Day 29

It was a good thing I had gone to bed early with the kids the night before because I was jolted awake by the guy in the tent next door to us screaming. I'm not sure what he said that woke me up but next he screamed, "THERE ARE PEOPLE TRYING TO SLEEP!" then "HEY!" and I was instantly angry as I was one of them. I listened for what or who he may be yelling at but heard nothing but quiet. It didn't matter though, I was awake for the next hour at least. One couple packed up and left and I wasn't sure if it was because of him or what/who he was trying to quiet.

Once there was a hint of daylight I got up to get things ready for our drive to the stables. The kids weren't thrilled when I first woke them up but once they remembered our plans for the morning they jumped out of the tent ready for the day. We all ate a quick bowl of cereal and were on the road by 7.

We were heading to a small town so I knew the roads that come off the mountain were going to be tricky. We left a little early to allow for extra driving time should we get lost too. There was no way we were going to miss this one! Laney wanted to ride a white and brown horse, Ryan a redish-brown horse, Emily a purple horse, and Brayden a tiger.

We arrived about 30 minutes early with plenty of time for the kids to play with the dogs and Emily and I to sit in the rocking chairs and enjoy the morning. The kids tried to be patient but they didn't do a great job!

Before we knew it we were in the saddles and heading down the trail. I was riding Roper - a sweet horse that loved to be all up in the business of the horse in front of him. Evey was on Montana - a horse that was instatiably hungry for the leaves on the trees. Brayden was on Tiger (he got his wish!) - also a very hungry and stubborn walker. Ryan was on Sally who walked right behind the leader like a teacher's pet. Laney was on Buster - a white and brown horse just like she wanted that really liked to analyze the trail and let some monster gas go. Emily was on Bandit who took tiny steps everywhere he went. We were definitely a gang of misfits.



The kids loved walking and talking to their horses while they tromped through the mud along the trail. I think the big favorite for all of us was definitely walking them through the creek. It was just high enough to get our feet wet and the horses definitely enjoyed it at the end of the trail when they were hot and tired.

Our big nuisance on the trail was horse flies but it was more for the horses. We were given full authority to smack them if we saw them. These were wild North Caroline horse flies - bigger than bumblebees! I smacked one that was bugging Roper's ears. Brayden was using a branch he pulled off a tree to discourage his. Emily's horse Bandit learned to stop and show her the flies on his neck so she would smack them. She ended up getting 6 - the record for the day!

We decided to get snacks and make a grocery store stop. I was dangerously low on propane and could us a few groceries so we reluctantly set foot in a Walmart. After being in the woods for 30 days the people, the noise, and all the stuff was overwhelming. We were in and out in 15 minutes - definitely a record for walking through a Super Walmart!

Then we of course had to search for ice cream. We found a tiny little town with a coffee shop boasting 31 flavors of ice cream.  The kids got all their normal flavors and I got my favorite of the trip so far - oatmeal cookie and peanut butter - YUM!

Laney was bummed because she went to grab a napkin and her top scoop fell off. Luckily it fell right into the garbage can!

Once the groceries were put away I gave the kids another snack and told them to play nicely while I napped in the hammock. They knew I was serious when I said violators wouldn't go pick up Dave the next day. I changed into shorts, climbed in the hammock and was out within minutes.

I was also awake within minutes as a cloud had rolled in and the skies were dark. I was about to grab my sleeping bag but it started pouring as I put my foot on the ground. I wrapped up like a cocoon to try to keep warm and wait out the storm. The lightning and thunder was close and I was only hoping it was a quick afternoon soaking!

After about 45 minutes the rain slowed so I made a quick bathroom run, checked on the kids and grabbed my sleeping bag, then hopped back into the hammock. Evey was playing in the tent with the kids so they were having a blast. I tried to go back to sleep but it just wasn't in the cards for the afternoon so I grabbed my laptop and added notes to our days for the blog.

It was chilly once the rain finished so Ryan slipped into my sleeping bag with me and we rocked back and forth for a little while. She was so warm I didn't want to get up! We decided on dinner plans and she decided to play Mary Poppins with my umbrella. Brayden made sure to capture the shenanigans while I cooked.

The gnats were out in full force with swarms of 30 or more around each of our heads as we ate. I ended up walking around the campsite while I ate as it was easier than swatting around my head constantly. We were all so annoyed by the time we had the dishes cleaned that we retired to our tents to play games, read, and sleep. This was definitely not our favorite campground!

