11. Three More Conditioning Hikes – June 14

This post will cover my last three conditioning hikes.  The first one was to Douglas Falls not far from Craggy Gardens off the Blue Ridge Parkway, well known for the gorgeous deep pink Catawba Rhododendrons.  The 8.3-mile hike with 1,679 ft. elevation gain traversed through the densest, tropical rain forest type flora I have hiked through on any of my mountain hikes.  The trail was very narrow on a steep bank for much of the distance.  At times, the soft soil gave way as I stepped on the edge of the trail and there were numerous slippery rocks causing me to fall at least three times.  They were easy spills so fortunately, no damage was done to my body or gear.  We crossed over several small streams and one long, cascading trail of water that would have been lovely if we could have found a good place to see it from top to bottom.  Douglas Falls is a straight 70-foot plunge of water onto rocks below.  It is not a big, dramatic falls but worth the hike to see it, nonetheless.  After taking a break in the basin of the falls, we headed back up the four-mile ascent.  It was a tiring day but the beauty and invigoration were wonderful.  

The second hike was along the Green River in the Green River Gamelands near Saluda, NC.  The 8 mile and 1200 ft. elevation gain round trip trail followed the river for most of the trek.  There were pretty flowers blooming along the way but lots of poison ivy too.  I am happy to say that none of the hikers reported getting any reaction to it.  We also had two snake sightings, one a water snake and the other a garter snake.  Our turnaround point was right on the river just a little way downstream from the famed Narrows known to all serious kayakers in the area.  I chose to sit on a large boulder right on the edge of the water a little distance from the others.  I had a good view of a section of the water that rushed through a cluster of boulders.  I am drawn to the sights and sounds of moving water, especially water that creates a dynamic force as I find it is calming and soothing.  Yet just a little way upstream in the Narrows, these same waters claimed the life of the 19-year-old son of a friend and colleague of mine in a tragic kayaking accident.  As I sat in silence to remember my friend’s son, I was taken with the uncertainty of life and life’s circumstances.  I felt grateful for the years I have lived and once again determined to make the years remaining to be vibrant ones.  I want to go places, see sights, feel the cool mist of waterfalls, and hear their roar in places I have not traveled, taste foods that bring comfort and pleasure and remember the scents I once smelled.  I want to inspire others to do the same.  And if possible I want to share these experiences with those I love and care about as life is better and easier when shared with others. 

The third hike was on a part of the Appalachian Trail at a point where it crosses the North Carolina and Tennessee state line.  We started at Carvers Gap and trekked to Round Bald, Jane Bald, Roan Mountain, and reached our turnaround point at Grassy Ridge Bald at 6,165 ft. elevation.  Most of the trail was in the open sunshine traveling from one treeless bald to another.  There was, however, a section of the trail that went through a dense evergreen forest that was dark and damp and there were a few rhododendron tunnels on the ascents to the balds.  We were treated to the glory of the blooming rhododendrons that decorated the trail, mountainside, and meadows.  It was hard to keep a good pace as the photo ops were abundant.  The group engaged in fun conversation as we took in the grand views of the mountain ridgelines in every direction looking into North Carolina on one side and into Tennessee on the other side.  The bright blue sky gave a striking background to the deep pink blossoms and the cool breeze made for a near perfect day of trekking in this grand world.  As we neared the end of our hike, we stopped to chat with a local artist capturing the splendor on his canvas.  As I thought back on the day, I was struck by the contrast of the dark, damp, almost eerie forest to the bright, sunlit trail full of vibrant color and beauty. While the difference adds interest, I like the sunlit section better than the dark section both on the trail and in life.

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