Reflections of the Appalachian Trail - Four Years Later

I recently had the opportunity to hit the Appalachian Trail from Springer Mountain in Georgia right in the middle of thru hiker season.  It was such a wonderful chance for me to relive some memories from my first few days on the AT with a woman who was setting out on her own to try tackling the trail.  From meeting newbies in the Springer Mountain parking area to seeing the Benton MacKaye Trail terminus to summiting Springer for the third time this trip was full of memories.  Here are some reflections I have from those few days down on the Georgia section of the Appalachian Trail. 

Since it was a long ride down to the southern terminus I had lots of time to think about all the feelings I had flowing through me.  No matter how many times I head to Springer over the course of my lifetime, I suspect that I'll always feel that nervous energy.  While I know I've successfully completed two trails with a terminus here, the feeling in your stomach is always the same - the excitement of getting out on trail and the uncertainty of knowing what each day will bring.  When we went to Amicalola Falls Lodge to pick up the friend I'd be hiking with I was just so excited to be seeing the Approach Trail.  While I've been to Springer twice before, I have never hiked the Approach Trail to the top.  There were quite a few newbie thru hikers (thrubies I've seen them called) and you could almost feel their excitement.  From the lodge we had about an hours' drive to the top of Springer going the back way the GPS device took us (which I would never recommend by the way - ALWAYS take Doublehead Gap Road!)

After climbing out of the car in the Springer Mountain parking lot the nervous butterflies mostly disappeared and I was mostly feeling excitement - excitement for both myself and my friend who would be experiencing the trail for the first time.  I made the 0.9 mile walk up to the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail with her, talking to all the other thrubies hitting the trail for the first time.  To my surprise, I met several blog followers and Instagram followers up there!  For being a Tuesday in April there was a lot of activity happening up there at the summit.  Signing the registry book in the rock up there for the third time just made me feel like I was at home.  After walking the 0.9 miles back to the parking area I was reintroduced to Warren Doyle, whom I had met briefly when working at the AT Lodge in Millinocket back in 2013.  

Hey there, Springer Mountain! 

The first day and evening on trail were a flurry of happy activity.  We did approximately 4 miles down to a campsite near a stream where I taught my friend how to throw a bear bag and we camped in relative cold temperatures.  The next day brought more hiking and quick thinking, using my finely tuned Yogi skills to get us a ride to cell phone service and a shuttle to Wolfpen Gap Country Store/Hostel in Suches, Georgia.  Riding through the Georgia countryside gave me a whole new view of the BMT and AT - it was very cool to see the mountains I have climbed so many times from a different perspective.  We stayed in the hostel and I got to see two old friends - Carry-On from my 2012 hike and Odie (of Hiker Yearbook fame) from my time working in the hostel in 2013 and going to The Gathering in 2014. I helped Carry-On do pack shakedowns at the amazing Top of Georgia Outfitters satellite store at Wolfpen Gap.  By the time our ride came to pick us up the next day I had felt like I already assimilated back into the Hikertrash Culture and wasn't ready to hit the real world again. 

Doing a pack shakedown with a client at the outfitter. 

Being back on the Georgia section of the AT brought back so many fond and happy memories for me.  I made it through Georgia in about 5 days during my thru hike, so going a little slower and meeting those hikers in the beginning really reminded me more of meeting hikers up in Maine.  Too many people with no experience wearing packs that don't fit and carrying so much gear they're blowing out their knees.  We saw so many injuries and so many ill-fitting packs!  I often wonder about some of those people I met down in Georgia that first week of April and I hope to see some evidence of them making it through the Smokies soon.  It was such a great experience to get to go back to those first few miles of trails with a thrubie and share those wonderful memories with her.  I can't wait for my next trip back one day. 

The Packing it Out Crew Hits the PCT

The Packing it Out logo - taken from their Facebook page. 

By now, if you've been reading this blog or even are remotely interested in hiking in general, you know of the books Wild and A Walk in the Woods.  You also know that anyone who is an actual hiker (and not an armchair adventurer) is SO TIRED of hearing about those books (and movies!)  With the popularity of Wild the Pacific Crest Trail has seen a huge upping of trail traffic and is even speculated to see more visitors than the Appalachian Trail this year.  This is one of the reasons I personally have decided to wait until the "hype" dies down to hit the PCT.  There were a ton of problems on the PCT last year, the first year of thru hiking since the movie Wild premiered. Legendary hostel Hiker Heaven, operated by the Saufley's , closed for the season (and has thankfully since reopened).  Ziggy and the Bear of Whitewater Trail House had their donation jar stolen more than once.  Trash and poop problems became so large it prompted blog posts by the PCTA themselves to tell hikers to quit pooping under rocks (which was featured in Cheryl Strayed's book).  

With the more recent complaints of poop at Eagle Rocks and trash being dumped behind and over rocks WITH A DUMPSTER ACROSS THE STREET it couldn't be a better time to hear that the Packing it Out Crew has decided to hit the PCT.  Packing it Out did an AT thru hike last year with the goal to remove 1000 pounds of trash from the trails.  That 1000 pounds includes tires, mattresses, and countless cigarette butts.  They didn't even count the number of times they had to properly bury someone's toilet paper for them (gross, right?!)  With the season getting late for PCT NoBo's, the hikers are about to hit the trail from Campo to head north.  They deliberately chose a later starting date to get behind most of the trail traffic to help clean up the trash.  

The fact that we need people to hike behind the pack and clean up after them is both uplifting and infuriating to me.  With more trail traffic than ever it is so important for hikers to be practicing Leave No Trace ethics to the best of their abilities.  If the words "Leave No Trace" annoy you, follow the ethics you most likely learned as a scout - leave the place better than you found it.  As a guide in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited National Park in the country, I pick up countless pieces of trash every day (and do not touch the toilet paper or tampons if I don't have a biohazard bag handy for them).  It is so incredibly sad to see that the solution most people have for trash/toilet paper disposal is "well, I'm done here, I'll just leave it."  

Toilet trash under a rock on the PCT.  (Photo from the PCTA website). 

If you haven't heard about Packing it Out, I highly recommend their blog here. And for those of you who are just recreational hikers please carry an extra bag for trash when you go out.  You don't have to pick up anything too disgusting, but just pick up some small things.  Microtrash (bottle caps, plastic rings, pop can tabs, pieces people pulled off candy bar wrappers) can really add up!  Let's all try to leave the trail a better place than we found it!

Do you like to take hikes in your area but find a lot of trash?  How does it make you feel to see trails and waterways with garbage?  

Women in the Woods - Why More Ladies Should Quit Being Afraid and Get Outdoors

Recently on my trip up and over Mt. LeConte I saw something that incited rage. I saw the one thing I hate more than anything else when I'm hiking.  Trash? Toilet paper strewn about? People hiking in flip flops?  Not even close.  I saw college-aged girls acting like walking up a hill was the hardest, most soul sucking, worst thing they've ever done in their lives. For more than 4.5 miles this group of three men and three women leap-frogged us on trail.  Each and every time we got in ear shot one of the women would be complaining, whining, or generally wishing death upon her boyfriend for "making me do this hike!"  As a woman who discovered hiking later in her 20s, nothing makes me angrier than to see women act like they're damsels in distress when in fact they are perfectly capable of doing anything they set their mind to!  Here's why I advocate for women to stop acting like they're delicate ladies and start acting like the badasses they always knew they could be. 

Climbing Baker Peak on the Long Trail in 2015 (in a skirt, like a boss!)

Despite it being the year 2016, we still live in an era where women are seen as fragile.  When I meet people during a long-distance hike or even a short and simple backpacking trip the most common question I'm asked is if I'm scared when I'm hiking.  The second most common question people ask me is if I carry a gun.  The truth of the matter is I am rarely scared and I would NEVER advocate carrying a gun on a hiking trip.  Not only would it be added weight I'm not willing to add to my gear, a gun is not necessary out on the trails.  A handgun especially will do nothing in ways of protecting me from wild animals.  These answers always tend to shock people and I often get a head shake and a million reasons follow as to why I should be afraid (rape, murder, blood-thirsty bears) and how if I was their daughter I'd never be allowed to do what I do.  I always just smile and thank them and go about my hike.  I wasn't aware that as a woman in my early 30s I needed anyone's permission to do ANYTHING, let alone do something that brings me great joy!  As a hiking guide who does a multitude of trips ranging from hour-long nature walks to week-long customized backpacking trips I have this conversation often. 

Lets expand on the topic of being a woman out in the woods.  Since the publication of the book Wild and the subsequent movie of the same name, seeing women in the woods is more and more common.  While it was estimated only 10% of Appalachian Trail thru hikers were women in the early 2000s, that number is now closer to 25%.  My recent week out on the AT in Georgia is showing me the number will be even higher this year.  I am grateful for this in so many ways.  As a woman who loves backpacking and distance hiking, nothing makes me happier than seeing a duo or group of women out on the trail enjoying themselves and supporting each other.  As a woman who loves backpacking and distance hiking I can also tell you that nothing makes me feel stronger, sexier, or more beautiful than the challenge of completing a day on trail - covered in dirt, sweating, and maybe even with a few new scratches and bruises to show for it.  After spending several years growing up and into my identity on long-distance trails I've never felt more beautiful and confident in my abilities than I do right now.  

