down the BRP from the Visitor's Center

 toward the Humpback Rocks Parking Lot.

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(Photos: all photos by Merlot)

Wicked Weather On The Mountain

 

Beautiful clouds after thunder storms - view from Pantops Mountain.

We expected our work trip weather yesterday to be hot and steamy. Fortunately, as we arrived at the tool shed, some clouds had moved overhead with a decent breeze blowing, so we were anticipating a reasonably nice day on the trail, one that wasn't 'heat exhaustion' weather.

As the Bear Spring crew worked on putting in a waterbar and rehabbing trail, we were under tree canopy for the most part (i.e. shade) and that little breeze continued to blow. In late afternoon, it suddenly dawned on us that everything (breeze, bird and insect noise) had gone dead quiet ..... that ominous 'still-before-a-storm' and it seemed to be getting darker. One of the guys asked "anyone heard any thunder"?  The answer at that moment was 'no', but it wasn't long before some very serious thunder rumbling was heard in the distance. At first, it seemed as if the storm was 'going around', but then it became unmistakeably apparent that we were going to get the storm on Humpback Mountain. Bear Spring is about half-way up the mountain ....... too high to be comfortable in a big thunderstorm, although being out in the mountains during a storm, regardless of elevation, is never "comfortable".

We rushed to finish up the water bar and get all the tools loaded up. A text (at 3:48) to the Trail Maintenance Supervisor let her know we were headed out and leaving Bear Spring 'right now' so she would have some idea of our location and also that we were aware of the storm bearing down on us and taking precautions. One of the guys made the comment that if the lightning got bad, the 5 foot iron rock bar he was carrying might get 'thrown down the mountain' ..... more on this in a minute.

The thunder became more intense and then the lightning started up ..... serious lightning. We'd see the white flash and then crrraaaccckkkkkk! Another maintainer was on the Glass Hollow overlook and had a good view of Humpback Mountain. He could see the dark storm clouds coming over and several lightning strikes. Since our crew was more or less "in it", we definitely heard it and saw the flashes, which were alarmingly close. We didn't run, but were moving rapidly, trying to get to lower elevations. All of us, over the years on the trail, have seen large trees with the evidence of lightning strikes .... shredded bark, split tops, splintered trunks. Every time we passed very large trees, we could not help but hope lightning didn't happen to strike that tree at that moment! With severe lightning all around, it was time to get rid of those "personal lightning rod" rock bars ...... they got stashed in a safe, easy-to-remember spot and we'll retrieve them off the mountain at a later date, in better weather.

The rain finally came. No rain gear was donned (although we had it) ..... the cool rain felt good after a hot, sweaty day of work and more importantly, we all had dry, clean clothes to change into. Cameras and cell phones did need to get put into plastic bags and stowed in our packs (a good reason to have a couple of zip lock bags on hand for this purpose). Water was running down the trail as the rain was fairly heavy. The painting crew near Dripping Rock got the worst of the rain ..... said the water on the trail was like a river and their boots rapidly filled up. They also said at one point the rain drops were so big and heavy, it sounded like hail hitting the tree leaves. The Rockfish Gap crew got the thunder and lightning, but no rain - thunder storms are quirky that way.

At the exact time we finally arrived at the Humpback Rocks Parking Lot, the rain stopped. Blue sky was visible and the sun was coming back out. The summer storm was over almost as quickly as it came. As the work crews gathered back at the tool shed, there were a lot of wet, dirty folks with a 'storm story' to tell, but the best part of the story was the happy ending: no injuries either from the storm itself or from the hurry over slick wet rocks, sloshing through 'rivers' of water, and navigating muddy spots to get off the trail ........ all work crews accounted for and safely out of the woods.

 

Possible storm over the mountains - view from Pantops Mountain.

Note:  no actual storm pictures .... too much tree canopy, the camera was in plastic/in the pack, and frankly, in the middle of a T-storm with severe lightning and heavy rain is not the time/place to be stopping and taking pictures! The cloud pics on this post were taken from Pantops Mountain at the Tip Top Restaurant. They are post-storm which made for some dramatic and beautiful cloud formations.

