A surprise appeared in the beer store in Greensboro, NC! Here’s the very image of our Tramper emblazoned on the label of this lovely IPA from Boulevard Brewing in Kansas City, MO.
Notice the resemblance? OK, the one on the box is prettier but ours has more ‘character’
Of course, we bought and consumed this beer right away! Although we generally prefer a really dark beer, this IPA was mighty tasty…
Can’t wait to try more of these!
– Jane
After the relaxing walk enjoying Foxfire (see Jane’s post), we needed a place to camp. Seems like a theme doesn’t it? Soon, we’ll slow down and camp in one place for more than one day and do trips from that base. But this night, just before sundown, we crawled the 4Runner up a perilously steep and narrow road leading into Black Rock Mountain State Park. I even drove right past the gate sign that read “campground full”, on up to the 3640 ft summit where a narrow campground was perched.
The tradition for RV places is to drive around the loop once and select your site to back or pull into on the next lap. I often don’t like this, preferring to park and walk through. Right away, the camp host drove over in his golf cart. Even in this busy park I “was in luck if I only wanted one night”. Allen showed us which sites we could choose from and then offered us turkey dinner. My brief polite refusals were met with insistence. Jane and I were, of course, hungry. Not bike or hike hungry, but dinner was on our minds just the same! My final denial, was met by Allen saying “now don’t you all be hateful” “sit right down and fix yourself plate of this”. The freshly cooked turkey, baked beans and biscuits were a delight as the early chill of darkness commenced.
Jane and I were still in single layer long sleeves and not too cold, but laughed later to note some college co-ed campers in hats, gloves, snow pants and parkas. Kind of reminded us of when we see Maine-ers not wearing a coat while we get cold, except we were the ones who didn’t need extra layers.
Nice time to wake up
Sunrise beginning to look like a volcano. I had no idea exactly where it would rise so this was a nice surprise
My day started in time to take pictures of sunrise from our campsite. The hardest task is to decide which one to post, so I picked three.
What a way to start the day!
I almost made a “slideshow” of dozens and posted that. After crawling back to a warm bed until 8, we got up, feasted on eggs-in-a-hat and planned our hike. It has gotten noticeably warmer as we move South. The sleeping bag-as-quilt is too warm now, and we’ve noticed massive Rhododendron that seem to have set a second set of blossoms.
The James Edmund Trail had come up in at least 3 prior conversations so we figured it would be a scenic challenge.
A view from the trail
Jane has really built herself some trail legs, hardly stopping throughout our 4 and 1/2 hour hike. Metrics: a little over 7 miles including 2290′ of ascent, and 1995′ of descent bely the nice feel of the trail. We both still prefer going up to walking downhill, even if it is a little faster. Our boots are getting some use and the single pair of trekking poles are presenting their own pros and cons. (I use ’em like ski poles a lot going down making turns all the while.)
Awe in the sanctuary of nature…
The trail drops down into a valley, climbs to Lookoff Mt, drops down in again, then has to climb all the way back up onto Black Rock Mountain. The peanut butter and jelly feast at the Overlook at Lookoff Mt was a feast topped off with clear cold water. Boy, we are LIVING!
– David
Driving into Georgia, we saw the word “Foxfire” on the map.
It conjured up some old memories. What started in the ’70’s as a book was now the Foxfire Museum and Heritage Center.
I’m so old I remember when the very first Foxfire Book came out.
Hippie folk everywhere avidly read about life in the past; specifically, about the ways and traditions of rural Southern Appalachia.
Today, what began as a school project is now a center of learning and a functional museum.
Here’s David, trying out the stilts. I would have hurt myself!
The proceeds from the sales of books and magazines funded the preservation and construction of log cabins arrayed in a community on the mountain.
We visited Foxfire on a beautiful Autumn day. www.foxfire.org
– Jane
PS: Here’s a bonus video. I love things that make noise so I was thrilled to ring the church bell in the little Chapel. Most of the video was shot sideways. To learn how to make it straight would take me until next year at this time, so I put it in as-is. Turn up the volume so you can hear the bell!
(David, ever the Physical Therapist said “Good body mechanics, Jane!”)
A few days ago, we were looking for a place to camp for the night. When we arrived at the campground we’d found on the map, it was closed. For the season. Darkness was falling rapidly. Finding a place to camp and then parking the camper is many times more difficult when it’s dark. We really did not want to drive on into the night.
So, we called the phone number on the campground sign. David, in his charming way, explained a little bit about our plight and darned if the sweet little old lady who owned the campground didn’t invite us to park on her nearby front lawn! Amazing!
