But another treasure-trove of Western North Carolina hiking is offered on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Tons of trails exist within an hour or so drive from the Plateau, and a recently discovered hike with a range of geological and historical interest is Blackrock.

It is easy to get there. One can jump on the Parkway between Sylva and Waynesville, drive a few miles to marker 451.2, and turn right on the road to Waterrock Knob. Trailhead parking is located at the Browning Knob Overlook, but there are a few spots right in front of the Blackrock trailhead – which is just a small open path into the woods.

A visitor center is located at the parking lot, as are restrooms. Bring some cash as the Internet is sometimes down, and unique gifts and Parkway merch is on display.

Plus, a free giveaway at the visitor center is a beautifully hand-drawn and water-colo ared map that is frameable and features fascinating flora and fauna facts, history, geological insight, and more. There is even an illustration of a Plott hound and tidbits about how this breed was established by an 18th century Appalachian settler family and became North Carolina’s state dog.

Parkway rangers can also point hikers to the exact start of the Blackrock hike, since the trailhead is not well-marked. They can also inform about trail conditions.

But once hikers step onto the trail and plan to enjoy the 4.6-mile round-trip, moderate-to-challenging hike, they experience a sensory landscape. The well-worn and gold/purple-painted blaze-marked trail features the refreshing smells of a spruce fir forest, the feel of spongy woodlands’ soil underfoot, the sound of warblers, nuthatches, and piliated woodpeckers high in trees, and the sight of logs and boulders encased in thick, vibrantly green moss.

Galax and various hues and sizes of mushrooms intermingle on the forest floor; hardwoods and firs tower beside the trail. Now and then openings reveal views of such mountains as Yellowface and Snowbird as well as impressive rock formations.

But this hike is not just about nature saturation. There is history here as well. Left-behind late 19th to early 20th century logging equipment, such as log gears and wheels, reminds hikers that the area was not always protected.

For November, dress in layers; always bring plenty of water – no matter the time of year; use a hiking stick for the steeper spots; and bring snacks to enjoy atop Black Rock while taking in 360-degree views.

Indeed, 2.3 miles of hiking ends at a great expanse of a rocky ridge of flattish boulders to walk and sit on and gaze at vistas that extend the horizon in every direction. To extend the hike farther to The Pinnacle is an option conveyed on AllTrails; however, this results in an 11-mile-roundtrip hike versus 4.6 miles.

Yet, just traversing the 2.3 miles to Blackrock, and back the same distance to a parked car, provides all the enjoyable sights, smells, and sounds necessary to make traveling over to the Blue Ridge Parkway worth it.

The post The Majesty of Blackrock appeared first on Laurel Magazine.

But who traverses the area’s sundry trails and paths throughout Macon and Jackson counties seeking Cherokee trail marker trees?

Huh? Yes. They still exist.

Like other native people groups in various parts of our country, Western North Carolina’s Cherokee for many years manipulated tree saplings to signify directional meanings – most specifically aspects of early roadways and paths used regularly for trading goods, hunting, and gathering, as well as to make war against opposing tribes or settlers and British forces.

Sighting a tree with unnaturally bent limbs may cause nature enthusiasts to pause and wonder, deducing that the tree somehow just grew that way. And, indeed, some trees do grow in a seemingly deformed way. However, many actual trail marker trees are distinct enough that they can easily be spotted.

The Cherokee would choose a hardwood sapling on a certain part of a path, often near water, at the gap in a mountain, and in areas where roadways and paths intersected, and they would stake the whole sapling or a limb to the ground so that it would grow unnaturally for a while. Then they would un-tether the tree as it matured.

What walkers and hikers might encounter while hiking their own properties, the Appalachian Trail, the Bartram Trail, and various other spots in the region is a tree with a limb protruding straight out and then straight up. Occasionally, there are two trail marker trees side-by-side, such as at the edge of the Cartoogechaye Baptist Church parking lot in Franklin next to Cartoogechaye Creek.

Modern observers often find that determining the meanings of the trail trees is difficult, but common thought is that most were directional, pointing to water sources, river crossings, shelters, etc. Some supposedly also indicated danger, hunting grounds, settlements, and more.

