Cold Mountain is one of the 6,000 foot peaks in the Great Balsams of North Carolina, and a challenging trail with spectacular wildflowers. Our trek began on the Art Loeb trailhead leading up from the Boy Scout camp. This is a shorter route, but steeper climb than coming from the Read more…
The blooms in the Big Ivy area have SPRUNG! We took a short 4 mile hike after work to check out this ever-evolving wildflower haven. The bright blue skies and warm temperatures over the past few days mean that the forest understory is greening up with spring ephemerals. Some wildflowers Read more…
Day One: HIKING-weather or not? Hike, see spring wildflowers, repeat….again and again, but always a thrill! There are not many weather events- springtime or not- that deter our hikes. However, predicted high winds, heavy snow and lightening are weather conditions that cause re-evaluation of the best laid plans. During the Read more…
Live in accordance with the nature of things. In dwelling, be close to the land. In meditation, go deep in the heart. In dealing with others, be gentle and kind. Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching We often string together different trails in the Big Ivy/Coleman Boundary area for a longer, Read more…
3-29-19 The Fork Ridge trail leads from the Shelton Laurel backcountry to the Appalachian Trail, near the Jerry Cabin Shelter. If you want a good workout, this is your hike. Along the way, there is a side trail to Baxter Cliffs- well, sort of. It’s not much of a trail, Read more…
2-16-19. We were greeting by a cold, rolling fog as we set out on the Jerry Miller Trail around 9:15. The Shelton Laurel backcountry is a gorgeous setting in any season. The green of the rhododendron leaves and mosses were a contrast to the grey mist enveloping the cove. Intersecting Read more…
February debuted quite mildly here in Western North Carolina, with many of us seeing temperatures around 60 degrees. So we headed up to the Big Butt trail (one of the many trails with the not-so-descriptive term “Butt”), that stretches between Route 197 at the Buncombe/Yancey county line and the Walker Read more…
Joining the blogging world feels like a leap of faith, for many reasons. The thought of writing a blog is intimidating for someone who is private, and typically chooses the quiet solitude and beauty of nature over large gatherings of people. There is also the technological side of blogging, which Read more…