Beautiful Day Hike

Nice driving trip in the Fall colors of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. 880 miles driven and  40 miles of hiking over five days. Beautiful view over the southern foothills and piedmont from the top of the Blue Ridge at Black Balsam Knob at 6200'. Looking Glass Mtn. in the morning light.

Sumter NF, near Abbeville, SC. 

DuPont State Forest. Near Cedar Mountain, NC.

Pigeon River watershed.  Pisgah NF. Near Brevard, NC. 

To Bennett Gap. Pisgah NF, near Brevard, NC.

Featuring John Rock and Looking Glass Mtn. Pisgah NF, near Brevard, NC. 

From Blue Ridge Parkway. Pisgah NF, near Brevard, NC. 

Hiking on Mountain to Sea trail at Devil's Courthouse. Pisgah NF, near Brevard, NC. 

Hiking above Music Center in Brevard, NC. 

Sansavilla WMA. Near Mt. Pleasant, GA. Wayne County.

Great friends reunion summer trip to Southern Colorado in the Wet Mountain Valley! 97 miles of hiking, 962 miles driven, plus some ATV, UTV and Jeep trail riding!  Great time with Tom, Jim and David out of our base in Westcliffe, CO. Occasional weather gave us beautiful clouds and light!  Westcliffe is a nice, small, rural town surrounded by beautiful cattle country!

From Grape Creek TH via Rainbow Trail and some bushwhack. Overlooks Music Creek valley with Milwaukee Peak in center and Marble Mtn to right, and Music Mtn to left. San Isabel NF, near Westcliffe, CO. 

From the Comanche/Venable Rainbow trail loop. San Isabel NF, near Westcliffe, CO. 

BLM land near Westcliffe, CO. 

Namesake colors from the White Hills. Near Westcliffe, CO.

BLM land near Westcliffe, CO. 

Hiking runs from abandoned ski area. Via Rainbow Trail from Venable TH. San Isabel, NF. Near Westcliffe, CO.   

Off 402/634 in Greenhorn area. San Isabel NF. Near Gardner, CO. 

San Isabel NF, near Gardner, CO. 

Sangre de Cristo Wilderness Area. San Isabel NF, near Westcliffe, CO.

Continental Divide trail from Monarch Pass. Near Salida, CO. 

Sangre de Cristo Mountains from Deer Peak, Wet Mountains. San Isabel NF, near Westcliffe, CO. 

Via Jeep trail on Hermit Rd. San Isabel NF, near Westcliffe, CO. 

Via Swift Creek trail. Sangre de Cristo Wilderness Area, San Isabel NF. Near Westcliffe, CO. 

Mild evening above Westcliffe, CO. Sangre de Cristo mountains and San Isabel NF to the west. 

Beautiful trip around and through the Sierra Nevada mountains in early summer.  Lots of snow at the higher elevations and the creeks and rivers were raging!  The Central Valley was in full growing mode with all the water available. 1877 miles driven and 130 miles hiked over 16 days, 10 miles or so on snowshoes!  Plus a wedding shower for my daughter in Reno! Return visit to Golden Trout Wilderness via Horseshoe Meadow.  Road had just opened in mid-June.

John Muir Wilderness, Inyo NF. Near Lone Pine, CA. 

Cottonwood Creek. Inyo NF, near Lone Pine, CA. 

Near Independence, CA. 

John Muir Wilderness, Inyo NF. Near Independence, CA.