tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10929815567056653522024-02-07T20:11:47.396-05:00Sweet Peas AdventuresThe Adventures of an Outdoor Diva. I love that whole princess mentality, but sometimes, I just like throwing my hair in a ponytail, going on a long hike, and then eating a big cheeseburger.SweetPeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09859517179779570178noreply@blogger.comBlogger244125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092981556705665352.post-54485784787714100562011-08-11T07:34:00.000-04:002011-08-11T07:34:27.270-04:00Saturday Sailing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRCHqDf1SIgRJq96pCoGuUI_FofOwaBo_Gru68g8yBs6xKRF9KNyJxyNvaHV1PahqfBWeMoWApYXSsLx_JFG6ntahuMFk7ajrQyTWxPV8YQsBS4P4sRkQeYy7hbVmdvazqZJrruG2j4hRT/s1600/Sailing+LKN+4-11+015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
<img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRCHqDf1SIgRJq96pCoGuUI_FofOwaBo_Gru68g8yBs6xKRF9KNyJxyNvaHV1PahqfBWeMoWApYXSsLx_JFG6ntahuMFk7ajrQyTWxPV8YQsBS4P4sRkQeYy7hbVmdvazqZJrruG2j4hRT/s200/Sailing+LKN+4-11+015.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGLFD5UapGEeyfTm5TDmve9Y3cRWQ2atPCSKqNJ3ZlIWmj4FjA7RNyQyGfg6anU0cI8qY3L7lLK3P9SIKged2URubbBougGIELu1WbGbPEq7z8TeC6vBBCEY0N3aqJM1U4Bow86ma2xog0/s1600/Sailing+LKN+4-11+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGLFD5UapGEeyfTm5TDmve9Y3cRWQ2atPCSKqNJ3ZlIWmj4FjA7RNyQyGfg6anU0cI8qY3L7lLK3P9SIKged2URubbBougGIELu1WbGbPEq7z8TeC6vBBCEY0N3aqJM1U4Bow86ma2xog0/s200/Sailing+LKN+4-11+018.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFAhETRQGjtNrK6mmyEw8AMrTp9YFs-6bU1to4gl3FWlojEQA6t-9QEQ1v9nmkvLSW7RkI_6LIbreXxvt1dbTAv6aPoYMb1s0JwZA7XTQqYuU9yqtS_kXT0A4cOPck4Vh2WDZ2qEn_UFDW/s1600/Sailing+LKN+4-11+037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFAhETRQGjtNrK6mmyEw8AMrTp9YFs-6bU1to4gl3FWlojEQA6t-9QEQ1v9nmkvLSW7RkI_6LIbreXxvt1dbTAv6aPoYMb1s0JwZA7XTQqYuU9yqtS_kXT0A4cOPck4Vh2WDZ2qEn_UFDW/s200/Sailing+LKN+4-11+037.jpg" width="150" /></a>Since I finished up my hike earlier than anticipated, I was able to be home to go sailing with Boo! We woke on Saturday morning and headed to the lake. I was going to help crew on his boat for a few regatta races. He was grinning from ear to ear, I think he secretly loves it when I come out and sail with him, because he's the captain and as his swabby first mate, I have to listen to all his orders. haha! I, on the other hand, was a bit nervous. You see, I've never gotten my sea legs. Not even an inkling of one. I'm a diehard land lubber. I think the fear of being shark bait has alot to do with it. Plus, I still have a hard time with all the sailing vocabulary. Like why can't you just say, "pull up the sails on the front of the boat!" Instead I have to hear things like, "prepare to tack" or "hoist the jib sheet to the port side" HUH???? haha! I'm sailing iliterate. To be quite honest, I'm not even sure if that last quote is even a legit sailing command. I just jumbled a bunch of words I had heard all day to make it "saily" sounding. Sorry Boo, please don't have a coronary attack over this blog. haha! I totally respect what you do. I admire, envy, and am very proud that you're such a good sailor. I wish I was more of the wench you want me to be. (haha!) Maybe I'll work on that more. I mean, who doesn't fantasize about being a pirate wench every now and then? haha!<br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wJvvExHBzfLKV42NkyIDCMXFiZFHoxjYEOBfJYs-fJKmxDYNhq25uUOc_m41F1bZiycBpb5hCJ9QqS_fSrXiiY2tbgBD8RGA91a_mR-Kczp3QyvzcHgNk1l7-p_2ogPBGAF_rXE6zFX6/s1600/Sailing+LKN+4-11+034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wJvvExHBzfLKV42NkyIDCMXFiZFHoxjYEOBfJYs-fJKmxDYNhq25uUOc_m41F1bZiycBpb5hCJ9QqS_fSrXiiY2tbgBD8RGA91a_mR-Kczp3QyvzcHgNk1l7-p_2ogPBGAF_rXE6zFX6/s200/Sailing+LKN+4-11+034.jpg" width="150" /></a>Serious, I am very proud and in awe at what you can do on a boat. I feel safe knowing your the captain of the ship :)</div><div><br />
</div><div>So as the day goes, I was a big help on the boat today..... NOT. I took my usual chill spot and chilled all day long as Boo and Sean sailed us through 4 races. We came in second twice, dead last once, and a resectable 4th place on another. All in in it was a great day to be on the water and a fantastic way to relax after a week of hiking in the mountains. I can see why Boo loves sailing so much,. It's just as peaceful as being out in the woods. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Til next time... GET OUTDOORS!!!<br />
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</div></div>SweetPeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09859517179779570178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092981556705665352.post-42872078261885041132011-08-11T07:22:00.000-04:002011-08-11T07:22:11.019-04:00Lake Norman Hike and Camp<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsrV76eVbTWri447tkuoMtmi1wocFfe61_98qfOlf_APxuflslcU5iBzA3w0xir1aA8K4GK3VL3M1SvQLRiG3V4rfGLRfDnqPtcM_ZoJS2aGd744D_9fFWg08OS_Ve6Bzs1C8CKKYSKFIc/s1600/LKN+Hike+Camp+7-19-11+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsrV76eVbTWri447tkuoMtmi1wocFfe61_98qfOlf_APxuflslcU5iBzA3w0xir1aA8K4GK3VL3M1SvQLRiG3V4rfGLRfDnqPtcM_ZoJS2aGd744D_9fFWg08OS_Ve6Bzs1C8CKKYSKFIc/s200/LKN+Hike+Camp+7-19-11+018.jpg" width="200" /></a>Mary Poppins, Bumper, Shroom, Nina, Michelle, Beth, Dierdre, Barbara, and I all met at the carpool spot. This is where the fun began. haha! We had a "trail dude" show up. He had signed up for our group last night. Even though I sent him an email telling him this is an all womens group and he could not join us, and removed I him from our group, he still showed up! I again told him he could not join us, he tried to leave. I say tried b/c for the next 15-20 minutes, he kept tripping his car alarm and could not get his car started. He then asked us for a jump and while backing his car out, almost hit a group of Dames! Whe he saw he backed his car out too much, he asked the Dames to push his car! That's when a handsome young man stepped in and asked if there was anything he could do to help. We greatly appreciated the fact that he took over and we moved our cars.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQbz_2WXnCn95uQ_3O0POeZLPpwJKuP5XKtyuoKpgHsl-B4ZG9R6zMyCEcCOwzNd0zCOFc5wIykUvKq8BxiGSdFy5p_bfgIibec5xDnxbHAktQVOb9Quvjb7SC6RPQJwFwtpQk4vd6p1h/s1600/LKN+Hike+Camp+7-19-11+032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQbz_2WXnCn95uQ_3O0POeZLPpwJKuP5XKtyuoKpgHsl-B4ZG9R6zMyCEcCOwzNd0zCOFc5wIykUvKq8BxiGSdFy5p_bfgIibec5xDnxbHAktQVOb9Quvjb7SC6RPQJwFwtpQk4vd6p1h/s200/LKN+Hike+Camp+7-19-11+032.jpg" width="200" /></a>We finally make it the trailhead and get started on our hike. The weather was still holding up. We hiked in perfect overcast, cool (well, cool for July!) weather. The hike was a pretty fast one as far as Dames hikes go. We timed it to be a 20 mintue mile. AFter our hike, we all headed out in search of some lunch. We discovered this pizza place that had 2 slices and a coke for $4.95. Can't beat that, so we all ate pizza. <br />
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We said goodbye to some of the girls and the rest of us that were camping decided to check out the local grocery store for some adult beverages. hee hee :) Nina and I split a six pack of Sarnac beer, while the Mary Poppins, Maureen, and Bumper split a couple bottles of wine. Wendy and Marie already had there flasks back at the campsite. We headed back to set up camp for the night. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qdQ1smBUROUuGyArCeZoa0ggYRxK52QI3oQhAF-Voq5HJ20FkJ_AfflcdGIXOFP1u0KQ_rV7JlxhMpAo-xQ1yvRjqEZGY6HkC5gjpH6nKMgxq2RiHL3j3rGMMRS-5dAIjHphFrbRvAil/s1600/LKN+Hike+Camp+7-19-11+046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qdQ1smBUROUuGyArCeZoa0ggYRxK52QI3oQhAF-Voq5HJ20FkJ_AfflcdGIXOFP1u0KQ_rV7JlxhMpAo-xQ1yvRjqEZGY6HkC5gjpH6nKMgxq2RiHL3j3rGMMRS-5dAIjHphFrbRvAil/s200/LKN+Hike+Camp+7-19-11+046.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
After dividing up the gear, I helped each newbie camper set up their tents. They did so awesome and barely needed my assistance. I then set up my hammock and let all the girls try it out. I think I converted all but one :) They loved the WBBB hammock. Who can blame them :) haha! Seriouly, it is a very comfortable hammock. We headed back to the tables to nosh on some fresh fruit, veggies, dip, and chit chat a bit before starting a campfire for roasting hot dogs. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMMLXHBgvsakbai550adM5jMEb8r0WaPOJEE1eBaVvCV2jF7hA3KXh8kJhUkKp9_MQV8e2bi67L0ZVyrbfkzc1QeF4JbeAis3KmG3wFIsHgp_yJdG_0tENdJDvAtqNBwfbnwmOeKyrlxT/s1600/LKN+Hike+Camp+7-19-11+030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMMLXHBgvsakbai550adM5jMEb8r0WaPOJEE1eBaVvCV2jF7hA3KXh8kJhUkKp9_MQV8e2bi67L0ZVyrbfkzc1QeF4JbeAis3KmG3wFIsHgp_yJdG_0tENdJDvAtqNBwfbnwmOeKyrlxT/s200/LKN+Hike+Camp+7-19-11+030.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>When dinner was over, we all squeezed into Marie and Wendy's picnic, which was surrounded by tarps to keep rain out. It felt like a cozy little cabin table to play a game of TABOU. Talk about hilarious fun! After the rain let up a bit, I pulled out the giant marshmellows, Wendy started a fire, and Nina brought out the chocolate and graham crackers and we made s'mores! YUMMY :) After stuffing our faces we sat around the campfire and talked and talked til the next thing we knew it was 11:30pm, time for bed.<br />
The next morning, we go up and hiked the trail all over again! Great time with some great people. Had lots of fun and we got in two hikes this weekend. :)SweetPeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09859517179779570178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092981556705665352.post-52605643149403247932011-08-11T07:15:00.000-04:002011-08-11T07:15:01.340-04:00Craggy Gardens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-RNL4GazTGYu0bMAWK17MS1CyD0LACjH99Qpkh6lbaCYH6sAkVbs6EPsgUJ_gspEbhGDznT6fq599T4-1nrSuW2uqemV8l3udczTQ_hS43c78Pi0QqqnEK7za4ouix336r7OPlZx1pVas/s1600/Morrow%2526Craggy+6-18-11+031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-RNL4GazTGYu0bMAWK17MS1CyD0LACjH99Qpkh6lbaCYH6sAkVbs6EPsgUJ_gspEbhGDznT6fq599T4-1nrSuW2uqemV8l3udczTQ_hS43c78Pi0QqqnEK7za4ouix336r7OPlZx1pVas/s200/Morrow%2526Craggy+6-18-11+031.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQUJAEKC9LPC_mcRH9p39xKUcfZhrBkSVBiW2EX2BQCe5JzsfpPtue4QXZtpn7mzg1sFnVL-J6dz1EiohEz0D2peNFianhnG9egBWhgvS_Zdjv1OAGIZa-rc4IAI7t5ISJD_e2GS9EvIcI/s1600/Morrow%2526Craggy+6-18-11+035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQUJAEKC9LPC_mcRH9p39xKUcfZhrBkSVBiW2EX2BQCe5JzsfpPtue4QXZtpn7mzg1sFnVL-J6dz1EiohEz0D2peNFianhnG9egBWhgvS_Zdjv1OAGIZa-rc4IAI7t5ISJD_e2GS9EvIcI/s200/Morrow%2526Craggy+6-18-11+035.jpg" width="200" /></a>The overcast day started with me picking up 2 Dames, Kimber and Beth, while two GA Dames followed along in their car (Janet and Kellye). The weather held up just fine, til we neared Asheville NC, then the sky just opened up. We pulled over at the nearest exit and into a BILO grocery store. Where I bought 3 rain ponchos. We got back on the road and exited into Asheville. Somehow, my directions weren't clear and we ended up traveling up Tunnel Road, a steep dead end road. With rain pouring, we stopped to look at directions, when the parked truck in front of us suddenly blared his high beams on us. Someone was in the car! Oops, we u-turned it and headed back on the main road. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0lLBedDhqBh-lUdeKUKmydfFTrX29jbfNj43AOWspxbh0PiB2EmuBl8nxghbwMujlPCpNy1iJOGxjOtAA4Qs_oW21Tm-XG0oaCyjynQxOi5UwVHgG04OE6JA6c2qNve7zBPz5Dd4Umlry/s1600/Morrow%2526Craggy+6-18-11+045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0lLBedDhqBh-lUdeKUKmydfFTrX29jbfNj43AOWspxbh0PiB2EmuBl8nxghbwMujlPCpNy1iJOGxjOtAA4Qs_oW21Tm-XG0oaCyjynQxOi5UwVHgG04OE6JA6c2qNve7zBPz5Dd4Umlry/s200/Morrow%2526Craggy+6-18-11+045.jpg" width="200" /></a>We finally found the parkway! Cruising along in the rain, we some how lost the other car. I just figured we would all make it to the meet up spot where were were supposed to meet up with 3 more Dames, Chris, Deirdre, and Nina. Well, the rain gods had other plans for us that day. haha!<br />
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We waited and waited and waited for a good 1/1/2 hours. The GA girls had made a wrong turn and ended up at the picnic area instead of the visitors center, but we were able to text them the right meet up spot. Since the other 3 Dames were missing, I decided to call the only other visitors center within a 50 mile radius. Guess what....the other three Dames were there and had the called our visitors center and were on the way. So we stuck around and played in the rain and wind. haha! Seriously :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgBVkRQBn_fxJDinYiYmONMK8q7bfFhJegQsaExLAVO8WV01jV93t6uYmLeDncIwnH0D43Mj8ZmaU05FPkIUwbliH0SP4D_c9JbRynm5NpeKPL7REazoCyo0Kt0fB8dz8SPWIWd17y9uCO/s1600/Morrow%2526Craggy+6-18-11+050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgBVkRQBn_fxJDinYiYmONMK8q7bfFhJegQsaExLAVO8WV01jV93t6uYmLeDncIwnH0D43Mj8ZmaU05FPkIUwbliH0SP4D_c9JbRynm5NpeKPL7REazoCyo0Kt0fB8dz8SPWIWd17y9uCO/s200/Morrow%2526Craggy+6-18-11+050.jpg" width="200" /></a>Kimber, Beth and I, we put on our colorful ponchos and had a good time splashing around in the rain. It's great when your around a other people with great attitudes. I'm so lucky to have such a group of wonderful Dames that have been a blast to hang out with, no matter the circumstances. Instead of griping and complaining, about waiting and all the rain, we all had a great time being silly. Since the ponchos were red, blue, and orange, we gave each other names. Koolaid (<em>as in the big red pitcher drink</em>) Pumpkin, and the blue poncho was named Violet (<em>as in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Violet who swelled up into a giant blueberry</em>.) Each time the wind bellowed up the ponchos and made us look like our goofy namesakes, we laughed like school girls. When the rain, wind and temperature got to chilly, we all piled into my car and continued the fun. Noshing on our trail mix, we saw Chris pull up! She told us she did go to the wrong visitors center and when she releazied it, she made here way here. But she got stuck on the parkway when a huge tree had fallen in the road and has stopped traffic. She had to wait for a tree cutting company to come up and cut the tree out of the roadway. We figured that's what happened to the other dames, Nina and Dierdre.<br />
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When the skies cleared up, we decided it was time to go on our hike. So we drove down to the Craggy Pinnacle trailhead, hiked up a mile in the rhododendrum tunnel and when we got to the top, we were in awe at the stunning view of the NC mountains. We all agreed it was worth the climb. I took some photos and we hung around enjoying the sunshine and breeze before we hiked back down. <br />
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When we got back to the visitors center, we finally go a hold of Nina and Dierdre. They also got stuck in the tree traffic, so they were just going to head into Asheville for lunch. The rest of us decided to continue on with our second hike to the picnic spot. I found out that we were very lucky enough to have climbed up Craggy Gardens at the perfect moment. The view is usually socked in with fog about 60% of the time. Must of been our good attitudes that brought us good karma :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTZcMQL9CkxyvMJ2T0V3RVDiObUJ01okjECVHbdg6CF2LVSJ5ficTQNnaSO7h_-rNqSq0fFLnz1xHffI7lS_h3oaqRDbCqe6ukhkLpOecV5B0mX8bPmZxSa3V27D_mdKgwosOTmhZ0c_I_/s1600/Morrow%2526Craggy+6-18-11+069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTZcMQL9CkxyvMJ2T0V3RVDiObUJ01okjECVHbdg6CF2LVSJ5ficTQNnaSO7h_-rNqSq0fFLnz1xHffI7lS_h3oaqRDbCqe6ukhkLpOecV5B0mX8bPmZxSa3V27D_mdKgwosOTmhZ0c_I_/s200/Morrow%2526Craggy+6-18-11+069.jpg" width="150" /></a>The trailhead for the next hike was at the end of the parking area in the visitors center. We had all intentions of hiking up the Craggy Gardens trail to the picnic area, passing a Mountains to Sea Trail shelter along the way. I was excited to show the group what a trail shelter looked like. Well, after 10 minutes of hiking, the entire sky turns grey. All of the sudden the winds start whipping all the rhododendrums around and it starts to sprinkle and lighting. I decide to call the hike and return back to our cars. We were hiking up to higher elevation and since it was lightening, I didn't want to risk it. Back at the parking lot, we bid goodbye to the GA Dames and got a hold of the other NC Dames. They were in downtown Asheville having a microbrew at Mellowmushroom. We were so there! haha! We hopped back in the car and drove the 5 miles back into Asheville, with Kimber giving a mile by mile text to Nina, to let them know where we where.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxCXS6xmdHh0Q374KHjOryWz3mODx-Vsbw60i4s3rpWT3fKbCw1NKTXmQec80oXu4htUcmB1u2bBjtU-ZcOOt4h73a6i9W_wVIxAb5kUQ6XD0srfiDi1WmyBVbfl2J82m6Dnj4AWilcjgs/s1600/Morrow%2526Craggy+6-18-11+083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxCXS6xmdHh0Q374KHjOryWz3mODx-Vsbw60i4s3rpWT3fKbCw1NKTXmQec80oXu4htUcmB1u2bBjtU-ZcOOt4h73a6i9W_wVIxAb5kUQ6XD0srfiDi1WmyBVbfl2J82m6Dnj4AWilcjgs/s200/Morrow%2526Craggy+6-18-11+083.jpg" width="150" /></a>We parked the car and in our colorful ponchos, we walked into Mellowmushroom to meet up with Nina and Dierdre. Finding the other Dames, swiling a clean microbrew, and munching on a salad and pizza was the perfect way to end our day. :) This was a bit crazy, logistic wise, but we all agreed that we couldn't help the storm or the tree falling. All in all, we had a great time and still got in a little hike.SweetPeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09859517179779570178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092981556705665352.post-65308334095926427002011-07-27T16:32:00.000-04:002011-07-27T16:32:54.110-04:00Beautiful View Hike<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4n-q1RRI6ioZw6_QotroS4IcJkrNUpmqzOqQF2nQyPDO9e-y67IsCPRhJ47mhIKUxHqmjC-U3L6MDC1Et_BijkDKoXOHs9we72-YR45qg4USo3UW4F2ZmrWaIxkuraBQGBBbIebLItvvf/s1600/StoneMt.4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4n-q1RRI6ioZw6_QotroS4IcJkrNUpmqzOqQF2nQyPDO9e-y67IsCPRhJ47mhIKUxHqmjC-U3L6MDC1Et_BijkDKoXOHs9we72-YR45qg4USo3UW4F2ZmrWaIxkuraBQGBBbIebLItvvf/s200/StoneMt.4.jpg" t$="true" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMgeiw7zzx0gVRnh2yvZoC-b3fGjpGxdpyb8vDDjMy5Cxut7_I_BF4vxgJODSW011z8VyOP-rbsUnKSgWaM4JSRbbI7YIpzQubLcB57ihIrYjhUy37znoM1SGAi3iclLHiouyTP_cuGjMp/s1600/StoneMt..2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMgeiw7zzx0gVRnh2yvZoC-b3fGjpGxdpyb8vDDjMy5Cxut7_I_BF4vxgJODSW011z8VyOP-rbsUnKSgWaM4JSRbbI7YIpzQubLcB57ihIrYjhUy37znoM1SGAi3iclLHiouyTP_cuGjMp/s200/StoneMt..2.jpg" t$="true" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE7ew1FoxFofY3ciBlpLbAEPWzV7tS4PRF_0XVAh3_XAayU7SWQvzIdEha4l0lr9PFATExGhyvhFuk_Xz-n9XqJnwWYzrnDSHTxa0JX511e7QIqIMWjwdD9gbumdCkK5vxpq4-LYD1C6mB/s1600/StoneMt.3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE7ew1FoxFofY3ciBlpLbAEPWzV7tS4PRF_0XVAh3_XAayU7SWQvzIdEha4l0lr9PFATExGhyvhFuk_Xz-n9XqJnwWYzrnDSHTxa0JX511e7QIqIMWjwdD9gbumdCkK5vxpq4-LYD1C6mB/s200/StoneMt.3.jpg" t$="true" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdq68XqnPexVQ5Oj_fWEirbuOHOeDbAXgJ_jfhLMvzgF_xdg9SMy0gLPDZHUu3WTbSRIl8fIU3wktLgZ525-AGI5ebUJ1g3a4SEDbgN0twNyUGOdnEBjZd-gAOg5kSACKGmNrhAQVL_T8W/s1600/StoneMt.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdq68XqnPexVQ5Oj_fWEirbuOHOeDbAXgJ_jfhLMvzgF_xdg9SMy0gLPDZHUu3WTbSRIl8fIU3wktLgZ525-AGI5ebUJ1g3a4SEDbgN0twNyUGOdnEBjZd-gAOg5kSACKGmNrhAQVL_T8W/s200/StoneMt.1.jpg" t$="true" width="200" /></a>We had a great group of ladies for this beautiful hike. Sarah, Kimber, Beth, Jalisia, Kerrie, Robyn, Noel, Tiffany, Maureen, Janis, Deborah, Chris, Susan, and I, We all met up at the carpool spot and 3 car loads of Dames drove up to one of my favorite NC trails. After taking our "before" picture, Sarah lead the group up thru the forested switchbacks til we got to the stairs. And boy were there stairs! We climbed for a nice .75 miles. Each time a Dame stopped to catch her breathe, all we had to do was turn around to see the amazing view. Lots of views on this hike. Since I was sweeper, I could hear claps and cheers as each Dame trickled up to the top. It made my heart feel good to see everyone encouraging one another. We really do have a great group. :)</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The views were stunning. We spent a while just sitting, chatting, contemplating, relaxing, and enjoying the view. After 30 minutes, we decided to push on and continue down the relatively flat trail to another outstanding view. After another quick break, we continued on, going down hill to hike along a stream that soon became a huge waterfall. When we got to the bottom of the falls, we took a snack an water break and indulged our feet by taking a dip in the cool refreshing water. It was perfect. We continued on to finish up with an amazing view of the mountain we had just climbed. By this point we were all hot and sweaty and ready for our reward. ICE CREAM!!! We all headed for the local general store for some home made ice cream and cold drinks. This was an awesome ending to a beautiful, warm day. