Hiking Heaven

JG and I just spent the most wonderful week of hiking in the Pisgah National Forest.  Located just south of Asheville, NC this area has a little something for everyone – hikers, bikers, fishermen, swimmers, as long as you enjoy the outdoors, you will have a good time here.

We made our base in the quaint town of Hendersonville, a town of 13,000 but feels like a real city with over 130 restaurants and a downtown filled with delightful shops.  The first thing we noticed were the bears – no not the ones you find in the forest, but the bear art that is everywhere downtown.

This has become a retirement community for very active seniors, we saw a lot of white hair on the trails.  But there were plenty of young families out too.

First day of hiking was to Dupont Forest where the waterfalls were the main attraction.

Of course if you want a view and you don’t want to put much effort into it – Jump Off Rock is the place to go.

Day 2 we headed to Flat Rock and hiked the trails around the Carl Sandburg Home.

The view was blocked by the trees, but we did see some wild turkeys.

A quick trip to Brevard, yielded a glimpse at a white squirrel (which I had never before seen).

Okay that last shot is just me being silly.

Also saw these sites while walking around downtown Brevard.

The last day, we did our most challenging hike to John’s Rock – located near a fish hatchery, this is named for all the workers who helped build parks for the CCC during the Roosevelt administration.

Walking through what is considered a rain forest, and crossing the creek on log bridges,  you arrive on top of the world.

Our timing could have been better, because as soon as we got to the top, we could see some weather headed our way.

And, sure enough, we ended up walking the 1.7 miles back down in the rain.  We had towels and clean clothes in the car, it was a warm day, and we actually ended up enjoying it.

Life is always an adventure with this guy by my side.

Shhh, it’s a secret. . .

One of the things I like best about hiking, is the peacefulness of being in the forest.  Nothing can ruin a hike quicker for me than to meet a fellow hiker with a boom box (yes, this has happened).  I’m not crazy about crowds when I’m seeking solitude.  So I was delighted to discover a little known hike, with an amazing view; not a single fellow hiker in sight; (other than JG) and, it required almost no effort to walk to the rocky ledge.

It did, however, require long pants.  This trail is not well traveled so you do have to sift through some thickets.

Can you spot my companion?

It was a little on the hazy side today, but the view was still incredible.

That’s JG with his signature drink.

We originally planned a longer hike, but on Monday, JG thought it would be fun for us to learn Pickleball.  Let’s just say, it was a little more strenuous than we anticipated and one of us pulled a muscle (JG) and was not sure how far he could hike.

We enjoyed our time up there.  I’m not going to tell you where it is because I don’t want it to become another McAfee’s Knob.  (Actually, there is little chance of that since it requires a 3.3 mile drive down a narrow, gravel road.) But, still.

Now it’s off to celebrate our National Holiday.  Even though I’m not feeling a lot of patriotism these days, I’ll take any excuse to hang out with friends.  I’ll leave you with this one last view of my mystery hike.

Hope you all had a fun day!

Biking, Hiking, and World Cup

This weekend our little town hosted Bike Virginia.  I put my bike away about 10 years ago (after an unfortunate spill) and have not looked back.  But JG still rides frequently, so we decided to stroll down to the park and have a look.

Interesting use of our soccer goals. . .

Oh well, I guess if they were soccer fans they would have been inside watching the fantastic comeback of Germany in the 2nd round of the World Cup.  What a game!  JG was ecstatic!  If they don’t win Wednesday, I’m going to root for Mexico, our closest neighbor who is doing pretty well so far.

After not hiking one single mile in the month of June (here it is the 24th already), JG and I finally got out there today for a quick hike on a previously ignored trail at Mill Creek.  It was so green and so beautiful and I think I discovered a place to take my novice hikers.  This 3 mile loop was quite easy with just a little incline here and there.  I think it might be a trail for mountain bikers.  I proved to be a true hiker today, having enjoyed the walk through the forest with no view!  Other than the forest and the creek that is.

Lookout, Babe!

Thanks to a few showers this weekend, the air was mostly cool and the sun was shining brightly!

Back home we watched Poland lose to Columbia (boy Columbia had a lot of fans there).  Any soccer fans out there?  If so, who are you rooting for?

