I gotta say, too, a major winter storm dumping FEET of snow in October in GSNP is almost unheard of. I've seen a few inches of wet snow at Carver's Gap (Roan Mountain/NC-TN border)in October, but not 2 feet, which is what my parents reported accumulated from Sandy. I'm sure Thru-Hikers were hardly the only people caught off-guard by the storm.

MNS