While there is no way to determine if a distorted mature tree is an age-old Cherokee trail marker, it is fun to imagine life in these mountains way before paved roads, automobiles, and manufactured signs.

The post Long Before Road Signs appeared first on Laurel Magazine.

Thus, someone who wants to commune with nature, yet is afeared of bears, and bugs, and bats – oh my! – can rest comfortably in barely two-year-old sturdy cabins with facilities, including luxury showers, just a few feet away. Firewood is available nearby using a credit card, and fire rings and Adirondack chairs invite cabin dwellers to enjoy stargazing, gabbing with friends and family, and just relaxing before retreating to heated and cooled cabins. They sleep six, with one full-sized bed and two bunk beds available.

Plus, there is a picnic table for eating out of doors, yet each site’s foundation is situated on unspoiled asphalt and gravel, so no getting shoes and tootsies muddy and dirty.

The cabins are in their own quiet area of the 13.5-acre campground, with RVs and tents tucked in other loops of the campground. The well-maintained campground drive meanders past wooded areas, some mountainous views (especially during months of less foliage), and trickling creeks. Sightings are common of armadillos, rabbits, and various bird species.

Besides walking the campground loops for exercise and fresh air, other outdoor recreation exists at Gorges for individuals not interested in or able to ascend great heights or hike long distances.

From the visitor center is a lovely, mulched trail, featuring a StoryWalk book, to a viewing platform that’s less than a half mile. The viewing platform is approximately 3,200 feet above sea level and overlooks part of the gorge. Signage educates on why the natural landscape is considered an escarpment, which is a “steep, erosional slope that separates the high mountainous terrain of the Blue Ridge Mountains from the low-lying rolling hills of the Piedmont.”

Further information about the escarpment, area wildlife, plant species, and more is available back at the massive visitor center, complete with a vaulted-ceiling, floor-to-ceiling sitting room with fireplace.

On rainy days or just to enjoy a change of scenery from the campground cabin, visitors can bring a book, a technical device, games, etc., to the center daily during business hours and simply hang out. Plus, periodic lectures, films, hands-on programs, and events take place at the auditorium.

And, the visitor center’s retail space offers playing cards, children’s games, and books – just in case visitors forgot such items.

If the campground loops and the viewing platform walk do not provide enough exercise for casual adventurers, a half-mile hike to Bearwallow Falls is considered easy and child-friendly – just in case wee ones are along for the trip.

And just a short seven-mile drive from the entrance to Gorges State Park is nearby Whitewater Falls – a 411-foot plunge considered the “highest waterfall east of the Rockies,” according to the U.S. Forest Service. From the parking lot along a paved walking trail to the waterfall’s viewing platform is a doable one-quarter mile.

Gorges State Park is especially appealing for adventurers and leisure nature-lovers alike during the upcoming fall season. Inside the visitor center is a wall display, “Hues of Autumn,” attesting to the “glorious season” and explaining the reasons why such brilliance is showcased in this area.

Consider the close-by outdoorsy getaway of Gorges State Park, and be sure to tell others – but only after you’ve experienced the serenity yourself.

The post Welcome to Gorges State Park appeared first on Laurel Magazine.

Just an hour or so drive toward Cherokee and we can enter for free (although a parking pass is needed) the preserved Great Smoky Mountain National Park, which is filled with protected wildlife and historic structures.

And one of the most fascinating aspects of the 814-square miles of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which encompasses a portion of both North Carolina and Tennessee, is Cades Cove. The 6,800-acre valley is geologically unique for the area because of its limestone window, meaning weathering limestone resulted in deep, fertile soil. A true valley of lush meadows surrounded by a perimeter of forests and protected by a ring of mountains, Cades Cove became a haven for upwards of close to 700 settlers during the 1800s and into the early 1900s.

Before the land was purchased for the establishment of the 21st national park, Cades Cove residents flourished due to plentiful natural resources. Not only was the soil more than sufficient for growing mostly corn as well as wheat, oats, and rye, but it offered nutrient-rich grasses on which livestock could fatten. Plus, an over-abundance of chestnuts fed animals and people. Today, deer, turkeys, bears, and squirrels are still abundant in the valley as well.

