Precipitation has been the keyword for Winter 2010 in Eastern North Carolina. Rain, rain and more rain and now, a very significant snow fall! It’s almost unheard of… 4, 5, even 6 inches and more snow for Coastal Carolina! The snow cover certainly made for some unusual landscapes. Combined with all the rain, it’s also taking a toll on the accessibility of local hiking trails. Take the Patsy Pond trail for example. I visited the trail the afternoon following the snow storm and, fortunately, I’d made the hike wearing waders. About 1/2 the way around the yellow loop trail sections started looking more like a stream than a hiking trail. In fact I waded water that was over kneed deep! I’ve been visiting this trail for a number of years and have always considered it a great choice when the weather is wet. Below are a coupld of images from Febuary, 13, 2010 showing the snow storm. One shows the Patsy Pond trail looking like a stream. The other shows a marsh area bordering the Newport River and Neusiok Trail.