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX-QbI6w5JH7R34jlSPjqTXnLU-EpBK6nzCChOnx3AQ7ndzL1woRKrJO1M0OB9DdFXBFPFnWXsOfHaCWdCv7QtfBrYbBpi5ekYmc5JOdo2GzRQj8DoCRjvQtU_w02hitB9dboKlRndlG6Q/s1600/StoneMt.5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX-QbI6w5JH7R34jlSPjqTXnLU-EpBK6nzCChOnx3AQ7ndzL1woRKrJO1M0OB9DdFXBFPFnWXsOfHaCWdCv7QtfBrYbBpi5ekYmc5JOdo2GzRQj8DoCRjvQtU_w02hitB9dboKlRndlG6Q/s200/StoneMt.5.jpg" t$="true" width="150" /></a></div>SweetPeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09859517179779570178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092981556705665352.post-41570953051021124312011-07-27T00:23:00.000-04:002011-07-27T00:23:32.241-04:00Local hike<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyphenhyphenRoz6G11pvhr1sWFI_hvSr1Yv-RxyW1br3DYNA9peZrKpTAnzBUPODJS8z1aRmpAUy6DeVG9Fkubj-6liCt9iuhmysVBL1BORNznTpzDnWPVuWVNsDj6bHVbPbubjV9kpE6hcSHiC2rU/s1600/Morrow%2526Craggy+6-18-11+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyphenhyphenRoz6G11pvhr1sWFI_hvSr1Yv-RxyW1br3DYNA9peZrKpTAnzBUPODJS8z1aRmpAUy6DeVG9Fkubj-6liCt9iuhmysVBL1BORNznTpzDnWPVuWVNsDj6bHVbPbubjV9kpE6hcSHiC2rU/s200/Morrow%2526Craggy+6-18-11+016.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsgEAgTjsZjUzzzFQi7bDQF3vFjuOJh1qmpJXYGiSOuqxTcgCw_tvSaAqOj5zNFBmnljOeQUkNu4MUhBB7tlXK5sdEiT6RGwW1w30rPYnliA4tP5nPv3T800WJrV9Yl1VLyMpd9D4XPYJv/s1600/Morrow%2526Craggy+6-18-11+020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsgEAgTjsZjUzzzFQi7bDQF3vFjuOJh1qmpJXYGiSOuqxTcgCw_tvSaAqOj5zNFBmnljOeQUkNu4MUhBB7tlXK5sdEiT6RGwW1w30rPYnliA4tP5nPv3T800WJrV9Yl1VLyMpd9D4XPYJv/s200/Morrow%2526Craggy+6-18-11+020.jpg" width="200" /></a>9 Dames (Sarah, Karla, Beth, Michelle, Joy, Kimber, me, and Janet and Kellye from the GA Chapter)came out to hike a crazy loop in Morrow Mountain State Park. We originally were supposed to hike another loop, but it was closed due to storm damage, so after calling up the ranger, he suggested we try another 4 mile trek on Sugarloaf Mt. Loop. 5 of us met up to car pool and met the rest at the park. It was a beautiful, hot, sunny day for a hike in the woods and it started out really nice and gradual. We even saw a deer right on the trail. The trail started to roll up and down a bit and at one point we had to take a water break. One of the Dames, Joy, started turning a nice beet color red so we decided to take it easy. I think I've found Joy's trail name. BEET. Seriously, she was really red! haha! But in her defense, she does have a medical condition, which if you ask her she will gladly tell you all about it, she even jokes around and calls says her body is "allergic to exercise" haha! So Joy, you are now dubbed "BEET" :) <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO0Ke13ZZ9BADO-nN1G-qwxu0JPP1l-tv8R8MXLW6yRxPQA51HO_TZ9urP6wdwFxLhCQthVzqkLv3sqHaJCdt2MvugRCE6gM2iI-PeuVro_Aq7ReQS2X_rk3JYYQKtXZ56lPV-DqEaTk-N/s1600/Morrow%2526Craggy+6-18-11+015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO0Ke13ZZ9BADO-nN1G-qwxu0JPP1l-tv8R8MXLW6yRxPQA51HO_TZ9urP6wdwFxLhCQthVzqkLv3sqHaJCdt2MvugRCE6gM2iI-PeuVro_Aq7ReQS2X_rk3JYYQKtXZ56lPV-DqEaTk-N/s200/Morrow%2526Craggy+6-18-11+015.jpg" width="150" /></a><br />
Michelle was in training mode, so she had on a heavy full pack (<em>she was taking her fiance' backpacking next week</em>). The rest of us just had our water and boy did we need it. About half way thru the hike, I took Michelles pack for a bit. It was too hot and too heavy for her to carry and I'd rather she enjoy the hike then be miserable with the extra weight. To be honest, it made me miss my backpack, so as sadistic as it sounds, I enjoyed carrying the 25 lb. pack in 98 degree weather. haha! <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6C4pVSzbTDUsbgQdjyjrVXGpoR2dDCsCR3AmZBpMmUNRiI11JVLHwfTA72yF0jr_Ak4bKbu-vmq0ZG7f4q-5Qd7LaYsimQYGNkUPe0k_D3R-w8Le81IcqRjmWnljLtIhoJBzCmBeYW9T/s1600/Morrow%2526Craggy+6-18-11+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6C4pVSzbTDUsbgQdjyjrVXGpoR2dDCsCR3AmZBpMmUNRiI11JVLHwfTA72yF0jr_Ak4bKbu-vmq0ZG7f4q-5Qd7LaYsimQYGNkUPe0k_D3R-w8Le81IcqRjmWnljLtIhoJBzCmBeYW9T/s200/Morrow%2526Craggy+6-18-11+004.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
The trail wasn't marked clearly so somehow, we got turned around on a loop trail. Yes, we got lost on a loop trail. haha! It's OK though, cause we actually picked up another hiker and her dog. They briefly join in with us and she was very entertaining. Our 4 mile trek ended up being more like a 5 mile adveture, but in true Trail Dame form, all the Dames were in great spirits, laughing, smiling, and having a good time. We celebrated our hike at Sonic with a cool treat before we headed back home. All in all it was a wonderful day with friends.SweetPeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09859517179779570178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092981556705665352.post-42112599297989081052011-07-27T00:14:00.000-04:002011-07-27T00:14:20.504-04:00Foothills Trail Part (day 6-7)<div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gSt3NRK5WXV_7lYKVB88wG36fiCNY74MWFRCYUkzTCqyPf-gEOv0h5Sn_ZyClIrRjmlGKFz-vY_372kGSK7NivolxbvBn9mW1zlJ8bvQeM4h4aM9fiVqe8NCzAjfepx6VVBkRRXj-16Z/s1600/FoothillsTrail4-11+180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gSt3NRK5WXV_7lYKVB88wG36fiCNY74MWFRCYUkzTCqyPf-gEOv0h5Sn_ZyClIrRjmlGKFz-vY_372kGSK7NivolxbvBn9mW1zlJ8bvQeM4h4aM9fiVqe8NCzAjfepx6VVBkRRXj-16Z/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+180.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBae5xGMw0SO25IAnURSK2ldBZbpWiI1eVfec9pm1FuVJAaNVqwAfTv4KmDpikiBm16dUgB6lrtNen2rrlsOVxTFZofaVfpJN6Q1QlZOgAIOnsEnndyu2ze8QR2carmgEHUieMy7XSce4Q/s1600/FoothillsTrail4-11+173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBae5xGMw0SO25IAnURSK2ldBZbpWiI1eVfec9pm1FuVJAaNVqwAfTv4KmDpikiBm16dUgB6lrtNen2rrlsOVxTFZofaVfpJN6Q1QlZOgAIOnsEnndyu2ze8QR2carmgEHUieMy7XSce4Q/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+173.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmjLOTOkPFMfbycSm8yej9010z7ci3wigy-QafsuYP-fdH1Y_tnXZVlUU_Rz1vrXD3qeP-QbY1CAi3UAO2GvXMhtXWR56NcCggAb-oJ7jfV3q3YuKC9WnenduT9_ftWSetLmLFIj1LC7ek/s1600/FoothillsTrail4-11+192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmjLOTOkPFMfbycSm8yej9010z7ci3wigy-QafsuYP-fdH1Y_tnXZVlUU_Rz1vrXD3qeP-QbY1CAi3UAO2GvXMhtXWR56NcCggAb-oJ7jfV3q3YuKC9WnenduT9_ftWSetLmLFIj1LC7ek/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+192.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje8offPJLtVpbBOuZNtMeiZIkVlbfhN-zM4Ld3PcQM2lyf5roeaoEmJiDM9OUBzHlpFbx3RdvvPN-i5IP29tAvIXD3YxjWy134KRzEfQaHgRyruwDBLjPjTGCXPKbuGDx9nR4kpoR0vxzj/s1600/FoothillsTrail4-11+187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje8offPJLtVpbBOuZNtMeiZIkVlbfhN-zM4Ld3PcQM2lyf5roeaoEmJiDM9OUBzHlpFbx3RdvvPN-i5IP29tAvIXD3YxjWy134KRzEfQaHgRyruwDBLjPjTGCXPKbuGDx9nR4kpoR0vxzj/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+187.jpg" width="150" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>DAY 6</strong> After a crazy and hellacious night in a tornado, I woke up around 7am, ate a quick oatmeal breakfast and packed up a wet campsite. It was already getting to be a hot and muggy day. Seems as if the weather after a big storm is always calm, hot, and humid. This day was no different. I didn't have time to worry about it now, I had my climb up Sassafras mountain on my mind. At 8:30am, We stepped foot on the trail and finished the rolling 2.8 miles (including several stair climbs) to Laural Valley parking area. </span></div><br />
<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggLx4h5qNhrYhgaGBxu77Qra60bbWmhdIwf172230x5ho-wIJj9uQ8ip7ADugP_vaZlRdj44F-b1zZCFzRkceFZA-BsfsFqOtEGnbeT0CQoVkDbwpT22rD6OuWgxJPGUGGsQutX8hOkZR3/s1600/FoothillsTrail4-11+202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggLx4h5qNhrYhgaGBxu77Qra60bbWmhdIwf172230x5ho-wIJj9uQ8ip7ADugP_vaZlRdj44F-b1zZCFzRkceFZA-BsfsFqOtEGnbeT0CQoVkDbwpT22rD6OuWgxJPGUGGsQutX8hOkZR3/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+202.jpg" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbP-WCHNCjwEhRiMLq95o-xwcbYnk739K_li-4fZSsfI3UHOrUq3DWVW81nbSIPXVGviaYiOpLLYH-BbBNEt0dTkERNm5DnRvhoqpN6nwGsr3tiJHzsXu_HFdr13OtL2QbQ8JbE3BMmVwa/s1600/FoothillsTrail4-11+230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbP-WCHNCjwEhRiMLq95o-xwcbYnk739K_li-4fZSsfI3UHOrUq3DWVW81nbSIPXVGviaYiOpLLYH-BbBNEt0dTkERNm5DnRvhoqpN6nwGsr3tiJHzsXu_HFdr13OtL2QbQ8JbE3BMmVwa/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+230.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijZVvRYfIzmV0D_bWOnNujEYvY3CUMnwqiwPAGpirvwwJPBW9G5f9Au6uRY7aBz00lHbigWxiEvxso36V_a3n5yKC71r_fk4wxI3kq_AIOJ0ib7K81GR9OdYrUDTfm-POclSovKI6obDdo/s1600/FoothillsTrail4-11+200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijZVvRYfIzmV0D_bWOnNujEYvY3CUMnwqiwPAGpirvwwJPBW9G5f9Au6uRY7aBz00lHbigWxiEvxso36V_a3n5yKC71r_fk4wxI3kq_AIOJ0ib7K81GR9OdYrUDTfm-POclSovKI6obDdo/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+200.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnYe-uF_CDXQ0ANdhcqota80KUVJkNfLGlpn9fHitUcfans8aR2a0o37gZn_KkQ-d1K0jW0J0qtnMKzpGclwjJFt_QWm3LndfeieGBiiAI4siZQPxU6gAZne5WFGC9aaMM8fJcZw0rjB6h/s1600/FoothillsTrail4-11+213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnYe-uF_CDXQ0ANdhcqota80KUVJkNfLGlpn9fHitUcfans8aR2a0o37gZn_KkQ-d1K0jW0J0qtnMKzpGclwjJFt_QWm3LndfeieGBiiAI4siZQPxU6gAZne5WFGC9aaMM8fJcZw0rjB6h/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+213.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">We crossed highway 178 and started our 4.8 mile climb. The book broke up the climb into two sections, a 2.1 mile climb up to Chimneytop Gap and a 2.7 mile climb from Chimneytop gap to Sassafras Mt. So that's how I broke it up as well. A 2.1 mile climb sounds more doable than a 4.8 mile in my mind. It was a 1000 foot gain in elevation in that 2.1 mile climb and it was steep! Then came the steep wooden steps, followed by even steeper switchbacks. It seemed like it took forever to get to Chimneytop Gap. I actually got mad. For the first time on this trip, I was not enjoying it. I was crazy with hunger, physically fatigued, mentally drained, even Charlies panting was getting on my nerves. I was angry at the fact that I barely hiked 5 miles, had almost 3 miles to go all uphill another 3 to camp and I was done. After I crossed a wooden bridge, I let myself have a temper tantrum. I flopped down, pack and all, in the middle of this steep trail. I needed a break. After a few deep breathes, I pulled out my food bag, looked at my snacks, and thought, "to hell with it!" I gobbled down 2 granola bars and a dove chocolate bar I was saving for dessert. I didn't care if I had food for my last day, I needed some right NOW. I gulped down 1/2 a liter of water and gave Charlie the other half, which he slurped up in two seconds. Which left us 1 liter to get us over this mountain and did I mention it was swamp hot out? I pulled out my food bag to assed the damage and that's when I discovered my packing error. You see, I packed for 7 full days and nights. At the rate I was hiking, I only needed 6 full days and nights. I had an extra lunch and dinner, plus the snacks. I had enough food for the rest of my hike! I felt better, but sat there trying to come up with a reason I got so mad at the trail today. Was it the hot, sticky, humid weather that had sweat pouring out of my entire body? Was it the crazy steep climb? Was it that I was half starved out of my mind? Maybe it was a combination of it all. Who knows. I pepped talked myself back to normal by telling myself that this is where I want to be. I could be working in a closed in office right now instead of enjoying the fresh air and stillness of nature. I pulled myself out of my pity party and put my pack back on. It was time to finish this climb. Not more than 10 minutes later, I crossed over F. Van Clayton Highway and started my last 2.7 mile section up Sassafras Mountain. </span></div><br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQ_G21f7YZCnQCHOvytsJZVKVI5d44_VucAn1gF8MK8knqGc1JUqrv3ps19lhwnwURuzB-tggeMgnbrjXhUTrYpwMFoyh_r6eGJwvH84l0GPtuWw5KuVXxiErfvMXUZtlCH3AwAlBF5d2/s1600/FoothillsTrail4-11+222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQ_G21f7YZCnQCHOvytsJZVKVI5d44_VucAn1gF8MK8knqGc1JUqrv3ps19lhwnwURuzB-tggeMgnbrjXhUTrYpwMFoyh_r6eGJwvH84l0GPtuWw5KuVXxiErfvMXUZtlCH3AwAlBF5d2/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+222.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3NJw3Y-AJ2Erx1ZRHqqT5uj89_UwWYNAC0ekeczBRtK9oUicRCq3J3y6WisCWlhAN2wsfgUQ9XStQ6cyVAjR9m5zkWY5lxSFFQHXv8OxDzBueOrjHX9QetlTseO2BDvTqQNV8W-GeEv_j/s1600/FoothillsTrail4-11+241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3NJw3Y-AJ2Erx1ZRHqqT5uj89_UwWYNAC0ekeczBRtK9oUicRCq3J3y6WisCWlhAN2wsfgUQ9XStQ6cyVAjR9m5zkWY5lxSFFQHXv8OxDzBueOrjHX9QetlTseO2BDvTqQNV8W-GeEv_j/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+241.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">It started up steep for about a mile, then I made it to the ridge. The trail turned into a nice wide roadbed trail and flattened out a bit before it started gradually ascending through a second growth white pine forest for the next 1.5 miles. By now I was praying for some water soon, not just for me, but for my poor puppy. It was a crazy hot day and he was panting his little heart out. The gods must of been listening because right as we are about to crest the mountain, we stumble into a little bitty stream. Enough for Charlie to gulp gallons and gallons of water and enough for me to filter 4 liters. I planned on drinking ever drop at lunch too. haha! Lunch was going to be on top of this beastly mountain and I couldn't wait. After a nice little break, we loaded back up and finally crested Sassafras. I found a side trail that had a spectacular view and as always, as soon as I saw the view, I forgot the climb. I found a nice boulder to have lunch.on. That's when I spread all my gear out to dry, took off my shoes, took a nap on the hot rock, and just relaxed. Aaahh.. I felt good again. I needed this. Charlie caved up in a rhody bush in the shade and napped too. After a good 2 hours of lounging, I knew we needed to go. We still had 3 miles to get to camp. So I packed all of our dry gear away and we hopped back on the trail.</span></div><br />
<div><span style="font-size: x-small;">We passed the intersection to Caesars State Park, if I had chosed to hike to the park, it would of added another 10 miles to my hike. I bypassed the intesection and continued down the Foothills trail to the original end, Table Rock. I saw a sign that said Table Rock state park was only 9 miles away. I was really tempted to just suffer and finish up, but I decided I was happy knowing I was going to finish up early. The next mile was pretty much down hill, then I started climbing up Hickorynut Mountain. I climbed up switchbacks and stairs to Emory Gap road and then began to hike down hill through a rhododendrum forest. We make it to a bend in the trail that has a wooden bridge with a nice flowing stream and two perfect trees. So we stopped and I pulled out the poncho liner for us to rest. After a 1/2 an hour, I get up and string up my tarp and hammock, hang the bear bag rope, change clothes, dunk my tired feet in the stream, and read about the last 6 miles of trail I'm finishing up tomorrow. Around 7pm, both JERMM and Don roll by on their way to a campsite a mile ahead. I wave goodbye and congratulate them on finishing their thru hike (<em>in case I don't see them tomorrow</em>.) I realize it's our last night in the woods and I feel both sad and excited. Sad that the adventure is ending, but excited to have actually accomplished this thru hike. I pet Charlie as we both lie in the stillness and tell him what an awesome hiking companion he's been and how proud of him I am. He just thumps his tail like he understands. That night I feed us extra helpings of everything and promised him 3 hamburgers at the end of this journey. We fall asleep around 9pm and I notice the temperature dropping quickly. I snuggle up in my hammock and pull my down sleeping bag up around my ears. </span></div><br />
<div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Day 7</strong> The next morning I wake up around 6:30 am, but lay in my warm hammock for another 1/2 hour. It's cold! What strange weather! Finally, I coax my body out, pack up camp, eat the last of the granola bars and hit the trail by 8:15am. I feel good today, even though it's a bit chilly, my hair is greasy, and I am filthy. I feel good. I feel accomplished and confident in knowing I will complete this hike today. It's a far cry from where I was 6 days ago. Wondering if I had it in me to finish. Now, I know I have what it takes and it's a very powerful feeling. I really did enjoy myself, other than the climb up Sassafras, which I chalk up to no energy, exertion, and starvation. I really did enjoy this solo hike. </span></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The trail is rolling with a few steep switchbacks, a few wooden bridges, lots of huge boulders, and a nice steady climb up Pinnacle Mountain. I hear Charlies name called and when I turn around I see it's JERMM. She's started early this morning and we hike together for a bit. When we get to the stunning morning views of Pinnacle Mountain we snap photos of one another and I leave her waiting on Don. Charlie and I finish the climb up to the yellow blazes that take us to Table Rock. When I see the 4 miles to Table Rock sign, I get a rush of adrenaline and finally let me self dream of Table Rock. We made it! 4 more miles to go, all down hill and we will have finished our thru hike! I take a moment to remember this feeling and then Charlie and I start descending down.</span><br />