An 11-mile loop affords anyone traveling by car or by bicycle an opportunity to see the animals up close and personal. On Wednesdays, through October, no cars are allowed on the loop, so cyclists can meander without worrying about weaving in and out of cars.

For anyone not bringing their own bike, bicycles can be rented near the entrance to the loop at the Cades Cove campground. The walking/hiking or biking is doable for most any activity levels.

More than 80 preserved structures still existing in Cades Cove attest to the settlers’ resourcefulness when it came to constructing their log home, corn crib, smokehouse, outhouse, chicken house, and barn, all of which were standard for anyone setting down permanent roots in the valley.

Cades Cove has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places as an historic district since July 13, 1977.

From the entrance to Great Smoky Mountain National Park at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center to the Cades Cove loop is approximately 60 miles, and drivers there can expect to see plenty of elk and an occasional bear while on the drive. see plenty of elk and an occasional bear while on the drive.

The post Nearby Living History appeared first on Laurel Magazine.

Still beautiful but bleak landscapes give way to a burst of green from the ground to treetops. Once vast views are sometimes obscured by dense foliage, yet trees and shrubs provide a feast for the eyes in their leaf shapes and hues or torrent of blooms.

Hiking, biking, and walking along the countless paths and trails on the Plateau is all more fascinating when there is some knowledge of what might be viewed.

Handy, backpack-size fold-out native tree, shrub, and wildflower identifier guides are available in many book and outfitter stores.

Details about what one might encounter is available from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission – visit ncwildlife.org/learning/species. A plethora of categories is provided, complete with photographs, details on habitat, species names, idiosyncrasies, etc.

In this area, for example, chipmunks are common. We all know that they store nuts and seeds in their mouth pouches and save them for later to eat. However, NCWRC shares that these adorable little creatures also eat amphibians, insects, and small birds! What?

And, speaking of amphibians, our creeks, streams, and rivers are loaded with salamanders – from ones that are slight and bright red to the prehistoric looking and sizeable Eastern Hellbenders. Salamanders are captivating critters and in order to protect them should not be touched, caught, or played with.

While snakes are feared by many who venture outdoors, they can be appreciated as well. Black snakes feast on rodents and even copperheads, which are prevalent in these mountains – as are rattlesnakes.

However, contrary to common myth: “While a copperhead bite is painful and should be treated as serious, it is not considered life-threatening,” states NCWRC. A bite from a timber rattler is serious and could be life threatening.

Yet instead of being afraid, just be cautious, realizing that both venomous snakes have markings that provide camouflaging among leaves, rocks, brush, etc. Avoid meandering off trails, and if encountering one of these snakes on a trail, leave it alone, walk way around it, and let people coming from the other direction know that it was spotted.

And, contrary to what one might see in movies or read in books, there is a right way and a wrong way to treat a snake bite. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention informs that while waiting for emergency medical services or while being driven by someone to a hospital:

-“Lay or sit down with the bite in a neutral position
of comfort.

-Remove rings and watches before swelling starts.

-Wash the bite with soap and water.

-Cover the bite with a clean, dry dressing.

-Mark the leading edge of tenderness/swelling on the skin and write the time alongside it.

-Do not pick up the snake or try to trap it. NEVER handle a venomous snake, not even a dead one or its decapitated head.

-Do not wait for symptoms to appear if bitten, get medical help right away.

-Do not apply a tourniquet.

-Do not slash the wound with a knife or cut it in any way.

-Do not try to suck out the venom.

-Do not apply ice or immerse the wound in water.

-Do not drink alcohol as a painkiller.

-Do not take pain relievers (such as aspirin,
ibuprofen, naproxen).”

On a happier note, two of the most enchanting aspects of traversing Appalachian woods this time of year is coming across various lichens and mushrooms.

The U.S. Forest Service notes that lichens are broken down into three categories, crustose, foliose, and fruticose, and each one has a different texture, shape, and color. They grow on trees, logs, and rocks and can be enjoyable to evaluate and photograph. Like mushrooms, some lichens are edible, and American Indians such as the Cherokee sometimes used them for various medicinal and culinary purposes, as well as for dyes, but some are also toxic. Unless someone is a lichen expert, it is best not to ingest.

