Cumberland Trail Winter Hike

Monday morning brought blue skies and sunshine. So after a morning run and weights I packed some food and grabbed the closest thing I own to hiking boots: Salomon XT Wings. Turns out, these shoes make excellent hiking shoes. They are light weight, breathable, but warm. They refuse to let water in even though I hiked snow and had 6 or 7 stream crossings.

Like many, I parked along hwy 27 and walked up to the trail entrance. Someone else had beaten me to the trails this morning judging from the tracks, but I did not see anyone for the couple of hours I spent on the trail.

There where a number of ice-flows coming off of the cliffs. I had brought along my Vibram Five Fingers and was temped to climb some areas, but thought better of it. I was alone and a fall would mean freezing to death before help arrived.