Gallivanting Around Green Knob | Blue Ridge Parkway | Boone, NC

With every passing week, I can feel that spring is getting closer. I suppose that making a point to go on a weekly hike is helping me to notice this a little sooner than I normally would. While I love winter and the snowy, cold weather that it brings, it can sometimes cause me to stay stuck in hibernation mode. Lately, though, I've been a whole lot more motivated to get outside and enjoy the warm weather we are awarded instead of being a hermit.

This week's hike was the Green Knob Loop Trail off the Blue Ridge Parkway (Milepost 295.9) in Julian Memorial Price Park. I've always liked hiking this trail because it's only moderately strenuous, and because it offers a variety of habitats to experience in a short 2.1 mile round trip trek.

Starting at Sim's Pond, where you can oftentimes find anglers casting away, you'll pass the pond and travel through a rhododendron lined path that takes you into a forest of mixed hardwoods. As you find your way further into the woods, you'll come across some impressively large hemlocks towering over above head.

During this hike, there are a few creek crossing that require a little rock hopping, but nothing major to contend with. The first half is pretty mild, actually, and is a pleasant way to commune with nature since you can stroll at a snail's pace. For hikes that tend to be more strenuous, I find myself not wanting to stop and take pictures as much as I do when I'm hiking one that's easier. This way, I have more time to focus on the tiny details that can often be overlooked when all I care about is the next level surface to catch my breath.

Around the half-way point of the Green Knob Trail, the forest will recede and present an open pasture to meander. You'll pass through the fence stile to enter the meadow. This area is oftentimes littered with grazing cows. However, I imagine that it's probably too early in the year for that. As you ascend the gently rolling hills, follow the concrete trail markers to continue along the proper path. This would be a very nice spot to pop-a-squat if you felt like taking a break, though. There's also a bench beneath a tree if you don't want to spread out on the grass for fear of coming in contact with colossal cow patties.

As you leave the pastoral landscape you'll reenter the woods after a slightly steep ascent. This was the only part of the trail that got me huffing and puffing, although it still wasn't hard to reach the top. From there, it was all downhill. There's one point where you can see Grandfather Mountain & Price Lake, in the distance, as you're descending the trail. And the ridge line of Grandfather Mountain comes into an even better view once you're a little further along.

After leaving and reentering the forest through a couple more fence stiles—before you know it—you've reached the end! It spits you out on the other side of the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is slightly disorienting. However, your car is just across the street. Compared to the Elk Knob hike I did the week before, the Green Knob trail was easy peasy. The elevation gain for this hike was only 460 feet while Elk Knob was approximately 1,000 feet, and it was only 1.3 miles long, whereas Green Knob was 2.1. Green Knob probably should have been my first hike of the season to break back into it instead of killing myself on Elk Knob!

There are many hiking trails along the Blue Ridge Parkway that are close to Boone. This is one that I hike a few times each year because of how varied (and moderate) it is. And it's even more beautiful during the Spring and Fall because of the pretty wildflowers that appear. According to the things I have read about Green Knob, it's best to hike in April or August during the peak bloom times. I know I'll be going back to see what shows up!

I highly recommend the Green Knob Loop hike for people of all ages and fitness levels. It would be a great family hike. While this particular Blue Ridge Parkway trail doesn't have the same long range views that many of the others have, it's still a really enjoyable way to spend an afternoon. I'm thinking that when I go back in the Spring we'll bring a picnic to snack on—that is, if the cows aren't around! 

Related Links:

•  If you missed last week's hike, click here: My Quest to Conquer Elk Knob

My Quest to Conquer Elk Knob | Boone, NC

The trail was like a snowy slip-n-slide, making proper balance next to impossible during some parts of the hike. We were utterly surprised upon arriving at the trail head to see that the ground was still blanketed with snow—any snow around our house has long since melted. It escaped our minds that Elk Knob was at a higher elevation, and that it would be a little cooler (and windier) up there, so snow definitely didn't occur to us either.

While the snow did add another challenging element to this already grueling hike, we steadily stayed the course at a pretty fast pace. Granted, I was a lot further behind the group I was hiking with because I kept stopping to take pictures, but I still kept up pretty well (most of the time).

This seemingly short 1.8 mile hike made me feel like I was really out-of-shape. I mean, it has been quite a while since I've done a hike and for Elk Knob to be the first one I take on this year probably wasn't the smartest thing to do. I know that I'm making this trail sound really bad, it's not horrible, but I did feel like I was dying at a certain point. (Maybe just a tad bit dramatic.)

