As most of you are already aware, Jeff's Grandfather, Walter Muehlbauer, passed away. He had been declining rapidly since we saw him during the Holidays last year. Shortly after we visited, he was diagnosed with Vascular Dementia & was placed into a home. He lived in his community until September when shortly after we visited him while we were in town for a wedding, he went into the hospital with a virus & wasn't able to recover from that. Our visit in December was really nice & sweet & that is how I remember Grandpa...eating a larger than life burrito & laughing with us. Our visit in September was really hard because Grandpa wasn't himself anymore, it was hard to see. His service was really beautiful. I don't remember ever going to a Catholic service before, so it was a little awkward for me but it was still really nice. Jeff's Uncles & Dad gave really heart-felt & warming speeches & the pastor was really kind. Even though there were a lot of tears, it was a good way to say goodbye. It was also really good to be surrounded by loving family. We really enjoyed catching up with all of Jeff's Aunts, Uncles, & Cousins. And of course, being there for Jeff's Grandmother as well was a special treat.
After the service, we had a long flight back home but our stay at home was short lived because we had planned our annual family fall trip for that weekend. This year, we travelled to Mount Mitchell State Park. We left Wednesday after work & got to the Blue Ridge Parkway late at night. We camped & got up the next morning to hike 6-7 miles (the majority of it along the parkway) to our next campsite at the base of the Black Mountains. The hike down Green Knob was strenuous. It was literally straight down & it was then that I began to wonder if my hiking boots were too small, as my feet began to be in so much pain I could hardly walk. As most of you are aware, I am a Lovett & so I am nothing if not tenancious (ahem proud) & there was no way I was letting Jeff carry me, my pack, or anything. I was going to make it down that godforsaken mountain! In addition to the foot pain, my pack weighed 30lbs this time! That's the same amount of weight Jeff carries! So the pack weighed very heavily on me. It dug into my back big time but again I was not to be detered. I did not even complain. I wanted to own this. I wanted to be able to say I carried as much as Jeff. This was a major first for me that I wanted. So we made it to Black Mountain campground with all of these trials & tribulations :)
Black Mountain campground was beautiful. On the valley floor, the South Toe River flowed & the deciduous trees were in full color. So pretty! After backpacking 6 miles, you expect to camp primitively, so we were pretty surprised when we walked into a car camping campground! All the locals camping with their RVs & gas heated tents. Pretty ridiculous but it was nice to be able to buy wood & have a fire to make smores with that night. The nights & mornings were pretty cold the entire trip but hiking during the day in 40-50 degree weather was nice.
Day 2 was spent hiking the most difficult Mount Mitchell Trail. 4500ft elevation change in 6 miles. It was pretty difficult but then we had backpacks on. It's a totally doable day hike. Actually, I think it was much easier than the previous day's hike down the Green Knob trail. That trail was brutal! The Mount Mitchell Trail was probably the most beautiful trail we have been on since moving to NC. It was gorgeous! The trail goes through Old Growth Boreal Forest so the trees are really big & pretty :) When we finally made it to the top of Mt. Mitchell, we ran into about 100 people all "climbing" to the top. Once you get off the trail, there is a parking lot & a paved walkway the last 500 feet to the summit. It really cheapens the moment. Tammy was totally beat & didn't even really care about the 15 other dogs that were also on the trail. I told someone that she was beat from scaling a mountain & they replied mine too. Umm no. Not even close. But whatever. We camped at the top, which was a mistake because it was bitter cold & windy. Jeff got a fire going & that was the only way we were able to stay up & have dinner without immediately going into our sleeping bags. Poor Tammy, snuggled up between Jeff & I 5 feet from the fire because she was so cold. Jeff laid out his thermorest for her, with her blanket so she could be comfortable & warm. We dote on this animal, have you noticed? The morning on the mountain was even worse. With no fire & crazy fog conditions, it was all we could do to take down camp & start moving asap!
Day 3 we climbed down the mountain. It was by far our longest day, something like 15 mountains but it was all gradual switchbacks. No more steep trails! Once we got off the mountain & out of the fog, it turned out to be a really nice warm day. When we got to our car, we decided to check out some day hikes back at Black Mountain Campground, only to find out the campground was completely booked! There were a couple of Mountains-To-Sea trail backpackers that were camping on the lawn because they were beat & needed somewhere to stay! We did a short 1 mile loop to Steprock Creek Falls. Really pretty falls near the campground & then we headed back to the Blue Ridge Parkway to find somewhere to set up camp for the night. Tammy meanwhile was passed out in her bed in the backseat of the car during all of this.
Short Note- After climbing down Green Knob with 30lbs on my back, the lower part of my body started to fail. If I stopped, even to take a drink of water from my Camelback, my calves started to spasm. My feat were hurting so bad because of my boots being too small, that when we got to camp at night I walked around in my socks.
After we set up camp, I finally relayed to Jeff my desire for calcium because these muscle spasms were giving me a ton of pain. So we headed 5 miles north on the parkway to a place called Little Switzerland. And it was exactly as it sounds. Chalet lodges, fudge, hot chocolate...the works. We got 2 hot chocolates. And it really did help, even if it was only psychological but who knows or cares. On the way back to camp, we stopped to watch the sunset over the mountains. Really pretty.
Before heading home on Sunday, we drove the 40 miles down the parkway to Asheville, stopping along the way to see Crabtree Falls, Craggy Gardens, and the Folk Art Center. It was a gorgeous drive & a really nice end to our trip. Tammy was still passed out in the car. :)
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