I went hiking several months ago with some friends up Yellow Mountain in North Carolina, and let me just say that hike is one I will never forget. We hiked over 3 smaller mountains in our approach to the summit. Through valleys and switchbacks we hiked. It started lightly snowing a couple miles miles in and then shortly after lunch the snow and clouds became so thick we couldn't see the mountains in the distant. It soon stopped and we were left to hike the rest of the way in the bitter cold and 20mph+ winds.
When we arrived at the top we were met with a barren summit save for an old fire tower, now a historical landmark. We had originally planned to stake our tent in the open, but with the gusting wind and the forbidding clouds to the west we set the tent inside the base of the tower and covered the entrance with the rain cover.
As you can tell from the pictures we made the right call. The winds never let up and several inches of snow blew in during the night. A brief trip to the north face of the mountain sent us hurriedly seeking shelter from the icy cold wind. The night was long and cold and the flapping of the rain cover in the wind sounded like someone was constantly trying to get in. We also realized that we don't know very many card games, and didn't bring nearly enough food.
The morning after greeted us with a gorgeous sunrise that looked like something out of a movie, and we were all extremely glad we'd made the trip and lived an adventure.