While I would have never considered myself an athlete in years past, recently I've come to terms with the fact that I am indeed an athlete, and a strong one at that.  Covering near-marathon distances nearly every day for weeks on end makes anyone an athlete.  Spending day after day after day in a cycle of cardio makes you an athlete.  Challenging your physical abilities for even a weekend at a time makes you an athlete.  Crying during your lunch break on a physically challenging day on trail?  You guessed it - you're an athlete.  I walked 2184.2 miles from the state of Georgia to the state of Maine and still didn't consider myself someone with any type of athletic ability.  Backpacking and spending time in the wilderness had me come to terms with the fact that my body is strong and capable of taking whatever I can throw at it.  I even recently decided to run a marathon and I'm even considering running an ultramarathon in early 2017.  I even have proof that hiking has physically changed my life.  

Getting back to that group of girls I mentioned earlier - I get why they acted the way they did.  Hiking up Mt. LeConte is hard.  It's really hard.  They're young and pretty.  I get it.  My first real hike was an 8-mile round trip to Ramsey's Cascades and I did it because I wanted to impress a boy. I probably acted obnoxious too.  We teach girls that it's okay to be whiny as long as you look adorable doing it.  We teach little girls that being pretty is a great goal in life.  Sure, looking your best is a great thing!  Who doesn't want to look and feel great about themselves?  But I'm here to advocate for change.  I'm here to tell you that we should be teaching girls to get down in the dirt and play rough.  I'm here to tell you that we should be teaching girls skills to be self-sufficient.  I'm here to advocate for teaching girls we don't have to be afraid and we don't need someone protecting us all the time.  If I had it to do all over again, I would have told those girls to quit their bitching, woman up, and climb that goddamn mountain (to paraphrase Jack Kerouac). While it would have been harsh, I can guarantee you that getting to the top and taking it all in would have made their misery disappear instantly.  

What do you think about hiking or running alone as a woman? Would you let your daughter take a backpacking trip?  I'd love to hear your opinion! Leave me a comment below or find me on Facebook or Twitter to get the conversation started!

Indian Flats Falls - A Tuesday Adventure

My recent trek on the Appalachian Trail in Georgia may have been cut short, but I still had an opportunity to go hiking over the weekend.  My friend Shannon and I headed up the Middle Prong Trail to see Indian Flats Falls on a chilly, overcast Sunday morning.  Since Spring Break season is finally over, we are in that beautiful lull period between vacations and summertime making for an easier commute to the park, as well as for emptier trails.  This peaceful and relatively easy hike began in a nearly empty parking area and really gave us the solitude we were looking for. 

Middle Prong Trail begins at the very end of the gravel road in the Tremont section of the Smokies.  After crossing a large steel bridge, you begin following an old railroad bed up the trail at a gentle grade.  The first 3/4 of a mile on this trail follow alongside the Middle Prong of the Little River - the water on one side and rocks and downed trees on the other.  This scenic first portion of our hike had us seeing blooming doghobble, several varieties of wildflowers, and mosses growing on the rocks and decaying logs.  It was incredible peaceful walking next to the water as well.  When you hit the 0.7 mile mark on this trail there was a bench off to the left overlooking a waterfall.  The waterfall here is actually the remains of a splash dam used by the logging companies.  The trail from here turned a little bit rockier and muddier due to horse use, but still followed the same gentle grade.  Approximately 2 miles in there is a well-defined side trail off to the right where you can find an old skeleton of a Cadillac from the 1930s off in the woods.  According to local lore, the car belonged to a foreman of the logging camp.  The car quit running one day and the men of the work crew got it off the road, and pushed it to where it still remains today. 

The skeleton of a Cadillac. 

After hopping back on trail from our snack break at the Cadillac, we continued up the hill through an area of old fields, once farmed by the Walker family.  A little further up we came to the site of the former CCC camp where at one time a crew of 172 men lived in the area.  These men created trails, bridges, and roads in the park during the late 1930s.  All that remains of the camp today is a brick chimney.  Now that we walked through the camp the trail begins to switchback up the hill and across a wide bridge.  At the bridge you've gone 3.5 miles from the parking area.  The trail switches back a few more times before coming to an unmarked side trail off to the right.  This is the site of Indian Flats Falls.  We took the side trail down about 0.25 miles and were treated to a serene sight - not one other person at the waterfall!  We got a few photos and took a lunch break before heading back down to our car.  After leaving the waterfall, we passed many other hikers headed up to the waterfall for the day.  We were very glad to have gotten an earlier start!

The fallen chimney of the CCC camp. 

Indian Flats Falls. 

Indian Flats Falls is a great beginner hike here in the Smokies!  The old railroad grade makes for easy walking and everyone loves a waterfall!  Since this trail is an out-and-back hike, you'll get approximately 8 miles of hiking in.  Over the course of nearly 4 miles you gain approximately 1000 feet of elevation, so you'll barely gain 250 feet of elevation per mile.  If you want to try this hike, drive to the Tremont section of the Smokies.  Instead of turning left into the Tremont institute, go straight onto the gravel road instead.  Driving approximately 2.5 miles on this road you'll dead end into the parking area.  From here, cross the steel bridge and bear left at the fork in the trail (the right side of the fork is a nature trail).  Elevation and map for this hike are below.  

Map and elevation profile for Indian Flats Falls. 

Have you ever hiked Indian Flats Falls?  What do you think of this area of the park? I'd love to talk with you about your favorite hikes.  Leave me a comment below or find me on Facebook or Twitter to get the conversation started!

Knoxville Marathon Race Recap

After months of training and lots of sweat and a few shed tears race day was finally here!  I spent the day before the race leading a hike and then driving from Cosby to Knoxville and back home for the expo.  While I was kind of stressed that my entire day was consumed by only two things, it helped to keep my mind off the upcoming race.  Here is my experience running the Knoxville Marathon.  Spoiler alert - I'll be back next year!

NoKey captured this beautiful Knoxville sunrise shot after the starting gun.  Follow him on Instagram here - @NokeyRules

PreRace: We arrived about 30 minutes before the start and immediately got in line for the Port-A-Potties.  I hopped back in line just in case I'd need it before the race started.  Since I've never run for that long before, I wanted to make sure I wouldn't need to use them along the course!  After queuing through the line twice, I went over to the starting line to get into my corral.  A friend of mine was running as a pacer for the 4:00:00 group, so I ran over and said hello and got some last minute advice from him ("After mile 20 it's going to suck," he says.  "Power through and look for the beer cooler at mile 22 and you'll be fine!")  The national anthem is sung and then we're off!

Miles 1-3:  I tried to stick between the 4 hr and 4:15:00 pace group at the beginning to avoid taking off too fast.  The first mile is mostly uphill and then we go down and back up.  Undulation is the theme of the Knoxville Marathon - lots of rolling hills!  I kept my pace steady for the first mile but was shocked to see I was running a sub 9-minute mile for mile 2.  I tried to dial it back a bit before we got to the Sequoyah Hills portion of the race. Mile 3 along Kingston Pike included lots of church goers in their Sunday best cheering for us as we ran by. 

NoKey got this amazing shot after all the runners came through. 

Miles 4-7 (Sequoyah Hills):  This beautiful neighborhood is part of the Dogwood Trail - a driving tour through Knoxville people take to see the beautiful blooming trees.  It's a nicer upscale neighborhood with the greenway system running up the middle of the street.  There were a ton of inspirational signs throughout the neighborhood including my favorite sign of the race - "This would be MUCH FASTER if you drove!"  There were tons of spectators and cheering sections, snack stops and water stations, and also the first relay exchange station.  Another great sign just after the relay exchange said "If you were running the relay you'd already be done!"  From here - we ran up a huge hill with a huge reputation - Noelton Drive.  Lots of funny signs were here too - and some spectators set up a couch and a firepit with margaritas in their driveway just in case you wanted to go ahead and call it halfway up the hill.  

Casual Pint had some great signs (stole this post from Instagram)

Miles 8-11 (Third Creek Greenway): After exiting the neighborhood out onto Kingston Pike, we ran through the Third Creek Greenway system in Bearden.  I loved being here again as I had many a nice walk on this greenway system when I used to live out in Knoxville.  The familiar territory was super comforting.  The race pack had thinned out a big after climbing Noelton Ave., and my legs were still feeling amazing.  By the time we reached Tyson Park I had high fived so many spectators and enjoyed the race so much I was shocked I had already run 10 miles.  Around the end of the stretch my stomach was starting to let me know it might be time to take a pit stop, but it wasn't bothersome so I pushed on.  

Miles 11-14 (Fort Sanders/World's Fair Park): The hills started feeling harder here.  I had been running consistently and comfortably to this point, but I could feel my legs starting to slow down a bit on the uphill here.  We ran past the site of an epic house party in the Fort, evidenced by the many abandoned red solo cups and beer bottles (this neighborhood, for those who don't know, is where college students cram as many people into one house as possible while going to UT).  There were also what seemed to be tons of turns to take in this neighborhood as we zig-zagged the streets.  I think the turns are always harder on my body than the hills are!  By the time I finally reached a good downhill stretch they were directing the half runners up the hill and the full marathon runners downhill.  I yelled to the volunteers "WHY AM I GOING DOWN?!" and they were laughing and wishing me luck.  Holy crap, the race REALLY thinned out now.  I continued running down with only 2 runners in my immediate sightline.  I crossed the half marathon checkpoint and asked the guy for the time and he just shrugged and said "I don't know? 2:04, 2:05, 2:06, something like that."  Seriously dude?

Miles 14-18 (Fourth and Gill, Old City): This is where I met the struggle bus.  I desperately needed a bathroom break but after the guy at the half point not even knowing the time (despite having the computer next to him) I was afraid to ask a volunteer where the next rest stop was.  Not knowing how much longer I needed to "hold it" probably would have wrecked me.  Thankfully around mile 14.7 there was a set of four Port-a-Potties and there were two open ones!  No waiting!  Afterward I felt much better, but was getting a bad stomachache.  For these four miles I struggled, trying to drink water and eat my Honey Stinger chews, walking a little and stretching to try and alleviate my cramp.  Around mile 17 the 4:15:00 pace group passed me and I was surprised to see them BEHIND me.  I lost them around mile 3 and thought they were ahead.  I was a little disheartened because I really wanted to keep up with them, but trying to run too hard on my stomach cramp just made me feel a lot of pain.  I alternated walking and running with a couple running their first marathon together so it was nice having some familiar faces with me.  