At least I conquered it this time, though! Cody and I attempted to hike this trail back when it first became a new addition to the NC State Park system in 2009. We got very close to the summit, but I started feeling sick and couldn't push myself to finish. This time, though, I was determined to make the climb to the top, but I needed some (a lot ) coaxing. The newly built trail that volunteers have helped to construct has made the Elk Knob Summit Trail a much more enjoyable hike. Now, it has switchbacks instead of making you trek straight up a super steep rocky road.

To reach the 5,520 foot peak (the second highest in Watauga County) you really have to push yourself to surmount the last 200 feet. It's the only remaining portion of the trail that takes you straight up the old road, and it's a doozie! I'm pretty sure it was the part I couldn't overcome the last time I tried to hike Elk Knob. My first failed attempt made reaching the summit much sweeter this time around. For so long I avoided this hiking trail because I wasn't able to complete it the first time. Cody thought he'd never get me to go back! Having finished it this time around, I don't think it'll be that difficult to get me to go back, especially since it's the closest hiking trail in Boone (aside from what's along the Blue Ridge Parkway).

Spending the day trudging through Elk Knob's hardwood forest and taking the time to reconnect with the splendor of nature was exactly what this hibernating homebody needed. And pushing myself to finally triumph over this trail was an added bonus! Now, it's getting me to think about all the places I want to venture to as spring approaches. Thoughts of camping, road trips, and more hikes on the horizon are getting me very excited about planning outings for the new season. I'm ready to spend more time outdoors! How about you?

What are you getting excited about as spring approaches? 

Honolulu's Most Popular Hikes

It's hard to go to Hawaii and not commune with nature. However, there are some really great things you can do to immerse yourself even farther instead of sticking to the white, sandy beaches. My favorite way to do this is by taking a hike! The island of Oahu is riddled with trails if you know where to look, but there are two trails in particular that get all of the praise. So popular, in fact, that these outdoor adventures can see hundreds of tourists everyday! The two favored hikes in Honolulu are very different from one another in the realm of landscape and atmosphere. Now, two hikes in one day may sound like a bit too much, but I chose to do so because they were very close to one another. And since I was staying on the other end of the island, I figured I should hit them both up on the same day.



My first stop was the Manoa Falls trail located just outside of Honolulu in Manoa Valley. I am a sucker for waterfalls, so I had to get a glimpse of this 160-foot tall mammoth. Since this unbelievably lush rainforest was deserted at this hour of the morning (7:30am), I decided that I would forgo taking pictures until I reached the end only because I thought that it would stay that way.



I walked amidst the gigantic Banyan trees flanked by the everpresent stream. As I made my way up the narrow pathway, portions of the trail were framed by bamboo forests. I found this trail to have a very gentle grade, and at only 1 mile each way, it's one almost anyone could undertake. One thing to be careful of on this particular trail is the mud, because it can be slippery! It receives quite a bit of rain from what I have read, although maybe it hadn't rained much lately, because the cascade was meager. It wasn't too terribly disappointing though, since it took little effort to get there.



Remember how I told you that I saved taking pictures until after I reached the falls? Yeah, well, that was a HUGE mistake! On my way down I passed numerous guided tour groups that made it nearly impossible to get a shot without someone being in the way. That is the last time I wait to take photos again!! Seriously. Who needs a tour guide to take a hike? I don't. Nature is free :D



Parking, however, is not! I didn't find this out until I got back to the Jeep where a little yellow note asking me to see the attendant regarding payment was stuck to my window. Be forewarned that they charge $5 to park in the parking lot at the trail head. I got away with only paying $2 because I claimed stupidity. Sucka! Seriously, though. I didn't see any signs that said there was a charge, and I certainly didn't overlook an attendant!



The next stop, Diamond Head Crater, is considered the most popular trail. It likely sees twice the amount of hikers that Manoa Falls does. Unlike the gentle grade of the last trail, this one is much more vigorous. Even though you start off on a concrete path that seems forgiving, it quickly morphs into switchback city!



From the crater floor to the summit you will climb 560 feet in less than a mile (0.8 to be exact). By the time you weave your way through the switchbacks, you are begging for mercy as the sun is blazing and the sweat starts pouring. It would do you good to be very well hydrated before attempting this trail unless you are a fan of fainting.



