The apocalypse is surely upon us, as these pictures clearly indicate.Ãâ 
It snowed for the first time in a couple of years on Sunday.Ãâ The snow wasÃâ blizzard level for metro Atlanta at a whopping 1/4″ or whatever it was.Ãâ Argo enjoyed it once he realized that it was not out to kill him and was less wet (temporarily) than the rain that he so vehemently despises.Ãâ Of course, it was in the 50s the next day, meaning we did not have much of a chance to play in the snow.
The snow made me think about how (un)prepared I am for cold weather conditions.Ãâ Sure, I can make a fire 100 different ways and have enough jackets to stock an REI, but the coldest weather I ever see is the very rare occasion when the temps dip into the 20s around here.Ãâ What would happen if I were spending some time outdoors up north and a blizzard hit, obscuring the trail?Ãâ Would I be able to find shelther?Ãâ Make a fire?Ãâ Get out without becoming completely lost?Ãâ I would like to think that I could, but without very much cold weather camping experience, I can’t really say for sure.
How about if I went to the other extreme?Ãâ Could I survive in a desert?Ãâ Would I last a single day where not having the right preparations can kill you in a matter of hours?Ãâ Again, I like to think so, but who knows without having experienced such a situation?
I need to broaden my horizons and spend more time in conditions that I have not seen a thousand times.Ãâ I could probably spend a month blindfolded in the Smokies, but I would like to be able to say the same about Alaska and Arizona. I would die a little inside if I were one of those chumps that was pulled off the top of a mountain by SAR because I went into a situation completely unprepared.
How about you?Ãâ Do you feel like you are capable to handle any climate and any location?Ãâ Let me know in the comments.