And about this time of year, the monarchs converge. Besides a variety of dainty to stunning butterflies that are born and die here, the monarch butterflies begin to migrate through on their 2,000-plus-mile journey from the Northeast to where many will end up, in Mexico. They are recognizable by their orange, black, and white patterned wings. Look for milkweed and joe-pye weed and a number of other native summer flowing plants and a monarch may be feeding on it. In fact, milkweed nectar is their meal of choice because monarch larvae need milkweed plants to produce a chemical that makes them unpalatable to predators.

The post Green From Ground to Crown appeared first on Laurel Magazine.

Anyone who owns land in this region and/or has done much hiking will have noticed gravel roads that seemingly lead to nowhere as well as random marked trails. These are most likely USFS-made roads and trails, some of which are old and forgotten and others of which are regularly maintained.

Surrounding parts of Cashiers and Highlands is the largest of North Carolina’s four National Forests: the Nantahala, which is a Cherokee word meaning “land of the noon day sun.” Nantahala National Forest encompasses 531,148 acres, with elevations ranging from 5,800 feet at Lone Bald in Jackson County to 1,200 feet in Cherokee County along Hiwassee River.

Most noteworthy, Nantahala National Forest offers over 600 miles of trails. A few of the lesser-known spots with information provided by the USFS, include:

Ellicott’s Rock / Bad Creek Trails: 7 miles (round trip). This hike features Ellicott’s Rock, which is a rock embedded in the Chattooga Riverbank bearing the letters “NC” carved by 18th century surveyor Andrew Ellicott. He thought this spot to be the intersection of Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The actual point of intersection is Commissioners Rock, bearing the symbols NC/SC 1813, 10 feet downstream. Directions: Take Horse Cove Rd. 4.3 miles from the corner of Fourth and Main St. in Highlands to the end of the pavement. Take the right fork, which is Bull Pen Rd. Ellicott’s Rock trail starts at 6 miles; the Bad Creek trail starts at 10 miles.

The Narrows: 4 miles (round trip). This hike features the Chattooga River where it is forced into a narrow channel; there is also a swimming hole. Directions: Take Horse Cove Rd. 4.3 miles from the corner of Fourth and Main St. in Highlands to the end of the pavement. Turn left onto Whiteside Cove Rd. and drive 0.9 miles. The trail is on a logging road on the right and descends 2 miles to The Narrows. You will pass a trail to the right, which continues to Bull Pen Bridge on Horse Cove Rd.

Yellow Mountain / Shortoff Mountain: 3 miles (round trip) to Shortoff Mountain, 9.6 miles (round trip) to Yellow Mountain. The hike to Shortoff Mountain is easier, but the hike to Yellow Mountain is a difficult trail, traversing three of the area’s scenic mountains, with many steep ascents and descents. Directions: Take US-64 east from the corner of Fourth and Main St. in Highlands 2. 7 miles and turn left onto Buck Creek Rd. Continue for 2.3 miles on Buck Creek Rd. and look for the steps on the right. The trail very gradually climbs Cole Mountain, where a lookout on the left offers views into the Buck Creek area. It continues on the ridge line, and then a series of switchbacks takes you to the summit of Shortoff Mountain (5,000 ft.). From there, the trail follows a ridge to Goat Knob and Yellow Mountain Gap. From the gap, one mile of switchbacks brings you to the summit of Yellow Mountain (5,127 ft.).

To look at a Nantahala National Forest and plot out future hikes and areas to explore, visit fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5425097.pdf or scan qr code below. While perusing the map and meandering trails and roads through Nantahala National Forest, remember that it is all there for you to enjoy because of the U.S. Forest Service and its hard-working employees.

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A local river that runs over rocks from the basement of time is the Chattooga River. It begins in these Appalachian Mountains and rushes, flows, and/or meanders for 50-miles to end at Lake Tugaloo between South Carolina and Georgia and dropping almost one-half-mile in elevation.

A 1.75-mile loop trail, aptly named the Chattooga Loop Trail, presents to hikers a snippet of just how beautiful is this river corridor. Countless species of plants, trees, moss, and fungi exist. This time of year, one might find liverwort, rock gnome lichen, and divided leaf ragwort – just to name very few examples.

