Dr.H & I spent 9 glorious days together- in a row! We took advantage of Dr.H's week off by heading to NC to visit with family and have a hiking adventure in the Smoky Mountains. It was one of those vacations where you couldn't have possibly squeezed in another event- which is my favorite kind. We hit 5 cities in 7 days. The highlight of the beginning of the week was spending quality time with the little nugget that is my 16 month old niece. We did trips to the pool, lake, and museum. The girl is OBSESSED with water- star swimmer in the making I know it.
Mid-week Dr.H and I headed to the Great Smoky Mountains for a backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail. The weather was cool and partly cloudy for the ~11 mile hike to Peck's Corner Shelter for night #1. The plants and mountains are totally different in the Appalachians vs. Utah. There were ferns growing up to my waist, and I now know why they label the AT as the green tunnel. The mountains are indeed smaller than the Rockies, but nothing beats watching the fog roll through the peaks within a matter of minutes.
Our 1st night, we had an unwelcome visitor to the lean-to we were sleeping in. Yep- you guessed it- a bear! The shelters you sleep in are open on 3 sides, and you hang your food up high using bear cables. Bears are extremely active in the Smokies and tend to associate packs with potential food sources. A couple hours after we fell asleep, I heard a thud, rustle, and snort/growl outside the shelter. I squeezed Dr.H's arm so hard it almost fell off and asked him what we should do. He shushed me, and we laid there waiting to see what it would do. As I started to imagine my pending funeral the bear scurried away- only to come back a few hours later even closer to the shelter. Needless to say I didn't get much sleep and was totally spooked. I'm embarrassed to admit we hiked back out the next day and decided to not stay a second night. I think I'll stick to my ultra- running goals of big days in the mountains with a comfy bed to sleep in at night. We saw a bear cub within a 0.5 mile of our car- it was off to the side of the trail and was really stinkin' cute- but I wasn't about to hang out to run into mama bear.
Our 1st night, we had an unwelcome visitor to the lean-to we were sleeping in. Yep- you guessed it- a bear! The shelters you sleep in are open on 3 sides, and you hang your food up high using bear cables. Bears are extremely active in the Smokies and tend to associate packs with potential food sources. A couple hours after we fell asleep, I heard a thud, rustle, and snort/growl outside the shelter. I squeezed Dr.H's arm so hard it almost fell off and asked him what we should do. He shushed me, and we laid there waiting to see what it would do. As I started to imagine my pending funeral the bear scurried away- only to come back a few hours later even closer to the shelter. Needless to say I didn't get much sleep and was totally spooked. I'm embarrassed to admit we hiked back out the next day and decided to not stay a second night. I think I'll stick to my ultra- running goals of big days in the mountains with a comfy bed to sleep in at night. We saw a bear cub within a 0.5 mile of our car- it was off to the side of the trail and was really stinkin' cute- but I wasn't about to hang out to run into mama bear.
Our last day we spent the day in the Queen City of Charlotte with the sis and her boyfriend. We had some good brews at a local microbrewery, Triple C brewing. Yum. Now it's back to running, coaching goals, and enjoying the Salt Lake sunshine. Happy Summer everyone!