Oh Pisgah, My Pisgah!

For five days I had a third opportunity to travel with a group of 10 sophomores from my school and two excellent outdoor educator-leaders, Kelly and Yan, exploring some pristine sections of trail in Pisgah National Forest in Western North Carolina.

Our fearless guides, Kelly and Yan consulting the trail map near Farlow Gap

If you are not already sold on being in the forest or in the mountains if even for a MINUTE, check out these photos. The views were EPIC, the temps perfect, and the terrain perfectly suited for hiking boots and trail running shoes..

We started at the Fish Hatchery in Brevard and hiked only about 2 miles to our first campsite. It was perfectly suited for this group of first-timers: water, many big facili-trees to choose from, and a cozy fire-ring in the middle of it all. That night, a steady rain fell, cleansing the air and our spirits. In the morning we awoke to fog and a slight nip in the air.

The second day, we hiked about 4 miles UPHILL to a second camp ground that had a gorgeous view of Davidson River. By the time we reached camp, the skies had cleared and the sun warmed us enough to play in the ice-cold swimming hole.

Davidson River

The third day would be our hardest yet. It was particularly difficult for those students not used to, well, being outside like this. We climbed from below 3000 feet to about 4500 feet on the Daniel Ridge Trail and Farlow Gap Trail , all with 40-70 pound packs. 

On the Daniel Ridge Trail

This year, I had poles and WHAT A DIFFERENCE THEY MADE! How did I ever do this without poles? I dunno...

Black Diamond Distance Z-Poles, Keen Hiking Boots, Osprey Pack, REI Hiking Pants

That night we stayed at a really sweet campground right under Pilot Mountain, near the Farlow Gap and Art Loeb Trail intersection. There were lots of laughs and teenage shenanigans that evening. Our amazing guides hiked all the way back down to where we had stopped for lunch to fill our Nalgenes with filtered stream water, and for their service the students prepared tuna melts on pita over the fire that they had started and kept burning, collecting firewood for hours. 

Young people can be so generous and awesome when it comes to service and humility. Please remember this! 

One of the many fires the students started and kept

That night, they bedded down in their tarps, I in my fancy Marmot tent and inflatable REI sleeping pad (because I am too old!) It's amazing how much sleep one gets in the forest. When there are no TVs, cellphones, tablets, or iPods allowed, a lot of restful sleep can happen.

My hotel-room like Marmot Tungsten 2P tent. Compared to a tarp, this baby is HEAVEN on earth.

Our last full day of hiking was exactly that, A FULL DAY of all uphills with the end goal being to summit Black Balsam Knob at 6214 feet. It was a slog, but a faster one. Stronger legs, better spirits, and a well-oiled team with student leadership was what was necessary in order for our group to persevere through a few thousand feet of elevation. The scenery changed constantly, from deciduous trees to conifers, to rocky outcroppings and bales with gorgeous views

View from Silvermine Bald on the Art Loeb Trail

to wildflower filled alpine meadows.

View from the intersection of the Flat Creek Trail and Sam Knob Trail, on our way to Black Balsam

The students posed for an east-facing photo before the sunset. I love this group!

We climbed up to Black Balsam Knob to watch the sunset after hastily throwing our packs down and donning our headlamps for what would be a dark descent. There aren't enough photos to capture the stunning sunset. I tried...

Our fearless guide, Kelly taking a breather from our energetic group.

No words.

It was cold and chilly up on the mountain. A group of Asheville hippies in tunics and colorful blankets serenaded everyone with Simon and Garfunkel turned Van Morrison and the Fray type ditties with the ukelele.

After we began to shiver and our bellies began to speak, we headed back down to where we would camp for the last night. We set up our tents in the deep forested dark, and cooked the last bit of our food on our camp stoves. It felt as if we were at Everest base camp, albeit without the snow and garbage.

Gluten free tuna mac never tasted so good!

We bedded down for one last night, this time up at 5800 feet. It was cold and white-noise windy. Sleep came in fits and starts, but still I felt rested and re-set in the early morning.

After packing up hastily and silently, we packed ourselves and our packs in the van and trailer that had been left for us in the parking lot, and watched the sunrise as we drove along Blue Ridge Parkway.