Miles 19-25 (Island Home): After finally alleviating my stomach cramp after alternating with the walk/run method I was finally able to keep running again.  I did stop and walk through the water stations on this stretch and I needed to stretch my legs on mile 21 and 24, but I finally was feeling strong again.  I also saw my friend who was pacing the 4 hr group and we high fived.  By the time I ran through the beautiful Island Home neighborhood (with many supportive spectators and adorable kids giving high fives), I finally felt like I was back to my old running self.  Toward the end of this section we ran up Sevier Ave. to Gay Street, and through Market Square.  All the spectators here in the square were eating brunch and cheering us on.  I also had a traffic cop start cheering for me and telling me I looked strong.  This was the rally I needed.  Hitting mile 25 there was a view of Neyland Stadium and our finish line and I started getting pretty excited!

Miles 26-26.5 (FINISH!): Running down through the starting line area there were tons of spectators cheering and yelling "almost there!"  Usually I hate hearing this, but now I couldn't stop smiling!  As we rounded the corner to head down the hill to Cumberland Ave. I remarked to another run this was the most painful downhill I've ever run in my life!  From here, there was a smaller than I remember uphill finish into Neyland Stadium.  There were a LOT of people walking in this section and I pulled out my phone to text NoKey I was on my way in while dodging the crowds.  The last .25 miles of this race were so emotional.  I felt the tears and the gasping of breath coming but tried to shake it off as I entered the stadium.  I heard the announcer say my name and hometown as I readied to run through the finish and I felt like I had run the entire race.  I remember screaming "I DID IT! with my arms raised high.  I finished with the couple running their first marathon together and hugged them and congratulated them, as I know they were struggling like I was.  

The after party involved me eating a ton of food and chatting with other fellow racers.  I met the 4:45:00 pacer and found out he and his father were also going to be running the Millinocket Marathon in December so we talked for a few minutes before heading home.  We made the decision to walk back to the car instead of taking the shuttle, which I credit to helping my legs stay loose after the race.  I also walked my dog before we went out for a huge dinner at the Chinese place here in town.  Other than a few kinks in the middle of the race, I had a really REALLY enjoyable race and I'm so happy I ran my first marathon.  The training was long and difficult, but in the end I finished strong and I cannot wait until next year.  

Credit, again, goes to my amazing coach Abby from Back At Square Zero.  Without her encouragement I really have no idea if this race would have gone as well as it did.  If you're thinking about training for a bigger than you're used to race, please check out her site - you'll be glad you did!

Got Dirty Laundry? Clean it Up with Scrubba!

Everyone who has ever gone camping knows dirty laundry will pile up.  For us as long-distance hikers, we know dirty socks are the worst laundry offenders.  While we would often do what we call a "pre-rinse cycle" with our socks by washing them out in the shower with us when we were getting ready to do laundry, we always tried to think of an easier way to do it.  Enter the Scrubba. This dry bag has a built in "washing board" for scrubbing your laundry.  If you're using this bad boy in the backcountry, it's a great way to practice Leave No Trace ethics while cleaning up your smelly hiker clothes at the same time. 

View fullsize

I decided to give the Scrubba a try washing some of NoKey's hiking clothes.  The bag has a water fill line on it for dirty clothes and has two levels depending on how much you're trying to wash.  Since I would be primarily using this in the backcountry, I did it my way.  I put in a pair of long shorts, a T shirt, boxer briefs, a pair of socks, and NoKey's signature balaclava.  I poured in 750 mL of water (24 oz) and a squirt of Dr. Bronner's.  I let out air before rolling down the bag.  Then, I used the valve build in on the side of the bag to let out more air.  Then, I commenced to scrubbing!  The directions on the bag recommend washing from 30 seconds to 3 minutes, but with NoKey's clothes I opted for 3 minutes.  The scrubbing is actually not hard at all.  I bounced the bag around a few times and scrubbed some more.  The bag recommends dumping water out and then putting in clean water to rinse.  Since I'm a hiker, I like to preserve water (and nature) by only dumping one load of gray water.  I pulled each item out of the bag one by one and rinsed it and wrung it into the bag.  I think hung it all out to dry.  I then dispersed the gray water around the area away from the tent. 

Scrubbing away in my Scrubba! 

I really liked using this bag. I like seeing the directions clearly printed on the bag and the window for checking on how much dirt comes off your clothes. I also liked that it can use much less water than it calls for depending on what you're washing.  It was easy to use very Leave No Trace friendly.  I also liked the fact that I can use the bag as a stuff sack for clothing.  At less than 5 ounces, it's comparable in weight to other dry bags on the market with a few extra features.  I would recommend this bag to anyone who does extending backpacking trips or even run-cations - a good way to pre-rinse those race clothes and keep them separate in your luggage!  As for water usage, I only used 48 ounces of water to wash and rinse five pieces of clothing - much less than I would have doing a rinse in a hostel or hotel sink during a hike. 

Laundry drying in camp. 

Disclaimer: I was provided the Scrubba free of charge in exchange for a review. I was not required to give it a positive review and, as always, all opinions are my own. 

Porters Creek Trail to Campsite #31 - A Tuesday Adventure

The Porters Creek Trail in the Smokies is well-known to locals and visitors alike in the springtime.  It's known as the wildflower hike and is popular among hikers and photographers from late winter until mid spring for the variety and beauty of the flowers growing alongside the trail.  I recently did a backpacking trip up to Campsite 31 for the night and got to enjoy all kinds of weather - from sunshine to rain to mist to sleet all in the span of about 30 hours!  Here's a recap of my recent hike on Porters Creek Trail. 

We arrived around 11 a.m. to a packed parking area at the end of the gravel road in Greenbrier.  While usually a packed trailhead means for busy hiking, we knew many hikers would be turning around before they reached our final destination for the evening.  It also was a good sign that the wildflowers were going to be extraordinary today!  Word tends to travel fast in this park about the flowers blooming, so busy trailheads mean pretty sights much of the time.  We began our walk gently uphill on the former roadbed that is the first mile of the Porters Creek Trail.  After reaching the old traffic circle, the literal end of the road, we took a detour over to the John Messer Barn and the old Smoky Mountains Hiking Club Cabin before continuing up trail.  

The flowers really look like snow covering the hillside! 

We got onto the more narrow foot path and kept climbing at our gentle grade, crossing a unique log bridge and walking into the section of this trail that contains the old growth forest.  Now our trees are bigger and more varied!  We turn the corner to switch back up the hill and the forest is now carpeted in gorgeous fringed phacelia!  As we are walking through and admiring the flowers we also see a few trout lillies that are just about to open.  It's been raining for a few minutes now, so the flowers are starting to wilt and close up a little.  We spot some spring beauties and continue up to the side trail to Fern Branch Falls. While here we begin to spot white trillium and even the makings of some yellow trillium.  We also spot a small patch of Dutchman's Britches.  

Fern Branch Falls in the rain. 

After a break at the waterfall most people are now turning around in the rain to head back down to their cars.  We, however, will continue uphill toward campsite 31.  We see the endemic (only found in this park) flower Fraiser's sedge along the way.  The sun begins to come out about 30 minutes from the campsite making for pleasant walking and happy campers!  We roll into the site around 5 p.m. with only two other people there for the night.  We are able to set up camp, collect water, and have dinner and a small campfire before finally calling it a night.  

Some white trillium along the trail. 

We wake in the morning to a misty, nearly imperceptible rain falling.  We have coffee and breakfast together before finally breaking camp and heading back down trail.  The misty rainfall never stops and we even have a few periods of sleet.  At this time I sure am glad I have my new Swing liteflex umbrella keeping me dry!  I had been using it the whole trip and can even go hands-free if I need to since it attaches to the sternum strap on my pack! The rain finally let up as we reached the end of the trail and got back onto the old gravel roadbed.  We were all very happy to be close to the cars, meaning the relative warmth of our cars and hot showers at home awaited us!

The Porters Creek Trail and elevation profile

If you want to try this hike for yourself, either as a day hike, trail run, or backpacking trip it's easy to find!  Get your campsite reservation at https://smokiespermits.nps.gov/ for campsite #31 if you want to backpack.  You'll drive to the Greenbrier entrance of the park and follow the road approximately four miles straight back to the Porter's Creek Trailhead.  Be prepared to walk a little ways if you're hiking on a weekend - parking tends to fill on beautiful weekends!  You'll follow the Porter's Creek Trail approximately 3.7 miles back to the campsite.  See the map and elevation profile below. 

Rich Mountain Loop - A Classic Smokies Hike

The Rich Mountain Loop hike is a classic day hike in the Smokies.  Starting in the breathtaking Cades Cove, this hike is on the list of newbies and experienced hikers alike.  You don't have to drive the one-way Cades Cove loop and endure the traffic, you get amazing views down into the Cove, and you hardly see many people while taking the 8.5ish mile hike.  While you have a fair amount of uphill hiking to get to Cerulean Knob, the high point, this trail makes it all worth while.  I recently took this hike with NoKey and my friend Shannon and we were treated to the solitude of hiking on a busy Easter weekend.  Here's a recap of how our adventure went. 

