Aug. 13, 2017

How to start a perfect day? I found this book my grandmother gave my great-grandmother in the mountain cabin published in 1985. Written by Earl Thollander it describes back road routes across North and South Carolina… so we decided to follow his route out of Blowing Rock.

I had driven a part of it a year or so, but didn’t get down to Globe, NC – Sunday morning at the Globe Baptist Church.

on his map there were several waterfalls marked, this photo doesn’t do this one justice, it’s not the waterfall but the swimming hole – I will be back!

Across the road was a pretty waterfall with several sections.

Even the bottom was nice.

Then it was time to work are way back toward an afternoon hike, running Forest Service roads and 221…

We skipped lunch on the road since it started raining hard, but cleared in time to hike the Boone Fork Trail Loop. Hike #29 #52hikechallenge

Hebron Falls on the BFT

and just a pretty spot on the trail. We said goodbye to my brother and sister in law as a heavy rain started and we drove home, stopping in High Point for a Mexican dinner. Just about a perfect day (If only I had the motivation to get out of bed and ride before we left in the morning)

Aug. 6, 2017

Vacation Day 9

Hike #28 #52hikechallenge High Knob Trail to fire tower

We packed up camp in the morning and headed back up 33 to the trail head for one last hike.

The group.

Again what won’t Clay do for a picture?

Moth Macro

After the hike we had a picnic lunch at the the roadside overlook and said our goodbyes!

What a relaxing and fun week of camping and exploring with friends!

Till next year…

Aug. 3, 2017

Vacation Day 6 – Hike 27 #52hikechallenge

We were not happy with last night’s campsite, muddy, bugs, so we moved again.

Clay, Kay and I headed out for a later afternoon hike on the Sawmill Trail. Lots of blown down trees to climb over, and LOTS of bear scat, no luck seeing one.

Sam and I walked down to the lake for the sunset, nice to have a quiet moment with the two of us! I am glad she suggested it.

August 1, 2017

Vacation Day 4 – We headed back to Panther Falls and had the place to ourselves. Jumped off the rocks, swam, tried to find the cave entrance behind the waterfall, and had lunch. After lunch, a couple other groups had arrived, our cue to leave!

Crabtree Falls – Hike #26 #52hikechallenge

This was a more strenuous hike than we thought, mainly cause it is straight up. The waterfalls were pretty – something about being tallest east of something or another….

but needed more water flow

 

Sam adds a cairn to the 100s built along the trail.

But this Copperhead was not interested in a cairn…

July 31, 2017

Vacation Day 3 – Hike #25 #52hikechallenge

The Henry Lanum Trail up to the top of Mt. Pleasant and then loop around for 2 more tops over 4,000 feet. It felt like the trail was uphill the whole way, but the views were worth it.

July 8, 2017

We slept in and decided what to do… we had several miles back to the truck and a side trail for a waterfall – Upper Falls at Graveyard Fields – so we started back.

Hike #23 of #52hikechallenge

We enjoyed a lunch and quick swim in the cold water and finished up… the threat of rain and tired legs, we decided to come back and try the Black Balsam Knob from a different trail head next time.

After dropping the packs at the truck, we did the short hike to Lower Falls – enjoyed a swim and headed home.

through 7 tunnels on the Blue Ridge Parkway. A 10 out of 10 weekend!

A Land Cruiser and clouds….

July 7, 2017

Time for a backpacking trip, we had wanted to do Black Balsam Knob area so I decided to lengthen the loop at start at Graveyard Fields off the Blue Ridge Parkway. I knew we were in trouble right away, I didn’t have a map, or mileage idea of the loop, them the trails were not blazed at all… within 2 miles we ran into a family walking the wrong direction…. I had a general description of what I wanted to do…

After leaving the Graveyard Fields trail, we started climbing on the Mountains to Sea trail, and I knew we had to descend again to cross the Yellow Prang, and we stayed on the “obvious” trail, which only completely disappeared in this mire….

again, with no blaze to follow we backtracked (only got lost once doing that) and made our way back down to find a camp site

a very peaceful night – made even easier since I brought a camp stove and Sam’s favorite freeze dried meal – only to discover I didn’t include matches…. doh!

Hike #22 of #52hikechallenge

PS it was Kodak’s first backpacking trip.

June 25, 2017

I started early for a spin from the house to the top of the Linn Cove Viaduct

A cloudy and chilly start but I had the roads to myself!

My brother said he had enough working for the weekend and wanted to do touristy things, so we did a hike and lunch at Mellow Mushroom. This is Hike #21 of #52hikechallenge (been a month since my last hike) But a nice short hike in downtown Blowing Rock to Glen Burney Falls.

May 26, 2017

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…

 

May 13, 2017

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.