The Tramper spent the night in Miss Pauline’s front yard.
Miss Pauline was as cute as she could be, but she wasn’t a total idiot. A relative was also living on the property so I guess this gave her confidence in offering her land. She was also most likely ‘packin’. Probably had a 12-gauge behind the front door. In the mountains of western North Carolina? Oh, yes she was!
Well, on to the reason for this post: We did 2 amazingly fun mountain bike rides 2 days in a row. The 2 areas were amazingly similar. Both were along the shores of reservoir lakes in western North Carolina’s Great Smoky Mountains.
Ride number 1 – Tsali Trails in the Nantahala National Forest
Tsali trails
Ride number 2 – Jackrabbit Trails, also in Nantahala National Forest (do I hear Mountain Bike Weekend 2013 in the works?)
Such fun we had! Whoop-dee-d00’s, roller coaster banked turns and sweeping s-turns. The trails were really well built and really fast. So fast that I often felt like I was following the White Rabbit down the rabbit hole. A bit disoriented, not knowing what was to come next but going with it. The Tsali trail was also often at the edge of a precipice, made higher because of the drought that’s been going on in this part of the country.
Jackrabbit trails
It will be interesting to see how I do when we return to Baltimore and ride the Merriman’s trail again. That trail is a barometer for me. We’ve been getting so much exercise…
David found a pile of rocks to climb.
Click the photo and you’ll see David near the top.
Down one side and up the other
That’s my hubby!
My legs are jelly. My arms are tired. My butt, well let’s just say it’s tired, too. As the sun sets on another couple of great rides, it’s time to climb in the 4Runner and take the Tramper on to the next stop… Georgia!
– Jane
Posted in DAY posts, Maps, Mountain biking, Photos, Tramper pictures
Tagged Jane, Mountain biking, Tramper pics
A comment was heard the other day on the trailhead: “A day this gorgeous in November is a gift”. A gift, indeed! We have been blessed on this journey in just this way, so many times. As readers of this blog well know, we were waylaid in New York for two weeks by a blown head gasket. Two weeks worth of ever-colder weather in November could have easily meant that our trip through the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina could have been darker and winter-y. But, instead, the days have been breathtakingly beautiful.
Here’s Cold Mountain, of literary and movie fame, as seen from Mt Pisgah.
Friday was such a day, sunny and mild. Cold in the morning with a shining glaze of icy white frosting on grass and leaves, the crispness wilting in the rising sun. Until late afternoon when the sun retired behind towering mountains, the gentle air gave just the barest hint of the steel grip of winter soon to come.
It’s true – the leaves, with their riot of color, are gone. The showy drama may be over, but what remains is beautiful, too. Brown and gray trees stand in relief, their branches intricate against the bright blue sky. 
Round a corner and you come upon the surprise of rich brown oak leaves, deep green pine needles and Christmas ferns, soft tan seed pods exploding and chartreuse mats of moss with their companion lichens in fairy-tale shapes.
Let’s just call them “Shrek Ears”!
Friday was a day made for a hike. We had our friend, Marshall, with us. Marshall currently lives in Wilmington on the North Carolina seashore but drove west to meet us in Greensboro. From the Blue Ridge Parkway, we hiked 2-3 miles up the Shut In Trail to another trailhead leading to a 1.5 mile hike to the top of Mt Pisgah.
Friend Marshall, wearing around his waist our dorky water-bag!
We love to mountain bike, but one of the great things we’ve found about hiking is that great conversations can be had. Well, when you’re not gasping for breath as I seem to do a lot! We hadn’t seen Marshall for seven years so we had a lot of catching up to do. He was Best Man at our wedding fourteen years ago but we had lost touch. Sure, there was the occasional phone call but we hadn’t been in each others’ company for quite a while.
Sky-high on Mt Pisgah.
David has said that Marshall is one of the most easily lovable people that he has ever met and I concur. Marshall bravely agreed to be our guest in the Tramper and spent two nights in our spare bed while traveling with us. So much fun was had! Lots of laughing…
We all wanted to see the
So, this is why I’ve got a cell signal! On top of Mt Pisgah, NC
Museum of the Cherokee Indian in (where else) Cherokee, NC but we needed dinner and a good night’s sleep first so we threw our weary bodies into the 4Runner and found the Fort Wilderness RV Park, not far from the lavish, enormous Harrah’s Casino on the Cherokee Reservation.
– Jane
Here’s Pisgah from the upper parking lot. The Shut-In trail led to this spot, then we hiked up to the tower.
The Voyage of the Tramper 