We met up at 9 a.m. in the parking area.  We usually start later in the day, but since it was Easter Sunday we were nervous the lot would be packed with families looking to spend their holiday together in Cades Cove.  Imagine our surprise when we were some of the very few people there this morning!  There was a chance of thunderstorms all day and rain was forecasted at 70% chances, but we only heard one rumble of thunder in the parking area and no rain ever really materialized.  We started our hike by following a muddy and eroded horse path out to the John Oliver Cabin.  While headed to the cabin, we crossed a stream and found some teaberry to sample before heading over to the old homesite.  The cabin had quite a few people visiting and running around, so we decided it was time to start our strenuous section and head up the mountain. 

The John Oliver Cabin just before heading up hill. 

From the Oliver Cabin you now begin the uphill portion of the hike.  This old roadbed is rocky due to horse travel, but maintains a steady grade all the way up.  We followed several streams and even saw a doe on the mountainside as we climbed.  NoKey pulled ahead and Shannon and I took our time hiking uphill.  We stopped halfway up at a black birch tree, where I found a stick that was fresh enough to still have some wintergreen scented oil inside.  We talked about how the settlers would look for black birch (also called sweet birch) and used the branches as a natural toothbrush.  The oils inside have a naturally antiseptic quality for keeping breath (and teeth!) clean.  We continued upward and the trail leveled a bit as we reached the trailhead.  

Hiking uphill - a woodpecker has been busy here! 

We had lunch with NoKey there, sharing some of my famous hiker crack cookies, and sent him down to do the 2.2 round-trip bonus miles on the side of Indian Grave Gap.  He needed to mark it off his map and Shannon and I took an extended lunch break and took a slower pace up over to the next trailhead.  While we were still headed uphill, it was much more gentle than the first part of our hike had been.  I stopped to tape blisters (really! I somehow managed to get some by wearing the wrong socks!) and we headed up to Cerulean Knob.  After reaching this high point of our trail, at 3685 feet, we started our descent of Scott Mountain.  We took in beautiful views of the Cove through the still bare trees and started seeing more flowers - spring beauties, bloodroot, cut-leaved toothwort, pussytoes, star chickweed, and rue anemone.  We were just about to reach our next trailhead and sit down to take a break and wait for NoKey when he came charging down the mountain to meet us!

Rue Anemone

We took a stretch break and an electrolytes break before we headed downhill on the steepest part of the hike.  Thankfully Crooked Arm Ridge Trail has a lot of switchbacks!  We carefully worked our way downhill crossing over a stream and seeing the long, beautiful Crooked Arm Cascades before meeting back up with the Rich Mountain Loop Trail and heading back to the car.  Shannon thanked us for hiking with her by giving us a CASE of Thin Mint cookies.  To this day, it might be the best thank you gift I've ever received! Usually I hike this trail in the winter and I'm used to being out there without there being many people.  I expected today to be packed on trail, but we only saw five other hikers on the entire loop.  It was a great way to escape the crowds and noise of the Cades Cove area. 

Crooked Arm Cascades

The Trail loop and elevation profile for Rich Mountain Loop. 

If you want to attempt this hike on your own follow the signs into Cades Cove.  Follow the road like you're going to drive the loop, however, make sure you stop at the large parking lot at the entrance for parking!  The trailhead is on the right side of the road just as the road narrows to a one-way drive.  You can head up either Crooked Arm Ridge Trail half a mile in or you can continue on Rich Mountain Trail.  I would say most hikers go up Rich Mountain and come down Crooked Arm Ridge.  Crooked Arm Ridge Trail is a little bit more eroded and strenuous on the way up.  

Have you ever done this classic Smokies hike?  I'd love to hear about your experience or your favorite trail in the park!  Leave me a comment below or find me over on Facebook or Twitter to get the conversation started!

Sunday Runday - Week 14 of Marathon Training

My final week is here!  I cannot believe I've spent nearly 4 months of my life training for something. With this being my final week and the marathon being at the end of the week, I'm going to use this post to summarize all my feelings about the week.  I'll be doing a recap of the race for my Sunday Runday post next week.  Here's everything I got to do this week: 

Monday - ZERO MILES. I mean zero. I didn't even walk my dog today, which was fine because she took herself for a walk!  This afternoon I had a lot of posts to schedule for the blog and was outdoors testing some gear and refreshing my bear line tossing skills when my dog picked up a scent and ran off.  An hour later, NoKey picked her up running down the road with a giant raspberry briar dragging from her tail and hind legs.  We should have punished her, but she just seemed so happy to have taken an adventure that we just let it go. 

Tuesday - 8 mile work hike.  I had to hike the beautiful Ramseys Cascade Trail for work today (I know, what an awful task, right?!)  This hike is considered more strenuous, but hiking approximately 1-1.5 miles per hour isn't really strenuous for the guides.  I got my legs out and moving today, which is helping to keep me sane during my taper!

Wednesday - 3 easy miles.  I took to the greenway near my house for three easy effort miles, again, just to keep my legs loose.  I did some extra stretching and foam rolling for good measure. 

Thursday - 1.5 hour easy nature walk. Today is a big day for me as my boss finally signed me off to be a full fledged hiking guide!  It's really more of a formality being that I've already been out leading my own backpacking trips, but for day hikes we have to cram a lot of information into shorter hours.   I was given her blessing as a guide with the only feedback being to project myself more.  As a tiny lady, I can definitely stand to work on this!

Friday - 2 miles gentle hiking (work hike).  At the last minute a co-worker booked a hike in one of my favorite areas of the park - Greenbrier.  As a last minute add on I couldn't be more thrilled.  Like I said, taper madness is KILLING ME!  

Saturday - 3 miles hiking plus a long walk with my dog.  I should have run today, but my clients were an HOUR late for my hike, then I had to drive out to Knoxville to pick up my race packet. I really HATE when races don't offer pickup on the same day as the event.  It's really inconvenient when it's a 2-hour round trip drive.  I've never enjoyed race expos because I don't have all the extra money to pay for the overpriced T-shirts and stickers. I didn't get home until 5 p.m. It was a LONG DAY, but at least staying busy helped keep my mind off the event. 

Sunday - RACE DAY! I got up at 5 a.m. and was so nervous.  My first marathon... I can't believe after all this it's finally here.  I'm going to post a race recap in two weeks, but I will tell you that I finished, finished strong after a few crappy (and I mean crappy) miles in the middle of the race.  I finished in 4:25:05, but I think if I hadn't had stomach issues I could have done it in 4:15;00.  I'll be back next year Knoxville Marathon!

Well guys, that's it! My marathon training is complete.  My work schedule really makes it too hard for me to run in the spring, summer and fall.  My next scheduled race isn't until December - the Millinocket Marathon with NoKey!  He will be running his first ever half marathon then and I'm hoping to add a few 10K's or half marathons to my schedule in the fall as well.  Only time will tell how much training I'll be able to squeeze in.  I am going to run some miles here and there and I've set a goal of running twice per week for the next few months just to maintain some level of fitness for my legs.  With my job as a hiking guide I'll still be getting in plenty of miles, but something inside of me really wants to keep running.  

I'm linking up with the Women's Running Community Share-it Saturday!

What Do Thru Hikers Eat?!

Whenever I'm out on the trail, whether it's a short trip for work or a month long hike (or even longer!) people who have never done a backpacking trip often ask me how I eat on the trail when I'm staying in the woods.  I usually give them the short answer of "I carry food!" because many people just assume I forage or hunt or even carry tons of canned goods (yes, really!). Since I've been doing a lot of advice posts recently, this post is aimed at newer backpackers who are still confused as to what to bring to eat for longer distance hikes.  While there are so many wonderful options out there, here are the most common things people carry on thru hikes.  It should be noted that I dehydrated all our food from recipes for our hikes last summer, so more intensive backpacking "recipes" won't be covered here - stay tuned for future posts for people looking for recipe inspiration (as well as healthier options)!

Breakfast Ideas

Breakfast is a toughie because some people just don’t like breakfast.  If I don’t eat breakfast I crash and burn fairly quickly.  I also was never a coffee drinker until I hit the trail but once I really got into the routine, I found a warm cup of coffee was perfect for me most mornings. On hot summer mornings I often just made it with cold water for an "iced coffee"!  If you don’t think you’d like coffee, any warm liquid is often nice in the morning to get everything in your digestive tract “moving.”  Instead of hot chocolate, I really recommend Carnation Instant Breakfast packets.  They have a coffee flavor and two different chocolate flavors, as well as vanilla and strawberry.  There is at least SOME nutrition in this, as well as a LOT sugar to perk you up. My personal favorite for a breakfast drink is coffee with a pack of Carnation.  It’s like a hiker trash mocha, haha!  

-Two packets of instant oatmeal - two will at least give you calories. Interestingly enough if you look at a pack of instant oats you'll see something you probably never noticed before - a fill line. That's right, you can eat this stuff right out of the packs for easy clean up!  Just be careful with super hot water.  I often ate it cold on trail. 

-Two packets of instant grits or cream of wheat

-ProBars (340 calories - whole food energy)

-Little Debbie Cakes (sugar energy)

-Honey Buns (iced honey buns have the most caloric bang for your buck, often packing in close to 600 calories for only a few ounces of weight)

-Pop tarts

-Bagels with shelf-stable cheese (Laughing Cow will last up to 5 days in a pack) or peanut butter, cookie butter, or Nutella

-Peanut butter and granola bars (Nature Valley type)

Lunch Ideas:

I am a fan of stopping for a proper lunch.  I like to take breaks when I hike and I find a proper lunch break makes me feel better in the afternoon.  Lunch ideas are often the same as breakfast with a few tweaks. 