 ~ Merlot

(All photos: Merlot)

Snow Report - March 6, 2013 Storm (UPDATED)

Heavy wet snow fell on March 6, 2013 around Virginia.

 

We definitely got snow out where I live .... about 4 inches. So what happened out along the AT? 

 

On the RtoR Facebook Page*, there is a photo of 18" on a deck in Waynesboro and the snow was still coming down.

 

There is also a link to a blog post with photos from the Wintergreen area:

 

Major Snowfall Hits Central Virginia Blue Ridge Area

 

From this post and from radio reports this morning, it looks like the Wintergreen area got about 24 inches of snow (estimates are from 20-25") ...... how close is the R to R section of AT to Wintergreen?  THIS close: 

 

 

View of Wintergreen from the AT (Battery Cliffs) .... see AT blaze in foreground.

(Photo: Dave W. - archive pic, not taken during this storm!)

 

 

Update March 7: SNP has posted on their FB page they have 2 feet plus on the Skyline Drive!

Update March 8: SNP reporting these snow conditions from the mountain as road crews try to clear the Skyline drive (Pics on FB Page):
2 to 3 feet of snow
3 to 5 foot snow drifts More snow in the southern end of the park (this is closest to Rockfish Gap!)
Evidently the snow is now lighter due to cold temps and drifts easily ..... a lot of what they opened has closed again due to drifting.

Update from March 9: See picture on FB Page .... photographer did a little "hiking" and found the snow from knee to mid-thigh deep @ Rockfish Gap end of SNP!

Update from March 15: BRP still closed from MP 0 to 13.7 per real time map (Rockfish Gap to Reeds Gap) and local maintainer reports "a fair amount of snow on the northern flanks".

Update from March 16: The BRP from Rockfish to Reeds opened yesterday afternoon & shows 'open' on the map. 

 

There was also a lot of wind with the original snowfall so the probability of trees/limbs being down is good.  Our work trip is scheduled for the 3rd Saturday of this month, March 16th ...... I guess we will find out if the BRP is open by then!  Updates will be posted on the "Work Trip Dates" tab as we get information.

 

Just a reminder ..... there is a new 'real time' BRP road closure map so you don't have to call Asheville to find out what sections are closed (link is also posted on the 'Links & Info' tab for easy reference):

 

BRP Road Closure Map (real time)

 

 

Keep your fingers crossed for LOTS of snow/ice melting between now and the 16th.

 

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During the storm, the birdfeeder in my back yard was a very "happening place" ......  

 

 

All available perches occupied!

 

 

* The FB Page link is on the tabs just above the post title .... it is a public page, so even if you are not on FB, you can view it and non-FB links (like the blog post) should work for you.

 

 

(All photos: Merlot, unless otherwise noted)

 

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What is Graupel?

(Photo: Merlot)

 

 

When I walked outside early this morning (about 7:30), it looked like someone had been very busy with a fertilizer spreader!  There were little white pellets or balls all over the ground. If you picked one up, it was not icy, but like a tiny little snowball, soft and easily flattened out. They melted pretty fast, too.

 

Someone on a weather FB page had a comment about these little white pellets that were everywhere and their home was in Chesterfield so it appears this was a fairly widespread occurrence.  A possible name and link was given ..... it appears this is called Graupel and also known as 'soft hail' or 'snow pellets'.

 

From Wikipedia :

 

Under some atmospheric conditions, snow crystals may encounter supercooled water droplets. These droplets, which have a diameter of about 10 µm (0.00039 in), can exist in the liquid state at temperatures as low as −40 °C (−40 °F), far below the normal freezing point. Contact between a snow crystal and the supercooled droplets results in freezing of the liquid droplets onto the surface of the crystal. This process of crystal growth is known as accretion. Crystals that exhibit frozen droplets on their surfaces are referred to as rimed. When this process continues so that the shape of the original snow crystal is no longer identifiable, the resulting crystal is referred to as graupel. Graupel was formerly referred to by meteorologists as soft hail. However, graupel is easily distinguishable from hail in both the shape and strength of the pellet and the circumstances in which it falls. Ice from hail is formed in hard, relatively uniform layers and usually falls only during thunderstorms. Graupel forms fragile, oblong shapes and falls in place of typical snowflakes in wintry mix situations, often in concert with ice pellets. Graupel is also fragile enough that it will typically fall apart when touched.