You begin to think that the worst is over, but that's when you are met with a steep concrete stairway consisting of 74 steps! Afterward, you get a chance to cool off in the tunnels that take you below the surface. The closer you feel to the top, though, the further away from reality you are because after stepping out of that dark tunnel, you are standing at the foot of yet another staircase! Some just stood there, mouth agape, staring in disbelief at the towering approach. More steps!?!? Yes, 99 of those bad boys :D And just when you think you can't take another footstep, they make you climb a spiral staircase!!



At this point I felt somewhat tortured, but the end was getting near. I could feel it. Okay, well, not as close as I hoped....More stairs?!?! So, let me get this straight, we've scaled a windy path of switchbacks, a 74 step set of stairs, burrowed through a tunnel, climbed another staircase with 99 grueling steps, spiral staircase with 52 stairs and last but not least a 3rd set of stairs with 54 more steps! Holy mama!! Lemme catch my breath......



I suppose that this trail wouldn't be so popular if the views weren't worth every drop of sweat shed along the way. The vista was most definitely a stunning sight with the Pacific ocean and Wakiki coastline in full view. As a matter of fact, this is an ideal spot to see a panoramic view of the Leeward side of the island.



One good thing about hikes that make you work so hard going up, you know it's all downhill from the top! Despite how horrible I may make this hike sound, I saw so many different types of people trudging to the summit. I even passed a lady who was wearing high heels! No lie. And she did make it to the top...eventually :D

Related Links:

• Celebrating my Birthday Hawaiin-style!
• 6 Sights to See on Highway 83 (Part 1)
• 6 Sights to See on Highway 83 (Part 2)
• A Place of Peace & Serenity: Byodo-In Temple

Backpacking in Lost Cove

Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina

Wilson Creek Area
Lost Cove Trail
7.5 Miles

Click to Enlarge Map

Instead of a weekend camping trip, we opted to go on an overnight hike.
Normally, 7.5 miles is something that can easily be done in one day,
however, we decided to stretch it out a little further so we could take our time.

The entire outing was planned by Cody--he did an awesome job!
On top of that, he carried our gear, and navigated our way through most of the hike.
Some portions of the trail weren't marked very well and required some orienteering skills.


and the GPS helped too....


Thanks for being the mule, Cody :)




The major challenge we had to overcome during this hike were the creek crossing dotting the trail.
Our second day of hiking there came a point when we
stopped worrying about taking our shoes off and hiked with water logged feet!



I called this an overnight hike because we camped in the middle of our trek.
Leaving Boone midmorning, we drove out to Lost Cove--45 minutes from town.
Upon reaching the trail head, I was a little surprised to see a caravan of vehicles.
I soon realized that this particular trail was very popular due to the watering holes.
We passed the first waterfall entirely since it was way overcrowded.
Continuing on, we reached a second waterfall, which was equally popular.
Although, this one was a lot more picturesque.

I didn't spend a whole lot of time trying to take photos of the falls because
there were too many people running, splashing, and jumping around.
Instead, I took a nap in the tent which was right above the falls.
Later, after everyone was gone, I made my way over to take a few photos.



In the evening we cooked some soup on the camp stove, and passed out early.
We chose not to bring any games since this wasn't car camping and weight mattered.
Early to bed meant that we were early to rise, albeit only early enough to catch a mere
glimpse of the blazing orange sunrise; I couldn't get moving fast enough!

I have some more photos to share, so be sure to check back in :o)


I'm wondering, when is the last time any of you have been on a camping/backpacking trip?!

Great way to end the day........

North Carolina
Blue Ridge Parkway
Flat Top Mountain Carriage Trail

On this particular day, I was ever so eager to get outside and bask in the gorgeous weather.
On days like this, I like to hop on over to the Blue Ridge Parkway.
We live less than an hour away from some of the most magnificent hikes you'll ever see.

I realized the other day that, I haven't shared a whole lot of them with you.
Know this, I plan to change all that!



This hikes ascends from the Moses H. Cone Manor House to the summit of Flat Top Mountain.
The trail is 2.8 miles one way, but offers one of the most gradual grades.
You make your way to the top using switchbacks which makes it a rather pleasant jaunt.

The beginning of the trail takes you through pastures, and open fields,
you even stop over at Mr. and Mrs. Cones' final resting place.