Day 28

I was trying to sleep in this morning. We didn't have too many plans for the day and our drive was only 30 minutes so I thought it would be find. Until I started to hear thunder in the distance. We have had to pack up in pouring rain on a couple of occasions and it's definitely the worst so I hopped out of the tent to get things going. Within about 15 minutes we were zipping the last zipper and making a quick breakfast. I kept an eye on the storm the whole time and it seemed to be taking a nice little detour around us. We ate and chatted with our friends for a little while before saying our goodbyes and heading on our way.

The girls have evbeen leaving rocks at all of our campsites for someone to find. We left my stick man "Jimmy" hanging by the table too thinking someone might find it amusing.

We stopped at the Table Rock overlook to show the kids the mountain they'd hiked up the day before. I got the distracted "Wow" from all of them so I took a picture for myself anyway.

We got to our next site pretty early as everyone was packing their sites up. We had our pick of the spots Emily wanted so we were able to set up  pretty quickly and let the kids play awhile. We walked around the campground after lunch exploring the closed sections. They looked like they'd been abandoned for a few years with overgrown everything and no signs of people activity.

I started getting restless so we decided to drive down to Mt Mitchell - the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi. Just like Grandfather Mountain the temperature and weather changed drastically once we got to the top. We took a few minutes to enjoy the museum and gift shop then made the short trek to the observation deck. Not that we could see anything!!

Brayden was the camera guy today so he amused himself taking a few pictures before we headed back down to the car. Unfortunately we could see Big or Little Butt today!

I'm not sure if it was the thinner air up there or my kids are crazy but they asked to see if there was ice cream in the little cafe. I'm thinking hot chocolate might have been more appropriate but we just headed back down the mountain toward our campsite.

We both needed ice for our coolers - almost a daily run with the sunny spots we'd been parked in - so we drove a few miles past our campground to Little Switzerland's General Store. I'd imagined a place with lots of different shops and restaurants surrounding a Swiss-looking inn.

What we found was a restaurant, general store, and book/coffee shop. It took us about 5 minutes to walk through the stores so I was glad we hadn't made a special trip to spend some time there. We did find the speed-readers a couple books to tide them over until Dave brought some more reading material.

When we got back I edited pictures for a little while and the kids played games and read. Laney and Brayden were reading their new books and were halfway finished with them before I made them stop. I am amazed at how fast they can devour books!

Our afternoon storm showed up so Ryan and Evey popped into her tent while the other kids and I retired to ours. Brayden and Laney just wanted to read which was perfectly fine with me!

It was time for dinner after the rain so the kids played while Laney and I cooked. All the kids were chatting non stop about our plans for the next day. We had scheduled horseback riding for the next morning and hopefully it wouldn't be canceled this time! We would need to get on the road early in the morning so we went to bed a little early too after a few chapters of our book. It's getting to the good parts where the kids keep begging for one more chapter!

Day 27

There were two spots we wanted to hike up to today so the kids and I were off pretty early to beat the crowds and the heat. These spots were off the parkway in Linville Wilderness so it was a bit of a drive. I should have known it would be a crazy drive when I read the directions to go on a forest road.

I had Brayden as my navigator which turned out to be pretty useless. I guess I need to teach him a little more this year! We finally found the turn off the main road only to discover the forest road was 7.5 miles of gravel road with significant potholes from natural erosion and traffic. I don't think I got above 10 MPH the whole way. The craziest parts were the hairpin turns up to Table Rock. Thank goodness noone was ready to come down the mountain yet as I wasn't sure I'd be able to make room for them!

There were quite a few cars parked at the spot as it is the trailhead for two different trails. It was Saturday so there were lots of hikers as well as climbers. Ryan was hoping I'd stop one of them because she had a lot of questions I just couldn't answer. There were a bunch of dogs in the parking area so the kids enjoyed hanging out with all of them before we started.

The first section of the trail was pretty level and easy then the big climb started. The recent rains had made the trail pretty slippery as well. They kids were enjoying finding their own ways up and over the boulders and before we knew it we were at the top of Table Rock. There was a large circle of Outward Bound adults talking - we felt like we were interrupting so we took a small path to the left and had a snack with this spectacular view.

 After the group left we walked around the summit to check out all the views. At one stop I turned around and all I saw was Ryan standing behind me in her underwear. Turns out the shorts she was wearing were a hand-me-down from Brayden and had been stretched to the max. She was standing there laughing and I'm sure was thankful everyone had left! She wanted to try to get us all in a picture at the top so we found a good rock and set the timer. Not bad!

We hiked back down and headed to our next summit - Hawk's Bill. This was the most popular hike in the wilderness but we'd passed it on that skinny forest road and I wasn't turning around so we decided to catch it on the way out. It was so busy by now we had to park just off the side of the road about 50 yards from the trail head.