The Chattooga Loop Trail begins to the left of what is called Iron Bridge and follows a longer Chattooga River Trail for 0.6 miles before a hard left is necessary and the Loop Trail continues uphill. Eventually, the trail joins an old logging road, where there is a clearing with a picnic table. The loop runs right to Bull Pen Road and back downhill to return to Iron Bridge.

It is a trail that can be enjoyed by anyone, from the casual walker to the avid hiker. Its main highlight is that more than half of the loop follows the Chattooga River. In summertime, there are spots to cool off. Children, adults, and dogs alike might enjoy a refreshing dip in the river.

Not just because there is a picnic table about halfway, but because of the trail’s accessibility and five senses opportunities, it begs for a long pause and a picnic. Bring a portable fishing pole and a license to try to snag a trout out of the Chattooga River.

The only obstacles that may need to be maneuvered around or over are downed trees, and after rainstorms some of the rocks and roots on the trail might be slippery and the paths muddy. Otherwise, there are few inclines and the path is easily manageable.

To get to the Chattooga Loop Trail from Highlands proceed east on Main Street, which becomes Horse Cove Road, and drive four and a half miles to intersection with Bull Pen and Whiteside Cove roads. Turn right onto Bull Pen Road (#1178) and proceed for 3.1 miles to Iron Bridge. The trailhead is on the left just before bridge. From Cashiers proceed on Hwy. 107 South for seven miles and turn right onto Bull Pen Road (#1178 #1180). Proceed for about five and a half miles to the Iron Bridge. The trailhead is on right on far side of bridge.

The post And a River Runs Through It appeared first on Laurel Magazine.

Deena Bouknight and Dan Finnerty

There’s a saying that if you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans. I told God that I wanted to remain a content and active single person. I learned later that around the same time my husband had mentioned the same thing in his prayers.

However, it is very clear in the scriptures – and we should know by now: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.” Isaiah 55:8 (ESV)

Living in an 800-square-foot cottage near Winding Stair pass of Appalachian Trail fame, I resisted hosting visiting students enrolled in the bi-annual Park Ranger Law Enforcement Academy Training Program at Industrial Park in Franklin, even though a friend kept encouraging me to do so. I caved in when the friend called and said a young woman was in desperate need of housing and was finding none.

On a blustery early January day in 2020, a beautiful young woman, named Marissa, walked onto my porch and into my cozy cottage, with woodstove burning, homemade chili steaming in bowls, and crusty bread on the table. Welcome goodies were arranged in a basket next to the guestroom bed. We immediately hit it off and became close friends, despite the 30-year-age difference. I cheered her on during the difficult five-month-long course and we hiked, and talked, and ate together. That was, until the pandemic struck and we had to navigate life amidst the craziness.

While Marissa shared details of her life with me, including that her mother lived in Florida, her father in Pennsylvania, and that she had a twin sister and an older brother, never did she elaborate much on her father, Dan. Yet, fast forward one year; she is working in California and we have stayed in touch over the phone and through social media. She began to tell me that her father was planning to retire early from a government career and would be attending the same park ranger program in Franklin.

“Can you be a resource for him when he comes to Franklin?”

“Sure,” I let her know.

As I look back on it now, I realize that she was stealthily arranging a relationship opportunity. Each month leading up to Dan’s arrival in Franklin, she texted me and asked the same question. Finally, she pushed: “Why don’t you just reach out to him yourself and give him your contact information.”

I thought nothing of it. Remember, I was a committed single. I messaged Dan and, well, the rest is (as cliché as it sounds) history. He called in late April 2021 and we talked and/or texted – for hours daily – until he arrived to move into a temporary rented garage apartment on July 30, as the course began August 1. As I had ready for his daughter a year and a half earlier, I had a meal – as well as a welcome basket – prepared for when we met in person for the first time. He relayed to me that one time, when Marissa was living with me, he asked her what I was like. She said, “She’s a female you, dad,” meaning that we had so much in common.

