Hiking Pisgah

Amber and I went to Chestnut knob in South Mountain state park. It was an interesting contrast to when I was there 3 years ago. Great hike. Great weather. Definitely worth a visit.

Evergreen Nature Preserve is a small preserve near Central and Eastway in Charlotte NC. This is a wooded walk on gravel and dirt trails. There is an overgrown field with flowers along the way, and a couple creek crossing on boards and bridges.

If you are live in the area, it is a nice option.

I will say we heard more birds in this area, than I have heard in other nature preserves in Charlotte.

The first in a series where we try to visit all the Mecklenburg and surrounding county nature preserves.

Clarks Creek Nature Preserve was a 109 acre agriculture field until it became a nature preserve. The periodically move the fields still, but is really just kept as a grassland habitat.

The audio was recorded using Hooke binaural mics, so wear your headset or earbuds for the best experience.

https://www.mecknc.gov/ParkandRec/StewardshipServices/Pages/NPTextDetail.aspx#ClarksCreek

We took a 8.5 mile walk in Charlotte just to get some air. Really wishing we were in the mountains, but we are sucking it up and staying put. Y’all be safe.

Training hike for my second youngest and I to prepare for a longer backpacking trip. This was a good hike with good weather. If you ever get the chance to hike at Morrow Mountain State Park in NC, you should.

A failed attempt at the Art Loeb. We did several things wrong on this trip.

1. We didn’t do the upfront work to get out and exercise. The climbs on this trail are hard. It it rough technical and will slow you down.

2. I should have taken my pump filter over the Sawyer. The last spring before camp would easily allow us to fill up with the pump. Not so much with the Sawyer.

3. Carry less water and a spare bottle or 2. That way we can camel up if we dry camp again.

4. Eat. Once I got dehydrated, I didn’t eat. I spent 2 days on half a mountain house, and 2/3rds of a granola bar. I was bleh…. Anyway, I was past the worst effort wise for the day, when I called it.

Turns out it was probably better that we bailed. That night in Brevard we saw one of the most spectacular thunderstorms I have seen in awhile. It was great there. It would have been terrifying in Ivester Gap where we had planned to camp. Oh well. We will try again in a few months. #hiking #nature #adventure