This hike immediately started straight up and didn't stop. We thought Table Rock was going to be more difficult from the description but oh man this one was tough. We took quite a few breaks this time but we were passing all kinds of people on the way up. We'd tired of playing Contact so we were just playing the ABC game with different topics. One topic was ice cream - we had some crazy flavors!!

We passed a few climbers looking for a good spot so I asked one of the guys to give her a quick explanation of how they tie in while they're going up and she understood much better. I'm hoping this isn't the sport she's taking up next!

Laney found a smiley rock hiding in the trunk of a tree. We brought a pile of painted rocks to leave places but it seems we are bringing just as much home!

We were all out of breath and had shaky legs by the time we made it to the top. We needed food! The girls found us a spot way off to the side on some rocks that jutted out with the perfect view. See them down there?













We all pulled out our lunches and were silent as we ate and enjoyed watching the clouds pass in different shapes over the valley. Shortly after we started eating I saw an apple roll past me down the mountain. Ryan had trusted the rock a little too much to hold it for her! After she ate her sandwich she went to search for it but couldn't find it. Hopefully it didn't hurt anyone!!

As we ate we watched 6 or 7 hawks enjoying the currents. They all looked so graceful and barely had to flap their wings at all.

We drove the crazy road out of the forest and decided to stop for Dave some beer, ice cream for us, and ice for the cooler. The place we happened to pull into was a bar/gas station/hiking store/motorcycle stop/grill. They were crazy busy but we found everything we needed and enjoyed our ice cream out on the picnic tables.

We made it back in the early afternoon just as a neighbor between us was setting up. They had an adorable little puppy that made all the kids melt so they went to say hi and pet her. Once the couple was all set up we went to the river with them and the kids had a blast with little Annabelle. This was her first time at the water so she wasn't thrilled but she did have fun running away from all the kids.

 We were looking forward to a program this night about the Spanish influence in the area back in the 1600s so we decided to make an early dinner. The kids found another mouse hanging out with our original little guy and they had made some significant improvements to their little nest. Looks like they are staying!

We headed to the program while Emily stayed back to prep things to leave in the morning. We have been very spoiled on past trips with programs scheduled all day and every night so this has been a big change for us. The program was short but pretty funny and we all learned quite a bit. The kids even remembered some of the names and facts from their Florida History and Native American classes.

We made it back just in time to play with Annabelle a little more and our new friends introduced the kids to a very cool one-wheel hoverboard type device. It could go forward, backward, and turn based your subtle movements at a very high rate of speed. The kids had an absolute blast trying it out! Ryan of course took over as the kid who got it the most. Mark told her she needs to try snowboarding asap. Maybe she can hitch a ride with Uncle Chris next ski trip!


We taught our new friends Golf while Evey and Brayden puppy sat Annabelle. She wore them out! We missed out on our traditional last night walk around the campground but we all had a great time with our new friends so it was better!

Day 26

I was up again early to write this morning to get caught up on a few days of notes. The kids actually slept in so it was a quiet morning until they smelled pancakes! We had company in our bear box again this morning - this time there were 2 tiny mice! They scampered out as soon as I opened the door. I'm sure a giant opening a big metal door could give once of those guys a heart attack! I was just hoping there wouldn't be even more the next day!

I hadn't had service for the jetpack for a few days so I decided today would be a good one to visit the local-ish library. We also took the  opportunity to do a few stops at the overlooks and learn a little bit at the Blue Ridge Parkway Mineral Museum. I wasn't really interested in stopping at the museum but once we got in there it was actually very interesting!

We made it to the library and I scanned the shelves for graphic novels - all the kids' favorite for reading with a short time frame at the library. Ryan was ecstatic to find Munchkin comics and begged me to add them to her list asap - win! After about an hour I was ready to go but the kids made me stay until they were finished with the books they were in the middle of reading - double win!

Next up - ice cream, of course! I'd spotted this tiny place on the way into the tiny town of Spruce Pine so we promptly found our way back to sample the flavors. They had a flavor I'd never heard of before - Spirulino - a mix of chocolate, pistachio, and cherry - very different. We ended up choosing other flavors and enjoying it together. While we were sitting there Emily spotted an otter crossing the road. Of all places!

The wind started picking up quite a bit so we looked around and saw this big guy and knew it was time to get moving. We weren't sure if it was going near our campsite exactly but we definitely knew it was hitting our ice cream spot shortly!

We decided just in case it was headed our way we  would take a detour to let it pass. Our next campsite was a first come, first serve campground so we headed that way. Emily has to be pretty picky about her campsites with her setup so we grabbed a campground map and marked the best spots for her. If there were a bunch of people here once we got her at least she could quickly decide where she wanted to setup.

