Three of us (and 1 dog) headed from App Gap towards Molly Stark Balcony. The trail was snowy, icy and very steep. We had spikes and the dog had claws. While descending from Baby Stark, we encountered an extremely steep, icy section. We were unsure if we’d be able to go back up it and likely this was too steep for the dog (he found other sections quite challenging).

Not finding an alternate route, we turned back. We had a brief lunch at a nice viewpoint. Getting back to the car, the leader and dog left, but the other 2 continued south and made it 1.8 miles to the Theron Dean Shelter. It was a nice winter day (colder in the mountains than at the lower elevations, but still mild for February).

Leader: Pam Gillis.

Participants: Lisa Sipsey and Lynda Hutchins, Tyke (dog).