Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Not for ‘wimps’!

Hiking in the mountains of NC is not for ‘wimps’! The elevation is high and the trails are rocky and steep! (the mountains are in the clouds today!)

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The highest mountain peak that we see from our balcony is Mt. Pisgah. It’s what I take hundreds of photos of….

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So we stood on the balcony and took a really good look! We even looked through the binoculars for a better view of the tower….

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and then we drove to the parking area at the trail head…

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and took off for a hike to the top!

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The trail is deceiving at first….

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not too bad!

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But it gets rougher….

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Lots of pretty flowers along the way….

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And a few photo ops!

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And then you reach the top and see the amazing view!

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It’s well worth the hike!

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But don’t plan to eat your picnic lunch on top! There are some fierce biting gnats and flies that will eat YOU up if you linger for long!

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My youngest son and his sweet family…..(we miss you already!)

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Do you like to hike? Should the grandkids set the pace or Nana and Papa? heehee! Enjoy your day…I’m taking the day off! ♥

39 comments:

Reena said...

What a fun hike and great views! Definitely nana sets the pace!!!

Vee said...

Shoot, Diane, you already know the answer to that question! Beautiful mountaintop experience...just wonderful views there.

Brenda Pruitt said...

The clouds and mountains are so lovely! I rarely get to see mountains.
Brenda

Shellbelle said...

Gorgeous! Now those are views you'll NEVER see in Florida!

I used to do quite a bit of hiking in California, but since my injury I'm very content to just stroll on the beach.

What a wonderful memory to create with your grandkids! Thanks for taking us along.

Hugs

JG said...

What a beautiful view from the top! Such pretty flowers along the trail.
~Judy

Della said...

What a beautiful place to hike! Thanks for taking us along ;) I can't tell you how long it has been since I've been on a hike! Maybe 2006? I really enjoyed hiking with you today! Thanks!
Hygs

hootnonny said...

Looks like you had lots of fun with your family! Love the pics you captured!

It's Just Dottie said...

I am glad you are with your son and his sweet family. Enjoy!!!!
Dottie

Screaming Sardine said...

Definitely Nana and Papa should set the pace! The wee ones can go up ahead just a bit - within eye sight then come right back. :)

Thanks for the pictures. Great views and you have such a lovely family.

Cheers,
Tracy Screaming Sardine

Amanda said...

We love to hike! We just got back from Mt View, AR, but your views definitely beat ours. The summer growth was too thick to see much for us.

We love NC, though! Beautiful!

helen tilston said...

What dreamy country. It must feel marvelous being at that altitude.
I agree with Screaming Sardine, that Papa and Nana set the pace.

Beautiful post
Helen

Donna said...

Wow, thank you for sharing that view with us! Yes, I like the hike. Just can't do it like I used to though. Silly knee and all. Oh yes, and copious amounts of blubber. But I do love a good walk if it is not too steep or too long.

Laeli said...

Oooh lovely! What a nice reward!

Anonymous said...

what a beautiful post,, as always, positive and uplifting,, I think anan and papa should set the pace

Vintage Gal said...

The hike, as much as it gets tough, is well worth the view ~how absolutely stunning ;-)

Marfi-topia said...

looks like it was a wonderful day.
what an incredible view, thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful view at the top!!
Of course...Nana and Papa should set the pace, but I'm sure the grandkids would say they should. LOL...
I used to love to go hiking, but with bad knees...I haven't been hiking in many years. Bummer!!
~Cindy~

Unknown said...

That was a fantastic trip! Thanks for taking us along! :) Hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!

Hugs,

LindyLouMac said...

The hike was obviously well worth it for that view, so glad you have enjoyed some fun time with your family.

Sherry@Back2Vintage said...

Nana definitely sets the pace! Ha! Beautiful mountain photos...thanks for the hike!!!

Anonymous said...

Hi Diane!
Looks like you had a wonderful day! I love the photo of your cute granddaughter with the flowers. The closeup of one flower looks like a rhododendron of some type...very pretty. You have a great view from the balcony! Nice to have family with you! I wish we were closer to my older son...especially now that he is getting married and, in a couple of years, will begin having children. I have a close girlfriend coming to visit me on Sunday afternoon. She lives in Houston. She has never been to the Seattle area before so I will be taking her all around next week. So nice to have family and friends around! Have a beautiful day! xoxo Kim

Anne said...

looks like a great outing, glad you didn't run into any bears!

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

Ahhh....summertime...the colors of fun. LAVENDER is my color that evokes peace and harmony! And get out those wc pencils! I played with mine the other day in my garden and had a BLAST! NOW to tackle WATERCOLOURS..that is my challenge but just like a hike, when you finally get to the top, you are pretty darn proud of yourself!

HAVE FUN and thank you for the visit!!! Anita

Anonymous said...

oooh, awesome hiking pics in the mountains!

Come leave a comment on my blog for the Fairy Hobmother! I did and won a $50 Amazon Gift Cert. Seriously.. come comment and leave your wish.

Di

Toyin O. said...

These looks like a great place to hike, very nice pictures, thanks for sharing.

Musings from Kim K. said...

What beautiful pictures. What a wonderful memory to create with your grandchildren.

Anonymous said...

Hi Diane! OH, what a beautiful place. Now my legs are sore from all that hiking with you but glad to see some smiling faces at the top! :)
Looks like a wonderful time.
be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

podso said...

Oh I see that you are still in NC. For some reason the racing pics made me think FL. Hope you are enjoying cool temps--it's pretty humid and hot down here in the city! Enjoy!

Carol @ There's Always Thyme to Cook said...

Stunning views! Beautiful family!

Bev said...

That looks like a WONDERFUL Hike!!

Theresa said...

Thank you for stopping by and visiting with me, your sweet comment meant so much!

I love the view from the top and the view along the way:) No better way to spend the day than with the Grandkids! Love it!

Have a blessed day my friend, HUGS!

Doreen Frost said...

OH my goodness Diane..what a gorgeous place! Looks like a fun albeit "tough" hike!

hugs, Doreen

Vicki said...

What a gorgeous view! So glad you could share it with your family.

Unknown said...

What a fabulous post. I felt like I was climbing with you. Your family is lovely and I bet they enjoyed the hike too! You live in two beautiful places, you are truly blessed.

Karen

bj said...

What beautiful country. We used to hike quite a bit but not so much anymore. We never have had such beautiful trails as we live on the Plains of West Texas...not a mountain in sight. :))

Draffin Bears said...

Hi Diane,

What a wonderful hike you must have had with your family.
I loved seeing your beautiful part of the world.
We often like to go for hikes out in the fresh air and take in the gorgeous views.

Happy weekend
Hugs
Carolyn

Emily said...

Soooo pretty! That looks like a lot of fun, especially with the fam :) I hope your 4th was fun too!

Julie@beingRUBY said...

Hi Diane
Your mountain shots are lovely.. .such a beautiful view.. thanks for sharing them with us...

Hope you have a wonderful weekend.. ciao xxx Julie

Joop Zand said...

These pictures are great....
i like this very much.

Greetings from Holland, Joop