 

Graupel commonly forms in high altitude climates and is both denser and more granular than ordinary snow, due to its rimed exterior. Macroscopically, graupel resembles small beads of polystyrene. The combination of density and low viscosity makes fresh layers of graupel unstable on slopes, and layers of 20–30 cm (7.9–12 in) present a high risk of dangerous slab avalanches. In addition, thinner layers of graupel falling at low temperatures can act as ball bearings below subsequent falls of more naturally stable snow, rendering them also liable to avalanche. Graupel tends to compact and stabilise ("weld") approximately one or two days after falling, depending on the temperature and the properties of the graupel.

 

 

I learned something today ...... and the next time I see little white balls all over the yard or in the woods, I'll know what they are! ~ Merlot

 

Ice on Afton

Ice on the trees at Afton Mountain today, Dec. 27, 2012

View from Afton Mountain

 

 

Winter (i.e. ice/snow) is finally here in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Ice on the trees like this could mean branches and perhaps trees down on the AT. We may have some work to do out on the trail as soon as the weather and road conditions permit.

 

Today (Dec. 27), the BRP is closed due to snow and ice from MP 0 Rockfish Gap and well past Reed's Gap to MP 61.4 which is the Rt 130 Crossover East to Lynchburg 20 mi., West to Glasgow 9 mi., and Natural Bridge 15 mi. Other sections of BRP are also closed. The entire length of the Skyline Drive (SNP) is closed today due to snow and ice.

 

For road closure information, here are the recorded information lines:

 

BRP:  (828) 298-0398 (1 for road closures, 2 for VA)

 

SNP: (540) 999-3500 (1, 1)

 

 

Note:

The road closure numbers have been added to the 'Links & Info' tab for quick reference.

 

 

 

 

 

(Photos: Gin K.)

Staying Safe In The Heat & Humidity

This past weekend, when temps here in town were 104 on Saturday and 103 on Sunday (with heat indexes around 110), maintainers and volunteers were in the mountains, working on the AT. Two sawyer crews were out, one on Friday and one Saturday, to take care of any blow downs as a result of the derecho that blew through on Friday the 29th.  The Konnarock Crew arrived on July 5th and they are leaving on the 9th after spending the weekend rehabbing a long stretch of rock steps on the AT sections west of the BRP and doing some other smaller projects as well.  Being out and about and especially working in such high heat and humidity can be a dangerous proposition if you don't keep an eye on each other, stay properly hydrated, and know when to take a break or even when it's time to call it quits.

There is an interesting story online (from 3 perspectives: wife, hiker, ranger) that shows how quickly someone can get into trouble, even when an experienced hiker. It's worth paying attention to the "lessons learned" from this experience by the hiker:

Heat Exhaustion Hiking Incident

Someone pointed out to me a recent column by Dr. Donahue where he discusses what to drink in the heat and humidity when working (the example used was construction work).  He says that for an hour or two hours (moderate work & pacing yourself), plain water is just fine; however, for longer periods of time you need to replace the sodium and potassium loss that comes from sweating. Here is Dr. Donahue's "recipe" for a make-it-yourself sports drink:

"Add half a teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of baking soda along with three tablespoons of sugar to one quart of water. For a full day of work, you'll need three quarts to play it safe". (1)

Personally, I find that water just doesn't cut it for me if it's hot enough that I'm sweating - I need something with electrolytes; however, for some people, water is all they want to drink. If you normally carry only sports drinks, carrying at least a pint/quart or two of plain water is a good thing - you never know when you might have to wet down a bandana, wash off a skinned knee or have some other use for (plain) water that is not loaded up with sugar, salt, and gosh knows what else that could be a sticky, bug-attracting proposition. Carrying a powdered sports drink (Gatorade, Dr. Donahue's recipe, etc.) that can be mixed in with plain water is a really good compromise - just pre-measure the amount you want, put it in a zip-lock bag and carry it along, then add it to your water if/when you need it.

