When One Door Closes...

Nearly three weeks ago I helped Cori pack up her first three mail drops for her Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) hike and shipped them, along with her gear, out to California. Two days later she faced one of her greatest fears, and got on a plane to San Diego, CA. By April 25, she was 1 of 75 people standing at the southern terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT).  That evening she was at Lake Morena celebrating ADZPCTKO (Annual Day Zero PCT Kickoff), feeling ever not so well, and after another two days of trying to overcome suspected jet lag she thankfully found herself back at the home of trail angel Betty Wheeler. An initial visit to urgent care revealed that she had contracted a virus and was instructed to take an additional 7-10 days of rest. At her rate of recovery, she would need at least another week off to recoupe, putting her back on the trail mid May. With a goal to finish by September first, this would mean hiking an average of roughly 25 miles/day with no days off. Doesn't sound like much fun. After three days of sleeping with no sign of recovering, and much discussion about the "right thing to do" she decided to come home, and try again next year. This decision later proved to be invaluable. Later visits and tests to the doctor revealed she had contracted a strain of the flu. She wound up needing a full two weeks of rest before feeling "normal" again.

Although seemingly unfortunate, this series of events has resulted in a new outlook for both of us. Next year, when Cori revisits the trail, I will be with her.

Linville Falls: Basin Plunge & Gorge Trails

Trail Mileage: 1.8 miles total (Gorge Trail + Basin Plunge Trail Combined)

Trail Location: All of the Linville Falls trails can be reached from the Blue Ridge Parkway, mile post 316. From November - April when the parkway tends to be closed, the falls can be reached from an alternate parking area off of NC 183 that remains open year round, however, the forest service roads and parking lot are not plowed in the winter.  From the visitor center, the Gorge and Basin Plunge trails are to the left and are more difficult then the other set of trails that leaves from the visitor center and to the right (Upper Falls, Chimney View, and Erwin View trails).

When we arrived at the visitor center it was nearing the end of the day, and I was hungry for dinner so we kept our time at the falls fairly short, choosing to hike only the Gorge and Basin Plunge overlook trails. As we headed up the trail, the Gorge trail is just past the Duggers Creek loop entrance. We forked left and descended a steep 0.4 miles down to the river where we were rewarded with a river front view of the Falls. 

Crabtree Falls

Trail Mileage: 2.5 miles, loop trail
Elevation Gain: 627 ft.
Elevation Loss: 574 ft.

Location: Crabtree Falls is located off the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 339.5

Crabtree Falls Trail

Crabtree Fall Trail Profile

Catching Up

It's been to long since I've posted (over a year), and almost as long since I've done any kind of hiking. I've completely starved myself of the things that seem to give meaning to my life; hiking, writing, and photography. Unacceptable. This is in-part due to living in the flatlands of Ft. Benning, Georgia for most of 2013, but mostly due to life in general. I got wrapped up in completing my Masters Degree, working, and roller derby. After some reflection its clear that portions of my life lended themselves to the opportunity to write (i.e my adventures as a rollergirl; my conservation work along the Chattahoochee Fall Line with The Nature Conservancy), but somehow these opportunities fell by the wayside. Luckily, recent life changes have brought me back to the beautiful town of Boone, NC where hiking means stepping out my front door.

Carver's Gap to 19 East

It was almost an epic day. Almost.

I first experienced "the humps" as a thru-hiker in 2009. It was epic. Admittedly, my experiences along the Appalachian Trail eventually taught me that hurricane force winds can just happen in the mountains without the accompaniment of tornado's or lightening, but I didn't know this at the time. Rather, my first experience will go down in my mind's history as one of the most terrifying experiences along the trail. Still, I  have had the desire to re-experience the humps in good weather. I had seen photos, read blogs, and had been told stories about the beautiful panoramic views that the balds (Little Hump and Hump Mountains) offer. It was these, the fairytalesk stories that I wanted to experience.