Snow is better than ice. We went camping in the mountains for the last major ice storm around here. We planned to hike out and camp on a mountaintop. Needless to say, we didn't see anybody else out on the trail and we had to turn back because it was too cold and windy up there. We ended up camping in a nearby valley just before dark where it was 10-15 degrees warmer (just above 0). Freezing rain soon started, chilling everyone to the bone, especially since it was coming down in sheets. In the 15 minutes it took us to set up camp, about 1/4 inch of ice collected on the ground, the tents, the campfire, and us. We had several Fire Logs (chemical firestarters), but incredibly, ice was forming on the same logs that were on fire. After a while, we finally gave up and went inside the tents. Inside, even the sleeping bags rated to 0 degrees were unable to keep us warm and the tents (2 for sleeping and 1 for equipment) started sagging dangerously. We had to knock off the ice several times during the night and discovered the next morning that our supply tent had collapsed under the weight. There was also a tree branch about 15 feet long and 6 inches in diameter directly between the two tents we were sleeping in. Also, approximately 1/3 of the trees in the area had collapsed overnight, making it impossible to use trails already covered in a solid two inches of ice.

A few hours later, enough of the ice had thawed that we were able to attempt the hike back to the main road. It was slow going, but eventually we made it. Unfortunately, I was unable to get my 2wd Ford Explorer back up the road we came in on; the ice was partially melted and turning the dirt road into a giant mudslide. After about an hour of only making 100 yards, we were about to give up and wait it out.

About that time, a group of redneck joyriders in 4wd vehicles came down the road the other way in an Xterra and an Explorer. Apparently they were having a blast teaching their 12-14 year-old kids to drive 20-30 mph in ice and mud on steep twisty dirt mountain roads with 50-foot cliffs just a few feet to the sides.

The road was apparently a loop so we were able to follow them on the mudslide down the mountain. Still, this part was hit harder by the ice storm and everyone would have been stranded if we had not brought an axe with us as numerous trees multiple feet in diameter were lying across the road. The four-hour drive took us 3 hours.

When we returned to the main roads, we discovered that the highway had been closed for fear that an overpass would collapse. After a 3-hour detour, we finally made it back to Athens, GA and passed out; school was not cancelled.

The county we had been in was declared a Natural Disaster Zone and received millions in state and federal assistence. Due to complaints, the school preemptively cancelled classes the next time ice was forecast; the ice never materialized. In response, the administratioin vowed never to cancel classes again under any circumstances.

-Biscuits