May 30, 2016

It was time to head home, so we packed up, drove some more dirt roads and went the long way home on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Lunch at an overlook and hiking the 5,892 foot Craggy Pinnacle.

May 29, 2016 (the gun fire story)

We were camped at Round Mountain Campground, a primitive campground deep in Cherokee National Forest, just a pit toilet, no water or electricity. We love it there, very quiet and isolated.

Our first night at 4:15am we were jolted awake from loud “pops” I immediately thought gun fire, but decided it was fireworks or a bear scare device. There was some talking and a couple of lights on the far side (only 8 sites were taken) of the campground, so I went back to sleep… less than 20 minutes later a tree fell, crashing down…. great now I am really awake! The dog wants to walk, so we headed out… turns out I was right (wrong?) it was gunfire, someone had driven into the campground and unloaded a gun (or two).

We searched for the brass, the cops were called (someone had to leave and drive 20 minutes to find a cell service) and inspected the damage to one campers truck, the only thing hit.

The National Forest law officer came over 12 hours after the county 911 was called – oops! At least she was cool. We pieced together the clues before she got there, a camper heard them talking…. they pulled in, a female went to the bathroom and when she returned asked what the guy was doing “I’m going to shoot my gun” she said, “you will wake the campers” he said, “I am not in a campground” and POP, a pause and pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop. The bullet that hit the truck was a .22, but we found a 9mm slug too…. we think the idiot fired wildly into the woods, not realizing sites were on the other side…. we were lucky!

Almost all the other campers left that morning so we had the campground to ourselves the next night.

May 29, 2016

Today was visiting some favorite haunts. Max Patch is always worth the walk!

Max Patch is a bald, offering 360 degree view on the AT. It’s a bald because years ago it was cleared for pasture, when I left the trail to (you know) here is proof of that past, a tree growing around barbed wire.

What is like trying to nap on top with a dog!

Wolf Creek Falls – How many ways can I photograph it?

How about a video fly over? Click here!

May 28, 2016

This is my third trip to Cherokee National Forest, but the Clark’s first, so we took teh interesting roads.

The roads were a little rougher than last year…..

But the views are always worth it.

Clay’s picture of me being lost….

May 27, 2016

I am going to brag a bit. It was a busy week: First week of classes, 3 nights of tennis, 3 bike rides, including a 2 hour ride with the fast group. Then when the weather turned from bad to worse, we waved off a Core Banks trip and decided to head to the mountains. After work on Friday, I was packed in 1 hour, the organization cabinet is working!

May 26, 2016

Home again.

 

May 25, 2016

Second section doing the lab.

May 24, 2016

Set up for a class lab.

May 23, 2016

Back to work.

May 22, 2016

I finally had time to wash the Taco – and it promptly rained.