With the high heat & humidity we have been having, it is worth reviewing the symptoms/treatment for heat exhaustion & heat stroke. Always be aware that out on the trail, depending on where you are, help could be hours away and some of the measures for dealing with heat exhaustion/stroke situations may or may not be immediately available so prevention and early recognition/intervention is critical:


Recognizing Heat Exhaustion (2)

Warning signs of heat exhaustion include the following:

• Heavy sweating
• Paleness
• Muscle cramps
• Tiredness
• Weakness
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Nausea or vomiting
• Fainting

The skin may be cool and moist. The victim's pulse rate will be fast and weak, and breathing will be fast and shallow. If heat exhaustion is untreated, it may progress to heat stroke. Seek medical attention immediately if any of the following occurs:

• Symptoms are severe
• The victim has heart problems or high blood pressure

Otherwise, help the victim to cool off, and seek medical attention if symptoms worsen or last longer than 1 hour.

What to Do

Cooling measures that may be effective include the following:

• Cool, nonalcoholic beverages
• Rest
• Cool shower, bath, or sponge bath
• An air-conditioned environment
• Lightweight clothing

Heat Stroke (2)

Heat stroke occurs when the body is unable to regulate its temperature. The body's temperature rises rapidly, the sweating mechanism fails, and the body is unable to cool down. Body temperature may rise to 106°F or higher within 10 to 15 minutes. Heat stroke can cause death or permanent disability if emergency treatment is not provided.

Recognizing Heat Stroke

Warning signs of heat stroke vary but may include the following:

• An extremely high body temperature (above 103°F, orally)
• Red, hot, and dry skin (no sweating)
• Rapid, strong pulse
• Throbbing headache
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Confusion
• Unconsciousness

What to Do

If you see any of these signs, you may be dealing with a life-threatening emergency. Have someone call for immediate medical assistance while you begin cooling the victim. Do the following:

• Get the victim to a shady area.
• Cool the victim rapidly using whatever methods you can. For example, immerse the victim in a tub of cool water; place the person in a cool shower; spray the victim with cool water from a garden hose; sponge the person with cool water; or if the humidity is low, wrap the victim in a cool, wet sheet and fan him or her vigorously.
• Monitor body temperature, and continue cooling efforts until the body temperature drops to 101-102°F.
• If emergency medical personnel are delayed, call the hospital emergency room for further instructions.
• Do not give the victim fluids to drink.
• Get medical assistance as soon as possible.

Sometimes a victim's muscles will begin to twitch uncontrollably as a result of heat stroke. If this happens, keep the victim from injuring himself, but do not place any object in the mouth and do not give fluids. If there is vomiting, make sure the airway remains open by turning the victim on his or her side.


LINKS

Here are the link sources for the information above - additional information is also available at the links:

(1)  Heat Duration Dictates What Liquids To Drink (Dr. Donahue)

(2)  Extreme Heat: A Prevention Guide to Promote Your Personal Health and Safety (CDC)


Some more links with information:

Survive Outdoors Inc.: Heat Exhaustion  (in particular, see 'Healthcare Provider - Medical Treatment' for very interesting info/details)

Survive Outdoors, Inc: Heat Stroke  (in particular, see 'Healthcare Provider - Medical Treatment' for very interesting info/details)

Tips to Avoid Heat Exhaustion (and Worse) - REI blog

Blue Ridge Parkway/AT - Freezing Fog Pictures

We were up on the Blue Ridge Parkway Sunday, Feb. 5 to meet some prospective Maintainers and it was foggy and/or misting lightly. The trees and plants were icing up and it really was beautiful. Here are some of the pictures that were taken:

Humpback Parking Lot - Frozen Fog on Weeds

Humpback Parking Lot - Fog & Ice on Tree

Humpback Parking Lot - Ice on Pine Branches

Dripping Rock Relo - Beautiful Ice on Vines

Three Ridges Overlook - Branches Iced Up

Afton Overlook - Sun Beginning to Shine on Rockfish Valley