Hiking Day with Mandy

I thought that Scaly Mountain would be my last hike for the season, but I was able to catch up with Mandy on Friday in Asheville.  We headed south on the parkway and our first stop was at "Graveyard Fields".  This is real bear territory....and I know why.  The fields were covered in blueberry bushes.  Don't think we had to worry about bears today....there were plenty of day hikers out to scare them away.

Short hike to see lower falls.  It sure was calling me to take a dip...

The little black currly thing is a garden snake!

Me crossing creek in my Knees!

Thought we were just going to take pictures....but we had a little climb to do.

Made it!

 Awesome place for a picnic!



After our hike at Graveyard Fields, we drove a bit further on the parkway to part of the Art Leob Trail.   A moderate to strenous  1 mile hike, but so well worth it.



At the summit!

Doesn't look like much of a climb...but it's a good little trek.

Once you reach the summit, you got a 360 view.  Never experienced that before.

So now we are back on the parkway and stopped at this overlook.  Can't wait to hike this area some more!

and it you look closely, you can see the Biltmore Estate.



Scaly Mountain North Carolina

Yet another wonderful hike on May 23rd to Scaly Mountain.  Started at the Osage Mountain parking area and the trail head is just across the road.  The weather was around 75 with a little breeze in the air - that's good hiking weather for me.  Had a small group today - 6.  Guess folks didn't want to drive to Highlands.  Their loss.

Actually believe I was walking through a Mountain Laurel Forrest.  The trail was covered the entire way up the mountain.



Wild Azalas

Sometimes it's just great with a smaller group!

Our view at the top!

THE END



Table Rock State Park

Well this is my second attempt to post my blog on my hiking adventure for this past Tuesday to Table Rock State Park.  This computer has a mind of it's on and will only post when it wants to. 

Truly I am disappointed that I posted and pasted pics for 1 1/2 hrs only to find out it disappeared.  I will not let it get the best of me....so here is my second attempt to post my blog!  NOTE to SELF:  SAVE

Tuesday the 22nd of May our group headed to Table Rock State Park.  We did two loops in the park...one being the Carrick Creek Nature Trail and the other the Pinnacle Lake Loop Trail.  We had a total of 45 hikers so we split the group and took turns doing both trails.  This hike was sponsored by the Nature Conservancy and lunch was provide by one of our own hikers, Rita.  This was a easy hike which gave me the opportunity to take pics of the wild flowers still abound.  It certainly helped to have a naturalist on board to help identify the scenery. 

Our leader giving directions for each trail option!

A perfect place for a picnic or to bring kids for an afternoon swim!

OKAY...So not only do you have to save, update but you have to publish before you can continue the original blog.  I've never had this problem before.

Is it worth the effort?  Must be, so here I go....



Red-Spotted Newt  and the babies are "red eft"



One of the park rangers that covers the Southern Encarpment Areas.


















Black Rock State Park - Clayton, GA

Thursday, May 10, 2012 - a georgous day for a hike in the Georgia Mountains.  Met group as usual at KKPOA Event parking area and car pooled to Walhalla to meet another group.  There were 19 of us today for this hike to Black Rock.  It was a fairly easy to moderate 3.3 mile section and then another mile up and back on another trail in the park.

Overlook area in park before we started on trail

 Elevated 3,480

Solomon's Seal

Spiderwort's

Wild Azalea's

Spider Tree



Our picnic at the end of the trail.  Bill (standing on right) trying to find where our 19th hiker went.  Apparently, he stopped on trail earlier and got left behind. 

Sloan Bridge to Upper Whitewater Falls

Thursday, May 3rd - Awesome easy hike today on another Foothills Trail that I've never been on.  Started at Sloan Bridge Picinic Area on 107 and ended up at parking area of upper Whitewater Falls.  A total of 5.5 miles.  The trail accends through Grassy Knob and follows the Chattoga Ridge with several views of Pinnacle Mountain and Greenville area.  Very well maintained trail.  Had a little scare while hiking - I was leading at this point and rounded a corner and ran into another hiker.  It just starrled me a bit.  Thank goodness it was a person!



Small group - but a fun hike!

Always nice to have a helping hand!

View of Lake Joassee

Spooky little fellow on the tree here!

 Our little picinc area - benches build by Girl Scouts.