Hike #20 of #52hikechallenge – Neusiok Trail in the Croatan National Forest. The trail is part of the Mountains to Sea Trail and starts along the banks of the Neuse River.
This Osprey chick was calling for diner and hiding behind a stick…
It’s been a long semester for Sam and me, so we needed a weekend away!
First stop – Moravian Falls near North Wilkesboro. A road side stop, but always pretty.
Then to Hike #18 #52hikechallenge – The Glen Burney Trail in Boone and the Glen Burney Falls.
A detail of falls.
The whole hike is pretty, including the Cascades.
and The Ruins, Boone’s former Waste Treatment plant (last used in 1929!
and a night at the “mountain place” – Deb and I still slept in the Tacoma! It is so relaxing here, you can see Grandfather Mountain, the trees in the wind sounds more like the ocean and in the morning the whistle blowing of Tweetsie Railroad.
Hike #17 #52hikechallenge
The Uwharrie Trail to the peak of Little Long Mountain. I had no idea the Uwharrie’s had a bald mountain top, so once I read it, we had to see it.
Clay taking pictures again…
Since Clay just bought gold pans we had to try it.
We found some – 8 “colors” or TINY specks.
Hike #16 #52hikechallenge
Turkey Oak Trail – Cheraw State Park, South Carolina
A very well marked trail, but this was an odd marker to get back to the trail head.
Sam said if it was hotter, all hikers would want is to go home…..
Today was another day in the woods. We started on a section of the Uwharrie River I have wanted to paddle for a while. It needs spring rains to be deep enough to paddle.
After the thunderstorms in the middle of the week, it looked promising, featuring over 12 class I rapids (easiest) and good flow. I don’t have pictures, but we started almost immediately when Sam flipped her boat when she hit a strainer (tree)
A great couple of hours on the water!
Then hike #15 of #52hikechallenge – Birkhead Tract of the Uwharrie Game Land.
What is Clay photographing this week?
An Eastern Fence Lizard.
A day in Uwharrie Forest, starting at the Uwharrie Jamboree celebrating the opening of the OHV trails for the season. Then Clay and I drove around some of the back roads.
Remember my series of Clay bending over playing photographer?
This week it was a snake. Nerodia
Then Hike #13 #52hikechallenge – Uwharrie Trail starting at the Jumping Off Rock trail head.
The Jumping Off Rock
Hike #11 #52hikechallenge Morrow Mountain State Park. Cool fact, Morrow Mountain is an extinct volcano, (last eruption was about 550 million years ago and was hundreds of miles southeast of the east coast of North America)
Clay’s daughter Stephanie, her husband Tim and their 2 boys joined in, fun day in the woods.
Hike #10 #52hikechallenge – Lake Murray Dam Walkway
A very pretty walk across the dam and at the end they have their own Locks of Love like the one that was in Paris
Some cool designs
But the really old locks were the best!
Hike #9 of #52hikechallenge Congaree National Park in South Carolina
How many Capers to wrap around a 150 foot plus tall lob
lolly pine tree that was once the tallest of it’s kind in the state.
Hike #8 of #52hikechallenge – Stone Mountain State Park
Clay comes back from the edge! My third visit and this time we went counter clockwise on Stone Mountain Loop Trail and down the 400 steps.
Then back up Wolf Rock and Cedar Rock – this is the view of Stone Mountain from Cedar Rock.
There is an old homestead on the backside of Cedar Rock – but I could not find any info on it.
Then back down to the Hutchinson Homestead and the view of Stone Mountain from below.
A climber (lower left) in red shows the scale!
We ended the day with a couple of waterfalls!
