Cooper's Last Great Adventure ~ June on the Pisgah. Part II

Sunday, June 17, 2018

The blooms of the yucca at the visitors center are gorgeous!...

Monday, June 18

We decided to go back to Cat Gap Loop and hike the entire loop. This time we hiked the loop counter clockwise...

We walked around the gate, down the gravel and over a bridge to the trail head...

view from the bridge

we'll follow the orange blazes on the trail

off we go. we began to climb immediately

another bridge

checking the GPS for elevation

hmmm...is this the trail to Cedar Rock Falls?

taking a break prior to descending the steep trail to the falls

we walked out of the woods and found Cedar Rock Falls!!

Coop wasn't keen on this waterfall. he hung back and watched us from a distance

Cedar Rock Falls is a small (only 20 feet high) waterfall

Coop refused to go to the bottom of the falls

back up the trail we go. we continued climbing

it is a beautiful trail

steep and rooty in places

and rocky. did I mention the trail is rocky! Cooper waiting for us

we arrived at another stream crossing. Ron filled Coop's water container.
we walked across the bridge; Coop wasn't having any of it...

he swam through the rapids. I held on to his leash and coaxed him along.
he did great. Ron and I were nervous!!

taking a break while Ron filled his water container

it was a very pretty stream

soon after the stream crossing, we came out of the forest and into
an area of pine trees

the trail then led us out of the pines

to another water crossing. no bridge this time! good thing we had our
hiking boots on!

we made it to the bypass. we've a half mile to go before we begin to hike
downhill

Finally, we made it to the junction of Cat Gap Loop and John Rock...

We decided to stop here and have lunch. The day was hot and humid. As we were eating, clouds began to move in... thankfully, it's all down hill from here...

beginning to thunder...

we're still a mile out...here comes the rain!!

raining fairly hard...

not a lake; it's the trail!!

almost back...walking along the Davidson River

final stretch to the parking lot

This was a great hike and a great adventure. Rain and all!!


Friday, June 22

Happy Anniversary to us!

Look what we found on our way home from work...

Saturday, June 30

We drove over to the Nantahala National Forest (abuts part of the Pisgah District) for a short hike to Dill Falls. As it turned out, this was Cooper's final hike...

yes, Coop, this is the road to the falls

heading down the trail

we all had to duck under this tree

Dill Falls. a tall, (60 feet high) narrow cascading fall

Coop loved playing in the water

enjoying a stick

no, that's not a bear. it's Coop!!

almost back

Another fun day and a great waterfall!

We miss our sweet boy. He was the best companion and loved hiking with us. Cooper had a great life and didn't suffer. For that we are very grateful.

Dawn and Ron

Cooper's Last Great Adventure ~ June on the Pisgah. Part 1

Friday, June 1, 2018

We have had 22.5 inches of rain in 16 days. We awoke to overcast skies with the hint of rain in the air.

Today is Fish Day. Fish Day is held the first Friday and Saturday in June and is held at Lake Powahatan which is located in the northeast area of the Pisgah District.  Fish Day is a chance for kids to get exposed to fishing; kids 16 and under fish for free. Today, children and adults with disabilities are coming to fish. In addition to fishing, lunch will be served...

overcast skies. all set up with food tents and first aid station

Soon, the sun broke through the clouds! We're hoping our streak of rainy days has ended!!

fishing rods are all lined up. Lake Powahatan is a beautiful lake

soon, the dock was lined with kids and adults 

all too soon, it was time to leave. a great time was had by all. 

It was a beautiful evening for a ride; we drove up to the Blue Ridge Parkway...

View of  Looking Glass Rock from Looking Glass overlook

Monday, June 4

Each region of the country, as well as each state, has its own culture. One of our favorite things to do is to try the regional foods. In this part of North Carolina, slaw is put on just about everything, including hot dogs. To the locals it is  inconceivable to eat a hot dog without slaw! We were told the best hot dog place is Hot Dog World, in Hendersonville. Thanks Cody for the tip. We headed to Hendersonville for errands and a trip to Hot Dog World.

hot dog with chili, mustard and slaw. yum!!

 Hot Dog World did not disappoint!!

Wednesday, June 6

It's a beautiful day for a hike. We decided to hike up John Rock, one of the more popular hikes in the forest. John Rock is a pluton; a body of igneous rock that solidified far below the earth's surface.

John Rock. view from the parking lot of the fish hatchery. yes, this is
what we climbed

John Rock was named after Camp John Rock. Camp John Rock was the first Civilian Conservation Corps camp established on US Forest Service land in North Carolina.

monument to Camp John Rock

we hiked Cat Gap Loop clockwise to arrive at the John Rock trail head.
John Rock trail is a 1.8 mile loop

ready to hit the trail

the trail started off  as a flat, leisurely stroll

along the Davidson River

one of the campsites along the trail

beginning the climb

after hiking uphill for almost a mile, we reached the John Rock trail

another water crossing

soon we began to hike along a ridge line

up the rocks we go

at last, a flat part of the trail

we must be getting closer

we made it!

view of Looking Glass Rock

close up of Looking Glass Rock

we kept Coop on his leash; we didn't want him getting too close on the rock

view of fish hatchery from John Rock

we left the rock face and continued climbing up the trail

beautiful climb. every so often we'd get a glimpse of the mountains

beautiful spot for a break; we then began the hike downhill

heading down

looking back up the trail

almost back

time for a drink

we made it! close-up of John Rock from the parking lot

All for now,

Dawn & Ron