Sometimes life doesn't work out like you planned. But life is about being flexible and having amazing friends. When we couldn't find a spot to boondock one weekend, we threw out a call for help to some friends who were on the other side of the country visiting family, and who were just about ready to put their Asheville house on the market. Luck would have it, it was going on the market the following Monday. We were able to crash at their place one last time. And if that wasn't enough of an awesome twist, another great friend was also in the area. We were able to meet up for a nice hike. Life is pretty rad.
We met up with my friend Rachel who had come up to Old Fort with some friends of hers. This was little Maddie's first hike ever. Naturally, we chose Craggy Gardens for its ease and convenience. And beauty. I've always loved Craggy Pinnacle since I first summited it during a 2-week long summer course. Panoramic views, cool breezes. Yes, there are plenty of people (especially on a nice day), but it's worth it. This was also Lego's first hike after being subjected to 12 weeks of no exercise post knee surgery. There was much rejoicing!
The hike is an easy 1.4-mile out-and-back from a large parking lot off the Blue Ridge Parkway. Being in the Black Mountains, the range is a great place to visit during the summer months. The high elevation means great odds you'll have cooler weather than in the valley. The lots fill up quickly on a good day, so get there early. If the summit is too crowded, head down to the trail fork and take the short trip out to the rock outcrop below the summit. There are usually fewer people here, but you still get the views.
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| Rachel being super tall and super pretty :D |
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| Overlook at Craggy Pinnacle |
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| One of the most majestic beasts I've ever seen. Xander and Lego were fast friends. |
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| First hike for the babe! |
Since we were so close to Mount Mitchell, Blake and I decided to head over for more hiking. Lego seemed up to the challenge. We decided to hike out to Mt. Craig first because the parking lot to the summit was full. We quickly lost 95% of the visitors. The hike was more strenuous than I remembered. Or, maybe, more strenuous with the extra weight I was carrying since the last time I had hiked it.
We reached Mt. Craig and sat to cool off in the steady breeze. We met a trail maintainer and another hiker who were chatting about western NC trails. The maintainer was an older woman, probably in her late 50s to early 60s. She'd been maintaining trails for over 20 years. She was out for a "short" 10 -mile hike this day. The following weekend she would be in the Outer Banks running a half marathon. My internal thoughts pleaded for me to be this active when I was older. We finished the 2-mile out-and-back hike in about an hour and a half (included the jabbering).
We hiked back to the parking lot, then took off toward the summit. There's no reason to skip it, no matter how crowded it is. The highest point east of the Mississippi River at 6,684 feet is always an inspirational spot to look out over the mountains and feel all at once insignificant and important. There's a nicely paved, short (but steep) trail up to the observation platform. Stand on top of one of the benches, and you are the tallest thing on the east coast!
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| Great views from Mt. Craig *insert heart eye emoji here* |
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| Lego was finally worn out after all the hiking. I love the spruce-fir forests of the Black Mtns |