-Peanut butter and honey on a tortilla or the sandwich thin bread or bagels (I hate tortillas, so I opt for bread)

-Pepperoni/summer sausage and Laughing Cow Cheese (or regular cheese) on a bagel or bagel thin

-Pop tarts with peanut butter, eaten like a sandwich

-Tuna or salmon packets with tortillas or sandwich thins. I don't know if any of you have noticed, but they make so many flavors of tuna now and I even recently saw two different flavors of salmon!  Spam packets also are popular for lunches.

Dinner Ideas:

Dinner ideas can be crazy versatile.  There is really more food out there than you’d think, but if you don’t shop for processed food often it’s hard to figure this out.  Sometimes you just have to be creative and do without things and be good at improvising.  The only thing I recommend staying away from for trail dinners is quinoa - it takes 18 minutes to make and that’s active cooking time.  Fuel canisters can only last 60-75 minutes, so it burns up a lot of fuel on your stove!

-Near East CousCous (There are a TON of flavors and its fast!)

-Ramen - you can add peanut butter and dried veggies for a “pad thai”

-Mac and Cheese - even without butter and milk powder this works well!

-Knorr pasta sides or rice sides - these generally cook in 8-10 minutes, but can be done in as few as five active with 10 extra for sitting and soaking

-Instant mashed potatoes - they come in several different flavors

-Stovetop stuffing - surprisingly filling for a dinner or you can mix them with potatoes 

-El Paso Ready Rice - there are tons of precooked rice packs out there in lots of flavors. Unfortunately, these are heavy, but are great for a first day out of town

-Asia Kitchen makes Chinese food that is much like the ready rice - just heat for a few minutes and serve

-Taste of India makes Indian dishes that are heat and serve (and these make other hikers REALLY jealous when they smell them!)

Snacks: 

I usually eat three meals a day and two snacks when I am hiking. I have breakfast around 7:30 a.m., a snack at 10 a.m., lunch around 12-1 p.m., a snack around 4 p.m., and dinner at camp.  This is my magic recipe for not feeling “hangry” during the day!

-Nature Valley Granola Bars, Clif Bars, Kind Bars - any kind of bar really!  I would AVOID anything labeled as a protein bar or body builder bar.  These bars have sugar alcohols as an ingredient and sugar alcohols are notorious for making you need to poop VERY badly. I made this mistake a few times on trail and it’s HORRIFYING. 

-Goldfish Crackers, Cheeze Its, Triscuits - most crackers like this hold up for a few days pretty well

-Fruit snacks

-Trail mix - can be heavy as most bags are an entire pound, but if you make a good dent in it each day it should be okay

-Cheesy Popcorn - holds up surprisingly well in a gallon sized freezer bag and is a personal favorite of mine

and of course, CANDY!  The mini candy bars are what I always went for. The packs of 8-10 are the best because it’s just enough of a snack, plus you can usually eat two per day. Sometimes I would have one with lunch and one with dinner as a dessert. 

I should also note that for people who don't often eat a lot of processed food products, it can be really hard on your stomach and body to immediately begin consuming large amounts of this stuff.  For me, by the time I got to Hot Springs, I constantly felt kind of queasy.  I picked up a package of Flintstones Chewable kids vitamins and took two of them every night before I brushed my teeth and they really helped me feel better.  Several others who noticed me doing this also reported good results.  Since then, they've come out with adult gummy multivitamins and NoKey does really well chewing those up every night.  I personally cannot take regular adult multivitamins because I get stomachaches from the iron content.  So, in short, if you start feeling run down and crappy fairly early on, consider adding a multivitamin to your diet!

And yes, I know I may have forgotten (insert whatever it is you think I forgot here).  There are so many different food choices out there and so many different dietary needs. Some people prefer to not even carry a backpacking stove, so this article doesn't even begin to touch on all of those things!  I'm just covering the bases for any new or wanna-be hikers who are looking for ideas that are cheaper than Mountain House type meals and will be cooking. 

Well, there you have it!  A quick and dirty list of foods I commonly see on the trail that long-distance hikers are eating.  Are you horrified at what thru hikers consume?! What do you normally eat on the trail? Are there any foods you love or foods that you can't even bear to look at after eating them so often on a hike? I'd love to hear your favorites! Leave me a comment below or find me on Facebook or Twitter to get the conversation started!

Hiking Mt. LeConte - A Tuesday Adventure

If you've ever been to the Smokies chances are you've heard of Mt. LeConte.  The big mountain with three peaks looms over the towns of Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg and is visible as you drive towards your vacation destination as soon as you hit the 407 exit.  While this mountain in the park isn't the tallest (it's the third tallest, after Clingman's Dome and Mt. Guyot), it's definitely the most famous!  In fact, when the writers of the song Rocky Top, the University of Tennessee's fight song, got together to write the song they were sitting in Gatlinburg looking at Mt. LeConte!  If you're wanting to hike up one of the five different trails going up Mt. LeConte, chances are you'll choose Alum Cave Trail.  This trail is the shortest route, although not necessarily the easiest route, up to the summit.  I recently hiked up the Alum Cave Trail and down the Rainbow Falls Trail on the opposite side of the mountain for a guided hike.  Here's a recap of the new and improved Alum Cave Trail. 

When we first stepped on trail I was definitely impressed at all the hard work the crews have put in on this trail.  Alum Cave Trail is in the process of being rebuilt and is wide enough for the large crowds it attracts now!  The first 1.2 miles up to Arch Rock were pretty uneventful and the new staircase inside is easy to  navigate and looks amazing (sorry I didn't get a photo of this one). From here we had a little more climbing before stopping at Inspiration Point - a heath bald with views of the natural arches over on Little Duckbill and the Eye of the Needle.  At this point, we're still climbing what is known as Peregrine Peak, named for the bird that is also nesting here over on Little Duckbill and at the Eye.  There is an incredibly hefty fine for going off trail to that area and disturbing the birds.  After our break, we climbed up to the namesake of this trail - the Alum Cave Bluff.  This sandy "cave" is a microclimate here in the Smokies and is actually considered a desert! It's hard to believe in a park with temperate rainforest you can still have a desert.  The "cave" also has a big of a sulfuric smell, like that of spent matches.  This soil is full of oxalates and contains minerals that can be found nowhere else on earth. 

A dry streamed where once a flash flood roared down this mountain. 

After continuing uphill from the Alum Cave Bluff the crowds began to thin a bit.  We mostly saw college students climbing up or down the mountain now being that it's spring break time for most colleges along the east coast.  We continued to climb, now being aided with steel cables in places to help hikers along in winter, and finally reached a flatter spot in the trail.  The forest type has now changed from old growth to boreal - meaning most of the forest is evergreen spruce trees and fir trees.  The sun shining made it smell like we were hiking on a mountain of Christmas trees and we had finally reached our destination for the day - the summit of Mt. LeConte.  We took a break up top and watched the seasonal workers scurrying around stocking the cabins and the office for the upcoming season.  The lodge isn't open year-round and is just now getting ready to open for the season.  

A view of the AT from the Alum Cave Trail.

When we were ready to head downhill we took the Rainbow Falls Trail down to Cherokee Orchard.  This trail has been one of my favorite routes up or down this mountain for a long time due to the easier grade and the views into the valley and Gatlinburg.  It was fun getting a glimpse of town, knowing it was so busy down there and we were realtively alone on this part of the mountain.  Rainbow Falls Trail doesn't see the crowds you'll get on the Alum Cave Trail and, until we hiked down to the falls, we didn't see any other people.  On the way down we found a patch of teaberry that actually still had their berries.  It's always fun eating wild red berries that taste like peppermint instead of fruit. We took our final break at Rainbow Falls and saw relatively few people there, but that may have been due to the fact that it was getting late in the day.  

So many creatures living on one rock - rhododendron, moss, spray paint lichen, and crepe myrtle! 

About half a mile down from the falls we spotted people illegally camping in a patch of rocks next to LeConte Stream.  Given that this mountain has seen a wildfire from this type of activity only a few years ago, we did let the campers know they weren't supposed to be camping there and certainly weren't supposed to be building a fire inside a hollowed out log in a rock pile!  The Smokies have strict rules as to where you can and cannot camp due to it being the most visited national park in the country.  Our park has been loved to death in generations past and the rule helps protect the park and keep it from becoming a giant, scarred wasteland of former campsites and garbage.  After this encounter however, we had an uneventful walk down LeConte Creek to the vehicles we had in the parking lot.  

I love hiking Mt. LeConte and it's especially fun when you can hike up one side and down another.  To do the hike we did you'll need to have two vehicles or use a local shuttle service to help you get from your car to your starting point.  Here is a map of the direction we hiked the trail. 

We started on Alum Cave Trail (the bottom) and hiked to Rainbow Falls Trailhead (the top).

Have you ever hiked up Mt. LeConte or stayed in the lodge at the top? The historic lodge dates back to 1925 - before the Smokies even became a national park!  I'd love to hear about which trails you hiked up or down and what you thought of the them.  Leave me a comment below or find me on Facebook or Twitter to get the conversation started. 

Sunday Runday - Week 13 of Marathon Training

After my work schedule threw a wrench in my training plan last week I was really nervous to see if I could progress this week!  While I'm very thankful my schedule at work is starting to fill up, I really, really am wondering if I made the right decision to run a full marathon right at the beginning of the springtime hiking season.  Here's how my week in training went: 

Monday - 20 miles. HOLY CRAP!  Yes, 20 miles. And I ran them. All of them!  I was really scared to run these miles honestly.  I've done 20 mile days before on trail, but they took quite a few more hours to complete!  I kept reminding myself to take it slow in the beginning and not stress.  I actually turned my Garmin face down so I wouldn't keep looking at it and wondering how much further I had to go!  At miles 15 and 18 I needed to do a walking/stretching break for tight hips, but other than that I am really happy with how the miles turned out.  I can't believe how much I am capable of doing!

