Bluedogart Art Cafe, Buena Vista, Va., AT NOBO mile 802.6, March 25, 2014 — Enough of the snow already! I get it. White is white. Time for spring colors. Where’s the Easter parade?

Today’s ten mile slog through six inches of thick, heavy snow was brought to you by your favorite brand of molasses. There wasn’t much difference in the viscosity.

The good news is that once I reached the highway, and a cell signal, the folks from Bluedogart were up the mountain licketysplit to rescue me from my role in a Santa North Pole adventure movie.

Along the way from the Punchbowl Shelter, the hike scrambled through Brown Mountain Creek where Forest Service markers described the freed slave community that developed there at the turn of the 20th century.

The snow covered stone walls and foundations suggested the community that once thrived there until the government bought it out in the 1920’s to create the Jefferson National Forest.

Tomorrow’s weather is for danger close wind chill from the northwest. Will try and arrange a southbound slack pack to duck the brunt and still make progress. Otherwise, I hole up in my Bluedogart bunker.

Stay tuned…