12. Rain, Packing and More Hikes – June 18-30

It rained most of last week putting a damper on my hiking expeditions.  I did manage to get in a 5.7-mile hike with two women from my hiking group who were willing to venture out in the rain.  We did a loop near my house that wasn’t very difficult but lovely, nonetheless.  We concluded the hike with a leisure passage through the NC Arboretum where we enjoyed the beautiful display of flowers, plants, and Bosai trees.  The dismal outdoor climate gave me a chance to assemble my gear and start the job of packing. I discovered it will be difficult to pack all I want to take in my duffel bag and keep it under 30 pounds.  I still must go through it again and see what I can do without.  This will be hard since I will be traversing through five climate zones and need clothing for hot to artic temperatures.  I appreciated help from my friend Debi in this daunting task of getting organized. 

This week the weather was great, and the week started with a trek up the backside of Looking Glass Rock.  It is an iconic monolith in the mountains of Pisgah National Forest.  The trail starts at the bottom of the mountain and ends at the top of the precipitous cliff. The roundtrip journey was 6.18 miles and 1,713 ft. of elevation gain. I decided to use my new daypack and add things I thought I might pack in it on the Kilimanjaro climb.  It was heavier than I thought it was going to be and I had to slow my usual pace down as I got out of breath much quicker.  I wished I had started conditioning with the heavier pack sooner but still managed the trip in 3 hours and 20 minutes.  The trail had sections that were very steep with large steps and big roots.  Some of the trail had deep trenches that were very muddy.  On the way to the top of the sheer rock face, we passed a large, rather flat rock place where helicopters land for rescue or recovery missions as over the years, many adventurers have plunged to their death from the cliff.  Due to the rain of the previous night and the gentle breeze, the atmosphere was very clear and the views from the top of the face were absolutely stunning.  No picture or video can ever duplicate what the breathtaking in-person experience provides.

The second hike had to be adapted due to an air quality alert due to particulate matter in the air at elevations above 4000 ft.  This apparently was due to wildfires in Canada.  It is amazing that what is happening thousands of miles away in Canada can affect our air in North Carolina.   It is a reminder of how connected we all are on this planet and how everything we do has an affect not only to us but to others near and far away. We chose to do a section of the Mountain to Sea Trail that would have a good amount of elevation gain and allow us to take a second trail to make a loop back to our cars.  The terrain was the typical rocky, shady, root laden, path with multiple varieties of foliage complete with a few rhododendron tunnels we often hike through.  With the trees fully leafed out, the views were mostly obscured but the flowers along the trail added beauty and interest.  The group of women who hiked with me were delightful.  We spent time along the way getting to know each other better and bonding over the amazing stories of the lives we have all lived.  While the path of each person has been unique, we were united in embracing our differences and gaining new perspectives on life.  We completed the 6.25 miles and 1200 ft. elevation gain in 3 hours of moving time.  This time, I did better with the new daypack but hope to get even better before I take it on to the trek to the top of Kilimanjaro.

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