Spring has sprung!

There are some really good reasons why I live where I do. I live here because I want to. One of my favorite things about East Tennessee is that I can drive an hour or less in just about any direction and have top quality hiking. Its not the most majestic of places I've hiked, but there is something really special about the southern Appalachians.

I've done the Roan Highlands more times than I can count and every time I've been over the Hump Mountains I've had bad weather from fog to the sideways sleet and hail I got on my AT thru-hike. When I saw the forecast a few days ago I knew I had to finally see the view I knew was up there. I got a pretty great view and amazing weather, but more importantly I had 24 hours of amazing wild flowers.

Vasey's Trillium. This kept me guessing the entire time. I'd never encountered Trillium this color before even though its apparently everywhere around here.

Lousewort! This is my favorite wildflower and spotting it for the first time this year had me pretty happy. Welcome back old friend.

Spring creeping up the mountain with a little more green each day.

I think this is Spring Cress or maybe a type of violet? Someone please correct me on this one! (edit: I'm being told this is probably Spring Beauty.)

Yellow Trout Lilly. One beautiful flower.

Looking trail south. It felt so wrong hiking away from Katahdin.

I felt like a fool. I got more blisters in less than 20 miles than I did for the entire 2179 of the AT. I may have to start wearing socks again. yuck.

Another Trillium.

Once again I'm stumped. Any help from you guys? Come one I'm friends with botanists for a reason! (edit: I think people are agreeing this is probably Disporum.)

Spider hanging out some some Trillium.

Maybe a geranium of some sort?

Once again I'm stumped. I need to find a better wildflower resource apparently. (edit: also another geranium.)

Phlox!

Plenty of Fringed Phacelia popped up over night! I basically did about 10 miles out and then 10 back the next day. It was really amazing that over half of this flowers weren't there yesterday when I was hiking in and they were absolutely everywhere today!

What do you get from a walk?

Hiking centers me. Brings me peace. I've said this before on many occasion. The rhythm of the foot steps and  of my breath and the clear air often brings me to a meditative state. It helps me work through lots of things in my life. Usually when I stop for a snack or at a vista I break that and for a small moment of my day I become awake and aware of where I am and whats around me. The more I hike the more I'm aware. These days I'm very present on my hikes. Each flower, the temperature of the air, the feel and direction of the wind. The softness of the cool dark mud or the smell of the rain soaked lichen on the rocks. Before these moments were all temporary and fleeting. Now they are the walk. Every step is one of intent. Every look and touch is chosen and deliberate. Each breath I draw in brings me closer to the mountains underneath and all around.

I get more peace and more joy out of every walk I take. Now hiking doesn't help me work through my problems or help me clear my head of them. I'll let myself give them the attention they deserve, but right now my thoughts are in the moment. Exactly here they need to be.

What do you get from a walk?

Spreading the love

I haven't got around to getting the photos off my camera from my last few little hikes so this post will be without pictures. I just wanted to draw attention to my buddy Honey Du's blog from his summer on the Colorado Trail.

http://amodestfolly.blogspot.com/

He's got some great photos and a love for wildflowers. But its his way of sharing life on the trail and in trail towns that is what really draws me in with his posts. I find when other people write about hikes it usually can be awfully boring, but thats not the case here.

Daytripping

I really haven't done that much backpacking this year. Mostly day hikes and usually just quick solo trips and if I were to hazard a guess I'd say I've done less than 500 miles this year. I tend to get out at least once a week and usually don't bring a camera and if I do my day hikes often don't end up on here.  Maybe in the future I need to be a bit more disciplined with updating this little blog here.