I gotta say, on the AT this time of year, don’t you kind of have to plan for “unexpected” snow? These hikers had no business up there if they didn’t have the proper gear and a plan for contingencies. Note to others: getting lost on the AT is normally next to impossible, but the white AT trail blazes tend to become invisible in the snow.
so right in putting that in quotes. Anywhere on the AT, from Georgia to Maine, pretty sure there is always a possibility of snow in January. gotta be expected :)