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<div><span style="font-size: x-small;">Now if you think climbing up 5 miles was tough, try climbing down 4 miles in rooty, rocky, rhody trail. There were places I had to take my pack off just to squeeze through. Charlie had no problem wriggling through the low hanging rhody branches and narrow rocky trail, but I had to contort, backward bend, crouch, and crawl through some of this section. It was crazy! Then, there was a detour trail that I didn't bank on. It had me climbing UP this beast of a mountain on Mill Creek Pass for awhile, til it met up with the Foothills/Pinnacle Mt. trail again. We hiked along this stream for the rest of the way. I met a couple of older gentlement day hiking up to Pinnacle Mt. and back. They congratulated me and Charlie and seemed really happy for us. An hour later I met 6 young college guys just starting out. We chit chatted a bit about the trail and they loved the fact that I had Charlie out there with his own pack. They congratulated me and I wished them well on their hike. I couldn't help but grin from ear to ear from all their attention. I felt great! I finally got down to the Carrick Creek Nature Center Trail signs and I knew I was very close. It was only 10:40am and I wasn't tired, but I wanted to stop, take my pack off and let Charlie splash around in the water. I wanted to enjoy the last possible moment on this trail. As I sat there reminicing my last 6 days, it finally caught up to me. I did it. I finished this trail all by myself. I solo thru hiked and I survived. </span></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">At 10:55am, I put my pack back on and hiked in the last mile, passing by a nice, clean family and an elderly couple out taking photos who stopped to ask me lots of questions about my adventure. The last .2 miles of the trail are paved. I put away my trek poles and pulled out Charlies leash. It felt weird to have him on a leash after such a trip. I wonder if it felt weird for him too. Anyways, I finally spotted the East end Foothills Trail sign and at 11:09am I made Charlie pose in front of it. It was Friday, so not lots of people at the Nature Center. We walked out to our car and as soon as I opened the doors of the car, Charlie jumped in and laid down. That's how he stayed the entire drive home. Oh... and he got his promised 3 hamburgers, which he gobbled down, when I stopped for my cheeseburgers and diet coke.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">What an amazing trip. I learned so much about myself and what I can and am capable of doing. I learned so much about my dog and what he is capable of doing. He climbed ladders, jumped over trees, rock climbed, stair climbed, wriggled thru boulders, and kept me company over the last 6 days. He totally earned my respect and if they sell it, I will buy him a thru hiker patch of the Foothills trail for his little backpack. He was awesome.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I want to thank my friends that came to see me off. Thank you Kellye and Hemlock. You have no idea how much I appreciate your support and friendship. Thanks for being there for me those first couple of days. It really made a big difference in my mental state for this hike. Like I told you both, you brought my anxiety level down from a 9 to a 4 by just being there. Thank you to my wonderful, understanding, loving husband who lets me venture off on these crazy feats because he knows there is some innate need for me to be out in the woods. I know you were worried those first 5 nights (</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><em>I really didn't have cell service, promise</em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">) and I am sorry I put you through that. But I did it and I am a better person for it, and thank you for "allowing" me to do this solo. Thank you Foothills Trail what a beautiful, well maintained, challenging trail. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Til next time... GET OUTDOORS!!!</span>SweetPeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09859517179779570178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092981556705665352.post-76014641380926832642011-06-22T20:16:00.000-04:002011-06-22T20:16:17.748-04:00Greenway HikeI met up with Dame Maria after work and we hike 3 miles at a nice pace within an hour. It was hot and there was lots of foot traffic, but it was nice to get out during the middle of the week. :)SweetPeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09859517179779570178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092981556705665352.post-7043763183717821382011-06-22T20:15:00.000-04:002011-06-22T20:15:17.336-04:00SC Hike<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifITAn1QHXMniEjnJSx2vygVkx19-LM51l6_dcklHXlzNwv-QqSGefYLL6MGob4VpyKkQx92a5DPR0DEHjsvrXdsWMbgnDk5Pkr5_wshez2tbjAMpbGKRib10T09GIl7NIspaeAuYda9Tz/s1600/Anne+Springs+Greenway+6-4-11+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifITAn1QHXMniEjnJSx2vygVkx19-LM51l6_dcklHXlzNwv-QqSGefYLL6MGob4VpyKkQx92a5DPR0DEHjsvrXdsWMbgnDk5Pkr5_wshez2tbjAMpbGKRib10T09GIl7NIspaeAuYda9Tz/s200/Anne+Springs+Greenway+6-4-11+004.jpg" width="200" /></a>Several of us carpooled from Charlotte and drove the 30 mintues to Anne Springs Greenway, in Fort Mill SC, where we met up with Joy and Nina. After paying our $3 entrance fee, we parked and got ready for our hike. It was a beautiful day and we had 11 Dames enjoying the outdoors. It was Beth, Karla, Kimber, Sarah, Joy, Dierdre, Nina, Barbara, Linda, Wendy, and me. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7QckeEZJODjbty_8ShbGkX7LN9inSOP8cLlxGC2SEFQBvcgWtuTwfLGxBU1xfsp76qfQejdJx2YCeheQmcrRcJZ0ohiFVJz3oZLFD9QYYULHoBXTjX65bEikc6WLAy5-9BiqYL1y_Q9-I/s1600/Anne+Springs+Greenway+6-4-11+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7QckeEZJODjbty_8ShbGkX7LN9inSOP8cLlxGC2SEFQBvcgWtuTwfLGxBU1xfsp76qfQejdJx2YCeheQmcrRcJZ0ohiFVJz3oZLFD9QYYULHoBXTjX65bEikc6WLAy5-9BiqYL1y_Q9-I/s200/Anne+Springs+Greenway+6-4-11+011.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRInQLJhvaZGQEltOQ7waeAnaI0N7fltt7wLtR6YflnSdl4KIpUrRkTADfuQ5A5Ou8ZnudTeFVFVFS_i_9uL1a9DI6Mx8prGUZXxStCqR-AQUbnsXMbzyzIIf_jDbGmpWKGbwdluwcY7Hn/s1600/Anne+Springs+Greenway+6-4-11+031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRInQLJhvaZGQEltOQ7waeAnaI0N7fltt7wLtR6YflnSdl4KIpUrRkTADfuQ5A5Ou8ZnudTeFVFVFS_i_9uL1a9DI6Mx8prGUZXxStCqR-AQUbnsXMbzyzIIf_jDbGmpWKGbwdluwcY7Hn/s200/Anne+Springs+Greenway+6-4-11+031.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>At first we had some trouble locating the Timberline trail, but once we found it, we were good. We hiked up the Timberline trail to the top, where we passed by a Peach Farm. Lots and lots of trees dripping with almost ripe peaches. Sarah was curious about the peach tree, so Dierdre gave her permission to have one and she did! haha! She plucked one right off the tree. Oops.... ;)<br />
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<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH8oRHmJwpKx7UzzBVhte_fW2IdJmLgiEiVmYMXnFzUDFtBfzfeBK4BGKCAEpPAn915b0iOkX1ibyviQYsI71LOnLrkuZ134lkMuk9jZRBIoGTOIzlRRpSPOM97j_D11jDKX1TB8AJx8Sh/s1600/Anne+Springs+Greenway+6-4-11+041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH8oRHmJwpKx7UzzBVhte_fW2IdJmLgiEiVmYMXnFzUDFtBfzfeBK4BGKCAEpPAn915b0iOkX1ibyviQYsI71LOnLrkuZ134lkMuk9jZRBIoGTOIzlRRpSPOM97j_D11jDKX1TB8AJx8Sh/s200/Anne+Springs+Greenway+6-4-11+041.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlL0bvDKDzReT5BozVxdYNgQ48T4BVtx6XU8YERDbouHjuCg8xI6izw6klknXMcHk0vUs0qmj7Wupghehk0xCCmUr-yftr9vODt1tQofFYicX_QWSiZyxGJYrAPjq1dnvAA6AMc9Dceffe/s1600/Anne+Springs+Greenway+6-4-11+026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlL0bvDKDzReT5BozVxdYNgQ48T4BVtx6XU8YERDbouHjuCg8xI6izw6klknXMcHk0vUs0qmj7Wupghehk0xCCmUr-yftr9vODt1tQofFYicX_QWSiZyxGJYrAPjq1dnvAA6AMc9Dceffe/s200/Anne+Springs+Greenway+6-4-11+026.jpg" width="200" /></a>We continued on, looking for the Blue Star trail. We were supposed to hop on the Blue Star trail, but some how we passed it. Must of been all the chatting we were doing. haha! We ended up on the Dogwood trail and decided to hike down it to the Muscadine trail. After hiking by a couple of ladies out their horses, we find the Muscadine trail just fine. But some how we managed to make a big loop and end up exactly where we started! I called that section of trail the twighlight section, because it was so confusing! Deciding not to hike the Muscadine trail loop again, we road walked it on a gravel road down to the lake. We met a nice man renting out kayaks for $5 an hour and then found the Haigler lake trail. We finished up the hike all safe and sound and then made our way to the Peach Stand for some rewarding, well deserved, yummy, cold ice cream!</div><br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW7TI7BO8AFEdsPI-hxuocdIElLhdy4YYJMbbYMW0EAr_heGE8L0mxGmolt__ajLX9RZyDbpdVfJxsBMhDM15TjkUI4sWS77KtUTR3LT-3CHePIebwYdiQkLesyI6YfSSSy5dcCdZ-T6L1/s1600/Anne+Springs+Greenway+6-4-11+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW7TI7BO8AFEdsPI-hxuocdIElLhdy4YYJMbbYMW0EAr_heGE8L0mxGmolt__ajLX9RZyDbpdVfJxsBMhDM15TjkUI4sWS77KtUTR3LT-3CHePIebwYdiQkLesyI6YfSSSy5dcCdZ-T6L1/s200/Anne+Springs+Greenway+6-4-11+016.jpg" width="200" /></a>I learned that Joy lived in China for a long time while teaching and has hiked all over the Great Wall. Sarah, literally, did a 180 of her life. She sold her house, moved to a different town, started a new career, and began living a life SHE wants. Lots of yoga and hiking! Wow, I was so impressed with her bravery. I learned that even though Kimber was in the Navy, she can't swim! haha! Too funny, we all had a nice laugh. (Sorry Kimber!! We still love you! haha!) Linda is about to go to Alaska to visit her daughter for vacation. I am so excited for her, I hope she has a wonderful time. Diedra had a wonderful time in Charleston, but I the ghost tour wasn't that great. I learned that camping with Wendy will be an experience! haha! She brings everything but the kitchen sink with her. I wonder how long it takes her to set up? I wonder what she's gonna think of my set up? Everything I have for camping fits in my backpack. Hee Hee! Barbara had a brace on her left knee and told us she had surgery for a torn meniscus a while back. She seemed to be doing great on the hike and I hope me asking if her knee was ok didn't bother her. Nina's birthday will be next Wednesday. Happy Birthday NINA!! Even though Beth is stealthy quiet, she has an eye for the trail. How about she knew we missed the Blue Star intersecting trail but kept quiet and let us continue on our chatty merry way. haha! I think I see a trail name in here somewhere for her, maybe Stealthy. Hmmm.... Speaking of trail names, Karla was dubbed this hike with her trail name. Let me paint the picture; It's about 90 degrees out, the sun is shining bright, and Karla busts out an umbrella in the middle of our hike because she doesn't want to get sun on her. We all laughed and that's when it came out. I called her Mary Poppins. So Karla is now AKA "Mary Poppins". HAHA!!</div><br />
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<div></div>SweetPeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09859517179779570178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092981556705665352.post-39883732009100386142011-06-22T20:05:00.000-04:002011-06-22T20:05:46.786-04:00Local hike<div>After work, I zoomed to uptown to pick up Kimber. We were going to meet a few Dames at Ribbon Walk Park for an afterwork hike! Since it was a bit early, Kimber and I chit chatted for a bit til Beth arrived. Then, Dianne, who lives right around the corner, dropped by to say hello. She was sore for her early morning workout so didn't hike with us, but wanted to welcome us to her neck of the woods. Kelly pulled in and then Barbara jumped out right behind her. </div><br />
After a quick chat with Dianne, who gave us some good advice about the trails, we started our hike. The hike was pleasant and easy. We found a nice bench and took a "Trail Dame" pose photo. As we continued down the trail, we noticed that some of the trail markers were missing. There were lots of unmarked trails winding all through the park. At one point, we got so confused we ended up making a big circle. We did pass by an old abandoned little red house that I said was probably a wicked witches house (haha! sometimes I have an over active imagination.) After finally finding the right trail, we continued over the covered bridge and through the birch tree forest where we struck a pose for pictures. haha!<br />
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Everyone kept up a nice steady pace and were soaked with sweat by the time we finished up. We had such a great time cracking each other up and laughing that the hike didn't seem like a work out at all. I asked the girls if they wanted to add in another mile and they all agreed. So we climbed up the gradual hill and started looping back thru the forest.<br />
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We came up on a few guys fishing in at the pond and I asked if they had caught anything. Not yet, but they were working on it. I also asked if any of them knew about the old little house in the forest. They told us that it was an old slave house, that the property we were hiking on was once an old plantation. WOW, it was an old historical relic, now I wish I had stopped to explore that house a bit. Maybe next time.<br />
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<div>We finished off our hike in the stifling southern heat and said our goodbyes. It was a nice workout and a great group of ladies. </div>SweetPeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09859517179779570178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092981556705665352.post-43903282331607044132011-06-17T10:52:00.000-04:002011-06-17T10:52:46.063-04:00Foothills Trail (Day 4-5)<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQiWD9lSHL_lb_uYShSnh_bKilJpXFL7QLrrM7c6okUs7ZOLq_WetMufAYCZ3HSs8EHs2123YiRd6-P6T5uEqcgPc1YhqFMSbH5MzH9i3dz0TJvLdROvu4gUvvrik6yvRZ-JEo3pnuxVO/s1600/FoothillsTrail4-11+119.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611356395933633250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQiWD9lSHL_lb_uYShSnh_bKilJpXFL7QLrrM7c6okUs7ZOLq_WetMufAYCZ3HSs8EHs2123YiRd6-P6T5uEqcgPc1YhqFMSbH5MzH9i3dz0TJvLdROvu4gUvvrik6yvRZ-JEo3pnuxVO/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+119.jpg" style="float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 150px;" width="150" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicHFrrw79SkNhrF9VeAq3HqtSc2f-8NY7TaXQtajV4h2rSC9Ui_t7chtdcTpI6nh1iOhGl5eaY6QSAnVT1iBa7FV6oEqbNtEeZ1kHwIj3NU7kT1enzqlMQbC-JOnqwkmjOFdAc4vdwPJru/s1600/FoothillsTrail4-11+169.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611360245967992242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicHFrrw79SkNhrF9VeAq3HqtSc2f-8NY7TaXQtajV4h2rSC9Ui_t7chtdcTpI6nh1iOhGl5eaY6QSAnVT1iBa7FV6oEqbNtEeZ1kHwIj3NU7kT1enzqlMQbC-JOnqwkmjOFdAc4vdwPJru/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+169.jpg" style="float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 150px;" width="150" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Day 4</strong> After waking up around 6am, I eat an oatmeal breakfast, feed Charlie, grudgingly change out of my warm sleep clothes, pack up a wet camp, and hit the trail around 8:am (in the rain.) Since we did most of the climbing already, our first 2 miles are nice and flat on a wide road bed trail. We pull into Bearcamp creek, near Hilliard Falls and see that JERMM and Don are still asleep, so we continue on, crossing several small wooden bridges over small streams. </span></div></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiejjWlxPiIuX0widPia_ZlWbmXm3CefeCnb_x7WOmpm6131-DXTKKJWE6HPyJJ1gELDToIBlV5HvSYK40unocxGjezdKRYj1FeuLvIf_SbF_v42llrSEm1kZeW745OMnWEUWjUlGF7TS5a/s1600/FoothillsTrail4-11+170.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611360246652376050" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiejjWlxPiIuX0widPia_ZlWbmXm3CefeCnb_x7WOmpm6131-DXTKKJWE6HPyJJ1gELDToIBlV5HvSYK40unocxGjezdKRYj1FeuLvIf_SbF_v42llrSEm1kZeW745OMnWEUWjUlGF7TS5a/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+170.jpg" style="float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 150px;" /></a></div><div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXWTN1QGrL5Vs9fwvRBRe7950Hgeq9MV4yGWrj11BoP60vsNmcuTsvPiGTTWuPxJlhc6iug49_6IjwmMPg-T80Y5vqrIaTzkbCnXmj9lmuXSOv5CsSg9tQEbTLWTDkseIm4bjvMkDPQkzx/s1600/FoothillsTrail4-11+157.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611359464981817490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXWTN1QGrL5Vs9fwvRBRe7950Hgeq9MV4yGWrj11BoP60vsNmcuTsvPiGTTWuPxJlhc6iug49_6IjwmMPg-T80Y5vqrIaTzkbCnXmj9lmuXSOv5CsSg9tQEbTLWTDkseIm4bjvMkDPQkzx/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+157.jpg" style="float: right; height: 200px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 150px;" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgua6qChS_Ct-qOTGi0YpvWvgn7aMGdIyxfVFipJw7IbDKaFzdVlyijEoKf6az1iL_YT0DKeTFrCpmcrv6_Q7li0tYyX0Vzu27g63VAXia5D_vEfdz-jf9lrXZuZdgTVgAcWo9titin18ZV/s1600/FoothillsTrail4-11+127.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; height: 159px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 213px;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611355779247274978" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgua6qChS_Ct-qOTGi0YpvWvgn7aMGdIyxfVFipJw7IbDKaFzdVlyijEoKf6az1iL_YT0DKeTFrCpmcrv6_Q7li0tYyX0Vzu27g63VAXia5D_vEfdz-jf9lrXZuZdgTVgAcWo9titin18ZV/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+127.jpg" style="float: right; height: 150px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkdr3NTIQjXBdZlPI6Vn8DIPPMavMSAVLuFtQm0ejvyFwaWRJF0BSf4WMQznmOjVaOuCf1ytm_1UsSq7ppcL8ZCYrdSiVsjKl-eMNJQ1IM46146kb11VWLlD_iuwlEG2Mff7IoeTDS9inB/s1600/FoothillsTrail4-11+151.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; height: 210px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; width: 165px;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611359464547943106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkdr3NTIQjXBdZlPI6Vn8DIPPMavMSAVLuFtQm0ejvyFwaWRJF0BSf4WMQznmOjVaOuCf1ytm_1UsSq7ppcL8ZCYrdSiVsjKl-eMNJQ1IM46146kb11VWLlD_iuwlEG2Mff7IoeTDS9inB/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+151.jpg" style="float: right; height: 200px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 150px;" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">The rain lets up as the trial starts to descend steeply, I mean really steep! We climb down a 20ft wet wooden staircase, embedded in earth. Seriously, this is like a steep ladder and I go super slow so I don't slip and tumble down. Charlie does amazing during this section. He actually preferrs to hike off the stairs and on the dirt, so he's next to me. We finally get down to Horsepasture river and take a quick break befor crossing the 115ft wooden bridge. We climb steeply up out of the ravine and continue down the trail, crossing several more large bridges. Around the 8th mile, my stomach really started grumbling. For some reason, I've been ravenously hungry all day. I eat a granola bar every hour on the hour, but can't seem to satiate my hunger. I'm worried I'll eat all my food for the rest of the trip. I decide I need to stop soon. Just as I get to a turn off near an iron pipe gate, JERMM comes up from behind and tells me she has plans to stop for lunch at Bear Creek campsite. I decide to hike with her to camp and take a much needed lunch break. As we enter the campsite, we see a tree trunk littered with hundreds of butterflies. I take a picture and as we move into the campsite the butterflies start swirling around us. I felt like I was in some magical movie! We find a nice log to rest on and Charlie finds the stream. He takes a quick splash while we eat lunch then comes and sits by me and naps the rest of the time. Don finally rolls in and pulls out a ziploc bag of pickles. He says pickles are his favorite trail food. Ok... to each his own. What shocked me was that fact that he carried these pickles for 4 days, in a ziploc bag, full of hot pickle juice (belch) Oh man... just the thought of that ziploc breaking all over my gear and having that putrid smell all in my stuff made me gag. But hey, everyone needs their trail luxury item. For some it's a pillow, for others it's, evidently, 4 day old pickles. After a nice laugh at Don's expense, I filter some water for the next climb and then Charlie and I are off. </span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGCOz8a2bxkQl9cdI5YS-cHyAH8bGkJ8eysCu2FLyCeg0CK34_VuCU9HDF41BOpqamHrP5INN4KoNbjS7xqaGDa1L-EcAUtglrcs7mAJlGJiePk3hpEdvQCRJoXmLzV5sY923iiXUUN7ia/s1600/FoothillsTrail4-11+114.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; height: 214px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; width: 162px;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611355774849661826" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGCOz8a2bxkQl9cdI5YS-cHyAH8bGkJ8eysCu2FLyCeg0CK34_VuCU9HDF41BOpqamHrP5INN4KoNbjS7xqaGDa1L-EcAUtglrcs7mAJlGJiePk3hpEdvQCRJoXmLzV5sY923iiXUUN7ia/s320/FoothillsTrail4-11+114.jpg" style="float: right; height: 200px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 150px;" width="240" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">During lunch I looked over my Foothills book and read that Canebrake, the lake Jocassee boat access was 5 miles away. It would mean a 13 mile day, but I thought very doable. We just had one climb, then the last 3 miles was down hill. So we pushed on. During this climb, there were several times the trail crossed a dirt road and it got really confusing. I had to bust out the guide book to make sure I was turning the right way. It was like a spaghetti bowl of trail intersections. I even almost stepped on a snake! He was curled up on the trail, trying to sun itself, when I spotted it out of the corner of my eye. My next step would of been right on it. All I know is that it was a brown, beige snake that barely moved as I jumped around it. Not sure of the variety, but I'll say copperhead. It's the right color and makes the story sound more adventurous. haha! I finally weave my way though the crazy trail and get to a section that has alot of big boulders in the middle of the trail. Well, as a human, I can pretty much contort myself through a maze of rocks. My poor doggie can't. You see we came to an impass of sorts. There were two big boulders that I could squeeze my feet and legs through. But it was too narrow for Charlie and his pack to squeeze through and too high for him to jump. Also, one side of the trail went straight down and the other side was the boulder. After I passed through, I was going to take my pack off and then take Charlies pack off for him to squeeze through. Well, when I turned around, I saw Charlie attempt to ram through the rocks. He backed up and attempted to ram thru again a couple more times. I laughed so hard, pulled out my camera and snapped a few more attempts. Just before I go to help him out, he wriggles his body so he's leaning on one boulder and walking on the rocks sideways. He slowly pushes his pack and himself through the rocks. Then he looks at me, wagging his tail like nothing happened. I just laughed and gave him the biggest hug. I love that silly dog. We continue on and stop at a stream about a mile away to load up our 6 liters of water. </span></div></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">We finally make it down to the lake around 5:45pm and I am exhausted, hungry, and filthy. Guess what... there is no good place for a campsite. One side is a steep climb up and the other is the water. I almost cry b/c my feet are feeling the 13 miles. After a quick rest, we decide to hike one 1 more mile to the designated campsite on the otherside of the lake. Just as I climb over a little hill, I see the sweet stealthyish campsite. It's on a wooded peninsula jetting out into the lake. We walk off trail and find the perfect spot to camp. As soon as I unfold the poncho liner, Charlie climbs on and lays down for the night. He is out! Poor little buddy. I suppose today was a long and tough day. I lay down for a few minutes, then change clothes and air out my wet gear. As I wander off to hang my bear bag rope, I find a nice size stream and dip my aching feet in for a few minutes. I decide to do some much needed laundry, so I go back, grab my hiking clothes and convince Charlie to walk back to the stream with me. As soon as we reach the stream, he plops down in the middle of it and lapps up water. I rinse out my clothes while my feet luxuriate in the cold stream. We head back and Charlie plops back down on his blanket and I hang all my clothes on every branch, rope, tree I see. It's a warm night and the slight lake breeze feels amazing. I snap a picture of my hobo homestead and start boiling some water for dinner. I'm having maxpatch mac -n-cheese tonight with 2 chocolate bars. I'm still ravenous after dinner, so I have a breakfast granola bar and hope I won't run out of food on this trip. After dinner, dessert, second dessert and two liters of water, I lay down with Charlie and flip through my next days itenirary. As I'm reading the mile markers section, it dawns on me that Charlie and I have passed the halfway point! I let the wave of elation wash over me as I let a huge grin spread on my face and hug the crap out of Charlie. He doesn't seem to understand my excitement as he lays there, thumping his tail, taking the hugs, and listening to me coo, over and over again, in my doggie mom voice (<em>really baby talk voice</em>) that we are over half done and that I am so proud of him. Then it hits me. We can do this. I can do this. Though I feel fatigued from the day, I still feel good, strong, healthy. I can finish this trail. I let myself briefly think of Table Rock and it feels awesome. I love today. For the first time, I truly feel like I can finish this trail. We go to sleep tonight to the sound of bass fish piercing the surface of the lake. </span><br />
