HIKING WITH CAROLINA OUTDOORS GROUP

I started this blog about 2 years ago and ever since I've been to so many places throughout NC. Most of the time it was just Bailey ( my dog ) and I going out and exploring. Although I do really enjoy getting out exploring on my own it would be nice to share all these places with others. One might say that I do share my excursions with others through this blog and I agree but that's after the excursions. What about sharing during my excursions. So on New Years eve I signed up and created "Carolina Outdoors Group" at meetup.com. I could have just joined other groups but I enjoy finding new places and exploring on my own terms. Our first outing was at Anne Springs Close Greenway hiking from the Dairy Barn to the Grist Mill and back. This is a 5 mile round trip, just right for a casual day hike. Two new members and  my daughter, Cassidy, along with her husband, Brandon, showed up on this cold and sunny winter day. We hiked a nice steady pace while getting some great conversations in along the way. It's always better to hike with others simply for the safety factor but some added bonuses includes hiking faster and further without realizing it and sharing your outdoor experiences. The hike ended quicker than I expected but it was a great outing. Hope to meet you at some upcoming events on my Carolina Outdoors Group at meetups.com.

Hike: 5 Miles

CAROLINA BEACH STATE PARK

With Christmas just two days removed, my dad, my niece Owen and I head out early in the morning on a long weekend adventure to Carolina Beach State Park. Two hours into our four hour journey I find myself alone in a car full of people and a dog as everyone doses off simultaneously for 100+ miles. Closer to our destination the car livens back up and the hunt for a seafood meal is underway. Dad spots something promising, Fish Bites, at a strip mall only minutes away from the State Park. With full stomachs of calamari, muscles, and clam chowder soup we reach the campground, our home away for home for the weekend. Only one campsite is occupied so we're able to survey the entire campground for our favorite site. Campsite #46 is roomy, isolated, and only yards away from an inlet, perfect for us. Owen, my 9 year old niece, scouts out the area while dad and I set up camp. Our first task is to reach the marina within Carolina Beach State Park, collect some supplies and explore what the park has to offer. We then head down the coast a bit to Fort Fisher and walk on the smooth sand of the beach. Bailey's a little apprehensive for the first time seeing and walking along the beach but adjusts pretty quickly. Owen doesn't hesitate to get knee deep in the vast ocean. Back at the marina we position our crab nets near the dock and  a yard or two away from a NO FISHING sign. After clambering around on rocks and watching a magnificent sunset it's time for our traditional steak with potatoes and onion feast while keeping warm around the fire. The night air brings near freezing temps. I never sleep well the first night out in nature. I 'm guessing it's a result of getting older, hmm. When morning finally rolls in I stoke the fire and prepare a hearty breakfast of sausage patties, eggs, and toast. While I cook breakfast Dad and Owen skirts down to the marina to check on the crab net. On their way they spot 13 deer in and around a picnic area. The crab net wasn't there probably as a result of a park ranger apprehending it. Dad and Owen were dropped off at the Aquarium while Bailey and I stroll about 2 miles down the Fort Fisher beach and back. Fort Fisher beach is a secluded beach with smooth sand, few shells, dog friendly, and a bird sanctuary inland. With forty minutes until I meet up with Dad and Owen again I adventure the grounds of Fort Fisher along a loop trail. After lunch at Fish Bites again. Dad takes a nap and Owen and I hike some of the trails within the park. I just love my nieces spirit of adventure.  Accustom to hiking along I probably went a little too far for a 9 year old's interest. The next few hours we retrieve my dad and claim a spot at the banks of Cape Fear River and cast a few line in hope of a fish dinner. Not accomplishing anything but constantly loosing our bait it's time to head back to camp. Dinner did consist of shrimp and steak or better known as surf and turf. The weather has been nice but cool but our second night is expected to warm up some and 100% rain early morning. We pack everything up except our tents and sleeping gear Saturday night to beat the rain but the morning rain only brings about 20 minutes drizzle. Before heading back to Charlotte we spend a few hours back at Fort Fisher beach. This trip really lifted my spirits heading into a new year spending time with a wonderful family.

