Sunday, July 12, 2015

NOC - Hike, Climb, and Paddle

started my day with a pre-breakfast hike on the AT. Just an hour out and another hour back, but it was enough to make me want to walk further. I just love the AT.  I have loved it ever since I was a Girl Scout and my leader, Jo Otis, took us up to Springer Mountain (the southern end of the trail in Georgia).  I don't think we camped on the AT, but I remember carrying an old Kelty external frame pack that I found on someone's garbage pile in my neighborhood.  I was fascinated with drinking water from mountain streams and I picked up a piece of Amythest (my sister's birthstone) that I still have today. 


I stopped at the A. Rufus Morgan shelter and read some of the trail journal entries. (My grandfather's name was A. Roscoe Morgan...coincidence?) I picked up some trash. I listened to the birds and the insects.  I heard some crashing in the woods and wondered if I might see a bear.  Then I searched my brain to remember my bear encounter procedures and came up with nothing. Oh well!


I am so amazed at how big the leaves are in these forests!   Nantahala is Cherokee for "Land of the Noonday Sun" because the gorge is so deep that noon is the only time you get any sun down here. This is also a rainforest and many of the entries in the Shelter Journal bemoaned the liquid sunshine. 
 

It was nice to walk into a breakfast buffet at the end of my hike, back at NOC, something most hikers don't get to do. I had worked up an appetite too!  The girls were all up and ready to start the day of tree climbing and paddle boarding. 


Hunter, our NOC Guide, along with Aaron, took us through our knots; Clove Hitch, Figure Eight on a Bight (above), Figure Eight Follow Thru, Barrel Knots to get to a Double Fisherman, and the Klemheist. We also got familiar with the harness and their new Petzl ZigZags (below) on braided climbing rope.  


We scaled a huge Sycamore tree right there in the parking lot.  We went up several times each as their were 4 climbing ropes and only eight of us. We learned by doing and made rookie mistakes, but we laughed and had fun under NOC's watchful eye.  They just do things so well here.   I can't say enough great things about The Nantahala Outdoor Center.  They are top notch. 


Here is a shot with Aaron and Hunter after our climb!  They loved the Girl Scout cookies we gave them.  What better way for a Girl Scout Troop to tip!


In the afternoon we headed out onto Lake Fontana, which can also be accessed from the NOC campus.  We went SUPing (SUP = stand up paddle board) and kayaking which eventually turned into a big free swim on the lake.  The girls tried to see how many people could stand together on a paddle board before flipping.  The only got to 3! 


The young man on staff who took us down to the lake was fascinating.  He is a long distance kayaker!  He has kayaked the entire Mississippi in a three month stretch. He didn't even use a tent; he just used a rain fly. He said only about 15-20 people paddle the entire Mississippi each year; fewer than the number of people who climb Mt. Everest.   His name is Hunter Edge.  


After cleaning up, we went to dinner, where Jeremiah knocked another one out of the park.   He served up Jambalaya, fried orca, a sweet corn side, a fresh green salad and that wonderful vanilla wafer, bananas and banana pudding desert my mom used to make.  We put on more calories than we burned today.  Hey mom, your jambalaya is still the best, but I love fried okra now!


Kelly just realized she walked part of the Appalachian Trail tonight and now understands that the white blazes mark that trail.  In the parlance of teenage girl's right now; "What are those!"


My son Ryan has a picture of the two of us in this same spot from his Boy Scout days, so Kelly and I recreated the picture here.  


It's evening time and several of us are down by the river, listening to the sounds of the water from our hammocks.  It's Sunday night, so there is no band and a lot fewer people. The girls are all tired after a busy day.  I think we will all sleep well tonight!  Happy Trails!







2 comments:

  1. You all look so relaxed and happy. The food looks good too. I bought okra at the market on Thursday, Fried it right away. It was gone in a flash. The title of fireflies was never mentioned in the blog. Are you seeing real fireflies? Did you like the sup? I found it to be very hard on the legs.

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    1. Yes we are seeing Fireflies! I just read Nature Geek's blog that they are in decline. I guess I could have made "Fireflies" the title of the blog, but it did not occur to me until later. That title went with the photo I sent you of Kelly in her hammock.

      SUP was hard the first time I tried it but easier the second time. I was more balanced on the board today and not trying to grip it with my toes. It just takes some time to get used to it!

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