Tuesday - guide training and 3 recovery miles.  I did an easy 2-mile, 4 hour walk today in the Smokies and then came home to run my three easy recovery miles before dinner.  I definitely needed a shakeout after my 20 miler yesterday, but I'm really impressed at how NOT SORE my body is today. 

Wednesday - Recovery day.  I had two separate hikes scheduled for today, plus a meeting with a blog follower regarding her future AT thru hike plans.  I took the day as recovery and am bumping my run plans back a day. 

Cataract Falls on one of my hikes today. 

Thursday - 5 miles with strong finish.  By the time I got home from work I was starving! I decided to put off my miles until a few hours after my late lunch/early dinner.  Well, it started raining!  Thankfully we didn't get the forecasted thunderstorms, but only sprinkles with a few minutes of downpour.  I made great miles and ran 8:50 for my last mile - 25 seconds faster than the fourth mile! It felt great to be out in the rain and pushing my legs for the last time. 

Friday - 3 easy miles.  I worked a lot longer than anticipated today and NoKey was coming back home from Syracuse today.  If I wanted to have dinner with him and talk to him for a few minutes before he went to bed, that meant I wouldn't get my miles in until late.  At 9 p.m. I was finally able to get out and get moving.  The town I live in doesn't have much in the way of street lights I was surprised to find out. When I headed to our "greenway" (a wide sidewalk on a 6-lane road), I was shocked to discover there were no street lights.  I ran my way over to a tiny condo complex and ran about 12 laps around it since they had a few street lights.  I was definitely happy I was able to get my run in. 

Saturday - 10 miles taper.  I ran this by feel and I'm shocked at how fast I was going. I didn't feel like I was even putting in any effort at all.  Since I'm supposed to be tapering I'm nervous how it's going to affect me, but my legs are feeling amazing.  I also got my brand new customized Spandits in the mail today!  I ordered a longer short with an outside pocket for my hiker wallet (read- Ziplock baggie with my important stuff).  When I hitchhike I want to keep my wallet on me and this outside pocket is the best way I could think of to do just that.  I'm super excited about my new shorts!

I'm thinking this might be my new favorite outfit. 

Sunday - Rich Mountain Loop hike.  Even though there were thunderstorms predicted for today, I've been dying to get out with my friend Shannon for a hike again.  As a bonus - NoKey will be coming with us!  Check out my Instagram over the next few days for photos!

Total mileage: 41.2 (running)! Damn!  Now I'm one week out from the biggest event I've ever tried to tackle. I can't believe all my hard work is finally about to be put to the test. 

This week wouldn't have been possible AT ALL without the amazing Abby from Back At Square Zero!  She has been an absolutely amazing coach and been incredibly supportive of me, even when I feel like I've been a bit flaky or not trying hard enough.  My work schedule is definitely not easy on my body and it's been really, REALLY hard to train for a marathon when I'm getting in so many miles on my feet every single day.  Her method of easy/hard days for training has really clicked with me.  She's challenged me and supported me and I honestly don't know if I would be feeling this confident for my first marathon without her.  Check her out, especially if you're looking for a running coach over at BackAtSquareZero.com!

Are you training for any big events?  I'd love to hear about them!  Leave me a comment below or find me over on Facebook or Twitter to let me know how your week went. 

I'm linking up with the Women's Running Community Share it Saturday!

Hiking with Kids in the Smokies

Recently I was asked on social media for some recommendations for hikes in the Smokies with children - on trails that weren't terribly busy.  This is a really great question and, as a National Parks Ambassador, it's something I've learned a little bit about.  If you live near, or are planning a visit to, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park soon, here are a few recommendations for some shorter hikes that the kids can really enjoy! 

Stroller-friendly Trails

If you've got littles who aren't quite up to walking trails on their own yet and you will need a stroller, we have a few options for you here in the park.  

-The nature trail behind the Sugarlands Visitor Center.  This 0.7 mile round trip hike on a groomed gravel path will have a few bumps and tree roots, but won't be too difficult to tackle with a substantial stroller.  The path will take you out to Cataract Falls and you can follow it back to the visitor center. 

-The Gatlinburg Trail.  Another well-groomed gravel path, you will follow a stream with plenty of opportunity to jump in and cool off on a hot day.  While the advertised mileage of this trail is 2 miles, making for 4 miles out and back, you can take your time and walk slowly from the parking area (located at River Road in Gatlinburg at the last stoplight in town) up to an old homesite just past the bridge over the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River. This makes a great turn around spot for families. This is also one of only two trails in the park where you can take a dog with you as well.

-The Oconoluftee River Trail.  This accessible trail is located on the North Carolina side of the Smokies, at the visitor center near Cherokee.  This 3-mile round trip trail walks along the Oconoluftee River through some area that used to be an old farmstead and offers a few opportunities to hop into the river to cool off on a hot day.  This trail is also dog-friendly. 

-Laurel Falls Trail (to the waterfall). About 2.5 miles round trip, this paved trail is wildly popular among tourists.  On weekends, arrive early to ensure a parking spot!  The trail gently goes uphill to the waterfall and offers wildflowers in the late spring and summer.  

-Quiet Walkways.  We have a number of paved and unpaved quiet walkways in the Smokies that are relatively short.  These self-guided nature trails often have interpretive signs, old homesites, flowers, and big trees.  The quiet walkways are often less than 1 mile round trip. 

Hiking with toddlers/Young Children

If you've got kids that can walk on their own without needing much assistance (other than maybe the occasional candy bribe to get them back to the car) I have a few other suggestions for trails, especially if you've got a little one who has energy to burn off!  While any of the above trails would also be great options if you're testing the waters, here are a few other longer walks that might be more challenging. 

- Porter's Creek Trail to the Smoky Mountains Hiking Club Cabin.  This 2-mile round trip hike takes place on an old roadbed, so the walking is mostly level, albeit uphill for the first mile.  You'll pass by a giant rock shortly on your left hand side that I've had kids tell me looks like a big shark tooth.  About half a mile in, it will be evident you are on an old farmstead site - rock walls and building foundations can be seen on the hillside.  About 0.75 miles in you'll get to cross a stream on a footbridge before coming upon a set of stairs leading up to the Owenby Cemetery. Finally, about 1.1 miles in you will follow the signs over to an old cantilever barn known as the John Messer Barn.  You can walk around in the livestock pens and underneath the barn to play before heading back to the old springhouse and Smoky Mountains Hiking Club Cabin.  You will return to your car the way you came up the trail.  This trail is especially popular in the springtime for wildflower sightings!

-Spruce Flats Falls (Tremont).  This 2-mile round trip hike might be a little more challenging for kids, but can definitely be fun!  You'll follow the signs for the Lumber Ridge Trail leaving out of the parking lot for the Tremont Institute.  Shortly thereafter, follow the signs for the falls trail.  You'll climb a steep hill and get pretty views of Thunderhead Mountain on the Appalachian Trail before coming to a unique set of foot log stairs.  You'll head downhill on a steep trail that can be rocky and root-filled before coming up to the falls.  This is also a great place to cool off in the summertime.  Return back to your car the way you came. 

-The Walker Sister Homesite. A 3 mile hike starting at the Little Greenbrier Schoolhouse in Metcalf Bottoms, follow the Little Brier Gap Trail approximately 1.4 miles from the gated access road.  You'll follow the gentle old road bed to the site of the Walker Sister home.  These five women lived here in the park until 1964, when the final sister passed away.  The five women lived here when the park service established the park in the 1930s, but at the time the women, all without husbands, were allowed to stay on their land as part of a lifetime lease.  They lived a simple and primitive life in the cabin as it stands today.  The only buildings left as part of the farm are the cabin, springhouse, and corn crib, but it will serve as a neat teaching opportunity to show kids how people lived in these mountains in the early 20th century. 

Kids from around 8 years to young teens

Lots of waterfalls will be listed in this section!  Kids love waterfalls (and hey, adults do too!)  

-Grotto Falls (Trillium Gap Trail).  From the Roaring Creek Motor Nature Trail (which has plenty to see and several opportunities to stop and explore restored homesteads!), you'll find the Grotto Falls Parking area.  From the parking area to the falls and back is approximately 2.25 miles, but this trail is a little more difficult than others I've listed previously.  This waterfall is really neat for photos because you can walk back behind the falls on the trail!  Also, this is the trail the llama train takes up to Mt. LeConte with the clean laundry and food supplies, so you might have a chance to see llamas!

-Abrams Falls.  Approximately 5 miles round trip, this is arguably the most popular family day hike in the park.  Like Laurel Falls, this parking lot fills to the brim on weekends, so make sure you arrive early (On Saturday mornings, the road doesn't open until 10 a.m. as to allow runners, walkers, and  cyclists the chance to enjoy the road without fears of being run over!). This all-day hike follows the wide and challenging Abrams Falls Trail over several small hills before coming up to a sandstone ridge line.  Follow the trail downhill to the falls and take warning - there are signs telling you how dangerous it is to swim near the falls!

-Rainbow Falls. This nearly 6-mile round trip hike is the most difficult of this list and climbs nearly 1500 feet over the course of 3 miles.  Popular nearly every day of the week in summer time, this challenging day hike follows LeConte Creek up the mountain, switching back through rhododendron thickets and climbing uphill the entire way to the waterfall.  When you get to the falls at mile 2.7, be prepared for crowds.  On the positive side, it's downhill all the way back to the car!