Hope you all got outside this weekend, Summer Solstice for us means the daylight will be lessening.

Happy Hiking – Biking – and World Cup to you all!

Thanks for visiting!

 

 

 

 

Sunday, Funday

Most of our Sundays are spent exploring.  We love finding back roads and getting lost.  Often times we are on a mission to find trail heads, or maybe just looking for interesting roadside attractions, like this one that we found this morning.

Today, we were looking for an AT (Appalachian Trail) entrance for a hike to Kelly’s Knob.  We also came prepared to hike said trail, having read that it was an easy 4 mile out and back with just 500 ft. elevation gain.  What they failed to mention, was that that 500 ft. gain happens all at once!

Up, and up, and up, we went, until it finally leveled off and gave us some relief.  We met a lot of AT hikers, it’s about that time that through hikers are reaching Virginia.  After about an hour we reached our destination.

The view was mostly blocked by the trees, but we got a glimpse of the ridges beyond.

And a solid place for a rest and a snack.

I was intrigued by this tree, it had a haunted quality to it.

And the flowers were quite special.

Good hike, no snakes, perfect weather, and I feel great!  Dare I say (i’m back)?  Don’t want to jinx it.

How do you spend your Sundays?

Completing the Triple Crown

No, this isn’t about horse racing.  If you have hiked the Appalachian Trail, or live in Southwest Virginia, you know that the Triple Crown refers to  3 popular hikes on the AT.  McAfee’s Knob – by far the most popular and most photographed spot on the AT – it even appeared in the movie “A Walk in the Woods.”  The second one is Dragon’s Tooth, the tough hike that I finally completed earlier in the Spring.  Finally, the lesser talked about, but gaining in popularity is Tinker Cliffs.

I’m proud to say, that as of yesterday, JG and I have completed all three!

It was a beautiful day for hiking, and we got an early start with some good friends.

But thanks to all the rain Mother Nature has dumped on us lately, it was probably one of the muddiest hikes I’ve ever been on.

We took the Andy Layne Trail which takes you through private land, with cows and bridges and snakes!

This little guy was sunbathing at the end of the first bridge, while I called for backup.  He eventually slithered away from the steps so we could move on.

The cliffs are spread out over about a half a mile, so there’s room for everyone to find their special nook to enjoy the incredible view.

That’s me, living the good life.

The rock formations were also photo worthy. . .

As was the mountain laurel,

and other interesting things along the way, like this tree – what??

After returning home, our friends fixed dinner for us!  How wonderful, especially since they were just as tired as we were.  Thanks Fred and Cindy – look forward to hiking with you again.

After 8 miles, I thought I would feel worse than I do today.  Physical Therapy is where it’s at my friends.  Have a lovely weekend!

 

Mother’s Day Hiking

Looks like all that physical therapy paid off, as I was able to get out and hike with my daughter today, along with many other moms.  We had a fun filled weekend, starting with her coming up Friday afternoon, taking a road trip to visit friends on Saturday, and exploring a new trail today.

After spending the night in Fredericksburg, we headed out early onto the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Stopping at a couple of overlooks.

Our hike of choice today was Crabtree Falls.  It is billed as the highest set of waterfalls east of the Mississippi.  We started at the bottom and followed the falls through many stairs and switchbacks.

We could hear the rushing water throughout the hike, and there were many lookout spots to enjoy, and take selfies.

It’s only 1.7 miles to the top, but there is a 1500 ft. elevation gain, so it is steep and challenging.  Not having hiked in 3 weeks, I huffed and puffed before we made it to the top.  Once there, we found a place in the shade and enjoyed a snack.  We waited patiently as a family were taking over the best viewing area.  Being Mother’s Day, there were quite a few hikers out (glad we got an early start), but these folks seemed oblivious to all the people waiting to take photos, like Lori and me.

I finally just went down there and started taking some pictures.

The view is of the Tye River Valley.

They finally left and we were able to grab a quick selfie before giving it over to the many others who had also been waiting.

