Hiking!

Just before Race left we decided to take the kids to hike up on the Appalachian trail. This was a section of the trail that Race and I hiked last year. It was so beautiful that we couldn't wait to take the kids up for the day. We packed water and lunches and took off. The beginning of the trail was wide and steep, but more like a steep road.
A lot of the leaves had fallen but there was still plenty of color on the trees. Savannah said it was like a box of crayons.
After about a mile and a half the A.trail sign directed us up to a much smaller trail.
This trail was much steeper, and it was really rocky. The rocks under our feet were about the size of grapefruits and they were all loose. I kept wondering how many people had been hauled out of there with sprained ankles.
After about another mile of slow, careful hiking, we came to what you see above. STRAIGHT UP you go!
There is no path to the top, you just sort of have to scramble and then find foot and finger holds. It gets sort of breathless as you get to the top and realize that all the trees are below you. You don't really have time to notice around you because you are too busy worrying about losing your footing. And then you ascend to the top and the view is so worth every second. It is really breathtaking. The outcropping is pretty massive with crevices to be explored and overhangs to climb into.
Some of us chose to meditate. (snort!) This was the ONLY time that the kid was still ALL day!We ate lunch on top and we played, napped and just enjoyed being together. Race pulled us all together and had prayer before we started the hike back down. It was a wonderful day. Enjoy the rest of the pictures.







Thanks for checking back here!
Melissa