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<div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Day 5</strong> I wake up renewed, revised, refreshed, reenergized, and happy. I know we have a tough climb today. We have a section called "heart break ridge", but I am ready. We pack up a dry camp, eat breakfast, and around 7:50am we step foot back on the trail. In a mile we cross over a 65ft bridge and pass the designated campsite where Don and JERMM are still sleeping. So we continue the lake side trail for another 1/2 mile before we turn away from the lake and begin our days strenous climb. We literally have to climb 5 sets of steep staircase. As I climb up the first one, I realize why it's called heart break ridge. My heart is pumping so hard I feel like it's going to fly out my chest! Not to mention it's hot and muggy out already. I get to a wooden bench and take a quick break. Then we start climbing again. We climb 5 sets of steep ladder staircases to get to a steep roadbed trail. We finally make it to the ridge and start a nice rolling section. We cross 35 footbridge near a designated campsite, hop back on a roadbed trail, and that's when the sky opens up. I stop to get my rain jacket out and soon we are walking with rain pelting down on us. Poor Charlie gets soaked thru, but he's still wagging his tail. He is such a great hiking/backpacking dog. I don't put him on a leash, b/c I don't need to. He hikes directly behind me and when I stop, he stops. I couldn't ask for a better outdoor dog. I hope he was enjoying the trip as much as I was. </span></div><br />
<div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilwwEapJ8AS0-6jkAAOKq1i3XsF_ImMBmD3N0WTmI4Bxd2jgioNCdfXU6SJZH2bPLdWQXu7x0Hn33JBqnEtyBgsTNBRpS6uVU4eLGHvBSFHliZXXE6_D6jyvU44KE7ZLKxrn0JyKXHbUUX/s1600/FoothillsTrail4-11+104.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; height: 210px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; width: 184px;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611355771096179634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilwwEapJ8AS0-6jkAAOKq1i3XsF_ImMBmD3N0WTmI4Bxd2jgioNCdfXU6SJZH2bPLdWQXu7x0Hn33JBqnEtyBgsTNBRpS6uVU4eLGHvBSFHliZXXE6_D6jyvU44KE7ZLKxrn0JyKXHbUUX/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+104.jpg" style="float: right; height: 200px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 150px;" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">The rain finally lets up and we continue with a gradual climb on an old logging road trail. We stop for a quick lunch at the Laurel Fork boat access spur trail intersection. I rehydrate another blackbean salad burrito and scarf it down. By now I am hungry all day long. I need to remember to readjust my food supply the next time I do a long distance trail. After 20 mins. we pack back up and continue up the trail. For the next four miles, we cross over several large wooden bridges til we reach Laurel Fork Creek. Where we stop to filter some water and relax a bit. Here, we meet a westbounder. You see, I am hiking the Foothills trail from west to east, so I am an eastbounder. Anyways, he just started a couple of days ago from Table Rock. We chit chat and exchange info on trail details. He says I have a rough climb to look forward to at Sassafras Mountain. He pets Charlie and tells me he wishes he had brought his black lab. He was lonely. I wish him good luck and he tells me the same, then we part ways. </span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Soon Charlie and I start to climb and we see signs for Virginia Hawkins waterfall. We get to the overlook and I snap a few photos. I hop back on the trail and that's when I see them. Stairs... stairs that go on forever. I'm tired from already having hiked 10 miles, so I stop, take off my pack, eat a granola bar, and pull out my Foothills trail book while Charlie lays down for a rest. I read that I have 100 stairs to climb to get to the top of the falls. After a 10 min. rest, we start climbing. About mid way up is a nice wooden bench, I take advantage of it and rest for a second. Then I fnish off the stairs and enter a thick rhododendrum tunnel. I climb through the rhody trail and pray that al<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1G0QtbVJ_-N8nR6FwVqxhiblvnxWpN76zpPxflI_PcRqv01EusV-AgXuuMY_Ioi0ajF5rGc8kKCliAOuQNA_JL07aYB_vibkfR1mif-6ZEXC3BxFr5z4yHCPQxbmAMZFUW3GsNqRoyN_U/s1600/FoothillsTrail4-11+047.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611356399484918914" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1G0QtbVJ_-N8nR6FwVqxhiblvnxWpN76zpPxflI_PcRqv01EusV-AgXuuMY_Ioi0ajF5rGc8kKCliAOuQNA_JL07aYB_vibkfR1mif-6ZEXC3BxFr5z4yHCPQxbmAMZFUW3GsNqRoyN_U/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+047.jpg" style="float: left; height: 150px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>l my climbing is over. It's been a pretty long, rainy, exhausting, hunger pang day. I'm looking forward to changing into some dry warm clothes, eating a hot dinner and relaxing in my hammock. We finally reach the top of the mountain, cross a gravel road and start descending. About a mile later I cross a wooden bridge and see the designated campsite. It's huge and really open. I look at Charlie and say no, not here buddy. I hike down past the stream and start the small climb up the other side and that's when I see it. A stealthy campsite. We walk 10 yards off the trail and I take off my pack and take Charlie's pack off of him. I pull out the poncho liner and we both spread out and lay there for a few minutes. My grumbling stomach urges me to finish camp chores so we can eat dinner. I look at my watch, it's only 4:30pm, too early for dinner. So I eat another granola bar and start putting up my tarp and hammock. Then, I change out of my grimey clothes, give myself a good wet wipe bath and put on my warm comfy camp clothes. I feel 80% better. My feet still ache in my red croc wannabe's so I decide to reward myself with a nice cool foot bath in the stream, but only AFTER I hang my bear bag rope and I filter our 6 liters. So off I go to bear bag. I've been pretty lucky in my bear bagging this trip. I usually make it in the first couple of tosses. I coax Charlie into coming down to the stream with me and he slowly gets up. I see it's been a tough hike for him too. I make a mental note to give him an extra few minutes on his nightly rub down/massage. </span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmXPoWPdATFqdvEQ3-AgvE9mlg1jqdL_Dl-DHG0JynoPWSZ6ypNSpZLTzVHTK9CcTmv8c5-FpQkkhaHbXZRq3bN18er29VIZFztX0wSZMpGpSdj0-N_1KTCww6g_zvZt8_fghosmPwiYcg/s1600/FoothillsTrail4-11+138.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; height: 168px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; width: 212px;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611357298765185602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmXPoWPdATFqdvEQ3-AgvE9mlg1jqdL_Dl-DHG0JynoPWSZ6ypNSpZLTzVHTK9CcTmv8c5-FpQkkhaHbXZRq3bN18er29VIZFztX0wSZMpGpSdj0-N_1KTCww6g_zvZt8_fghosmPwiYcg/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+138.jpg" style="float: right; height: 150px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">I get to the stream, ease my feet in and feel the cool water envelope them while the pain slips away. ahhh.... Charlie climbs in the stream and lays down lapping up water. I start filtering and get to 3 liters when JERMM and Don roll through. I chit chat a bit before they take off for another mile or so to their campsite. After they leave, I go back to filtering and almost get another liter in, when the sky opens up and rain comes pouring down. Charlie and I bolt back to our campsite and sit under our tarp, watching the rain stream down. I eat dinner under the tarp, (Enertia El Capitan Chili) and when there's a lull in the rain, I quickly bear bag the food. For the rest of the night, I hang out with Charlie on his blanket, keeping him company. Around 8pm I slip into my hammock for the night. It's still raining and the winds have picked up, but we are in a nice protected valley like area so I mainly hear the wind. I read my next days itenirary and slowly doze in and out of sleep while the rain beats down on my tarp. I try calling Boo from my celly (<em>I've had no service the entire trip</em>) I get through and that's when I find out the storm I'm in is really a tornado! I also get a text from Kellye and an email from Hemlock. Both are worried about me in this weather. I sent out mgs letting them know I was safe and then shut off my phone and went to sleep. </span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWnVLmul9K4IO2wAusi_FWIr1SnZFpfvb74vua6ckn5iHATqR4hUtUGPMrWVzlWZQhmcmWx1WZIBerOqhX2vxfJg2tYDVoZm423VGbMsJd6BD_Kk66NcAi-o-vGnU2iN6v_Vjnx32yTLeX/s1600/FoothillsTrail4-11+148.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611358911760077234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWnVLmul9K4IO2wAusi_FWIr1SnZFpfvb74vua6ckn5iHATqR4hUtUGPMrWVzlWZQhmcmWx1WZIBerOqhX2vxfJg2tYDVoZm423VGbMsJd6BD_Kk66NcAi-o-vGnU2iN6v_Vjnx32yTLeX/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+148.jpg" style="float: left; height: 150px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Around 11pm, the thunder started rolling, crackeling, almost growling and clapping. Then the lightning came and iluminated the entire area every few seconds. The wind was howling and the rain came down in buckets. I heard Charlie stirring about, so I stuck my hand out from my hammock to pet him. He poked his snout into my hammock as if to check on me then he sat there, making sure he was touching my hand. We stayed awake for the next 2 hours, with the weather getting worse. Finally, around 4am, it let up a bit and I was able to fall back asleep. What a crazy night. Thank goodness for my OES tarp. We stayed warm and dry.</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjua2ebvdIrBeppCtDQT3d_mRrqdSXnODMWjc5_LeDOoaH7jcbaNEG_f5ZHuDHtNvpxwevQ9EEEi2FuxdBUHEDtt1eWd4qbXHW8yC46iyH7f9zPNoSMz-lmlOVBSDU3wngZp8VxXMwk20dJ/s1600/FoothillsTrail4-11+145.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611358909716114610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjua2ebvdIrBeppCtDQT3d_mRrqdSXnODMWjc5_LeDOoaH7jcbaNEG_f5ZHuDHtNvpxwevQ9EEEi2FuxdBUHEDtt1eWd4qbXHW8yC46iyH7f9zPNoSMz-lmlOVBSDU3wngZp8VxXMwk20dJ/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+145.jpg" style="float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 150px;" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx-WQ-Hrv7IV6BXVyUJlyDoIcCMKm_1pNISlFnXsRbZ7E3JJxgSl1qJh23JfUy3Bn67hgO5py5MKcw-W1A19cwoL_HM5Kz3Y752L3iLaE3xHuRDzzRq20cWhSH3-z8QrGQZ28RPeYrzlfl/s1600/FoothillsTrail4-11+120.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611356395628264002" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx-WQ-Hrv7IV6BXVyUJlyDoIcCMKm_1pNISlFnXsRbZ7E3JJxgSl1qJh23JfUy3Bn67hgO5py5MKcw-W1A19cwoL_HM5Kz3Y752L3iLaE3xHuRDzzRq20cWhSH3-z8QrGQZ28RPeYrzlfl/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+120.jpg" style="float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 150px;" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ3LYEBtcJrNJAFDVNvI1FmzgPiSamvJ3wNc3wWmBGpep-cj47bA3r-GVTclPlGmx7tbXcnUt78eix0Wirrsb_4cX-BjrM7K5p8W4fc67YwzA6ey17RBRfjAeao-lbg_VtvYtgisuxuiS6/s1600/FoothillsTrail4-11+146.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; height: 155px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; width: 168px;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611359460418520754" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ3LYEBtcJrNJAFDVNvI1FmzgPiSamvJ3wNc3wWmBGpep-cj47bA3r-GVTclPlGmx7tbXcnUt78eix0Wirrsb_4cX-BjrM7K5p8W4fc67YwzA6ey17RBRfjAeao-lbg_VtvYtgisuxuiS6/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+146.jpg" style="float: right; height: 150px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a></div>SweetPeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09859517179779570178noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092981556705665352.post-8942966646206389002011-05-23T17:07:00.012-04:002011-05-27T23:54:11.316-04:00Lost in LattaSeven Dames (Kimber, Linda, Marie, Wendy, Beth, Nina, and me) met up at La<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwW89f_zem1pD_4r1EKmcZ_PRnYyvWSIbomRVBhNwRVtC-4dS-44_mr7ETHLohKjhbq2PlgEEWRfeuLLryBVKS4G_ydp12S8OPF3ShMejuShxCXtsfG1Xd_QER0EuaM9anIz34LeX_lhf/s200/Latta+Plantation+5-22-11+006.jpg" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611606278163401090" />tta Plantation Nature Preserve at 8am on Sunday May 22, 2011. Actually, Linda showed up on Saturday too. I suppose she really really wanted to hike this trail (wink, wink hahaha!) Sorry Linda, but I have to tell the story. She thought the hike was on Saturday. So she showed up, waited and waited, and finally decided that since she was already there, she might as well hike the park. It wasn't til she got home that she realized the hike was on Sunday. But to her credit, she came back out this Sunday morning and hiked some more! Now that's a Dame!<br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4yISXoprpdHn8u5Ghrrmhm2_LZg7158P2avFBFl33ewOisXAPD4unDsZRFFNYCjWQXP8nEM56pBA7sfcLz5vTU5G5f0v2bHUTcwcOC0OewIKR_-p3BSmQjUlVIYqOkaW5MbbaLP6dFRi9/s200/Latta+Plantation+5-22-11+013.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611352741066612162" /><div><br /></div><div>After hellos and a quick briefing on what trails we were going to hike, we started out on our 3 mile hike. The plan was to hike the Hill trail to Split Rock trail and if we felt up to it, hop on the Cove trail for an extra mile.</div><div><br /></div><div>Well, everything started out as planned. By 8:15am we were </div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje4byOUe762ImhTvVk2gC4sfSQgHgMTuIALO-PW7o12Ex1hMSU42w25bofts3I8BpsqOw8FTYfj1KD5T0YAyGEPGq0DatRptQ_T8Z8WWuMu22fVy6NVeZPX-spHptUwxpTXEXqtyCG4W9T/s200/Latta+Plantation+5-22-11+019.jpg" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611353111550881890" /><div> taking off up the orange marked Hill trail. It was an open gravely</div><div> road with a steady gradual climb up to our turn off onto the red Split Rock trail. The Split Rock Trail was a nice rolling section of trail that weaved in and out of the forest. We were making good time and decided we all felt we could add another mile, so we turned off on the green Cove trail. Well, we walked and walked and some how we missed our turn off. </div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZjiJ9CdKtwLEXfYrcL87PcwYEdYhE3Hj64y1_doXCFeuFrVB0LzL3xtdMWA57v4qbQ9BFmffXhr-a-9pIVhjqjDPpYb871e1z2hbuTeYIdDuySYTV7zczwMtZy_RPeRgOILAgLjPrgr7/s200/Latta+Plantation+5-22-11+018.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611606833404879698" /><br /><div>We climbed a bit and realized we were almost in a residential area, so we doubled back and walked down towards the lake. We came to an intersection that split off into 4 paths, but none of them were marked. I checked and double checked the map for our location and guessed at which was the best trail to take. The trail led us to the lake, where we took a nice water break and my chocolate lab got a good swim in before we decided to turn back around and find our lost trail. <div><br /></div><div>After a .33 miles, we found our trail intersection and a nice picnic table to take a quick water break. Soon, we were chatting down the trail and that's when we ran into the the ranger that was collecting trash along the trail. We stopped to talk to him for a bit and when he asked us if we had any issues with the trail system or map, that's when Linda let it rip. haha! She told him about the bad trail markings and the lack of markers at the confusing intersection. We all laughed and cheered her on. The ranger actually took our suggestions seriously and let us know they were working on updating the park with new and correct mileage markers. We thanked him for his time and off we hiked. When we got back to the parking lot, Linda, who was wearing her pedometer, informed us we all actually hiked 5.3 miles. 5 miles!! I was so proud of all the Dames!! To reward ourselves, we drove down to the local Mickey D's for a cool drink. </div><div><div><br /></div></div></div>SweetPeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09859517179779570178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092981556705665352.post-19730903243925280032011-05-16T14:15:00.011-04:002011-06-07T16:56:54.483-04:00Landsford Canal HikeEight Trail Dames made it out Landsford Canal State Park in South Carolina!<br /><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610248096181786290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwNSgTt7QibCriTkgck3A0QbNIoSayVj3j6c8WgnMTIgESn3ESW1J3CsL2y1nxwaUTFfwWFkuSBkTG3yiiGQklOdUkaucj1GjeOYomSQaDxSOD-kzeGQgawgbLoyDa1FR7J0H1silZLoGx/s200/Lansford+Canal+5-14-11+001.jpg" /><br /><br />Six of us met up to carpool (Beth, Kelly, Kimber, Nina, Deirdre, and me), while two (Chris and Mara) met us at the park. We drove down to Landsford Canal State Park to catch a glimpse of the infamous spider lilies that only seem to bloom this time of year. It was a quick 30 minute drive and a $2 entrance fee each, but we all agreed, it was worth the price of admission.<br /><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610248385532881874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidFwl89dHlpTPqs-p36k_2noFdVw2EqMHeZbIpQuHZcnsaEvBn_cgAwdz_5yv_0crpxzEnvcpY2kAmvUgz9nCvKVjqPiB0B3M_giar0sBlOB5IlQpn2vl5LSTnLtSoNm9H7yLIwLskfYoo/s200/Lansford+Canal+5-14-11+005.jpg" /><br /><br /><br />As we climb out of our cars, we exchange hellos and catch up with each other. I notice<br />Chris' new day hiking pack and her weight loss. I am so proud of her. She looks great and her new pack makes her legit day hiker! haha! Seriously, her pack was so cute. Kelly and I helped her fill it with water, showed her how it worked, and explained where the hose goes.