As I turned the corner, I spotted the 'kite' you see above.
It wasn't the size of a normal kite, so I'm sure there's another name for it.
It did, however, look like a lot of fun.......
The person operating the 'kite' was wearing a harness, I mean, he was fully strapped in.
At one point, I saw his feet lift off the ground.....I thought to myself,
"If I try that, I'm likely to get swept AWAY!"

Continuing through the pastures.....



I followed this trail into the shade of the maple trees,
where wildflowers lined most of the path.

The butterflies were extra flirty with me.
As a result, I was finally able to get my summertime butterfly bokeh flower shot!
They cooperated beautifully......



After spending waaaaaaay too much time with the
butterfly beauties, I kept chugging along.
There wasn't any point of the hike were I was exerting myself, it was a very leisurely walk.

The very end of the trail - which is by far, the coolest part -
brings you to a fire tower that Moses Cone built upon the summit of Flat Top Mountain.



From the top, you are rewarded with expansive
vistas of the surrounding mountain range.
These grandstand views are truly magnificent, honestly,
it brought a tear to my eye I was so captivated.
I really love when that happens, as it reminds me that,
I am exactly where I want to be......



Now, I'm no videographer, but I wanted you to see the 360 degree view live.
To my defense, it was hard enough walking around the
stairwell while looking through the viewfinder,
and the tinge of vertigo didn't really help matters.
But there you have it.....



See that road.....I was all the way down there!
Isn't that a lovely scene.....

I didn't want to leave, but was forced to sit aside while a pack of cross-country training
teenagers commandeered the tower.
Scraping their names in the paint while swearing to let me know that they were cool - it wasn't.
I waited patiently for my turn to go back up.....
I wasn't ready to say goodbye, yet.




I was glad I went back up.....

I took my time making my way back down the mountain,
although my knee was acting up again?!
I think that I may need a brace for those downhills?

The easy 5.6 mile hike took me over 4 hours to do.
Thankfully, Cody wasn't with me or else he would have been doing
a lot of waiting around while I took photos!
It was nice to go as slow as I wanted to......

I even stopped and had a long chat with the fella who keeps the fields perfectly manicured.
He was an interesting guy who had the quirkiest sayings.
I tried to make mental notes, but we talked for so long......
One I remember him saying was,
"I've fallen off a truck before, but it wasn't yesterday!"

Meet Freddy:


His hat says Git -R- Done!
I asked if I could take his photo, and he obliged,
but every time I pointed the lens his way, he froze.....it was funny.
When I turned the camera to take a vertical portrait,
he wanted to know why I was flippin' him upside down?! haha



Going back the way I came, I made it back to my car.
I was so happy that I had just ended my day in such a way.
I was fully decompressed after a rough week........
Nature + Photos, does it to me every time!


How are you decompressing these days?

Let's go for a Walk.......

I went for a walk on Saturday afternoon while Cody was at work.
I picked a hike that I've done a few times, and wasn't too far from the house.
By the time you reach this fence, you've gone about half way on the two mile hike.
By the time I reached the fence I was huffing and puffing!



When I picked the hike it was based on my thoughts of doing something low impact.
Especially since I've been having trouble with my left heel.
Apparently, I failed to remember any characteristics regarding the trail.
That so called easy hike really gave me a run for my money!
I'm pretty spoiled when hiking with Cody since he carries all my camera gear.
The extra load was wearing on me by the time I reached the gate.
I took the opportunity to rest.



As you can see the path before me opens up to a fairly large field.
Normally, I would take a little break and sit for a moment on the bench beneath those trees you see in the distance.
I had to talk myself into going further because I was surprised to find that I had company.
And I'm not talking other hikers either..........



"COWS!"

I know that they are harmless, but that doesn't mean I don't acknowledge how much bigger they are.
Thankfully I only came across like 15 of them.
I took some time to grab a couple of photos, occasionally I turned my camera to the opposite side of the field.
As I attempted to get some landscape shots I could hear some shuffling behind me.......
I quickly - and in a paranoid fashion - would turn around to find the herd a foot closer!
They were messin' with me.......lemme ask you a question......
Have you ever played "Red light, Green light" with cows before?!
I did, and it was weirding me out!!



Especially "Beastie" here......
The black cows were a lot scarier than the brown ones.



