I’ve hiked just about all of Panthertown Valley in both directions. It’s a beautiful area that mostly features easy to moderate hiking. There are a few strenuous sections of trail, but they’re avoided with this loop except for the short … Continued
Lover’s Leap is a 1½ mile out-and-back trail featuring 3 rocky overlooks near Hot Springs, North Carolina. It’s a very short section of the Appalachian Trail (AT) and you can make the hike a loop by taking the Silvermine trail … Continued
Read about my complete John Muir Trail experience, including prep, gear, logistics, and post-hike impressions. Meal prep is more challenging for me than for most people. It’s not that I have a special diet—I just don’t like sweets. To be … Continued
Helton Creek Falls is a waterfall attraction near the Blood Mountain Wilderness in north Georgia. It’s nestled between the Walasi-Yi Interpretive Center and Vogel State Park. I’ve driven past the sign several times and I finally checked it out. It’s … Continued
I first hiked the 30.1 mile Art Loeb Trail in the fall of 2016. A drought made the hike more challenging than it probably should have been. I did it SOBO over 3 days. My first afternoon featured 4 miles … Continued
Pilot Cove/Slate Rock Loop is a 7+ mile series of trails in Pisgah National Forest near Mills River, North Carolina. This area of the forest is much less popular than the traditional attractions along US 276 and the Blue Ridge … Continued
As I’ve said before, I’m more of a hiker than a camper. Even though hikers camp and campers hike, the best part of backpacking for me is the walking. I don’t blog most of my backpacking trips because I start … Continued
I’ve been to Silvermine Bald Overlook a few times. The first time was during my first Art Loeb Trail thru-hike when I randomly stumbled upon it. The leaves were changing and I was stunned at the unexpectedly alpine landscape. View … Continued
Devil’s Courthouse is a 5720-foot rock feature just off the Blue Ridge Parkway (mile marker 422.4) in North Carolina. Although the summit requires a short, steep hike, I’m categorizing it as an attraction because it’s right off the road. There … Continued