<br /><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610248102420238242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYc0snB1Jvm1INTktJFAimLSbu3ab2WFnRXcWtU4oz72Zs5qesXtdQQmo3kzwPgq2SPsTe5t2JVk6AOFi2EZBpdQ3af-UiolJ-Mrrw4dKYn91O-XNQGb_wkKpulV7ghg3c08iHeK-Y3xz/s200/Lansford+Canal+5-14-11+006.jpg" /><br /><br />We saw a lot of kayakers getting ready to enjoy the spider lilies up close and personal. You see, these little hardy flowers only grow on rocky shoals of a river and the Catawba River is one of the largest growing sites. The flowers are<br />literally growing on boulders in the middle of<br />the river!<br /><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610248394479952802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmkNGjz7-un0xThkAVL0zbbTzT7b9hGVloDSGEss-wUP1CMByRsy1nT1lKN9uoV7-Rk1sXMGGsUhSE7zOO4FZQgj_25QyZA_TeokTL5-B7peSvftu86KDgh56i4FFHiA5_HGg_hCAjCo4/s200/Lansford+Canal+5-14-11+025.jpg" /><br /><br />After gawking at the kayakers, we found a nice park ranger that was willing to take our photos in exchange for our beautiful smiles. So we took our "beginning of the hike" picture, then we took a silly Dame photo before finally hopping on the trail. Chatting away, it amazes me how easily we all fall into conversations with one another. We have an awesome group of ladies and I got a chance to talk to each and every one of them.<br /><br /><br /><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610986503390262562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCUCqVjdUobyvqN6wKFyRlWMez1HpOz6Q7RM0f52vKgl5uWz6FiqFMg-ycbHGr0BdQRQG2NVK7tTykCk2sSQr5oxzXnF_rx-nnNs10TsTDmAC07bZdJ1XN265GD9ASsvqiwgpSMAIEq-2/s200/Lansford+Canal+5-14-11+002.jpg" /><br />The trail itself was a nice and easy, well maintained path that was very well marked. We started along the river then turn right into the forest and walked along the canal path. We learned that the early settlers made these man made canals through the forest to keep themselves out of sight and safe. We stopped to read all the historical signs and after a mile we reached the viewing platform for the spider lilies.<br /><br /><br /><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610248384566220130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgertIlgP4e6yaF0aGT_kHyvwru8eAWeRyNFBp_j1VGXp5ssIrXkacqgVjh2qR-ixW3ZIygFxfWrBphPt6m8P4RN81ctisZ_JzFulCCayBhBBsDItFfr21LcHFGWnLe5fhTVpUcR5VdQ5fi/s200/Lansford+Canal+5-14-11+018.jpg" /> After taking lots of photos, and a water break, we continued on a nice easy trail for another 1/2 mile up to the stone bridge and official historical Indian trade post sight. I snapped a couple of photos of the Dames on the bridge, then we hiked back to the lily platform one last time.<br /><br /><br />It started to sprinkle so I mentioned that maybe Kelly's trail name should be Rainmaker. Cause it seems that each time I've hiked with her, it seems to rain. haha! We finally get back to the cars and that's when Nina surprises us. She pulls out a tupperware full of fresh strawberries to share! They tasted so yummy after our hike. Thank you Nina! That was so thoughtful. We say goodbye to Chris and Mara and then the rest of us hop back into my car and head back home. As soon as we pull out of the state park, it starts to rain and we all look at Kelly and laugh. haha! At least it didn't rain on our hike! This was a great hike with a great group. Looking forward to our next adventure Trail Dames.SweetPeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09859517179779570178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092981556705665352.post-67034451929553224742011-05-11T14:25:00.018-04:002011-06-07T16:55:59.365-04:00Reedy Creek HikeNine Da<img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610976899274473202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj79cH7uUkYUBTUcjNsxo9iY4DFTtqqsbFCAAfXvnJ22tc-8DQqHxIV75Mf8IKaWcPJnS53A7UZhqW165C9YG_ddNNnRrC5XY-aifmQ9Pv2i1-sPFA-GQibykCS56zG6AwDY3I9KOa-spzf/s200/ReedCreek+TD+5-8-11+026.jpg" />mes made it out on a beautiful mothers day morning for a 3 mile hike. (Nina, Lori, Kimber, Chelsea, Diana, Dolores, Kathy, and me.) We all met up at the nature center where we chatted a bit before trail maps were passed around. AFter taking the "before" picture, we headed down past the nature center and started our hike on the yellow Umbrella Tree Trail. We hiked in around .33 miles before Diana decided to take the short cut trail to meet us at the Robinson Rock house. We all continued the next mile on the blue Big Oak trail. Everyone seemed<br /><br /><div>to be chatting away and hiking around the same pace, Which was great, because I was able to talk to each Dame :)</div><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610247464662421474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7adD6Wbh-8pPiPWX3XxE4tL8oog5pNkGIHcH589fq7JDfpI3uLWmDqXYVjBTq8TpS1-ITHGVJkIiXXmIrYW-xGB1Y2tgrcYX-ihlUtuuncSFdfqPm0WI7AdIZBJFU3TLHIdeq6n698HRK/s200/ReedCreek+TD+5-8-11+017.jpg" /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div>We finally reach the intersection at the Umbrella Tree trail, where we stop and I ask Nina which way we should go. She checks out her map and decides we need to turn right. Perfect! She and Dolores keep the lead adn pace going for the hike for anotehr .33 miles beforewe come to the next intersection. Agian the ladeis consult the map and keep us going in the right direction.</div><br /><br /><div><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610976612966264210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj73SbLVM8PoiPLP450rUItnzsxvPEKuwKrnYvOCaogr8zvTBis376Ll45JS5u0kke2kad_mrTIsEqlOHb-ggeIjBHhbUMuZCjztqvH2l3ZR6pggeKsORad_5ByCvW5EUQZOerNVdJBHThi/s200/ReedCreek+TD+5-8-11+016.jpg" /></div><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><div>We take a right and stop to admire a big tree that Dolores points out before we contine another .33 miles on the red South Fork trail. We finally run into the orange Robinson Rockhouse trail, hang a rightr and continue for another .33 miles down to the rock ruins. Dolores was the first to notice the sweet aroma that a honeysuckle makes and I made sure everyone else caught a whiff of that sweet scent lingering in the air. A few feet later, we passed by the honeysuckle plant and I was so tempted to pluck a flower and taste the nector. But alas, we were in the county park and were not allowed to pluck, pull, or pick any flower, fauna, or tree. So I took a deep breathe and </div><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610247268545606370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuKIYLezzjyijsXwoYW0E5WCwVc3Aby9m4E33MSnW5A_gCOgxVviixI0V4yNGqrEAYVTZJfp7AhnF2uwbQyl_GkCkrIAc1Mu-dNIkuuXbd-FfGLsADDoYFVixdUiaygqc_wji_9XiUytEY/s200/ReedCreek+TD+5-8-11+011.jpg" /><br /><br /><div>settled for the sweet aroma in the air :)</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div>I love this section of hte trail, not only becuase it's beautiful, but because when you near the end, you round a bend in the trail, then all of the sudden, you stumble upon the rock ruins. We</div><br /><br /><div>stopped for 15 minutes, enjoying and exploring the ruins. Kathy shared her yummy trail mix with me. Yummy! We stop to take a group photo and then hop back on the trail. This time, Kimber and Chelsea take the lead. At the trail intersection we run into Diana, seems as if her short cut ended up being along cut!</div><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610247187898027890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLuyrgi81h2f84TswJbOciuETKo5tD04VREqQXidXFlf-llNYBCMFLG72LzxNNheZXunBU7x8wsBz3WfKRTlESiQsKuNuR7FtExEMI9fkF4DTz9FsAX1_yGlN0VV5maBWp3NgCH8iV-Jx/s200/ReedCreek+TD+5-8-11+008.jpg" /><br /><br /><div>After adding up her mileage, she had hiked around the same miles as we did. Oh well, ast lest we all hiked back out together. Wehn we get to the nature center, everyone walks over to the pond and picnic table, while Lori adn I head back down</div><br /><br /><div>the trail to check on Diana. She was right on our heels. When we get back, we all say our goodbyes and head back to our cars.</div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610247011888432850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-MTZ8deAnjwturT8e1lDomfoFwcKQ0MSyAb6m7C2jKyZX3qXFyneEu2MD7GSOpARtiXC7ptt26npsHc7XF19A2Enh-rsIOSa5Fwo8sfeHAx4wgnjcaQOH2n1_HN4L_4a74Un0k2TuVUs/s200/ReedCreek+TD+5-8-11+001.jpg" /><br /><br /><br /><div>It was a beautiful day, a wonderful hike, and a great group of ladies in one of my favorite local parks. I couldn't of asked for a better day. I look forward to hiking with each and everyone of you again soon!</div>SweetPeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09859517179779570178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092981556705665352.post-75160388055736025472011-05-03T09:22:00.061-04:002011-05-26T06:44:48.200-04:00Foothills Trail (Day 1-3)<div><span ><strong>DAY 1</strong> Saturday moring, I was on the road by 6am and on the way to Table Rock State Park in SC, where I was <span class="Apple-style-span" >meeting a Mr. Bob Hesser at <span class="Apple-style-span" >8:30am, to shuttle me over to Oconee State Park. I arrived at 8:05 and checked into </span><span style="FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span"><span >the visitors center, logged in my intentions to thru hike the Foothil</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5YCaWOQWSDrVOX-ch1JON6A6doVT7de_tdhM37f8-5izMVdNImVy3YLeOoHiQmHYfWF1z5FAa3A3rzTXWuE9rDekIznzJVoROq8vdVrPDeFnqcyK8vpLWSTRA7mDUBXN_unyiJShlDBYc/s1600/FoothillsTrail4-11+003.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span ><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610245651527810562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5YCaWOQWSDrVOX-ch1JON6A6doVT7de_tdhM37f8-5izMVdNImVy3YLeOoHiQmHYfWF1z5FAa3A3rzTXWuE9rDekIznzJVoROq8vdVrPDeFnqcyK8vpLWSTRA7mDUBXN_unyiJShlDBYc/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+003.jpg" /></span></a><span >ls trail with the ranger, paid for overnight parking for my car, a</span></span><span ><span style="FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span">nd <span >headed over to the nature center to </span></span></span><span ><span style="FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span">meet up with Mr. Hesser. I spotted him right away (<em>since he was the only car in the parking lot</em>), I pulled up</span><span style="FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span">, got out, exchanged hello's and started loading up my pack, my dog, and his pack into Mr. Hessers green Cherokee. I offered to pay him $40, but he said that $20 was p</span><span style="FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span">lenty and we were off to Oconee State Park. My nerves were a bit restless and </span><span style="FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span">I arrived with excitement at wh</span></span><span style="FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span"><span >at I was about to embark on. I was about to</span> attempt to thru hike, eastbound, the 77 m</span></span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: georgia; FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span">iles from O</span><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610246169493011378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj30ggOXoL4QnUUMFh9nyK8iI770muWRqnJGLiBS7EWJ409uQ1-CJlhmTAasYvCARMDrEQXxJoju1KquUAdjaedEFTqrT9pTaJHp5N0z-UYurqNZTqq1LvPkUvkTQ9qrjNDaYKoLgRPtBtG/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+041.jpg" /></span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: georgia; FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span" >conee State <span >Park to Table Rock State Park SOLO. My first time hiking solo.... so yep... I was a bit nervous</span>.</span><br /><div><span style="FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /><span ></span></span></span></div><div><span ><span class="Apple-style-span" >I arrived at Oconee State Park aro</span><span class="Apple-style-span" >und 9:40am. I forced myself to eat a sandwhich<span style="FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span"><span > I brought, so</span> I </span>would have some sort of energy. I took the obligatory photos of the big Foot Hills Sign, making my dog Charlie the model, then I sat down to wait<span style="FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span">. <span >I was waiting for Kellye</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT1Zl6sel7w4YzThhTJVwJx37Wzi705ZD518j2cEEs6KVRpUZWLz6DQie-P9WHkelk-0FN8xH6IupOADTFTSKN4SGe0Nj2WYxCfUoLXBumeGrDl71Xjremj0xDCUOSgWVt2I8EPduXqo_Z/s1600/FoothillsTrail4-11+016.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span ><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610246580640664594" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT1Zl6sel7w4YzThhTJVwJx37Wzi705ZD518j2cEEs6KVRpUZWLz6DQie-P9WHkelk-0FN8xH6IupOADTFTSKN4SGe0Nj2WYxCfUoLXBumeGrDl71Xjremj0xDCUOSgWVt2I8EPduXqo_Z/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+016.jpg" /></span></a><span > and Hemlock!!! YAY! They were going </span></span><span ><span style="FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span">to walk with me the first 2 days. It put me at ease </span><span style="FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span">knowing that my first night out, I wouldn't be alone. That I would have friends hiking with me. They arrived around 1</span></span></span></span><span ><span ><span ><span style="FONT-FAMILY: georgia; FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span" ><span >0:15am</span> and as soon as they parked, we </span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: georgia; FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span"><span >hopped on the trail and started our hike. My pack</span> was </span></span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: georgia; FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span"><span >considerably heavier than most trips I've taken. But then again, I normally don't carry 7 days worth of food with me either! I realized t</span>hat I still had butterflies in my stomach, even though I knew I wouldn't be alone my first night. Well after hiking for a couple of hours, I worked out that I </span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: georgia; FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span">was actually nervous at about completing the trail. I </span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: georgia; FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span">didn't want to think of finishing at Table Rock. I decided </span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: georgia; FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span">that I was going to </span></span></span></div><div><span ><span ><span style="FONT-FAMILY: georgia; FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span">walk this tr</span></span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: georgia; FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span"><span >ail</span> day by </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" >day. So my only destination for each day, would be where to camp for that night. That was the only wa</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small; ">y for me to handle my fear hiking and completing a long distance by myself.</span></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgclEcv0Z-I88h8tRfWQMCrc9RCp95SfQ_akwliQsptgP9Q4u4HEACdd47wq0cnwDThA15YsVmxqyEC6VC4ZGLnkLY_XeqMcfjLUV9m5QIq8YhbF_Ky0L68vmsA910jczaG7A1eKN0TB3XE/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+035.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610973213612161938" /><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >A c</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; ">ou</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; ">p</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; ">le of</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "> hours into our hike we ran into Leah and her dog Zuzu who were out hiking with her church group. After the first 8 </span></div><div><span >miles, we stopped at Lick Log campsite to rest a bit. It was a beautiful site with a nice plunging waterfall. My dog Charlie and Kellye's dog Sammy played in the water, while Kellye and I rested and Hemlock scouted aroun</span><span >d <span style="FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span"><span >a bit for</span> <span >some lady slippers that were </span></span><span style="FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span"><span >the blooming around the main campsite</span>. </span><span style="FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span"><span >After a nice 30 minute break and me filtering some water, we put our packs back on and headed another 5 miles t</span></span></span></div><div><span ><span style="FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span"><span >o camp. The tra</span></span></span><span style="FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span" >il <span >was grad</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; ">ed really well and was rolling. I got to camp first and heard a bunch of voices near by so I decided to stop. It was a beautiful site right on the river. I found a couple of trees and strung up my hammock, while my dog played in the river.</span></div><div><br /><div><span >Kellye and Hemlock rolled in soon enough and set up camp. We enjoyed the rest of the evening talking, eating dinner, and snapping photos. Later that night, <span ><span style="FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span" ><span >Hemlock ran into JERMM</span> <span >and she walk ov</span></span><span style="FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span"><span >er to say hello. Seems</span> as if she and (<em>a h</em></span></span><span style="FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span"><span ><em>ammocker</em>) named Don started the trail today and were going to attempt to thru hike as well. YAY! I would have some company and familiar faces along the trail.</span> </span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span ><strong>Day 2</strong> I slept soundly in my hammock that night. The next morning, we woke up, ate breakfast and</span></div><span ><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610239333771729394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqPyED8CXGJ7dfWV9eKu4xMBlBhmDn0GYXAytMwX65oaBpLH5k9ZnSn4RoTJqkREXZnX5igfTQX1jeyxSyJwJkQNDcUVX5AJqE6OpwPzTp9Ud5xJ7bQZ2eGDZ71C9RdsHp6zazgIinySxi/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+043.jpg" /> </span><br /><br /><div><span >hit the trail. We only had 5.5 miles to Burrells Ford (<em>where Kellye and Hemloc</em><span style="FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span"><em>k <span >parked there car</span></em><span >), but I still had 6 more</span></span></span><span ><span style="FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span"> <span >miles til camp and 4 of those miles were all up hill. The next few miles were ups and downs along the river then away from the river. As we neared Burrells Ford, Hemlock decide</span></span></span><span style="FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span" >d <span >to take a dip in the</span> <span >river </span></span><span style="FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span" ><span >and check out a spur trail to a waterfall. Kellye decided to sit along the shore of the river and I decided to hike on to take</span> <span >a break for lunch and rest when I got to Burrells Ford. When</span></span><span > I got to Burrells Ford, all I saw was a dirt lot and a privy. I decided to sit in the grass next to the privy and take off my new hiking shoes (<em>I wore trail runner like shoes by Keen and they were awesome throughout my hike</em>) rest, and have lunch. </span></div><br /><div><span >Kellye and Hemlock fi<img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610239474818670418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1siX7ttCLDGliGyfxpxy88V-_lA6NR6czOoI3tHTHgA80EiEodZWcr0sB-IHLLHFrXAZAjdoFIGfhOkGGFnb8AG7CwHyyLHKt5MYyJdvhFy0fPZeWJkWzCJ6lBJ-VU0-mZT7Uy8L-60rV/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+051.jpg" />nally came out the woods and said their goodbyes and wished me luck on the rest of my hike. Now I felt nauseas. I was all alone and the reality of it hit me. I am now solo hiking... I stayed in that parking lot alot longer than I meant to. Almost deciding that I didn't need to do hike any longer, that I could just call my shuttle guy and be taking back to my car, I really felt a sick nagging feeling in my stomach. It was telling me to quit, after all, I had a nice weekend hike with Hemlock and Kellye. But I talked myself out of it. I looked at my dog and said, "OK, let's get to camp, then we'll decide." So I put my shoes on, got up, put Charlies pack on him, slung my heavy ass pack back on, and I swear my knees felt like jello, even though I hadn't climbed much and was well rested from my 2 hour lunch, my knees were wobbly. We crossed the gravel road and with my stomach doing somersaults, we climbed and climbed, and climbed some more for the next 4 miles. The last mile had some steep switchbacks!