When we returned to our campground there were dark clouds all around us. I'd hoped we had bypassed the storm but I wasn't so sure now. It wasn't raining so we all went down to the river to explore while Brayden stayed in the hammock to read. Once I was sure the clouds were gone Ryan and I decided to cook dinner. She's one of my best helpers!


The kids were anxious to move after we cleaned up and Evey wanted to play ultimate frisbee so we divided up teams and started to play. Laney and Brayden were to be facing Evey, Ryan and me this time. We scored 3 goals right away so we relaxed. A little too much maybe. Before we knew it the score was 4-4. There wasn't much wind this time but this crazy big frisbee was hard to control! We were close to goals to finish the game so many times!! We finally ended up winning and we all collapsed in the grass to rest.

Next up was a quick game of campball. Evey went to eat dinner so it was just the Clarkes this time. Laney and I were demolished by Brayden and Ryan. They had pinpoint accuracy to get us out just about every inning. I guess it's time to switch up teams again!





The night was clear so I gather things together to make a fire. The kids were excited to try Reese's cups for their s'mores tonight. I was just excited to eat some chocolate and relax by the fire without rain!

Day 25

Today our plans were just to hike at some point. I knew I needed to get the laundry organized but other than that we had a pretty free day. I updated my trip notes for a little while in the morning then started breakfast once the girls got up. They have been working on making wrapping paper for Dave's Father's Day presents they get to give him when he joins us.

The campsite I moved to closer to the river was about a 50 yard walk to the car. To make things easier we had a bear box next to our site to store food, cooking supplies, etc. When we moved in I put our cooking bin and stove in there since that's the biggest pain to move in and out of the car for every meal. To my suprise this morning a tiny mouse was staring up at me from a tiny little nest in the corner of the box. I think we both startled each other and before I could say anything he'd run out of the box through a hole the size of a quarter!

The girls searched for him for a little while before giving up and continuing with their projects. I was glad I hadn't stored any food in the box for sure. But I was positive he would be back!

We went back down to the river after eating and everything was cleaned up to explore a little bit. The girls captured a bunch of minnows and created a little pool for them to hang out. They didn't want to hurt them - just to be able to watch them for a little while.

After a little while we came back up to our site so I could organize the laundry. The kids went over to Emily's site to hang out with Evey probably so they wouldn't get roped into helping sort clothes! I took the opportunity to continue cleaning the car a little bit. Emily's tent sits on the roof of her SUV so we travel together once we are all set up. Which means we have to make room for 6 people in my car each time. Just wait until Dave joins us!!

Unbeknownst to me the kids were starting a business while I was moving things around. All the girls have been whittling off and on for most of the trip and today was no different other than they added a little fishing line to the mix to create some stick men. I think I ended up buying three but they were "Buy 1 for free, get 2 free" today only so it didn't break the bank! Meet Jimmy!

Pretty soon they became bored with the lack of customers so Ryan challenged herself to do three cartwheels in a row. Which turned into horse races, chicken fights, and long jumping. Emily and I took the opportunity to read and enjoy the sunshine as well as the peace between the kids because they were having so much fun. The games ended once Ryan got hurt so we decided it was time to eat lunch, get dressed, and head to the trails.

Today would be our first hike to waterfalls on this trip so it would be a nice change of scenery. The first part was pretty easy since we were mostly descending. The Upper Falls were very pretty but we have become waterfall snobs over the years. We did find out at this very spot some Native Americans killed a group of men because they were concerned the men would tell a rival tribe they were in the area. Linville Falls and the neighboring community were named after the man leading the party.

We continued on to a few viewpoints for the Lower Falls which were much more impressive.You can see the Upper Falls at the top of the picture. If we had another day at this spot I would have loved to have hiked into the gorge to see the Lower Falls up close.

We stopped by the Visitor's Center on the way out for post cards and giant bug identification. As creepy as this guy looks he's actually harmless and only alive for a couple days.  Ryan discovered a tree with different years noted in it's growth. A year we remember - 2004 with Hurricane Ivan - was noted for 8ft of water inside the Blue Ridge Visitor's Center. Wow!

By the time we returned to our site I had just enough time to cook and put all the cooking supplies back into the bear box before the afternoon storms hit us. We ended up eating in the tent, playing cards, then reading & playing Legos while the storm passed.

We had a break just long enough for us to get ready for bed before the rain started up again. It was a light rain though that could barely be heard above the sounds of the river just outside our tent. A perfect night for sleep!