These are my trail recommendations for families visiting the Smokies.  I didn't include teenagers on this list as I find many teenagers vary in interests and physical fitness levels.  If you're looking to hike with a teen, you may find some of the hikes listed for older children helpful, especially if you're not used to doing much hiking.  Do you hike with children?  Did I miss any of your favorite family hikes?  Leave me a comment below or find me on Facebook or Twitter to get the conversation started!

Sunday Runday - Week 12 of Marathon Training

I cannot believe it's my biggest week of marathon training!  I have to say, going into this week I was kind of discouraged just because my last big run day was so tough and hot... I've honestly wondered what the HELL I was thinking signing up for something so huge and then signing on to do a week-long section hike of the AT mere hours later... but here's how my week went. 

I'm definitely feeling springy!

Monday - 6 miles. This was supposed to be a speed work run. In reality, it was a full on struggle bus!  My legs just really didn't feel warmed up. I never hit my projected pace and was so hot I could hardly breathe!  It didn't help that there wasn't a cloud in the sky and the smells of the car exhaust and fresh mulch on the greenway were so strong.  I was just happy this run was done1

Tuesday - Rest day!  I was definitely grateful for the rest, especially since it was so hot!  It seems like Tennessee went straight from winter to summer with spring being left behind!

Wednesday -  I had a 9 mile progression run scheduled for today.  I ended up getting up too late to get those miles in and had to work all day.  I did 3 easy recovery miles right at sunset just to get some miles in because I knew Thursday was going to be crazy! 

The beauty is called Bloodroot - the sap that runs from the stem is red. 

Thursday - 12 miles hiking with clients. We had a last-minute addition to my schedule and I hiked Mt. LeConte with some clients.  This hike took all day and I didn't get back to my car until it was dark outside.  I got in over 4500 feet in elevation gain, though... so it's not a total loss!

My hike for Thursday!

Friday - Recovery. I really needed it after the long week.  Thankfully, I got to spend some time walking my dog for a nice leisurely afternoon. 

Saturday/Sunday - Backpacking 101.  I did a total of 8.2 miles of hiking for the two days, hiking at a slow speed on an easy trail.  I'll be posting more about that trip very soon!

Hiking up Porters Creek Trail in the misty rain.  

So while my week was supposed to be a huge week with a 20-miler scheduled for the weekend, it didn't quite work out that way!  I'm really glad I decided to not beat myself up over my mileage, despite the fact that I'm so close to my taper for the marathon, which is now only 14 days away!  I will be making up my long run tomorrow, so I'm hoping it goes well!  I'm so incredibly nervous to see than 20 miles on my watch!  I have done many 20-mile hiking days in the past, but running it is a whole other game!

How has your week been going? Are you training for any events? I'd love to hear about them! Leave me a comment below or find me on Facebook or Twitter to get the conversation started!

I'm linking up with the Women's Running Community for Share it Saturday!

Becoming a National Park Centennial Ambassador

A few weeks ago a follower reached out to me on Twitter wondering if I'd be interested in helping to reach out to Millennials regarding the 100th Anniversary of the National Park System.  While depending on what you read I either am or am not a Millennial, I was very excited to be offered the chance to reach out and help people discover green space in their communities.  I jumped at the chance to sign up and be part of this team!

While each park system is doing different things to promote the 100th Anniversary of the National Park System, the Smokies crew is doing things both in the context of the national park and in the context of helping people discover green spaces on their own terms.  While we have a national park here in the region, many people living in the area haven't done much exploring!  In fact, I didn't start hiking in the park until my mid 20's despite growing up less than 20 minutes from one of the entrances.  The Smokies is the most visited park in the country, so the fact that we'd have to fight the tourists every single weekend just to see the place really wasn't appealing, especially when you work on the strip in a mall and deal with them every day anyway!  When I finally discovered what I was missing I was shocked.  Who would have known you could get away from the crowds simply by taking a short walk in on a trail?!  My personal story can really help resonate with people who are feeling the same way. 

Part of what we do as volunteers is speaking at local engagements, be it at a Rotary Club with a slideshow, a school doing the Let's Move challenge, or even at a tourism convention.  As an ambassador for the NPS, I'll be speaking to different groups of people about the history, preservation, and activities you can find not only in the Smokies, but also in regular parks in your own community.  As a society that is ever more connected, we seem to be disconnected with nature and the outside world, which is where we come in.  

The Find Your Park campaign isn't all about getting out and hiking epic mountains every day - it's about defining what a park is to you.  Find Your Park encourages you to get outside and discover the world around you, be it in the small greenway in your community, the city park, or even a state park, national forest, or national park.  The main goal is to see you get outside and enjoy what nature has to offer. 

Have you found your park yet?  Check out FindYourPark.com to learn more about the campaign to help people reconnect with nature. 

Trail Talk Tuesday - Things I've Been Doing Lately

While I normally try and have an adventure post for you guys on Tuesday afternoons, this week will be a little bit different.  It's not that I haven't been hiking, because I have, but because I do a lot of the same hikes repetitively.  Here's a little update from the world of Sprinkles & NoKey. 

Spring seems to be here now in the Smokies!  The early blooming wildflowers have sprung, the trees are blossoming, and we even recently needed to mow the grass.  While I still think we are going to have one more cold week in the near future (because we always do!), I think we've definitely transitioned into warmer weather.  Due to my erratic work schedule and NoKey's mostly set, but strange, schedule we haven't had time to do much hiking together.  The hikes I've been doing for work have mostly been short, less than 3 hours a piece, and I've done mostly the same routes each time.  I do love being a hiking guide, but it doesn't really make for good blogging to write about the same trail over and over and over again!  Also, many places we hike are on quiet nature paths or off-trail hikes, so they don't really translate well into adventure hiking.  

I am feeling more comfortable being in charge of guiding people though!  While I'm technically still "training" it actually feels very natural to me to point things out to people.  I've done a little bit of testing this out on a few friends I've taken on personal hikes and I think it feels pretty natural in conversation to talk about plants, trees, the neat volunteer projects happening here in the park, etc.  Even though the hiking part of the job isn't challenging, teaching people about the park I love so much has been such a rewarding experience.  I'm truly lucky to have fallen into a job like this.  

All this talk about hiking also brings me to another part of my hiking life - what is my next long hike?  NoKey and I talk about this a lot.  It's so funny how after the AT we were pretty much set on taking some time off, but after our shorter hikes in the summer of 2015 we just want to hike some more! We've been talking over long trail options and we've really narrowed it down to a few with one major contender (and spoiler alert - it's not one of the Triple Crown Trails either!).  All of this will depend on how much money I can save up and when I can take the months off work.  If we get another warm winter next year, that will definitely mean we will probably take off for a few months!

In other backpacking news, I recently did my first solo trip guiding a backpacking trip.  It was a lot of fun to do a shakedown hike with a wannabe thru hiker.  I have a newbie backpacking trip going on this weekend, which I am really looking forward to doing.  I also have a week-long hike on the Appalachian Trail planned in a few weeks right after my marathon (because I'm a crazy person!)  Anyway, I feel like this post has rambled on long enough.  I just wanted to write down some of my recent thoughts to let all of you know what we've been up to recently. 

Have you spent any time outside recently?  Is the weather feeling like spring where you live or are you still stuck in the snow?  Leave me a comment and let me know!

Sunday Runday - Week 11 of Marathon Training

Monday - 18 miles. I had to make up the miles from my long run I missed Sunday due to so many circumstances!  I got a few stomach cramps, at miles 11, 12, and 17, but each time I took a minute or so to rehydrate and stretch out, so I was able to rally.  I also almost got run over by a car in a crosswalk.  It was a Mercedes... so maybe I should've just let her take me out!

Tuesday - Hiking with clients.  I had a guided hike today, so my active rest day included a slow and gentle hike in the Greenbrier Section of the Smokies. 

A sunny hike to a waterfall! 

Wednesday - 8.5 progression miles.  Damn, it was hot this morning!  I headed out to run at 10:30 a.m., but it was in the high 70s in the blazing sun by the time I got to my speedy miles.  At the very end of the run I had a half mile "all out" run and while I hit a 7:45 pace, I also hit what I call "the tinglies".  It was super hot and I was really probably a little too dehydrated. I had taken my running hydration belt with me for this run, but decided against it at the last minute since I'd be doing speed work at the end.  Big mistake. I won't be doing that again!  In other news though, I HIT A 7:45 PACE!

Feeling strong despite dehydration! 

Thursday - 3 miles slow. I started a little too fast and ended up logging a 9:35 for my first mile, but progressively slowed down throughout the run.  I went out at 10 a.m. and felt like I was going to melt to the pavement of the Greenway.  I had a guided hike in the afternoon and when I came home it was 82 degrees in my house. Yeah. What happened to spring?!

Friday - Active rest day.  I walked my dog and did a Zuzka Light Bunny Slope workout, followed by a slow vinyasa for runners to keep my legs stretched out.  I really needed the rest day today and got to spend lots of time writing!

Saturday - 18 miles.  Now that I'm back on track with my training that means I had to do a second 18-miler this week.  Unlike earlier in the week though, it was already hot when I started and I knew this was going to be a slower run.  I ended up running through a race on my route, a 10-miler, and got to see the winner with his motorcycle escort just before he turned the corner to cross the finish line!  By the time I made it to mile 4 it was sweltering.  After the half marathon mark, I had looped back around to my car and needed to refill my Nuun.  I went in to the restaurant where I was parked and bought a huge cup of ice water off them, as the water I brought and left in the car was pretty warm.  Since I was already moving slow, I decided to drive over to the other greenway and finish my run there hoping there would be more shade.  There wasn't.  The sun was blaring and the temperature outside said only 70 degrees.  When I finished up my run, the thermometer in my car said 84.  My legs were shaky and my stretches post run were probably hilarious to watch.  In fact, at mile 17 I actually yelled out loud "WHY AM I DOING THIS?!"  It wasn't funny at the time, but it is now that I'm looking back!