<br /><br /><span style="FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span"><span >Around 4:15pm, we crossed SC Highway 107 (Fish Hatchery Road) and started to descend. I wanted to get to a nice flat, stealth campsite before 5pm. We passed several small streams and I finally decided to sto<img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610239341312372930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiISoo5lVjXsXjk8ZvqVczj3kwvXTPy5jb4cnxrCg90J5zaWlU238U1akIbPSdjAZywWI4n-zKGZ-CVSGWwPDiLJTgC5CFiV0qnxH54Ef0hbu17GePlDtLCbc58YTy3OnpXJvpC-xYkFE53/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+054.jpg" />p and filter 6 liters of water</span> <span >for camp for me and Charlie</span>. <span >Yes, 6 liters is ALOT and extremely heavy, but I wanted enough for the night and for the next morning. So with 6 liters of water, I continued down the trail. I finally found a nice stealthy campsite. It was away from the trail and covered by trees, so no one could really see us. Since it was a long 12 mile day, I pulled out Charlies poncho liner/bed, laid it out and we both plopped down to rest. The next thing I knew, it was 5:26pm, I had dosed off for a 1/2 hour. I grudgingly got up to set up camp while Charlie continued to nap away. I strung up my tarp, hammock, and found a great bear bag tree. In one try, I got my bear bag rope strung up (YAY!!). I then, changed into comfy camp/sleeping clothes and shoes, and plopped down next to Charlie again to review the Foothills trail book for the next days hike. An hour later, I decided to give Charlie a good back rub (<em>that dog has the life! haha!)</em> then it was time to make dinner. Around 7pm, I boiled some water for my 1 serving Enertia San Juan Strognoff, when JERMM walks by. We chit chat for a bit and she tells me she's aiming for a campsite a mile or two up the trail. We wave goodbyes and she tells me to keep an eye out for Don. I finished up my yummy dinner and cause it's Easter Sunday, I have a Dove chocolate bar for dessert. You see, I had given up chocolate for lent, so that first bite was pure heaven. So good... Don finally rolls by and I tell him where JERMM says she's camping out.</span></span><br /><br /></span><span style="FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span"><span >By now, I've bear bagged my food bags and am relaxing next to Charlie (<em>who hasn't moved by the way</em>). Around 8:30pm, I climb into my hammock and easily fall to sleep. This whole time I was so worried about spending my first night out in the woods all alone, and here I am, sleeping soundly. I guess I just scared myself silly with all the "what if" scenarios or maybe I was just too tired to be scared. haha</span><span >!</span> <img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610240732257365762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCs5j2TnVSZrTTnrBW9SlT8Gh_sY95iiEsY-dImXwoR3_Rxio2y4u6fx8bP9gxAC1RaXbq7VuFCT2o7MLOc73mO2ELcHUu4RwTznOK_GGrGmMFO-1VeukorwawCrNW7_cmHF8JSYXMpEYL/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+064.jpg" /><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span ><strong>Day 3</strong> The next morning, I woke up around 6:30am. I wanted to get an early start, so I packed up camp, ate my oatmeal, fed Charlie, and we were stepping on the trail</span></div><div><span >by 8am. We continued to hike gently rolling trail, til I got to JERMM and Don's campsite at 8:30am. JERMM was up and enjoying a beverage, but I think Don was still sleeping in his hammock. We chit chatted<span style="FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span"> <span >a bit and then Charlie and I continued on. Around 9am, I stopped and filtered some water for our up coming 4 mile climb today. As soon as we crossed Highway 107 at Sloan Bridge, we started our well graded climb.</span></span></span></div><br /><span ><span style="FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span"><span >I finally go<img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610241057525763218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTeerRSFjFAoBYik1A1hDhBwBDmOBaAAtKyw9xFkEl-AL-l9L8z1rmUVfAdceb0YHNR758RM5GjzEOeEzGVkhbJWbLTH2008Ovp3oDX3RAL0PLr6Uz9sQDGshWgXKYZV2kHSDJ1n0K_S-x/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+070.jpg" />t to the SC/NC state line sign and not only was it a mile</span> marker for me, it <span >was also like a big welcoming hug. I was hiking back into my home state. We were leaving Sumter Forest in SC and entering the Nantahala in NC. I've hiked this area several times, so the familiarity put me a little at ease. I finally reach the top of the escarpment, and I know it was the top b/c of the nice wooden bench the park provides for some rest and views. Well guess what? No views, none at all. It was socked in with fog. I still took advantage of the bench and rested while I had a granola bar. 20 minutes later, I got up and we walked down hill for a mile, crossing NC 281. We stopped by a nice rolling stream and took a good 10 minute break. I filtered more water and Charlie splashed around. I decided to skip the .5 mile spur trail up to the falls and continued</span> descending<span >. Th<img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610240737542317858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3edqq0VW1RODWxXALZqluWtpKiS1n5HLIsAvQ2nq0mC7YSd3oQpsZ6yXfFDibtNnOKJwRwxB5L5iLyzWpQTEUH3Q2rDb43hrxEILzbquZ_CWyXucfo9YwHJeLtnUAmfSQQ2wCOm5h3Vbz/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+073.jpg" />is section of the trail was really rocky and full of big boulder steps. I finally met some day hikers on this section and chatted them up a bit. I didn't realize how awesome it would feel saying I was a thru hiker, until I actually said it. The group of day hikers asked me where I was going and where did I come from and when I said I was thru hiking and came from Oconee, going to Table Rock, it hit me. I actually said I was hiking 77 miles, I was thru hiking 77 miles. I suddenly felt strong, confident, and happy. But I tried not to think of Table Rock during my entire trip. I wanted to take it day by day, mile by mile. Today's goal was to get me to camp. They wished me luck and one of</span> <span >them said, I hope your dog likes to rock climb. I thanked them and had no clue what he meant by that, but I continued descending down to the base of the falls.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span">Once <span >I got down t<img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610241061961935234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQm2ZIAnKw4BZQtKAL5nLSi4ddOeLuYuGeOYC8DNJRQ2pE6yvcIMvYwHqr9fCvFYMCF5cR_A-Kki58f6knyBANRgibj3xK4Akw6paJ4u6kS9NqojVsIjMbd-6ue8w6RkK86gEOZsvqHgje/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+071.jpg" />o the suspended 28 foot bridge, I realized what he meant by rock climbing. There was a giant smooth boulder, that we were supposed to scramble up to to cross the bridge. I mean this was a HUGE rock! It was taller than me! So I took off my pack and flung it up on to the top of the rock and tossed both of my trek poles up. When I turned around, Charlie had plunged into the deep, rushing river and was trying to swim back to the boulder shore. He finally came close enough for me to pull him out by his back pack. Hey just wagged his tail like nothing happened. Silly dog, he almost floated down stream! I took his pack off and threw i<img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610242544842774114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaBcR0rLkCryB5ebXhzZqXbw29hepZKvJegu_zCeEU2TKxFhJsLf3fVy-xXQ_cHEi43jB5877g3Qu1CkaThn8hkJ2fmyZ6X_f3UKos8D0WFMWqLQ2x1K4bviteoUiBXIga9cwRfrc0_vzq/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+080.jpg" />t up onto the boulder. Then I pick up my 105lb chocolate lab and push him up the boulder until he could catch his balance and scramble the rest of the way up. Exhausted, I look up and see my silly puppy just wagging his tail, grinning down at me. I finally scramble up to the top., get all our packs back on, and cross the bridge.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="FONT-SIZE: small" class="Apple-style-span"><span >We begin hiking through a series of steps and small wooden bridges that traverse steeply through a rocky section, then begins a nice flat area along the river. Charlie and I decide to take a nice lunch break near the river and while he splashes around and naps, I eat a rehydrated black bean salad burrito. YUM. After a nice hour break, we haul our packs back on and continue the flat section of trail that is maintained by Duke Energy. All of the sudden, I hear my name, I turn around and it's JERMM! We hike a little ways together, catching up on each others hike so far. We pass by a group</span> of Duke Energy engineer types that are surveying the river and we chat with them for a bit. Don shows up, then we all hike to<img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610243541124858882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCd23g2ZN27Y-r8FA8MujIGWyjq5f51nY7DOFW9-TARCcYRv5k7gICHjlgWm7hN-bfkppv004oD_HOBx7AOrIo6ut7gk-ty8mQ93LVj8aEHBgiHp-4MYe6Y82fPvNmpbIxn_APyDfsp1pp/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+094.jpg" />gether to Bad Creek Access. It's around 4pm and I have maybe 2 more miles left in me. JERMM tells me they are headed to Hilliard falls, about 5 miles away, I tell her in two miles I would of made a respectable 12 mile day and wish her and Don luck. We all begin the climb up and slowly we all begin to spread out. Charlie and I climb steeply down into Thompson River and I filter our 6 liters of water for camp as JERMM and Don pass by. I check out the designated campsite and it looks bad, so I decide to <img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610243451244450082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCoUBff4auxLOiMfcAXT11Loat4EnSyL-ODlaUk0DIEoOwskKIzuL9rf1AbJBja6oUryY-jkS8Cr9mQNrJvAGNFc-FJFFbidaCMGrZVog4UAFyL7PASi0SyN_0HpGOtRRS6X1xDkl6Od6H/s200/FoothillsTrail4-11+101.jpg" />continue on to the next flat spot. So loaded up with water, we climb steeply out of Thompson river and trek on. At the top of the climb, there is a bend in the road and a sign pointing to a campsite .4 miles down a trail. I look over at the bend and see a nice flat area that looks perfect for a campsite. I drop everything, pull out Charlies poncho liner and we both lay down and rest for 1/2 an hour. It's right around 5:30pm by the time I start to feel rain drops. I quickly get up and start putting up my tarp and hammock. I throw a quick bear bag and duck under the tarp just in time. It rains for the rest of the night. I change clothes, cook/eat dinner, give Charlie a back rub, and read my next days hike all under the tarp. Finally, around 8pm, I climb into my hammock and drift off into sleep as the rain plunks down on my tarp.</span></span></div>SweetPeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09859517179779570178noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092981556705665352.post-1171450558208394502011-04-18T14:13:00.013-04:002011-04-21T12:08:57.111-04:00Kings Mt. with the NC DamesToday, 8 of us (<em>Katherine, Stephanie, Linda, Marsha, Karen, Kimber, Tammy, a<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgMNCXeWCQkJg0mU-0VhrD0LtA9tUjlaWhCNnJm68SBeDtlUpzq-AhhQmrrONwlOKr0DIMua0-ASDDXCAQLYy57yL-rclGP7CPDtNpeW09M7UDJLoi-Z1djqAy77miQFv4FYaerBWtkIG/s1600/TD+April+2011+040.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597998990620915922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgMNCXeWCQkJg0mU-0VhrD0LtA9tUjlaWhCNnJm68SBeDtlUpzq-AhhQmrrONwlOKr0DIMua0-ASDDXCAQLYy57yL-rclGP7CPDtNpeW09M7UDJLoi-Z1djqAy77miQFv4FYaerBWtkIG/s200/TD+April+2011+040.jpg" /></a>nd me</em>) headed down to Kings Mt. Military National Park for a 5 mile hike on the Brown Mountain trail. It was a beautiful day and the weather was perfect! We all carpooled to the park, which was only 40 minutes away. Once there, we grabbed maps, agreed on a meeting point, and hit the trail! It start<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-YhLfGaAlhk7y2fi7cL3PmBzpKH7Mwa9f5_WhPhWLFwBsDb_VsfhBVyYAVHBan89fIHTVkkDCV0AxeinVCrp0babntEvid2DXoRilaR_zDzC-ky3JD8eJx1kR7dmlqcfOI7N9hohOnFtZ/s1600/TD+April+2011+033.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597999201884421474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-YhLfGaAlhk7y2fi7cL3PmBzpKH7Mwa9f5_WhPhWLFwBsDb_VsfhBVyYAVHBan89fIHTVkkDCV0AxeinVCrp0babntEvid2DXoRilaR_zDzC-ky3JD8eJx1kR7dmlqcfOI7N9hohOnFtZ/s200/TD+April+2011+033.jpg" /></a>ed out nice and flat but then gently started to climb for a 1/2 mile. Some of the ladies blazed on, and some of us ambled along. I'm really big on "hike your own hike." Meaning, you do you, or hike at your own pace and not worry what everyone else is doing. We will all arrive at the same place soon. Enjoy yourself, see the flowers, breathe in the fresh air, or push yourself. It's up to you, it's your hike. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCsWLZ24VnIWCV4Drcx8fq3HxKDPP-8cvdSGvSnBHhWIZIEjm3Qx2xsKn4ImoCVxgZZYRnYdu7idgikonuRpaV3VRTpbPvta4d21hms5vciECTR4S08mca3vqdg5BG3Ag2TyuVZYgEHE0G/s1600/TD+April+2011+050.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597999355333845666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCsWLZ24VnIWCV4Drcx8fq3HxKDPP-8cvdSGvSnBHhWIZIEjm3Qx2xsKn4ImoCVxgZZYRnYdu7idgikonuRpaV3VRTpbPvta4d21hms5vciECTR4S08mca3vqdg5BG3Ag2TyuVZYgEHE0G/s200/TD+April+2011+050.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Soon we come to a road crossing, then descend down a rocky, rooty trail, to a nice flat walk with gentle rolling hills for the next 2 miles. I hiked with Marsha for a while and learned that she's a pretty bad ass Dame! She has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and used to ride bikes for 40-60 mile stretches. I was really impressed<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegZbdCrAlqapAVleOgWIV3rZ5AvBNdjZA8gOjY66Kscvza8qI9ujCfrzfPy45_kqkjFTNKoUyBu1I3TwiDBC2AqL_L9vVtHFD6qdBTNJPyL1N_u94nkQ_lWwBUeO-hVW2RkjfhIbwxgv-/s1600/TD+April+2011+044.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597999208069735522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegZbdCrAlqapAVleOgWIV3rZ5AvBNdjZA8gOjY66Kscvza8qI9ujCfrzfPy45_kqkjFTNKoUyBu1I3TwiDBC2AqL_L9vVtHFD6qdBTNJPyL1N_u94nkQ_lWwBUeO-hVW2RkjfhIbwxgv-/s200/TD+April+2011+044.jpg" /></a>. I decided to run up ahead to catch the group and let them know to go ahead and make that final 1 mile round trip push up to Browns Mountain. When I got to the trail intersection, Catherine told me they only arrived 5 minutes ago. I told them I would hang out here and wait for the others and that the group could go up to the top of Brown Mountain. Six Dames (and Dixie the Boxer) climbed up Browns Mountain. Tammy, Marsha, and I sat on a comfy log and traded snacks and stories :) <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ7KMDCMRmbTBC9xaInZINNKrQDvm0n9haQiIIUIaW1rdMi1CUx5S3tHaSVRfXFj5zFSVGw1dfMNNHC8tzsrOV5LIBfB9cpaMKz9QdmboyiaP_n7kd2fCiyjCowJYcDYVtdAWDWD0k_pB_/s1600/TD+April+2011+049.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597999598404316098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ7KMDCMRmbTBC9xaInZINNKrQDvm0n9haQiIIUIaW1rdMi1CUx5S3tHaSVRfXFj5zFSVGw1dfMNNHC8tzsrOV5LIBfB9cpaMKz9QdmboyiaP_n7kd2fCiyjCowJYcDYVtdAWDWD0k_pB_/s200/TD+April+2011+049.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Soon, Marsh and Tammy decided to get an early start on the return trip and off they went! I waited a few minutes for the others to return and soon we were bolting down the trail. We all made it back to the visitors center and said our good byes as we hopped back into our cars and headed home. All in all it was a great hike, on a beautiful day, with a great group of Dames. I liked the fact that I got a chance to hike and talk with everyone on this hike and I loved how all the ladies seemed to find a hiking partner they could hike and talk with. That's what it's all about, enjoy the outdoors with friends. Til next time... GET OUTDOORS!!!SweetPeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09859517179779570178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092981556705665352.post-63319039469725296322011-04-17T20:06:00.007-04:002011-04-21T09:47:56.577-04:00Cultured Rain<span style="font-size:85%;">So today</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuRefB9AJD4piL0wpHYN9jhcZQxgcx9ztvwjqPrlwCfk6QX_bP-xBMgxx9LT9NkWWsg_n07gcwN2FPINcTA6k7xpCvUHdbjrxQ1hOwWzlejdrU5hnqW3p_UoLqmjIcm3haSjdZ7nxFIgJE/s1600/TD+April+2011+024.jpg"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596708908728576082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuRefB9AJD4piL0wpHYN9jhcZQxgcx9ztvwjqPrlwCfk6QX_bP-xBMgxx9LT9NkWWsg_n07gcwN2FPINcTA6k7xpCvUHdbjrxQ1hOwWzlejdrU5hnqW3p_UoLqmjIcm3haSjdZ7nxFIgJE/s200/TD+April+2011+024.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> was supposed to be the Art Walk along the greenway. Well, it started out that way. haha! I had 12 Dames signed up for the Art walk, but when it came down to it, only 2 showed up. I think the threat of rain scared most away. So it was just me and Kelly. We decided to zip up our rain jackets and brave the outdoors. Since it was just the two of us, we planned a new, more aggressive route, and plugged in some miles along the greenway. </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Soon the soft misty rain started to pick up, but we just kept walking, thinking a little water wouldn't hurt us. Then the rain cam</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx-TluAMdgrypn2e48AoKQlyf_YlOF7R06RWc211hj_vxxWMr4ggjqqJ2oQVoeXUcpGPsMrjsypd4dmoV6k12Kcac3W5qSAEWclH_nLSJu5SvTJM3EmolGkuBeNzQGzN5iQIm3qVdbMmfl/s1600/TD+April+2011+023.jpg"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596708773356784066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx-TluAMdgrypn2e48AoKQlyf_YlOF7R06RWc211hj_vxxWMr4ggjqqJ2oQVoeXUcpGPsMrjsypd4dmoV6k12Kcac3W5qSAEWclH_nLSJu5SvTJM3EmolGkuBeNzQGzN5iQIm3qVdbMmfl/s200/TD+April+2011+023.