Let's see...we got an earlier start this morning and headed out towards the Pisgah National Forest for some hikes to waterfalls and Sliding Rock! I had been to Sliding Rock when I was about 14 and remembered loving the novelty of it. Every stream, creek and river that I see while driving or hiking, I am always overcome by a desire to lay in it. The water always looks so refreshing. We hiked a trail @ Graveyard Fields today, along the Blue Ridge Parkway, which brought us to a beautiful rocky creek. We saw some campsites along the path - cool spot to pitch a tent.
...but let's digress to the actual DRIVE there:
We took Hwy 151 to the Blue Ridge Pkwy and 151 was insanely narrow for a two-lane hwy 4000 miles high! I drove today. (S: Jen did a great job, but I was getting more and more nervous as I realized how high we were getting with no guardrails!) At one point, the magnificent view finally appeared to our left and I noticed Stacey looking straight ahead. Not wanting her to miss out on anything, I told her to look at the view. She didn't, just kept staring straight ahead. I thought maybe she just didn't hear me. "Look! Look at it!" Little did I know that Stacey was in full-on freak-out mode and barks, "Don't tell me what to do!" A few seconds later she apologized and said that she was scared beyond belief. I teased her about it for the rest of the day. She said later, "Maybe I'm a little scared of heights." (S: Admittedly, I was silently fuh-reaking out in my head)
Along the BRP we stopped a few times for short hikes and tried to hike to Devil's Courthouse, only to be scared away by thunder and lightning. I think this is the first time that both of us have been 5000 feet up during a storm. Stacey actually hit her knee on the ground when she ducked and I started trotting back down the trail. (S: More like, I hit the ground hard and had pebble indents in my knee and Jen started booking it back down the trail when the lightening hit. It sounded like it was right next to us)
In the Pisgah Nat'l Forest we first checked out Looking Glass Falls, then hiked to the falls @ Moore's Cove, which were so amazing and you could walk behind them. We first hiked to the bottom, then realized that there were some well-marked but slightly treacherous trails to the top of the falls. I have to admit the trek down was a bit nerve-wracking for me; I'm like a cat in a tree. I'm able to climb up, but climbing down is another story. Also, it was starting to rain and I was picturing everything turning to mud and having to slide down.
After getting all grimy with clay, off to Sliding Rock we went. Stacey had been debating this whole time whether or not she'd slide down, only because she does not do well with cold water. I had heard once that this water is 55 degrees, not sure if it's true. She did it and she was great! No hesitation. I however, lingered @ the top before finally taking the plunge. The water was just as I remember -- ICE cold! Yikes! But, I wanted to get my $1's worth, so I did it 3 times. :) We have videos!
We drove to downtown Asheville for dinner @ the Tupelo Honey Cafe (delicious) and enjoyed the hot tub once we got home.
Tomorrow...white water rafting!
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