Indeed, every spare minute that Dan was not in class, we hiked, watched historic documentaries, traveled to local sites, cooked together, and more. By December, he had to go back to Pennsylvania and we had no firm commitment, but that changed quickly in early 2022, and by April we were engaged. He accepted a seasonal position as a park ranger in West Yellowstone, Montana, and I drove out and back with him as well as visited during his four months there.

While working 2,000 miles away in Montana, Dan sold his home in Pennsylvania and purchased land on Tessentee Road in Macon County. We returned to Franklin in September 2022, married at my sister’s horse farm on Tessentee Road with close family and friends present, and began clearing land and building a dream home, which we moved into in July 2023, two years to the month of our first face-to-face meeting.

Dan and I have since learned that not only Marissa, but her twin sister, Tia, had been discussing and hoping for our happy union since Marissa first met me.

Dan likes to say to anyone who asks about how we got together, “If you would have told me back in 2021 that I would not be living in Pennsylvania, that I would be married, that I would be living on 10 acres in Franklin and in a new home … I would have told you that you were crazy.”

But that is the case, and our lives are wonderful and full; we both write and travel and garden and much, much more.

“God moves in a mysterious way,
His wonders to perform; …
God is his own interpreter,
And he will make it plain.” – British 18th century hymn writer William Cowper

The post Unexpected Path appeared first on Laurel Magazine.

Considered an infant state park due to its official public opening in 2009, it is no less significant than the many multi-decade parks throughout this great state. However, the story of how it came to be and what it offers to day and overnight visitors is worthy of attention.

Gorges State Park’s origins were spurred by a manmade disaster more than a century ago. In August 1916, the dam holding back North Carolina’s largest private lake at the time – Lake Toxaway – failed. The resulting water that rushed southward left 15-20-foot debris piles, some of which remain today.

Historic Toxaway includes this information about the event: “Five billion gallons of water rushed over the falls and into the gorge below, with a force that uprooted trees and tumbled boulders as large as 60 feet long end over end (the resulting scour to bedrock is still in evidence at the falls today). The power plant was swept away, and in a matter of hours, the big lake was no more.”

Miraculously, there were no human casualties. The Greensboro Daily News on Aug. 16, 1916, published an account, which included: “Now Toxaway, lake and dam, are gone. Some chroniclers say the waters went out with a roar. Some say the dam just crumbled and crumpled, and the lake slid down the narrow gorge without any especial demonstration. There was no tragedy, no Johnstown (Pennsylvania, historic dam break and flood, 1889), and little devastation.”

However, the resulting effect on the landscape was that much more granite rock was exposed.

In fact, located in Transylvania County near the tripoint where North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia meet, the area features plummeting waterfalls, rocky river gorges, and lofty stone precipices. Conservation studies were called for after the dam break and eventually, by 1982, 275 acres of the interesting landscape was placed on the North Carolina Registry of Natural Heritage Areas.

Gradually, a state park developed.

What water from a broken dam did to alter an already beautiful landscape and wilderness can now be enjoyed for perpetuity. The park is situated in what is deemed the Blue Ridge Escarpment, which spans more than 8,000 acres of temperate, biodiverse rainforest. For anyone who enjoys waterfalls, Gorges has 26 of them.

Hikers have access to 56 miles of trails, while mountain bikers are challenged by 17 miles of trails. A detailed park map on the park’s website – at www.ncparks.gov/maps/gorges-state-park-map/open – shows the outdoor recreation opportunities.

Plus, 14 of the trails are listed on AllTrails, a phone app, and can be downloaded ahead of time to make it easy to stay on the trail and track progress. Each hike and its length and difficulty is also conveniently listed on the park’s website.

Choose everything from the “moderate” almost two miles roundtrip Bearwallow Falls Trail via the Bearwallow Valley Trail that includes a viewing platform to the more “strenuous” three-miles round trip to Rainbow Falls Trail that enables hikers to view – as one might expect – an imposing waterfall.

Enjoy exploring one of this area’s most beautiful and often untapped outdoor resources by taking a drive to Gorges.

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(standing l to r) Robert Boyle,Darrin Mullett, and Dixie Stewart (sitting) Nola Privett.

Dixie Stewart turned 68 years old on the Appalachian Trail (AT) last year. An avid hiker, she decided to embark on the 2,100-mile iconic east coast hiking challenge after one of her two sons, Tyler, encouraged her.

