I will admit it, I am totally head over heels in love. It started slowly, with a flirtatious glance, a hint of sunshine, the tantilizing blue humps on the horizon... but now I am consumed with a deep, passionate, heart-pounding love for these mountains (or more specifically, the Mountains-to-Sea Trail).
Let's begin in Boone, where I stayed with a friend from the AT - Grizzly - and some of his App State frat brothers, ate the most incredible breakfast, and convinced him and a friend to hike for an afternoon with me on the trail. They turned back after Rich Mtn, and I continued onward. I have found the trails in the last 5 days to be challenging, engaging, and totally gawkably gorgeous. The weather has been a little chilly, a little windy (65 mph winds the day after I left Boone!), the teeniest bit rainy, and mostly blue skies.
I have crossed or more accurately "rock-hopped" at least a dozen streams, and waded across 3 more (only fallen once!). The water sources, needless to say, have been plentiful and full of clear mountain water. After running into tons of hikers and a group of weekend backpackers (!) near Boone, I didn't talk to anyone yesterday or the day before on the trail. The Linville River was knee-high, climb UP from the gorge unexpectedly strenuous (1600' straight up at the end of the day is pretty exhausting), and leaf piles coming down from Table Rock Mountain waist-high.
I am really looking forward to the next segment, including the Big Mitch (Sir Mt. Mitchell, highest peak east of the Mississippi) and Asheville, where I will take some time off before hopping back on the trail to finish the last stretch to the Smokies!
Total MST miles: 461.5 (301.2 foot, 169.3 bike)
Total trip miles: 575.0 (333.9 foot, 238.1 bike)
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