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">e pelting down, we just cinched up our rain hoodies and moved along the paved greenway path. We got to our turn around point, made the flip, and continued on. All of the sudden, the sky opened up and torrential buckets of water started pouring on us! We tried to hike faster, but just ended up sweating underneath our rain jackets and being soaked to the bone. Then the wind started picking up and whipping thru us. With a mile to go, we noticed an awning that we quickly ducked under. That's when we saw him, the half naked man. haha! He was a shirtless jogger that got caught in the rain and decided to take cover to wait it out. Just as </span><span style="font-size:85%;">we begin chatting up the jogger, my phone goes off. I get a text from Boo telling me that I need to come home, b/c there is a tornado watch for this afternoon. I laugh and tell Kelly and half naked jogger what my husband says. I text him back and tell him, "I AM in the tornado" haha! </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">We decide the rain isn't going to let up, and we are already soaking wet, so we duck back out into the elements. When we get to the </span><span style="font-size:85%;">bridge we see that the water level of <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1DUMrLcZLFWiXWW9o2F4jenjFDEfp-VRZFOSjAHGoz1tiSQJ23G2pShw3-41KIDqi83D1Cdyv5xvEFgyLBYzZTvMw3Ge8k-Ax28SufwwWMHN-9yZ0SKsMnA9wqwvf0r6wBXnyDf2TfJmt/s1600/TD+April+2011+025.jpg"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596708774394328546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1DUMrLcZLFWiXWW9o2F4jenjFDEfp-VRZFOSjAHGoz1tiSQJ23G2pShw3-41KIDqi83D1Cdyv5xvEFgyLBYzZTvMw3Ge8k-Ax28SufwwWMHN-9yZ0SKsMnA9wqwvf0r6wBXnyDf2TfJmt/s200/TD+April+2011+025.jpg" /></span></a>the stream has flooded the trail and there is no way to continue down the path. I make the decision to finish up the walk along the street. So with a mile to go, we huff it down Kings Drive, laughing our butts off at the craziness of it all, and marching right thru puddles. I knew right then and there that I'd like Kelly. I mean, anyone that can bust out laughing at our situation instead of complain, is definitely my k<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzu8-bEaiZQGDDnI0cKuF6keeOM9ZuAzocmBC8BgRfzDudmzOEZmLLJyLyABC1sB52lwHXrhxTarVj6OAOdKCwntgYHLU2_M6T7H41Zs5RWq4tAVzGncKVyxPqhae5F_Rb4Vpun1DQV2-g/s1600/TD+April+2011+028.jpg"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596708911269308850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzu8-bEaiZQGDDnI0cKuF6keeOM9ZuAzocmBC8BgRfzDudmzOEZmLLJyLyABC1sB52lwHXrhxTarVj6OAOdKCwntgYHLU2_M6T7H41Zs5RWq4tAVzGncKVyxPqhae5F_Rb4Vpun1DQV2-g/s200/TD+April+2011+028.jpg" /></span></a>ind of Dame. haha! You rock Kelly! </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">So even though it's raining, I think we'll be safer along the road. Right? Wrong..... We were fighting typhoon tidal waves created by cars speeding along the puddles in the road. I think I might of used a couple of expletives, but for the most part, we just laughed our last mile down the road. As soon as we got to the corner and the Art Walk, you will not believe what happened. The sun came out, brilliant and bright and the sky turned that beautiful Carolina blue. The rainy, cloudy, gray sky just disappeared. It looked like there was never even a windy tornado! I said, "I bet we look crazy standing here sopping wet!" Again we just laughed and checked out the Art walk. All in all it was an interesting day as far as weather goes. haha! Kelly was a great sport and we got in an urban hike (<em>with a story to tell</em>.) Haha!. Til Next Time... GET OUTDOORS!!! </span>SweetPeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09859517179779570178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092981556705665352.post-61151761601833623412011-04-11T09:23:00.014-04:002011-04-17T20:06:33.558-04:00Crowders (take 2)<div>On Sunday, Boo and I headed to Crowders Mountain to get our hike on! Since I was last here, with the Dames, I had a wonderful day, but unfortunately, didn't break a sweat hiking. So.... this hike was for me. For me to push myself, sweat it out, huff and puff up that mountain and come away feeling cleansed, exerted, and estatic! I love a good hiking workout!</div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghcygblZtNuW7dHOHwtkZA0nHXsPkAXWJjwVGyFvyRhe0kvpDl7pbv8mT5Jt7KfRdotp_SUliGbiTNQo9watWvHbEgECWmeLY8qtaFpMefVWNQ9_OoP1G24_P1Yon_K8tZvdAeSsam8ngZ/s200/TD+April+2011+012.jpg" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596706832631423858" /><div>We showed up at 8:30am on a cloudy, overcast, foggy, and chilly morning and notice only a couple of cars at the visitors center. As soon as the dogs bounded out the car, they were ready to go! So we decided on the harder 5 mile round trip loop and started our hike.</div><div><br /></div><div> I had it in my head that I was going to take out all my weeks frustations on the trail and leave it there. Boo knew what kind of mood I was in and told me to hike my own hike. So I did. I pushed myself up that mountain, over boulders, scaling rocks, and up the 1000 foot ascent. I hiked fast and I worked up a good clean sweat.</div><div><br /></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-pBA7JD6EjSrF_yB-Dnt75fJ_MlCFbio5cYk8YiHaEwnq9Os5xS1HsypRGaATj1K7Ylss1ThbLxxaA4Yfh8zYM1fSWND8x3bLe0spi4NujprKAq-dOgTrqs4m24kzj7SrUlOE17JjCEf/s200/TD+April+2011+015.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596707471360251106" /><div>Once we reached the top, we rested and gave the dogs lots of water. Too bad there wasn't a view, we could barely see 10 feet in front of us due to all the fog.</div><div></div><div><br /></div><div>As we're chillin', I hear someone say my name, I turn and see my friend Katey. She hiked up with some friends. We caught up and I found out she just got accepted into the PHD program at UCLA. I'm so excited for her. She's gonna love Southern California. We made sure we had each others info and made a tentative date to hike the John Muir Trail in northern Cali one day soon. I wish her well and will miss her.</div><br /><div>Once we climb down the other side, we had about 2.5 miles left to hike. I turn to Boo and say, "Ok, I need to finish strong, so I'm gonna take off." He smiles and says O.K. So me and thing 1 start to blaze down the rolling trail. After a mile of me plugging away and thing 1 panting</div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_6nMKti8M4g1eodSXB3gccWAUwavTv7iGnWZDwQUSZTk-lZFXLXtm4LHKkPmIBnJq16V-GLceP8fz-km9A6AitYuGu9HETpYvkatA6Oo-Ep_Dvna_pCSHCkef1tt9EwmKM-jVQjmqfIw/s200/TD+April+2011+018.jpg" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596707950562644962" /><div> away, we pause so I can check out the time and see how fast we just hiked the mile. Imagine my surprise when I see thing 2 and Boo only 10 yards behind me, jogging down a small hill! I turned back around and with a huge grin on my face, I trekked on. My heart was happy and so proud of Boo. He was keeping up! Even jogging some sections! Wow... I just couldn't help but to be bursting with pride for him. He was awesome on the trail today.</div><div></div><br /><div>At the road crossing, we only had like .33 miles left with a couple of stream crossings, so I decided to start our cool down, let the dogs enjoy the streams, and finish the hike as a family. I couldn't stop smiling at Boo. He must of thought I was the biggest dork, just staring at him w</div><div>ith a huge grin. I couldn't help it, I was just so happy and proud of him, and the dogs definetly enjoyed the streams. I had wet, sleeping dogs during the ride home. haha! Even with the cloudy foggy weather, I still had a great day in the woods with my little family. Til next time... GET OUTDOORS!!!</div>SweetPeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09859517179779570178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092981556705665352.post-72698787399196266872011-04-06T11:19:00.020-04:002011-04-11T09:22:37.678-04:00Crowders Mt. with NC Trail Dames<img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592805126357236578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgspCSxadgVQHka3Ur9H_WSnCwhtVf3CVbfo5YLrAPky1IQ6WvcXstO1AOfFFW7VWtvNXpDnv6bNoAih_9QWFMuFJ-bsX1_2VG85toNgFCxpxQFcSxv9nX9xqfynAF4zKAe-c_MgjHYVUAX/s200/TD+March+2011+020.jpg" /> <span style="font-size:85%;">This past Saturday, 5 of us (<em>me, Linda, Chris, Sharon, and Dianna</em>) headed up to our local mountain for a nice hike 3 mile hike. (<em>I brought my dog with me too.</em> )This was a first hike for most of the Dames and the second hike that I was leading. I purposely chose the 3.5 mile trail in hopes that everyone would be able to finish. </span><br /><div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:85%;">We met up at the visitors center at 9am and started out in the chilly windy morning. The first mile was a nice gradual climb. I hung back with Chris and Sharon as Linda and Dianna blazed up the tra</span><span style="font-size:85%;">il. We finally caught up to them at a trail intersection. They were sitting on a bench and as we got to the bench, both Chris and Sharon plopped down. I didn't realize how hard the trail was til the newbie Sharon mentioned she wasn't sure she could make it to the top. I was just about to give her the "You can do it!" speech, when to my surprise, before I could utter a word, the other l<img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592805132438980418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ2610prwwEDgFjrcqpbNA2-dQivkCQJ1FTq7MOyQjN8GR91e4mtokb-VEl4JxlAnR0Voh98kIXaTreBoCZCxHBdYgzDxlA7YGrzKJohwEfHEeuMPKhnY0nIheUTBweAa3W1JGji5aKQ5w/s200/TD+March+2011+024.jpg" />adies showered Sharon with encouragement, compliments, and affirmations that YES!, she could do this! They were going to make sure ALL the Dames made it up! I just stood back, amazed at the commraderie of this group. The others even went so far as to find a stick for Sharon to use to help her for the rest of the hike. My heart swelled and I had to choke down a tear before I finally said. "This is what Trail Dames is all about. I love it!" Women encouraging one another to accomplish what they didn't even know they could do! </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:85%;">With renewed determination, Sharon got up with her stick and started up the trail. We all hiked the last .7 miles, (<em>which happened to be the steepest and toughest .7 miles of the hike</em>), together. When we neared the top, I ran up to the sign indicting we reached the summit. When I yelled back to let them <img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592805133099293314" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxi0mFKTbrPPRIGjuOt9X-Ydy6dYcVtOy7f7o3ma6kCOQscr31edyNEgaPDmt7s70y2c3NauKRqU7mQjKDosr9yQ5-pSYEji9z8BH1KFLqdTn8I_sj0OWQAXXn_Tg_ab9y4co58d8P_oX/s200/TD+March+2011+026.jpg" />know they were yards away, I heard chorus' of "thank goodness, YAY!, and FINALLY." Haha! As each Dame reached the sign, I snapped a photo and high fived the hiker while each person cheered for the next. Linda made it point to say, it was alot<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7lLM7d6MQb9W6e0ZrJRomR6edPxbbENutzdTOSFoAIOv8Mqc6HlCY6o8_do56EsfCQErbJnRXKXRbr-mEo39y_Tu067SikEeS0o6EmjBEuPt0s0xUavsMQ2n0e1PGRW41u36RWPnYXw0/s1600/TD+March+2011+031.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592805642832480210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7lLM7d6MQb9W6e0ZrJRomR6edPxbbENutzdTOSFoAIOv8Mqc6HlCY6o8_do56EsfCQErbJnRXKXRbr-mEo39y_Tu067SikEeS0o6EmjBEuPt0s0xUavsMQ2n0e1PGRW41u36RWPnYXw0/s200/TD+March+2011+031.jpg" /></a> tougher than she expected. Chris mentioned that walking 3 miles and hiking 3 miles were two different experiences. I just laughed and told them that I understood, after all, I was once in their shoes. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:85%;">With no view in sight, I point up to our very last, strenous piece of the trail. We have to boulder climb (<em>literally climb</em>) up to the summit. They all look at me like I'm crazy. At this point Sharon says that there is no way she can do it. (<em>Crickets...)</em>No one says a word. This time I pipe up and say, "YES you can! You didn't hike 1.7 miles, all up, for nothing. You all worked so hard for that view, you EARNED that view! Now lets go get that view!" One by one, they caustiously placed their hands and feet in foot holds and climbed thier way up the last .15 mile to that view. I went up last to make sure everyone made it up safely. One by one, I could hear the gasps as they each reached the top. Chris, usually chatty, was silent. She <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-KtP5uEVkMowmr_Mhzy_2HoK5ONX2Txgi2frW6eR9aN4DDzevOz1kEzlxsRst1GPaesjrn9gnw4XWOWtfs_9K9q4ymXK0Sa5HDN84ordw3bDzBjZj9v-3eq-SbXRPMM__Ke-Q-M7C2-l/s1600/TD+March+2011+035.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592805904431827250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-KtP5uEVkMowmr_Mhzy_2HoK5ONX2Txgi2frW6eR9aN4DDzevOz1kEzlxsRst1GPaesjrn9gnw4XWOWtfs_9K9q4ymXK0Sa5HDN84ordw3bDzBjZj9v-3eq-SbXRPMM__Ke-Q-M7C2-l/s200/TD+March+2011+035.jpg" /></a>was taking in the view. Linda was the first to say it was all worth the climb, (<em>everyone nodded in agreement</em>). Sharon, close to tears, told us that she would of never have seen this view or made it up to <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6TeTNi6zaOlpeT0dgY3xF-0zVKDkiZkgZRykysI2Exypr_SzvhAbHFxSGc1nLUNMY6RuE8j1MX_4cveziY633dRVv72QXoKarF99ooBe656XT90XR5AwZBxfGOvELEFP09Yi84QSCYO4/s1600/TD+March+2011+037.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592805652980231474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6TeTNi6zaOlpeT0dgY3xF-0zVKDkiZkgZRykysI2Exypr_SzvhAbHFxSGc1nLUNMY6RuE8j1MX_4cveziY633dRVv72QXoKarF99ooBe656XT90XR5AwZBxfGOvELEFP09Yi84QSCYO4/s200/TD+March+2011+037.jpg" /></a>the top if it wasn't for all fo us being there for her. We stayed up there for a good 20 minutes, just taking in our accomplishment, before we decided to hike back down to the cars. It was a great day, and as many times as I've seen that view, today's view was especially special because it was a "first time" view for many of these new Dames. I'm glad I was able to show and share it with these ladies. Til next time... GET OUTDOORS!!! </span></div>SweetPeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09859517179779570178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092981556705665352.post-28976830388120664812011-03-29T14:57:00.012-04:002011-04-08T10:24:03.752-04:00Congaree National Park in SC<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNjzEqcDw6tAjxgc4uqb5i_R8ItLc8L3tbG0amr_XUEqVV1OulhQrI0hNqRlwjv8PP_C3tkOig59sHbcC1P0hCwbogv5fCqAfwYWW-ZZ_w0HTP_MrhQQam2eJ5X25lA4fa7A-RDUTb_29b/s1600/TD+March+2011+002.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592804387716898114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNjzEqcDw6tAjxgc4uqb5i_R8ItLc8L3tbG0amr_XUEqVV1OulhQrI0hNqRlwjv8PP_C3tkOig59sHbcC1P0hCwbogv5fCqAfwYWW-ZZ_w0HTP_MrhQQam2eJ5X25lA4fa7A-RDUTb_29b/s200/TD+March+2011+002.jpg" /></a> <br /><div>First official hike with the Trail Dames of North Carolina. 6 of us (Chris, Lynn, Linda, Deidra, Wendy, and I) headed down to SC to meet up with a GA dame (Kellye) for a nice and easy hike along the boardwalks of the Congaree National Park. After hellos, we headed up to the vistors center to grab a couple of maps and start our hike. The self guided hike was very easy and pleasant. </div><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592804582508138130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiubHocBoK_oBUpd2C0CTrwvsrJX1B5pDORAWt3pReK9enJdeaKjJczd7gdFTFsbS4NfcsCzJ73uqPA4DvAZ4OYh8HsNXEVO6fzUyNXxddNITfwHC-xR481eK9PyiCgIAtaZa4E1x2ou-Vq/s200/TD+March+2011+011.jpg" /> <br /><div>We learned so much about the native plants, trees, and creeks. Who knew trees had knees. haha! Chris and Lynn learned what poison ivy and a palmetto was; Deidre kept us all educated as she read the points of interests to us along the trail; and Linda seemed like a little Hemlock, so knowledgable about all the trees and flowers in the area. We took a small spur trail to the lake for a view then hiked back to the boardwalks. When we got to a giant first growth tree, we all linked hands and circled the tree, it took 6 dames to get around the entire tree! Kellye and I fell into the familiar footsteps of friends who have hiked together do as they catch up on each others lives. She's lost 50 lbs since I last saw her and I was amazed at how great she looked and how confident she seemed.</div><br /><div></div><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592804392304279778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLZZc7qoSDXKmOXLvsFlkBLiiZ9RFFRmtN4jYoL8kWY_uJqqMTOJonTxu5rfomD6-FZhREeIRCVWZ4NkvwhCmbuLhwy61UtWtsbmjDcQSsGzXhp7a7DkZB886HZucBCKx2mm5pvT0ZS7v/s200/TD+March+2011+015.jpg" /> <br /><div>I loved hearing how her hiking is progressing and getting stronger. Seeing my friends do well makes me happy. Anyways, after catching up, we realized that the hike was already over. So we headed back to the visotors center, said goodbyes and piled back into my car. We left just in time to avoid the rain. We stopped for some ice cream before arriving back home. I think it was a nice first hike for the Trail Dames of NC. Til next time... GET OUTDOORS!!! </div>SweetPeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09859517179779570178noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092981556705665352.post-59035648734669543312011-03-23T16:49:00.014-04:002011-04-07T09:07:00.551-04:00Joyce Kilmer Backpck Trip<div><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj93zpuLARzLpdHexQvmiu4hF4JHaQp7PVS8LISamr8RVWF8DwFl0oXwBD-nH2I3Ip345SIaBv5_lNxpNRAkthiI_6lgXew8Js_RSWqgSVEmN6vWQIhuBqft0hHquUJ0uanLBvquSxvIvSU/s1600/pic"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 144px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592826418994175266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj93zpuLARzLpdHexQvmiu4hF4JHaQp7PVS8LISamr8RVWF8DwFl0oXwBD-nH2I3Ip345SIaBv5_lNxpNRAkthiI_6lgXew8Js_RSWqgSVEmN6vWQIhuBqft0hHquUJ0uanLBvquSxvIvSU/s200/pic" /></a></span></div><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">What happens when you get 9 Trail Dames (<em>Hemlock, Shemeah, Leslie, Kelly, Denise, Kristen, Sandi, Diana, and me</em>) together in the rugged mountains of North Carolina?</span></div><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">Le<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKAJPgKeuQEVU4MlV2k34Jd02MBDkQYXAxQUWL-tpg6zf82onoY1g0xVSWQTCcZhwQs-Cl44jIXv91eJ1XxMFIkz8NPLOrbqNMdhmdeZGAe5doUEUNbzXkzKxqx6bVOuLTc6-mmd5HI47O/s1600/100_2240.jpg"></a>ts see........</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">You get your script flipped </span></div><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592800405251522386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDb2NJLqhhlJs0wrlui_Jn4wTP7ZCAY37S5beRDVdgAmAYyLRLVP4tfLxP2gKbWQo2DxwC6dEUfKGXS2XIH8eRvyWV4zKWwL_XMWci0GPndz0uoP-rhZBl3eO8htTCogSiXXfV9ZjhKU0R/s200/100_2170.jpg" /> <br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">when you find out the forest road you need to go up is closed, haha!; You get a new plan that insists </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">you hike UP hill for two days; you get a beautiful warm up 2.4 mile hike of dynamite exploded trees, triliums, yellow violets, carpets of moss and little white flowers (<em>sorry Hemlock, I forgot their names! candy something right?</em>); 82 degree weather; a 1.5 mi<img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592799594400135618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5SKx0woMuCckB7lnDQYCSlyyOY09d4glLcTm1_pdfn88WtRrE9pmBsa_miEh7MwyQdTCvELJWORApKLlxR1nTVDtoAGbV2-u3U1ix-IBKb3itSeR3Tlsf_rRCt2PC8FoPsBWQIsrgAraw/s200/100_2148.jpg" />le climb to our campsite; a lovely rhododendrum lined river cascading next to our campsite that helps soften my snoring (<em>hee hee!);</em> hours of bear bagging attempts; great conversations; an awesome fire to keep us warm when the temperature plummets; some vegan chocolate (<em>who knew Godiva makes vegan chocolate? and it was GOOD!);</em> the birthday song sung to Shemeah and birthday vegan carrot cake (<em>which was delish!);</em> Sandi's 3.5 inch bed buddy (<em>hee hee!);</em> stories of the red eyed monster (<em>Thanks ladies, I <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBzccemH59NLVdWK20QvGeDaX32tEzpB4gte5JE_yz-cF4oabwAYODSkilxcU1xOHoZVjzinzHIB-2KqcyvpTiW6Kvp2oBalY4gfLOBhW9zQvUC7YAQJAFR4iBwkpN6fiTyW3AumzKG5Mb/s1600/100_2168.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592800399542446658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBzccemH59NLVdWK20QvGeDaX32tEzpB4gte5JE_yz-cF4oabwAYODSkilxcU1xOHoZVjzinzHIB-2KqcyvpTiW6Kvp2oBalY4gfLOBhW9zQvUC7YAQJAFR4iBwkpN6fiTyW3AumzKG5Mb/s200/100_2168.jpg" /></a>was the closest to the trail that night and it took me a good half hour to stop thinking about that monster! haha!); </em>sleeping soundly to the sound of the water rushing by; waking up late and rushing to pack up; some steep up hill 3 mile climb; a giant tree that you could l</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">ive in!; crawling betwe</span></div><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">en some down trees that were in the middle of the trail; steeper switchbacks; stopping for a snack with Leslie and Kelly on some caterpillar infested rocks and not caring that they crawled all over me b/c I was too tired to move; getting stuck on a fallen log and not minding because I was so tired and the log felt comfortable; pulling a muscle trying to do a cheerleaders split to get over said lo<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8QkRuFpYEJ1vYZSPzXPFY4ApTyCIQYjkRl3Xq4Mj2KbwHFvcmQtxOEGotK5GEnf9FUyE_luXcJG-4ikNUEsC6Y7oi9tEaFOnSgzSFonm21kECWw1lap-hToCwOsVJyJ0xFf0tDuBRjyR/s1600/100_2229.