“You’re going to talk about it and never do it,” he challenged. After that, Stewart and a hiking friend, Nola Privett, began reading and preparing for the Springer Mountain, Georgia, to Katahdin, Maine, northbound adventure.

Both women currently live in Waynesville. Stewart and her husband, Richard, resided in Cashiers for a while, but then moved to the coast and eventually returned to the mountains. To be on the AT for several months, Stewart had to take a leave of absence from her job as a registered nurse at Mission Hospital, while Privett semi-retired from her career as a medical technologist.

Stewart had plenty of miles of hiking experience before setting out on the AT March 19, 2023. “My husband, Richard, and I had hiked a lot, even section hiking from Springer Mountain to Fontana Dam on weekends and days off.”

She read many of the popular AT books prior to hitting the trail, including A Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson; Grandma Gatewood’s Walk, by Ben Montgomery; Hiking Through, by Paul Stutzman; The Unlikely Thru-Hiker, by Derick Lugo; and various how-to books. She also watched videos and researched gear.

“You learn from reading that it’s not all romance; it’s hard work.”

The hike was made more challenging by the fact that Stewart has scoliosis. Not far into the hike, she realized her pack was not the right fit for her body, so she had to be fitted at Mountain Crossings in Blairsville, Georgia.

“That was my first major gear change.”

She also had to change shoes every few hundred miles. And, after a tent pole broke, she determined her tent and mattress pad were not large enough.

Stewart and Privett hiked together for most of the journey, took a healthy break for a bit, and then met back up in the White Mountains to continue onto Mount Katahdin.

Despite any difficulties, including Stewart breaking her hand in Maine but continuing to the finish line, bright spots were many. Stewart’s two sons, Tyler and Rich, met her for day hikes, as did various friends and other family members. “What you miss the most on the trail is family and that connection,” said Stewart, who also has two daughters.

“In general, the people I met were the highlight of the trail,” she added. “Whenever you don’t have something, someone will give it to you, and when I broke my hand, Nola and others helped set up my tent, carry my pack across a river …”

As with all hikers, the scenery motivates. Stewart especially enjoyed the North Carolina sections of the AT and seeing Smoky Mountain National Park when wildflowers blossomed.

A favorite “trail town” was Franklin, which she said “does an awesome job as a trail town. I was with a group of young hikers and we really had a fun time.”

When Stewart climbed Mount Katahdin, the highest mountain in the state of Maine, at 5,269 feet, and found the sign indicating the end of her AT hike, she said she “laughed a lot from pure joy. It was a long day but satisfying day.”

Privett, who had less hiking experience than Stewart – other than day hikes – said about finishing the AT: “Getting up every morning, crawling out of that tent, sometimes hiking in the rain … it was tough at times. Doing that day after day after day, eight to 10 hours a day is hard. Getting to Mount Katahdin was nice because I knew I was getting to go home and be with my family afterwards. Also, going back into real life and a regular routine is an adjustment. But it definitely was a bonding experience with other AT hikers, and when I meet AT hikers now, we immediately have a connection.”

This year, Stewart plans to hike on the AT with friends and pass out trail magic – snacks, water, etc. – to hikers. Less than a year from her summit moment, she has had time to reflect and shared: “I learned I had perseverance I didn’t think I had. I’ve done several difficult hikes and challenges, but nothing this long. I’ve done hard things before and knew I had the determination, but when you are four months into it and ready to be home, that’s all you can think about.”

Both women’s family and friends are proud of their accomplishment. Stewart’s son, Tyler, who truly knows what his mother encountered, since he had hiked the AT himself, told her after Mount Katahdin, “I knew you could do it.”

While Stewart plans to tackle some shorter hikes, such as the 310-mile Superior in Minnesota, the 93-mile Wonderland Trail at Mount Ranier, Wash., and the 77-mile Foothills Trail in South Carolina, she desires not to be away from friends and family for longer than a week to a month at a time. Privett feels the same.

But both women are glad they are among the thousands of people who can say that they have, indeed, completed a thru-hike of the AT.

The post A Hike To Remember appeared first on Laurel Magazine.