January 29, 2017 “To many a city man there comes a time when the great town wearies him. He hates its sights and smells and clangor. Every duty is a task and every caller is a bore. There come visions of green fields and far-rolling hills, of tall forests and cool, swift flowing streams.” -Horace … More Bad Fork Trail
January 22, 2017 In between two thunderstorms, I managed to make it out for a short hike. I’ve spoken before about my affinity for hiking in the rain. Lightening is another thing altogether. Bear Branch Trail (#328) is located just outside Asheville near the North Mills Recreation Area. The trail itself is very family friendly, … More Bear Branch Trail
January 2, 2017 I hardly ever hike on Saturday. That is Emily’s day to do art, go to Asheville, go running. That is what we fondly call “Dada Day”, where the girls and I go out, play games, do work around the house. Sunday we switch and I head out early and spend hiking in … More Bent Creek Experimental Forest: Part 2
December 18, 2016 Barnett Branch Trail is best known for bisecting Pink Beds, a popular destination for families and day hikers. The northern trailhead starts off the Buck Spring Trail and runs to the Black Mountain Trail to the south. The National Geographic map indicates it is 3.1 miles, which is false, it’s closer to … More Barnett Branch Trail
December 3-4, 2016 I am not a big fan of crowds in the backcountry. Hence my favorite destinations are often obscure. Chief among those are Farlow Gap. Hikers probably don’t recognize the name, for them it’s just a gap on the Art Loeb Trail before the Deep Gap Shelter. Bikers likely recognize is as a … More Daniel Ridge Loop Trail, Farlow Gap Trail
November 1, 2016 On a day too sunny and warm to be at work, I found myself using a sick day to hike another trail as part of the Pisgah 400 Challenge. Graveyard Ridge Trail is almost completely flat with little elevation change, winding around some massive peaks: Tennant, Black Balsam, Grassy Cove Top. Apart … More Graveyard Ridge Trail, Graveyard Ridge Connector Trail
October 30, 2016 “If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder… he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in.” -Rachel Carson When I first started the Pisgah 400 challenge, I stated my … More Ivestor Gap Trail
October 23, 2016 Once the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) closes for winter, it will cut off access to the higher peaks ad trails. Amongst the trails left in that area, is the mighty MST. The Pisgah Ranger section is 39.7 miles and extends from Haywood Gap near the Middle Prong Wilderness to Bent Creek and … More Mountains-to-Sea Trail: Haywood Gap to Pigeon Gap
September 11, 2016 A man and his dog. Amongst the green foliage and rumbling creek, Gracie and I meandered upon the Haywood Gap Trail. Starting at F.S. 97H, just above Sunburst Campground, you are unlikely to see another soul. Gone are the skyline views from mountain peaks as in the sister Shining Rock Wilderness. Simply … More Haywood Gap Trail
September 5, 2016 It was a gorgeous Labor Day on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST). We set out around midday from the same starting point as the hike Ramona and I took two days ago on the Bridges Camp Gap Trail. This time we went southwest (to the left) on the MST (trail #440). There was … More Graveyard Fields Loop Trail, Mountain to Sea Access Trail