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592801660700013858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8QkRuFpYEJ1vYZSPzXPFY4ApTyCIQYjkRl3Xq4Mj2KbwHFvcmQtxOEGotK5GEnf9FUyE_luXcJG-4ikNUEsC6Y7oi9tEaFOnSgzSFonm21kECWw1lap-hToCwOsVJyJ0xFf0tDuBRjyR/s200/100_2229.jpg" /></a>g (haha!); praying that I wouldn't have more climbing; feeling of relief at hearing cheers from Denise and Sandi as we round up to the top of the mountain; utter bliss at dropping my pack and seeing the view at Naked Ground; realizing that I will be camping at a place called NAKED GROUND! haha!; forgetting how tough the climb was as I take in the amazing view; napping in the sun for an hour; setting up camp for the night; finding out Kristen needed a sodium b<img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592800428295735218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2ahpULQkETh3W3nIM1RSgwC5NGLRhOFJs_j8GoiNxJlKoTJI3fG6s7NKNj1FjaHXlFxJ4H3vJj7U9hO_FBuIZeKwYK_Ahyphenhyphen7NlPwjI3qZiYQrwMmBzpp_xQIZzaRPj6LeaQ3BxdENKL5V/s200/100_2173.jpg" />oost to get her up the hill and thinking her trail name should be SALT; finding out Hemlock hiked up that dreaded mountain TWICE! to check on everyone (<em>She is hard core</em>); a bunch of hikers and dogs stopping by on their way up to their campsites; a hike down to the water source; a hike back up from the water source; plummeting temperatures; a clear, windy night; perfect view of the super moon that only comes around every 18 years; debating if we want to have our own "Super Moon" but deciding not too because of the 3 gentlemen campers near our <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixt4i3I44WYxvEcdIUPzdrzK63RoZj5zfWf41J9KLqL_-3HUXTfmA-jYNAFeBTWI8T95NOvzMG3aA1zpyeXVNtCWtv5yDVTbBFN2ZeVlJdBrMS-5TocyeQCpyoSJzvBJ-VH1VrwfnNLq5_/s1600/100_2238.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592801665702701330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixt4i3I44WYxvEcdIUPzdrzK63RoZj5zfWf41J9KLqL_-3HUXTfmA-jYNAFeBTWI8T95NOvzMG3aA1zpyeXVNtCWtv5yDVTbBFN2ZeVlJdBrMS-5TocyeQCpyoSJzvBJ-VH1VrwfnNLq5_/s200/100_2238.jpg" /></a>site (haha</span></div><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">!); another warm Shemeah fire; finding out that sitting on hard rock is actually very comfortable; night time yoga; sleeping warmly in my hammock; waking up to what felt like sub zero temperatures; cooking breakfast with a view; starting our 4 mile descent back to the car; hiking in my PJ's; Sandi falling flat on her bum (<em>don't worry, I don't think anyone else saw. Hee hee!)</em>; Denise tripping and eating the trail (<em>yeah, I think we all sa<img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592800443015054402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmtGVhtjz9kU4rXEYsjFKfnYe8cDGmPL6ljqJh_4IXJL1JSyx4a7AkOZQnbxc_V5BR16TFblW5Xt9G59QX10USCXLou_mHWQntMTjlN86Ev-rwbgP8a7Arpr5a1eCfmMWpeKGD5T6U8hKE/s200/100_2209.jpg" />w. haha!)</em>; 5 dames sqeezing into a hollowed out tree for a photo op (<em>so much fun!)</em>; contorting my body (<em>with a pack on</em>)to weave through some down trees; climbing up a boulder to continue <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYerZIzC1YinwLmYcLbrQEj7uINqUmHqmq91aoeCliyonUN7TJ9st7MgGXu306IPYrLIg7OiSNYe0k3IK1srlQWiLmmUWkgMMJl66GNKpZCwwa0_cOJl6BFVnN_5Q2k0UcubWfhDwgTt8y/s1600/100_2317.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592801674606130578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYerZIzC1YinwLmYcLbrQEj7uINqUmHqmq91aoeCliyonUN7TJ9st7MgGXu306IPYrLIg7OiSNYe0k3IK1srlQWiLmmUWkgMMJl66GNKpZCwwa0_cOJl6BFVnN_5Q2k0UcubWfhDwgTt8y/s200/100_2317.jpg" /></a>the trail; 20 water crossings; a giant grin at reaching the end of the trail; a 1/2 mile walk back to my car; changing clothes in the gorss privy; slipping on flip flops and my feet thanking me for it; saying good bye to some old and new friends; getting a good bye Trail Dame, trek pole salute (<em>so cool, I loved it! thank you everyone!)</em> ;speeding down the mountain to a warm cheeseburger and icey cold diet coke; and finally, thinking I can't wait to do it all over again with this group of ladies. </span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmrjPrJPgAXEN-pZN6RNxQ943poGd2g55XlM3W8fQikpTwi-UFduqNFIPp4eJP_q58CP4ufO3f1_VZYr_g0LYMhtuuE-bgwxJvWnbMqtxNzp_B5882ZaJELdpv7Yex0DdJ2aqT4IpgNCIP/s1600/IMG_2280.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592803236770906850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmrjPrJPgAXEN-pZN6RNxQ943poGd2g55XlM3W8fQikpTwi-UFduqNFIPp4eJP_q58CP4ufO3f1_VZYr_g0LYMhtuuE-bgwxJvWnbMqtxNzp_B5882ZaJELdpv7Yex0DdJ2aqT4IpgNCIP/s200/IMG_2280.JPG" /></a> <br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">I had a wonderful time with all the Trail Dames and look forward to more trips with you all soon! I'm so glad I had a chance to talk to every single one of you. You guys are hilarious and so much fun. Til next time... GET OUTDOORS!!!</span></div></div>SweetPeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09859517179779570178noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092981556705665352.post-84615725745431423172011-03-03T17:05:00.007-05:002011-03-03T17:27:54.562-05:00Update on my swims<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAK8dTN6sNIZtZGTFiI_vlEYgFAKfR4qNCG1MKAYVP4OwBXgH7XghUWeu1ErE6yNyIoMY2iL63YdkNd9CN0rE__vIE0nej39WFbNgw6_2VVSK6JN-eqwLiZ_Aj0c6Epe5w29RtmWNzyv0/s1600/swimmin.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 138px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579983414191268018" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAK8dTN6sNIZtZGTFiI_vlEYgFAKfR4qNCG1MKAYVP4OwBXgH7XghUWeu1ErE6yNyIoMY2iL63YdkNd9CN0rE__vIE0nej39WFbNgw6_2VVSK6JN-eqwLiZ_Aj0c6Epe5w29RtmWNzyv0/s200/swimmin.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Remember how, just weeks ago, I was struggling with swimming 50 meters drills? and how doing 400 meters total a session was exhausting? Well I've got some good news. The scoreboard now looks a little like this POOL-2 SWEETPEA-4. whoo hoo!<br /></span><div></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:85%;">I'm amazed at how quickly I'm progressing with my swimming. I'm up to doing 100 meter drills and over 1000 meters total for each pool session in just a few weeks. I can hardly believe it myself! I'm not going to say it's been easy, cause it has not. I push myself at each workout session. I still run out of breath and struggle to get air on the last 25 meter of my 100 sets, I still struggle with keeping my form throughout each 100 set, and I'm still not fully recovering my breathing during each 30 second break in between sets. My goal is to swim 500 meters sets consistently and I'm building with each workout. So far swimming has been fun and challenging. I can tell I'm getting a good cardio, all over body workout b/c when I do break in between sets, my face is burning up and red hot and I'm out of breath, and when I finally go into the locker room to change, I look like a lobster, my arms and legs are beet red. Once I'm in my dry clothes, it takes me a good 10 minutes to stop sweating! So here's to some sweet swimming in the next couple of months. 500 here I come!</span></div>SweetPeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09859517179779570178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092981556705665352.post-13750717757293911462011-02-22T08:46:00.008-05:002011-02-22T09:33:36.675-05:00Pros and Cons<span style="font-size:85%;">I've been thinking alot about my new workout regiment. I suppose it's cause I'm reading tons of books about running (<em>CHI running</em>), weight training, swimming (<em>Total Immersion</em>), and cycling (<em>Beginner Triathlon. Finishing your first Triathlon</em>). It's started this domino affect of understanding and learning about a whole health lifestyle. All these books touch on, not only techniques and workout schedules (<em>which is why I initially checked them out</em>), but also discussed healthy diets, motivation, mental focus, camaraderie, tips, goals, and having fun, (<em>which I never considered</em>). Before, when it came to working out, it was all about weight loss, and hurrying to do my time at the gym so I could enjoy the rest of my life, (<em>kind of like a prison sentence.</em>) I think all the reading has changed my attitude in fitness for the better and it's made all of it make sense. I'm actually enjoying myself. I've set mini goals for each week to increase the speed, intensity, and weights and it's something I look forward to reaching and accomplishing. Anyways, all this info got me to thinking about the pros and cons of why I work out, so I listed a few below. Just my opinion, but I hope it helps.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#006600;"><strong>PROS:</strong></span> I feel great, happy, warm, confident, strong, and fit after each workout session. The weight loss, the inches lost, my clothes fitting better and looser, working out with my Boo, my running shoes (<em>I heart my Mizunos, just putting them on makes me feel strong</em>!), sleeping better, noticing progress with my weight training, getting better with each swim session, running faster, feeling pretty, being less stressed, feeling comfortable in the gym, feeling like an athlete (<em>even though I got a looooong way to go! ha ha!), </em>getting fit for hiking season, how working out motivates me to eat healthier, and my favorite... Boo mentioning I'm getting smaller each time he wraps his arms around me.<br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>CONS:</strong></span> Getting up at 4:30am each morning, falling asleep at 8:30pm each night! Looking fug at the gym every day, cause I have not make up on and my hair is slung into a ponytail. (<em>I literally roll out of bed and walk out the door.</em>) On days I do weight training, I can't lift my arms up til around 9am cause they are fatigued out! Talking myself into having a great workout every morning. I need some new motivational phrases! ha ha! and lastly... the extra loads of laundry I have to do every week cause of all the stinky, sweaty workout clothes and socks! <br /><br />But it's all good. I think the Pros totally out weigh the Cons :)SweetPeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09859517179779570178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092981556705665352.post-21866887200782276892011-02-21T08:41:00.006-05:002011-02-21T09:15:37.849-05:00Guest Post: Walking in the clouds<em><span style="font-size:85%;">Hey! Today I have the pleasure of sharing with you a Guest Post by Anna, aka Mud Butt. For those of you that don't know who she is, she is the head Dame, the founding Dame of the outdoor women's group called Trail Dames. I've had the great fortune of meeting and hiking with her and many Trail Dames over the last few years. I can honestly say, I have never met a Dame I didn't like! Anna created an amazing group for introducing women to the outdoors. For more on the Trail Dames, check out the link under my Fav websites on the right. Now enjoy a page out of her Appalachian Trail Thru hike down below! Til next time... GET OUT DOORS!!! <br /></span></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNcsHclYuVXP3fh_FHSUdG6DGIJBNELeKtSeZ3gZ6yaX6YzyuMZRCS-9GH6omDaXAy5Y0Bo42b32csnkXFg5RmgI_wCY0Af9-AHsHJU6CO0WM7GD0e4v_njatCihIvOzm-rg-HRlzrFti_/s1600/PB140116.JPG"></a><div><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Walking in the clouds (Excerpt from Mud Butt's AT Journal)</span></div><div> </div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiriQcXBFhTyBfaGG8EwEqo6mYJ0yZ-ZcLWxISNUuF_KS4rX1eRMtaEtUikyP2LrMIW7ipVKUB36sLrqDX81QjkPL6qTTbJyh6LQeF5Zorm77AxXHKD9P31HYbqtWYFpqyNVgyQI3KyVdcR/s1600/PB140116.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576138870019845314" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiriQcXBFhTyBfaGG8EwEqo6mYJ0yZ-ZcLWxISNUuF_KS4rX1eRMtaEtUikyP2LrMIW7ipVKUB36sLrqDX81QjkPL6qTTbJyh6LQeF5Zorm77AxXHKD9P31HYbqtWYFpqyNVgyQI3KyVdcR/s200/PB140116.JPG" /></a></div></span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">Well, today I learned what the inside of a cloud smells like. We walked up in the clouds most of the day and it was our best hiking day yet. We did 9.6 miles today and would have gone further except that the weather turned very nasty, very quickly. When the grey fog threatened to overtake us, we pulled into a great campsite out of the wind and hunkered down. The temperature was dropping very quickly, so I decided that the best place to be was in my sleeping bag! It was a great hiking day, though! It was alot of ridge walking, which was fairly flat, with just a few big climbs. We stopped for lunch at Low Gap Shelter and there was a group <span style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">of</span> fraternity guys there out doing trail maintenance with a member of the Georgia A.T. club. They were so funny, these self assured young men. You should have seen the look on their faces when we told them we were walking to Maine! It was priceless! We did take the time to thank them for the work they were doing on the trail. I for one, am so grateful!</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiriQcXBFhTyBfaGG8EwEqo6mYJ0yZ-ZcLWxISNUuF_KS4rX1eRMtaEtUikyP2LrMIW7ipVKUB36sLrqDX81QjkPL6qTTbJyh6LQeF5Zorm77AxXHKD9P31HYbqtWYFpqyNVgyQI3KyVdcR/s1600/PB140116.JPG"></a> </div></span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">After our lunch break, we enjoyed the rest of the days hike immensely. Bumpkin and I both agreed that it was our best hiking day so far. When the weather turned nasty, she found us a wonderful camp site out of the wind and off we went to find water. The neat thing about our water source was that it was actually head of the Chattahoochee River. You would think that it would be grand and big, right? Well, it was actually a small trickle coming out of the ground. But it does go on to become the Chattahoochee. I think that is kind of cool!</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">The not-so-cool thing was that it was a half mild hike down a very steep trail. And when I stay steep.... I mean steep! But like Bumpkin said... that is what hiking the AT is all about!</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">After we had retired to our tents for the evening, we heard two voices shouting out 'Hello!' It was two fellow thru hikers that were looking for a campsite. The combination of the deteriorating weather and signs of bear activity combined to make them pretty nervous and they were very glad to see others in the area. As they set up their stuff, we all introduce ourselves. It turns out that they are the Good Grass Consort, a bluegrass due that we had heard about on the trial. Needless to say, we had a ton to talk about! </span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">The cold soon drove us all back to our sleeping bags and we settled in for a snug night on the trail. The temperature might be dropping quickly and my hands might be freezing, but in case I haven't mentioned it... I am having a really great time!</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">Love, Anna aka Mud Butt</span></div>SweetPeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09859517179779570178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092981556705665352.post-17748622300016713122011-02-18T16:49:00.011-05:002011-02-18T17:19:13.982-05:00Checking in<div><div>So it's been 1 month since Boo and I started working out 6 days a week. There's been alot of sweat, a lot of red faces, and lots of cussing. haha! The cussing is only at 4:30am every morning, cause that's what time the alarm goes off to get us up, dressed, teeth brushed, <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_7jHM5hIHQoBqgTnfCBnssAn9vfuW2yQnFWtKu1kH5dxH-PzZhZHosGIhWWMIkgypJB1Iav2pOVIG-Z8o6fxjODmqRJoqB_BYPKX7qUrw_xVjUKDB-P5FS1_QzI9VuXJ-_QACrMat8ea8/s1600/weights.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 135px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 145px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575156305299754130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_7jHM5hIHQoBqgTnfCBnssAn9vfuW2yQnFWtKu1kH5dxH-PzZhZHosGIhWWMIkgypJB1Iav2pOVIG-Z8o6fxjODmqRJoqB_BYPKX7qUrw_xVjUKDB-P5FS1_QzI9VuXJ-_QACrMat8ea8/s200/weights.jpg" /></a>and at the gym by 5am. I secretly love getting there before the doors open at 5am. I'm sick like that. hahaha! On the occasion that we do get there b/f the doors officially open, Boo rants that he could of used the extra minutes (literally a couple of minutes) to sleep in. I just laugh and remind him to h<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtIoVO4-BOfVZCbWgVsu049EUG2JEsIRBgnHEHQLtKcONZLxTQAZ5WQI31G1NkcrtxkfG0LIofvmSqVU3S0yHr_An0KhC61iqI7sRg0zUBmGjJxTcbOL0bfdjCYRthIGuoCFR7kHzHUklS/s1600/Running.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 181px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575156429179217922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtIoVO4-BOfVZCbWgVsu049EUG2JEsIRBgnHEHQLtKcONZLxTQAZ5WQI31G1NkcrtxkfG0LIofvmSqVU3S0yHr_An0KhC61iqI7sRg0zUBmGjJxTcbOL0bfdjCYRthIGuoCFR7kHzHUklS/s200/Running.jpg" /></a>ave a great workout today. </div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">Here's what we've been doing:</span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">Monday: Running and weight training</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">Tuesday: 45 minutes of cardio (elliptical usually)</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">Wednesday: Running and weight training</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">Thursday: 45 minutes of cardio</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">Friday: Running and weight training and at night swimming</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">Saturday: Off</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">Sunday: Swimming</span></div><div> </div><div>I've mentally and physically have gotten used to the schedule. The first week was rough<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_txJKZWL7guYhrZN3Pv2p44Wd3MO_wQrq5G8TXLg3CNpHzXwNFKOc4yGM-kjxO09wpy067XD8RQn16624nR1AFmUEWC1vjqphqBB8jPxDp8JpQWKXVWRhjNi-ioS7E6Dv0k-AWcLAXj-r/s1600/spin.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 114px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 171px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575156493539820386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_txJKZWL7guYhrZN3Pv2p44Wd3MO_wQrq5G8TXLg3CNpHzXwNFKOc4yGM-kjxO09wpy067XD8RQn16624nR1AFmUEWC1vjqphqBB8jPxDp8JpQWKXVWRhjNi-ioS7E6Dv0k-AWcLAXj-r/s200/spin.jpg" /></a>! I was tired all the time. But now I feel good all day long. I think for the next month, I'll add some spin classes in the evening. Sounds crazy and I can't believe I'm saying that. Hell, I can't believe I'm enjoying it so much. I think I'm becoming a gym rat! haha! Seriously though, I think you need to be working out for over 6 months or something to officially be labeled a gym rat. Right? Anyways, it's actually a nice and comforting feeling seeing the same people at the gym every morning. We share a smile, a slight nod, a bond in knowing that we are hard core for getting up so early to beat ourselves into shape. There is even an elderly man who walks around handing out peppermints to all us 5 am'ers every MWF. He's so sweet, he makes me smile and look forward to those little treats, like it's a reward or something. Anyways... off to the pool! Enjoy your day and make it a good one!</div></div>SweetPeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09859517179779570178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092981556705665352.post-39915828207715637432011-02-01T16:42:00.005-05:002011-02-03T10:41:36.965-05:00Slo-mming<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHDpGgt6isZFNiadNQ1m5TiYLvbQBbKzbKhJPGp8DSRomWC1IiI4pfkEJqUZmuzhnqvi15y_Y21jWtzuqKoVQxxW61_b7QgAf21NiRxQTqnPDQefw83f0oRPPFTy88bkzyCEUGOUVjztc/s1600/Swimmer_Cartoon.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 250px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 98px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568842610025808242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHDpGgt6isZFNiadNQ1m5TiYLvbQBbKzbKhJPGp8DSRomWC1IiI4pfkEJqUZmuzhnqvi15y_Y21jWtzuqKoVQxxW61_b7QgAf21NiRxQTqnPDQefw83f0oRPPFTy88bkzyCEUGOUVjztc/s320/Swimmer_Cartoon.jpg" /></a> Slo-mming, as in SLOW SWIMMING. That's what is on my mind today. My first experience back in the pool (<em>competitive swimming, not recreational swimming</em>) was a humbling experience. Let's just say if I kept score, it would look like this. Pool-1, Sweetpea-0.<br /><br />Swimming kicked my ass. It's been a loooong time since I swam races. I was a swimmer in high school and had a pretty respectable freestyle, so going into this, I thought it would be alot easier than it was. After all, I've been running for 6 months, so I should be good cardio wise right? WRONG, so wrong. I could barely do 50 meters without choking on some water trying to breathe. I did eight 50 meter sets with rests between each set and I was beat when I finished the 400 meters. At least now I know where I stand. Looks like I got a good challenge to keep me going :) Til next time.... GET OUTDOORS!!!SweetPeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09859517179779570178noreply@blogger.com0