Rather than going straight down, we were encouraged to take the trail another mile to see a crab tree orchard.  Thinking this would be the namesake of the falls, we decided to go.  What we found was another parking lot/entrance, a road that went to the Appalachian Trail, and nothing else of interest.  So we added 2 miles, which was fine.

It felt so good to be out on the trail again after a 3 week sit out.  It ended up being a 6 mile trip, every thing in my body aches right now, but I don’t care.  It was the best Mother’s Day present ever!

Thanks Lori!

 

A Series of Unfortunate Events

My apologies to Lemony Snicket for stealing his title.  JG and I have been watching this delightful series on Netflix and it seemed appropriate given the trouble I’ve had all week in my blogging world.

It started Sunday, when I logged in to write about my weekend hikers.

When I tried to write a new blog all I got was a blank screen.  Having recently received emails from WordPress suggesting I upgrade, I figured it was time, and maybe they were locking me out until I did.  They suggested it might take a couple of days to switch to my new domain, so the blank screen kept appearing and I waited impatiently patiently.

I finally got very frustrated when I was no longer able to comment on other blogs.  Now I knew something was seriously wrong.  I tried “chatting” with WP reps, tried phoning them (no one answered), tried sending them an email (no reply) and finally I just texted fellow blogger, and friend, LB from Life on the Bike who put me in touch with Joe from The Visual Chronicle.  Joe sent me several suggestions, and of course it was the last one I tried that worked.  I simply had to clear my cache – well “simply” to some.  Thanks to Joe, I’m up and running again.  I love the blogging world!  Thanks Joe, you’re my new hero.

Two fun hikes this week, first with my working friends who can only come out to play on the weekend.  We did a lovely out and back on the Appalachian Trail.  Then my retirees and I went to my favorite Hungry Mother.

On the trip home, as everyone was thanking me for being their tour guide, I jokingly said I considered this my “volunteer” work.  Between water aerobics, bridge, and hiking, I don’t have a lot of time for charity work – but I’m getting all these women out into the woods – so I think I will start putting that on my resume.

A friend mentioned to me last night that she loved seeing different faces on my hikes.  I never know who will show up.  I love that I have such a wonderful group, and that I can always find someone to go with me.

By the way, if you haven’t checked out “A Series of Unfortunate Events” on Netflix, I highly recommend it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April Snow Brings out Hikers

Did not expect to see snow today.  We had some snow on Saturday, but it was mostly melted by Sunday.  So, we were a little surprised to arrive at Mountain Lake this morning for a leisurely hike, to see it covered in snow.

Thankfully, we had all brought layers, and everyone was excited about hiking in the snow!  A first for some of us.

It was a beautiful day, hardly any wind, and very well marked trails.  So we just enjoyed being back in the woods together.

It’s fun to see the mountains in the different seasons.  And the snow added an extra zing to the view, which was spectacular!

These ladies did not even bat an eye when they saw the snow, I’m so lucky to have found such adventurous companions.

 

 

 

Rookie Day

It’s been a busy week, and we’ve had cold, rainy weather.  I knew today would be the only decent day for hiking, but most of my regulars were out of town.  So I rounded up a newbie who has been wanting to join the group but was afraid she wouldn’t be able to keep up.

We took a relatively short hike (albeit steep in places) and stopped to catch our breath from time to time.  I made sure she made it all the way.  She loved being on top of the mountain, and we had a great time.

Always love to see the face of someone who has discovered the joy of reaching the goal.

Because the best way to hook a new hiker is to give them an awesome view.

Just another Saturday in the Woods

Just sharing some pictures from yesterday’s hike.  It was a crisp, cool Saturday and we just wanted to be in the woods for a little hike.  We started on the War Spur Trail behind Mountain Lake and ended up on the Appalachian Trail which took us to Wind Rock.  Due to strong winds this season and heavy snow last week, there were a lot of trees down.

Me, posing on Wind Rock.

You can access Wind Rock by walking about .2 miles from the parking lot entrance to the AT.  We’ve done that before.  We were parked at the entrance to the War Spur Trail and didn’t realize the AT connection was so much longer, so instead of retracing our steps, we just walked the last two miles on the road, which followed the stream.

What started out simple, ended up much longer and more challenging.  Isn’t that kind of like life?

Happy Easter Everyone!