A quick trip to the mountains, search for fall colors and peace.
The color near Boone was past peak, so we headed south…
A loved the beam of light
Found a campsite off Old NC 105, very peaceful, not one vehicle past us from 7pm till 9am
Is there a better camp meal than Cincinnati Chili?
There was a road behind the campsite and it looked promising, so we ventured up it, no idea there was a fire tower
It was nice to see Pongo with Flight of the Crowswing’s Tacoma again
and James and Elizabeth, the best adventuring couple in the world.
We stopped an owl, but he fly away
Settling on a branch too far away for good photos
While at the fire tower, we had cell service and I learned my mom had passed the night before.
My mom is the one that really got me started in camping and encouraged it. This is her in blue suit with her mom and sister (I’m in lower left corner) camping a Foley Beach State Park. I remember the family taking an RV on the beach at Apalachicola, sometimes 10 feet at a time as we moved boards from the back to the front. Through scouting and backpacking trips, she was always supportive… Rest in Peace!
Kayak Day. We choose a day on the French Broad River with class I and II rapids. The first set flooded my boat and I had to beach it and dump, we repeated this a couple times but what and awesome day on the river. (I shot mainly video for a Backroad Capers episode TBA)
Into the woods of eastern Tennessee we met James and Elizabeth who had traveled from Texas or North Dakota or… it was somewhere west.
First adventure a hike to Dudley Falls. a great lunch at the falls and 24 stream crossings on the out and back trail
At the end of the hike, we found a swimming hole (water was very cold) and headed back to camp for a group dinner and fire.
Kerr Lake. Flippac + Eno = Perfect
Kodak was happy just to lay on me.
Deer eat grass in the water in front of our campsite
The grand kids like the Flippac
As my mom prepares, she asked her vet for a box they use for pets, so she can use it after she is cremated. Funny story, while at the funeral home, she kept saying, she wants to be cremated in a cardboard box, the elderly woman helping her kept cringing while correcting my mom, calling it an alternative cremation vessel (or something like that)
My brother took the boat across Lake Murray to join us for dinner so a sunset cruise was called for.
Pongo turned 200,000 miles today
I did pull over this time.
Almost stock and JD driving.
JD didn’t leave Pongo stock long and make a couple trips west. Notice ARB front bumper and stock rear bumper.
Then front bumper was replaced with a CBI bumper
Then one day, JD and I were having lunch and he mentioned he was selling Pongo, we ate without talking about it much (we both always talk about what is the perfect vehicle for our hobbies) but as we left, I asked if he was serious and what was he thinking of for a price…. he was and I had a deal within an hour after checking with my CFO.
and I got to finally make my trip west last summer.
Deb and I escaped for the day, went to Shelby to find her favorite beer, then hiked at Crowders Mountain State Park. Charlotte skyline.
I watched some climbers
Then we spent the night camping in the Uwharrie National Forest. Pie Iron Apple Pies
When we took out yesterday, a fisherman asked if we were scared in kayaks with all the alligators… we of course said no and decided we needed to find them. We switched sides of Lake Marion and put in at the Sparkleberry Swamp Landing in the Santee National Wildlife Refugee. With a name like Sparkleberry Swamp it must have alligators.
And I spotted one, normally James and Elizabeth see everything first, but not today.
We argued about it’s size (the men thought it was bigger, like always?) but look at the tail, and that isn’t the end, it’s eyes are in the small water opening on the left side of frame. I still say it was over 12 feet.
The swamp doesn’t open up that way Beth let us know.
After an evening around a fire and Long Island Ice Teas, James and Beth decided the Flippac needed their Aurora Borealis Light. It works great in the tent, but too bright to sleep under.
While searching for something, I found this comment online.
Photo a Day by Jay Capers 