Hike: 7 miles

MY FIRST DAY HIKE OF 2014 AT BOONE'S CAVE PARK

Not to break from a three year tradition, a first day hike, I ventured out early in search for a new location with new trails. Always heading North, West, or South, it is time to turn East to explore. Only sixty miles from Charlotte, down I-85N passing Salisbury to Exit 84 and connecting onto NC-150 E to a new destination. Boone's Cave Park is 100 acres and offers hiking trails through a secluded rolling forest of mixed hardwoods reminiscent of the North Carolina Mountains. Forty-six acres of the park are designated as a Natural Heritage Site and are host to a over 100 native wildflowers. A number of them normally found only in the Appalachian Mountains. The park cradles the Yadkin River. Steps provide access to the Yadkin River for fishing and canoeing. Be sure to take binoculars to catch a glimpse of the spring and fall migrant birds. These include Cedar Waxwing, Northern Parula, and Yellow Rumped Warbler, Pileated Woodpecker. On this cool winters day, I only heard the mocking of an old black crow bellowing out calls. The Cottonwood Trail is an out-n-back trail to a North Carolina’s prized Eastern Cottonwood tree (Populus deltoides), 154-feet tall with a trunk measuring 5 feet across, located along the shore of the Yadkin River. I was only able to view the massive tree from afar as the trail was awash within 20 yards of the base. The sun struggles to pierce the few fraying holes in the blanket of clouds gripping the sky. Boone's Cave is nestled at the foot of the mountain along the banks of the Yadkin River accessible by one of several hiking trails. Exploring the cave stimulated my thoughts of a past when Daniel Boone, an American pioneer, explorer, and frontiersman, stowing away in this cave while on an expedition. Further down the trail is Baptism Rock and an old stone foundation and chimney still remains from a log cabin built in the 1940 by the National Youth Administration. This cabin served as a home for the park’s caretaker during that time. And in the summer of 2006 a replica 18th Century Log Cabin was constructed to demonstrate how Daniel Boone would have lived. Boone Cave Park offers an intricate trail system specially designed for great day hikes. Whether it's the Cottonwood Trail, Wildflower Trail, Wilderness Trail, Runner's Loop, Overlook Loop, Cabin Trail, or the Back Country Trail, pick a trail and go hiking.

Hike: 4 Miles

Cottonwood Trail

Raccoon Tracks

Bailey and I

Boone's Cave

Yadkin River

Yadkin River

Small Waterfall off the Back Country Trail

Primitive Camping Sites on Runner's Loop Trail

Campsite

Boone Monument

MY WEEKEND AT CAESAR'S HEAD STATE PARK AND JONAS GAP STATE PARK

The weather this weekend couldn't be better for camping, well maybe a little warmer. And another last minute decision as to where I should go leads me straight to the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area where two state parks, Caesar's Head State Park and Jonas Gap State Park, are nestled. Accidentally speeding pass the turn-off to Jonas Gap, I continued along the winding mountain road to the top and the Caesar's Head parking lot. With limited parking I got lucky.After talking to a park ranger I was informed that all the primitive campsites, that both state parks share, were filled and my only two options were to head toward Brevard to Black Mountain Campground or hike through Caesar's Head State Park to the Foothill Trail and camp there. With only a few hours left of daylight I took the harder route, drove a mile down the hill to another parking lot and the trailhead of Raven Cliffs Trail. Strapped on my backpack and started down the trail. At one point I was suppose to turn right and take the Gum Gap/Foothills Trail but continued left to the Raven Cliffs Falls Overlook. Taking in the spectacular scenery with little time to spare I swiftly hike back and connected onto the Gum Gap/Foothill Trail. Another 3 miles or so I exited the park and continued on the Foothill Trail to a suitable camping site with dusk looming overhead. Tent up, fire roaring, and with supper behind me I succumbed to my exhaustion and a sense of vulnerability of being all alone 7+ miles deep in the rugged forest and retreat to the comforts ( not really ) of my sleeping bag. Bailey and I would always share the sleeping bag whenever we go camping, keeping each other warm, but apparently not anymore. One of us (or both ) has gain some weight and we both can't fit inside the sack any longer. So, loving my dog as much as I do, I got the short end of the covers. Even with my clothes, a pull-over jacket and my new Terramar Helix baselayer pants and shirt, I still froze at around 30 degrees making for a long restless night. Maybe a commercialized campground or just staying home was a better choice, nay. Morning finally rolls around and the sun is working extra hard to raise the temperature to a more bearable level. Breakfast consisted of hot breakfast ham strips, hot cheese grits, and a cup of hot water ( not a coffee drinker, I know ) to warm my soul. Once back on the Raven Cliff Trail I encountered fellow hikers again. Back to the main parking lot I took in all the views the mountain top had to offer. Now it's time to find out what Jonas Gap State Park has to offer. Another limited parking lot and yet lucky again. Without my backpack I headed down another trail. The Jonas Gap Trail is a 5+ mile trail connecting to the lower parking lot of the Caesar's Head State Park. Only hiking a few miles to the Jonas Gap Falls I passed a handful of unoccupied designated primitive campsites that were supposedly filled. With more hiking still in me I took the very strenuous 1.6 mile spur trail up the mountain to Rainbow Falls. Much easier hiking back down to the parking lot. With no more hiking in me left I will have to save the Falls Creek Falls and the Hospital Rock for another day. On the way home I stopped at a roadside stand and bought some hot boiled peanuts to munch on.

Total: 18 miles

Raven Cliffs Falls

Raven Cliffs Falls

Raven Cliffs Falls

Overlook at Caesar's Head State Park

View of Table Rock

Raven Mountain

South Carolina Peidmont

Caesar's Head State Park

Middle Saluda

Jonas Gap Trail

Jonas Gap Falls

Bailey and I at Jonas Gap Falls

Where I stopped to relax and reflect

Foot Bridge

Jonas Gap at Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area