Welcome to my Friday after Thanksgiving! I have hiked parts of the Appalachian Trail (AT) for years but never long stretches. Mostly, I have backpacked and camped on Cumberland Island where the temps are mild and there are no bears! But I'm the first to admit there's a true mystery surround the AT and that [...]
I love taking off on a Sunday afternoon and driving up to North Carolina, and Dry Falls is always a favorite destination. But it has been years since I have walked down the steps and stood behind the falls. Last year, I was in the middle of Chemo treatments and knew that even though the [...]
Usually, when we walk into this field the cows just stand and look at me. I always think they are wondering what I will do next, This super crazy lady is back! But that was not the case on Sunday evening. Suddenly, we had their full attention and they came running from the opposite end [...]
Behind me is where Elisha Mitchell is buried. He dedicated his life to this mountain; and sadly, he died while trying to cross a waterfall near the mountain. He is also the person, who bushwhacked the Old Mt. Mitchell trail. Mt. Mitchell is one of those places that stands apart from the ordinary. It's dramatic [...]
During my trip to Balsam in July, I got this really wild and crazy idea—hike at least six of the over 6,000 peaks in North Carolina and Tennessee. There are supposed to be 40 of these. We've made a commitment to hiking six before the first of the year! So, far we have hiked four [...]
I'm so grateful that Cocoa is still with me. She's 13 and showing her age, but she still loves to go wherever I go. On this walk, I was struck with a couple of unchanging facts about this dog: She really wants to be with me, and she doesn't really care if anyone else is [...]
I almost want to write: "Guess what happened yesterday?! The sun came out and we actually got outside and walked!" Then by the evening when we were home, the rain returned and that was that. But at least for a few hours, a welcoming blanket of unexpected warmth and sunlight filled our day. We were [...]
I'm getting soooo ready for spring to hit. These photos are from last year before all the sickness and physical problems and current rain hit. While I'm still not at my strongest, I'm ready to try my hand at getting back outside and on some hiking trail even if it is a simple and easy [...]
