Weekend Hike Waaay back in June

Good Morning Friends,

Last night while Joe was on the phone with his brother Jason I remembered the blog. I realized I haven’t updated in a long while. Summer sure does get hectic. We made it out on our weekend hiking trip and then I made it out on to the AT.

Our weekend trip was plagued with rain storms and vanishing trails, it was a really good time despite complications. We took a chance on the “Wilderness Area”. This is a place where the trails are neither blazed nor maintained, apparently. We started on one side of the creek and followed the trail on our map. Unbeknownst to us the trail, at some point, crosses the creek and continues on the other side. The map does not reflect this pretty important modification. After hiking for about an hour we were tackling the side of the mountain. The majority of the family thought this was super fun. Joe and Baylee loved it. I thought it was really hard and I liked it less. I also envisioned newspaper articles about a lost family missing in the wilderness area. Of course, now that we have been back to the area several times I no longer harbor this fear.

We took a foil packet of chicken and veggies to cook over an open fire. Supper didn’t go as planned. Our foil packet fell apart and Joe and Baylee found great joy at sharpening sticks and spearing the chicken like cavemen. I am pretty sure they ate it a little bit raw. I am glad to report no one suffered any salmonella or other such food poisoning. They are a tough bunch.

We learned a valuable lesson about conditioning your pet for outdoor adventure. Poncho is fearless and nothing is going to keep him from a swim, not a cliff he has to jump off of or the fact that there is really no way to get back up. I saw muscles straining in his legs that would give Arnold a run for his money. At the end of the day, Poncho laid in the forest floor un-tethered by a leash with no threat of running off. He was making old man groans and couldn’t have chased a squirrel if he wanted to.

We made it home waterlogged and undeterred from going out again. It was a good learning trip. I learned that there is no exception for Reynolds Wrap. Baylee I think learned that she would much rather walk without a pack. Poncho learned that even he has limitations and Joe just reconfirmed that he prefers to be off the beaten path.

Thursday night hike

Good Morning Friends,

Last night we went on our first fully packed family hike. I packed all the things I am going to take with me on the big trail next month and Joe and Baylee both simulated with 30-45 pounds of watter bottles and canned goods. You would never believe how heavy a can of pizza sauce is! We drove out to our favorite spot on the Blue Ridge Parkway or as Baylee calls it the Blue Park Freeway.
Joe and I normally run along the road and we planed to turn around at my 2.5 mile mark for a nice 5 mile hike. Last time we ran I noticed a man skirting the road a long a trail next to the road, although at times felt like he was doing a poor job of servailing me to see if I walked, it did seem safer and more enjoyable to be on the trail than the road. So we too took the trail. It usually takes me a mile or so to get warmed up. We encountered a few trail runners on our way. Joe and I decided that looks like more fun than running on the road. I think we have been converted. It is also more shady and a heck of a lot cooler but more humid in the wood line. I made more sweat hiking than I ever do running.

Joe held on to Poncho most of the time but Baylee and I took a few turns too. Baylee's pack is frameless and was causing her some discomfort so Joe took part of her load. After the trade everyone felt better. Except after a little while I think Poncho wished he could ride in some one's pack like a papoose. He got tuckered out. I love this picture! Joe and Baylee both are showing support for Larned High School Sports!

At one point we came to a fork in the path and we ended up at a brick wall. We climbed the wall and walked over a bridge on the road and it became even more evident that we prefer the trail. We rushed to get back in to the woods. The smells are indescribable. When you get a candle called a walk in the woods it doesn't smell half as good as an actual walk in the woods. We had to come back out one more time in order to get across the bridge that goes over I40 no getting around that. So eventually we got to our turn around point and we are pretty sure we added a mile of weaving around the trail in the woods. The way back was easier but very long. By the time we got close to the truck it was almost dark. The path was lit with the light from hundreds of lighting bugs it was very surreal and beautiful. We haven't found a way to measure our distance for sure but We are leaning toward our 5 mile hike turning in to a 7 mile hike. We got home with no blisters, no dehydration, and no second thoughts about our 8 mile walk out camping trip this weekend. Well Poncho might have second thoughts. He has not been moving around too much today. He hasn't voiced them though :)

With this note I hope you are inspired to get out on a trail.

Love,

Brecken

Post One

I have always wanted to have a blog but I never got it quite right. I didn't know what to say or I didn't have time or whatever. I am a stay at home mom with a day sleeping teenager and plenty of time on my hands.

I am working on some cool personal goals that someone might want to keep up on...maybe. I am planing on hiking a portion of the AT aka the Appalachian Trail this summer. The tentative start date is 11 July. We have a over night trip in to the woods this weekend to see how it might be. I will post photographs from that Next week when we get back.

My childhood friend Stacy Bronson (Eye) and I have committed to training for our first half Marathon together in October. I am currently adding a half mile to my run twice a week. My next run will be 5.5. Last night I did 5 miles on the Blue Ridge Parkway and ended at a bridge over the French Broad River.
When I am running this route I think about stopping to take pictures all the time. That would do nothing to improve my time. It is hard to be a photographer and a runner :)

I hope this note finds everyone doing splendidly

Brecken