Sunday - Rest again!  After hiking, dog walking, and running, I had a 55-mile week.  i honestly really would rather be out hiking in the cooler temps and misty rain today, but I know my body needs the rest.  

Next week is my final big mileage week and I'm so nervous!  I'm really hoping the temperatures back off a little bit for the big race on April 3rd.  Also, because I'm a crazy person, starting April 5th I'm headed back out for a week on the Appalachian Trail starting at Springer Mountain!  While I'm excited to be back out for a section with a client, I'm again wondering what in the world I'm doing only 18 hours after finishing my first marathon!  Hiking season is already here!

That was my week in training and I can't believe my first ever marathon is only a few short weeks away.  I'm so nervous now!  Do you have any advice for a first-timer? How did your first big race go?  I'd love for you to leave me a comment or find me on Facebook or Twitter to get the conversation started!

I'm linking up with the Women's Running Community for Share It Saturday!

Business Cards Mean I'm a Professional, Right?

So you guys, whenever I meet people on trail and chat with them for a while it either comes up that I have a blog or people mention they have read something I've written either on Appalachian Trials or here on the site.  It's always really exciting for the recognition, but when people haven't heard of my site or ask me if I have a trail journal, I pretty much have relied on their memory to remember who I am and where they can find me.  

When I worked at the AT Lodge in 2013, I had people give me business cards for their trail journals a few times and I always thought it was a smart idea.  Being that I didn't get my very own domain until last year (seriously, this website has been running for a YEAR?!) I never really felt like I had a reason to hand out a card until then.  Then, life happened and we hiked and moved halfway down the east coast... then I got a job as a hiking guide, and then I had a long winter with lots of free time... and now I finally have the money to do the cards!

Here's how they look!  They're from Moo.com!

I looked at quite a few options after creating the card.  I tried several discount business card websites, but every time I uploaded my design they came out really blurry or disoriented.  It was definitely a frustrating process.  Finally, I tried Moo.com and my design worked.  Unfortunately, the price was more than I wanted to spend.  After debating the  price for a few days I bit the bullet and ordered the card.  When they arrived, I was super impressed and I think the card is worth every penny I spent.  They're thick and have a coating on them, and they're actually a bit water resistant, meaning I can keep them in my pack to hand out and not worry about them being damaged.  Be sure to check out Moo's site for pricing and card options.  While they were more expensive than other sites, I'm super impressed with the quality!

Do you have a card for your website/blog?  I've definitely found it much easier to hand one of these out in the woods - and they really work!  It's helping reach a bigger audience for the content I'm writing!  Who did you use? 

Disclaimer: While this post is not an ad, Moo has given me an affiliate link to share with you guys.  If you check them out I will not be compensated, but may receive a discount in the future on my orders if you're referred by me.  

When Quitting the Trail is Okay - How to Decide to End Your Thru Hike

Here's a true story - I've bailed on a thru hike before.  For those of you who have followed this blog for a while now, you'll know that NoKey and I bailed off the Finger Lakes Trail back in the summer of 2015.  We quit for a few reasons - I got a MRSA infection and a respiratory virus; it rained every single day; parts of the trail were completely underwater, meaning we did a LOT of road walking; the trail conservancy was very rude to us on the phone and didn't offer us any help when were were looking for a place to camp (and the president of the conservancy did call to apologize, but the damage was done); and the biggest reason of all - we weren't having any fun at all. Our thru hike was a failure.  I even wrote a post about how yes, we didn't finish our hike and it failed and why it wasn't a bad thing.  For us, the decision to quit the FLT was the best one and I don't regret it.  In my post last week I talked about reasons why thru hikers will leave the trail.  This week, I want to talk about when leaving the trail is the right decision and how to make the call.

When It's No Longer Worth It

You may have set out to conquer the trail, but now it no longer seems important to you.  Sure, no one said thru hiking would be easy and you get that, but no one said you had to finish the trail as a thru hiker either.  There are many, many different ways to hike a long distance trail and you can complete it (or not!) any way you choose.  When we decided to quit the FLT and take a vacation we had taken quite a few days to talk about our decision.  We had taken a weekend off to avoid more rain.  We hiked out and then I woke up incredibly sick.  We went back home to recover and during the first week after little improvement we decided that the rain would never let up and I probably wouldn't get any better (it took me almost a month to shake the MRSA and respiratory virus).  What is the point of killing ourselves every day if we don't want to be there?  Like I said last week, there are many reasons why you can decide to get off trail. 

When You Don't Care About the Trail Anymore

Hiking the trail can sometimes be like a bad relationship.  It mentally and physically exhausts you, sometimes for weeks on end.  You give yourself to it 100% and you get nothing in return. You've even given up most of your "normal life" to spend time with the trail and it's like the trail doesn't even care!  Now, if this was a relationship with another person chances are you'd be ready to call it quits and break up.  Sure, you might Facebook/Instagram stalk the trail for a while.  Every once in a while you'll feel nostalgic and pull out that picture of the two of you together.  You might even like a photo posted of the trail with it's new hikers.  Time will heal your wounds.  

When You've Tried a Second Time and Feel the Same

So sticking with the bad relationship concept above, maybe you and the trail broke up.  But sometimes exes get back together, right?  Maybe you broke it off with the idea of thru hiking but for whatever reason you two found your way back to each other.  Then, you and the trail fall back into old habits and it turns out the relationship hasn't changed at all; everything is exactly the same.  

The bottom line is this: 

THRU HIKING ISN'T FOR EVERYONE!

And you know what? That's okay.  Nobody said you have to thru hike a trail for it to magically "count".  What's more is that most trail conservancies recognize trail FINISHERS, not trail thru hikers.  Sure, you might be able to order that extra "thru hiker" or "end to ender" rocker patch for your certificate, but at the end of the day being a thru hiker is just a title.  In a world where we place a lot of emphasis on extraordinary achievements, at the end of the day whether you set the fastest know time, slowest time ever, hike a section over 20 years, or hike it all in six months - anyone who has finished a long trail all gets to say they're a completer.  

Maybe you're on the fence about breaking off your thru hike.  For those of you who haven't decided if getting off trail is right for you, here are a few pieces of advice: 

-Take a zero day.  If you're still on the fence, take another.  Maybe take a week off.  Talk it out with other hikers at a hostel.  Make a plan to hike to only the next town and see if your feelings change.  
- Think about how you'd feel if you quit.  Maybe you're thru hiking to prove something to someone (yourself or a loved one).  If the idea of quitting doesn't make you all that upset, it's probably time to call it.  

Have you ever been on the fence about quitting a hike?  Maybe you've spent tons of time planning and dreaming only to have it turn out differently than you'd imagined?  I'd love to hear how you dealt with getting off the trail.  Leave me a comment or find me on Facebook and get the conversation started!

Sunday Runday - Week 10 of Marathon Training

As of this post being published I am one month away from my very first marathon and the nerves are really getting to me!  I cannot believe all the hard work I've been putting in the past few months is finally going to be put to the test.  While we had yet more of that strange early spring weather here in the Smokies, I still go my training on.  Here is how my week went. 

Monday - 4.7 mile progression run.  I hit the local greenway for this one, since it's relatively flat and easy to watch my speed.  First mile was a slower warm up with the next 3 miles under 9 minutes, followed by 0.7 miles of cool down.  It was a great run and I even got out there in shorts and a T-shirt because it was so sunny!

Tuesday - 7.5 miles progression run. This runw as supposed to be a steady pace for the first five miles, then a pick up for miles 6/7, followed by all out on the last half mile.  Well, I misread my Garmin.  I got all confused about what miles were which because it says "lap" at the end of the mile. What I thought was mile 5 was mile 6.  I didn't run as fast as I should've on my 6th  mile, but mile 7 and the last half mile I gave it a solid effort and ran my fastest mile in a LONG time. I also fixed my Garmin to show me my mileage in real time so I don't screw that up again!

Wednesday - 6ish miles of easy hiking.  I took my friend Shannon hiking in Elkmont this morning.  It was snowing and freezing cold, but we took a walk through an old community and even explored the site of an abandoned hotel.  It took hours to warm back up after this chilly hike!

Thursday - Active rest. I had a 3-mile easy run scheduled for today, but under the advice of someone wiser than myself, I was told to take it easy.  I took my dog for a walk and did some vinyasa yoga since my legs seem to be tight.  

Friday - 7ish hiking miles. My backpacking trip went from plan A to plan B to plan C to plan D before we had to call it a loss and scrap it.  I got in some great trail miles on a pretty day though. 

Saturday - 1 mile backpacking.  We gave it another shot on attempting a backpacking trip and this time got to where we were going.  Mother Nature has been playing with us lately here in the Smokies and Newfound Gap Road keeps getting closed due to weather.  It even snowed on us at camp and then we woke up with frozen tents in the morning. 

Sunday - 1 mile hiking plus 4 miles dog walking.  I was supposed to be doing my first 18-mile day, but it just didn't happen.  Our drive home turned from a 1.5 hour to a 3 hour trip for me since Newfound Gap Road got snow again.  I had to drive all the way around the mountain to get home.  By then I could have gotten 18 miles in, but since I hadn't had adequate food and water for fueling, I decided to put it off until Monday.  

This week threw me a lot of curve balls, but I'm excited to get my long run in on Monday.  Sorry for the lack of photos this week (and lateness posting my weekly runday post!)

That was my week in training. My very first marathon is the Knoxville Marathon on April 3rd!  Are you training for anything right now?  How was your week in running?

I'm linking up with the Women's Running Community Share it Saturday: