So as Fall winds down - thought I’d post up some photos of some of our trips for my family and friends…
Back in October we headed up to visit some friends of the family in beautiful Shady Valley, TN. They have a beautiful home there on the property that also has a cozy cabin that they rent. The cabin is just steps from some great fly fishing too…
Kai loved the donkey and goat…
Kai and I took a hike across the creek to explore the other side…
My Dad and Mom made the trip too…we hooked into a few nice trout…
Marisa and Kai checking out the wildlife along the pond…
While we were there - Marisa, Kai, and I wanted to do the Creeper Trail. For those unfamiliar, the Creeper Trail is a fantastic bike trail that descends from Whitetop Station high in the hills and winds 17 miles, almost all downhill, to Damascus, Virginia. The mostly downhill trail means only a bit of light pedaling is required…fun stuff…
Though Kai can ride a bike just fine…I wanted him attached for the long ride…so we used his “Co-Pilot” bike which attaches to my seat post. If you have small kids, I can’t recommend this contraption enough…it is a blast…!
Our Christmas tree might have come from this farm…!
On our way down the mountain we saw an interesting sight - these types of helicopters carry a box blade of huge circular saws below them, and the fly down the corridors where power lines run up and down the mountains and they cut the limbs to keep them clear of the lines. I can’t imagine a more stressful job other than the ones that put the powerline workers on the lines…
One of the “depots” along the trail (it used to be a railroad track)…
It was neat descending through the different “Fall” colors…at the top of the mountain the trees had already fallen, midway down the colors were still on the trees, and down in Damascus many of the trees were still green…
Stopping for a snack break…
The last half zipped by…
Stopping for ice cream and lunch in Damascus…
The end of the line…
Back at the cabin Kai enjoyed the rope swing he named “Broncho” (yeah…not Bronco - Broncho)…
My Mom and Dad…
Kai and Nana having some ice cream…
We had a great time at the cabin and can’t wait to go back…thanks Tom and Dee!
A couple weeks later it was on to Lake James State Park for some Fall camping…
Having fun exploring the shoreline…midway through the drought last month…but they do draw down the water a bit too…
Kai lecturing us that despite the sign…he didn’t see any death on the trail…
Playing cards and games at dusk…
Burgers!
A cold night…but we were prepared with warm blankets and clothes…
Kai is becoming quite the marshmallow chef…
But I get tasked with the cold morning cooking…
…and getting the fire going…(this was about two days prior to the multiple county burn ban that went into effect…)
Kai helping with firewood…
Hmmm…mini Oreos with dirt sprinkles…gotta love being a 6-year old…
Who taught this kid how to pose?
Hawt Dawgs…
Luxury camping is nice…just a 200 meter walk to the campsite…
On our last day we took a nice hike around the lake…where the ghost of Larry the Leper still comes ashore at night…(I love campfire tales…)
Kai is a pretty good hiker…as we’ve seen in the past. Usually very little complaining…
Pine cone contraband…
Packed up and ready to go do some mountain biking on the other side of the park…
Hitting the trails with the “Co-Pilot” bike attachment again…
The following week we snagged a cabin up near Mount Mitchell. We actually thought about cancelling our trip due to the wildfires that were burning all over western NC, but after looking at the winds I thought it might be OK…
From the lamp…the legend of Chief Tsunaga was borne. 100 bullets. 99 men. Shudder.
Our first day we took just a short hike up to a local waterfall…
One of the child prisons from a bygone era… 
Kai and his cousin Joseph…
“Hey Kai…don’t get wet…errr…well…nevermind…like a moth to the flame…”
Kai and Joseph puzzling over the things that 6 and 8 year olds ponder while eating lunch…(which Star Wars character could beat the other…)
One of the rare moments when we weren’t refereeing between the two - who can fight like brothers…
Monkey see - monkey do…
One the way down the trail…
Hey North Face - you can e-mail for image rights…(I know…I’m biased!)
Scrambling down the “bear trail” near the cabin…
Embarking on a pretty good hike up the Green Knob Trail - 6.4 miles round trip with about 2,100’ of elevation gain…
It was a cool morning…one of those days where if you kept moving it was borderline too hot for a jacket, but if you stood still, you’d want it back on…
Climbing up along the ridge…
Taking a short break - listening to make sure we didn’t gear any warning shots from Chief Tsunaga…
Through the Rhododendron forest…
Getting closer to the top…
Even with the South Mountains fire burning just 25 miles to our east, and the Pary Rock/Lake Lure fire burning 40 miles to our south…the skies were remarkably clear of smoke…although you could see it on the horizons. We really lucked out with the air quality…
Treats left by Indians along the trail were good incentive…
After a few hours of hiking - we hit the end of the trail and the fire tower perched on top. Unfortunately, it was locked…
Having a nice lunch at the base of the tower…
Smoke in the distance from the South Mountains fire…
Heading back down the trail…
A bit cooler on the way down…so wearing more clothes…
The ridge was a bit slippery with the downed leaves leading to a couple tumbles…
Kai with a Veteran’s Day salute to Pop-Pop…
And some delicious spaghetti…
The golf course at the base of the Black Mountains…
I didn’t wet a fly on this trip…but this guy was working on the fairly drought stricken creek…
On our last day…we took a nice, cold, morning hike up an down the creek. A bear cub had been spotted the evening before…so we were on the lookout…
So we’ve had a great Fall in the mountains. Looking forward to some winter adventures next…!
