3/7/98 - Mt. Yonah

March 7th and 8th
Mt. Yonah and Unicoi State Park Trip Report -

By Mary Weber

Deb Evans, Mary Weber, Terry Keezer.

We were optimistic when we started that the rain would not be that heavy. The trip up the mountain proved difficult as the packs got wetter and heavier. I ended up climbing 1 route on the B wall and Terry and I climbing up the guide wire for several hundred feet looking for anchor placement before it was evident that the group was starting to look hypothermic. I did a two rope rappel from the B5 or 6 route, it was difficult to see with the rain and the heavy cloud cover. The people on the ground could not see the climber at the anchor. The ropes were getting so heavy that belaying took 2 people. It felt like an adventure as we were fighting rain and more cold and trying to ward off hypothermia, as after 5 hours of steady rain, we were soaked to the bone. Although it was more of a challenge than we had anticipated, we felt good about climbing in those conditions and being able to deal with the elements.

It was raining harder on Sunday and we decided to check out the mountain biking in Unicoi State Park, which was GREAT!! The park has many miles of good off road trails that were manageable even with the rain.  Still had a great weekend.

Looking forward to next time.

Mary

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