"Bessie" was a lot more approachable.
I wasn't petting them or anything, but I was close enough.....
She let me take a few photos, although you can't really say she was cooperating.
I only got two shots of her face, the other time she was stuffing it with grass.



She had enough fame for one day,
and that's when she started shooing me away!
"Get on outta here!", she mooed.
I listened and kindly continued my hike.......



A part that I forgot about in particular was the uphill climb from the field to the mountain view shown above.
It wasn't too horrible, I made it through.
I had a very fun and sweaty time on my solo hike.
It was nice to get outside.

Once I got to the car, Cody called and we decided to go eat some BBQ because I had a hankerin'!




**Contest Update**
We are currently waiting for two more people to select their magnets.
It's been very interesting so far. I think it's fun!
I'm sorry about the confusion; those rules are somewhat hard to translate.
Once we are done picking magnets a new giveaway will start, and that one will be for even better prizes! Stay tuned :o)

Glen Burney Trail

What we did last Sunday was far different from this Sunday. I sought out a hike from the NC Wildflower Hike book. This happened to be a trail that I had never heard about before. The sad part is, that's it's less than a 10 minute drive from our home, in Blowing Rock, NC. It is also very close to the Blue Ridge Parkway, but not directly off the drive like most hikes we've been to frequently.

It was approximately 1.5 miles in and out, at the end, you just turn around and go back out the way you came. It's quite rare to go on a waterfall hike that has 3 different falls, which made this one a real gem. The elevation loss was about 520 feet so it was mild going in, although coming out was another story! It wasn't horrible, but I was on the edge most of the time, ready to pass out, but not quite there yet. Definitely well worth the extra work though.

The Glen Marie Falls was the biggest, even though it doesn't look so in the above photo. I could only get a good shot of the bottom half since the sun was so bright closer to the top. I would like to go back on a foggy day so that I can get the whole thing.


The bottom photo, is of the first fall we passed, and the most unimpressive. Maybe it's nicer after a good rain? The view of this waterfall was somewhat obstructed from trail because of the trees. From up there, a photo wasn't really possible, so we climbed down to th stream below. I took photos while Cody rock hounded.

Before we went on the hike, I was placing my purse in the trunk when I absentmindedly tucked my keys in the purse. It was immediately after I did this that I realized what I had done, I tried to stop Cody from closing the trunk, by yelping "NO!", but it was too late. The doors were also locked, DANG!? What are we going to do? Sitting at the trail head geared up to go on a hike, this mishap could have really put a damper on the days activities. But Cody, being Mr. Cool as a Cucumber, talked me into letting it go, and worrying about it once we were done with the hike. At which time we would call AAA to come jimmy the car. They really are lifesavers! We only had to wait about 30 minutes for them to get there, and about 30 seconds to break into the car.....everything turned out fine :)


*Update: This weekend we spent time on the house. Saturday morning we put a second coat of paint on the walls in the dinning room. Thank goodness it is done now. It looks 100x's better, I'm so happy with the way it turned out. We also mowed the lawn which took a couple hours. I was on the riding lawn mower, and Cody manned the weed eater. It's crazy, but my back is sore from steering, and the bouncing from our bumpy yard. Although it looks so nice when it's all mowed. We are getting ready to be bombarded with copious amount of blackberries soon, the vines are in full bloom right now, I can't wait. We also got the kitchen back in order, cleaned out the fridge, and went grocery shopping. I was craving a steak so we grilled out, and ate dinner in our new and improved dining room. It was great!

Dining Room Table - $0.00 (Handcrafted by Cody)
Chairs - $3.00 each + $5.00 for fabric to reupholster chairs
Paint - $0.00 (A full can that was going to be discarded!)
Total = Swequity (Sweat + Equity)

I hope everyone had a great weekend :o)

Taking it all in..............

My Happy Birthday message from Stephen:

We know ourselves to be made from this Earth. We know this Earth is made from our bodies. For we see ourselves and we are nature. We are nature seeing nature. We are nature with a concept of nature. Nature weeping. Nature speaking to nature. The Redwinged Blackbird flies within us, in our inner sight. We see the arc of her flight. We measure the ellipse. We predict its climax. We are amazed................We fly.
May you see the Redwinged Blackbird within you!

*This photo was taken last weekend when Cody and I went to Roan Mountain. This hike was to the top of Carver's Gap which happened to be extremely popular last weekend. I could definitely see why once we reached the top. We surely plan to go back and explore a little further sometime soon.