I hope all my
faithful readers had a wonderful holiday season! I certainly did. I was blessed
with the company of family and friends (some old and some new) and, despite my
instance otherwise, the loving people in my life gave me some very useful gear
for Christmas – but more on that later.
Aside from all the
gifts I asked people not to get me, I was blessed with the best gift of all–
I’m engaged to the love of my life. I wish I could say that the whirlwind of
joy that has been my life over the past several weeks led to my delay in
posting; alas, I’m just lazy.
The Friday after
Christmas, my head was swimming with possibility and contentment, and I found
myself with clear blue skies and a day off work. I desperately wanted to break
my outdoors fast and use the opportunity to test out my new gear, which I'll take a moment to recommend...
I’ve been hiking in
Merrell boots for a few years now, and they’re essentially bomb-proof.
True-to-size and rugged, I trust the brand implicitly. My old pair had hundreds
of miles of trail and muck wear and tear on them so my dad got me a new pair
for Christmas. Every pair of Merrell’s I’ve owned has been easily jump-in-able,
requiring very little break-in time. At the end of this hike, my feet felt
fine, 2 days from the box to the trail.
Since I started
blogging, I’ve tolerated the requisite changes in my hiking style due to a
camera constantly hanging from my neck. My camera choices have grown larger and
heavier over the years, and it’s become increasingly difficult to navigate
rugged, off-trail terrain with 2 pounds of technology bouncing all over the
place. Diana solved that problem for me on Christmas (about 15 minutes before I
gave her a ring) – she got me a Capture Pro Camera Clip system by Peak Designs.
This clip allows a camera to be attached securely to any webbing or strap, and
quickly released for use. I keep mine secured to the left shoulder-strap of my
pack, easily within reach of my right hand. It’s so much easier to hike,
on-trail or off-, without having to dedicate a hand to steadying a wild, heavy
camera. I’m clumsy enough, especially with only one hand to balance myself.
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| https://peakdesignltd.com/ |
Ok, let's get back on track. I got a late start
to my hike that day, after deciding to sleep in (the holidays are so much more
exhausting than I remember as a kid). I decided to hike a stretch of the AT,
south-bound to a spot in NC called High Rocks. I parked my 4Runner at Spivey
Gap near the TN/NC state-line, where the AT crosses the highway. The road-side
trail markers were hard to see initially (which may be more a consequence of my
poor eyesight than anything), but the gravel parking area on the south side of
the road is obvious. From Spivey Gap, the AT travels north over Flattop Mountain
and across the Nolichucky River into the Unaka Mountain Range. My route that
day would take me south from Spivey Gap – from here, the AT climbs high into
the Bald Mountain backcountry of TN and NC, and passes beneath High Rocks in 2
miles.
High Rocks is an
impressive rock formation – as large as a house, it stands in solitude along
the ridgeline below Little Bald. The trail in this section is very
well-maintained, and I would consider it a moderate hike; most of the route is
a gentle incline, with brief sections that are fairly steep. The 2 miles to
High Rocks didn’t feel nearly as far as other 2-mile hikes I’ve survived.
As I began my hike,
the chill of the late December air lingered in the afternoon, and as I climbed
higher into the NC backcountry, that chill quickly changed to a bite. The harsh
angles of the mid-winter sun left half of my hike in shadow – yet the ridgeline
which blocked the sunlight was no obstruction to the wind. Snow still lingered along
the trail, deeper in the shadows, and crunched responsively beneath by new
boots.
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| A sapsicle! Yes, it was delicious |
My hike was a
solitary one. There was no one else on the trail that day; I didn’t even see or
hear a single animal, the only sound other than my huffing and puffing was the
howl of the wind. Both steep sections of any significance are easily-traversable
over convenient stone arrangements designed as steps. I’ve become accustomed to
hiking with my hands on my hips, but I’m proud to say I made the hike to the
top in under an hour, without stopping for a break (breaks to take pictures don’t
count, shut up).
The climb up to the
rock formation is the steepest part, and the AT climbs over the left side of
the ridgeline to the right, dropping over the crest with High Rocks towering
above. Just beyond the shadow of the rocks, a blue-blazed spur trail splits
from the AT and climbs the back of the outcropping to the top.
The views from the
top are spectacular. I had hiked to High Rocks once before, during the spring
with the canopy filled with green. The leaves blocked the views which are
otherwise breathtaking (the haze and cloudiness that day didn’t help).
Regardless, with the wind whipping across the rock-face, it was a relief to
finally see the full views from this beautiful vantage point. I dropped my pack
and began snapping pictures; I even found a spot in the sun and out of the wind
to snooze for a while before I had to race the quickly approaching dusk back to
Spivey Gap.
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| Looking south toward Little Bald |
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| Looking west toward Rocky Fork |
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| Roan Mountain, towering 20 miles away |
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| Unaka Mountain, shrouded in spruce |
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| Little Bald, looking not-so-little |
Despite the wind and
the cold, this hike was wonderful. Making quick work of the trail afforded me
the chance to relax amidst this world’s most beautiful scenery, the chance to
put my feet up and reflect on all my blessings and how, despite my apparent fumbling
to the contrary, my life keeps getting better and better. This past year has
been great, and I hope 2014 is as good to each of us as 2013 was to me. I plan
to embark on many more adventures this year, including marriage, and I can’t
wait to continue on this trail with all the wonderful people in my life.
Blessings to all in the new year!
And thanks for
reading!
