So now I am hiking every Saturday with the LLS Hike For Discovery Team Charlotte. It's great fun to introduce people to new hiking venues. We started small at McDowell Park for an hour and have worked our way up to Crowders Mountain State Park for 3+ hours. There's a range of abilities and goals and it is challenging to meet everyone's needs - not sure I always accomplish that. But at least we get outside! The group's goal is to raise $20,000 and currently we are nearly halfway at $10,000.
How is this fitting with my original adventure for the Smokies? Well, the best training for hiking is...hiking! In addition to running 5-6 miles three times a week and thinking about going to the gym (I just can't seem to like it), hiking every Saturday is whipping me into shape. I carry a pretty heavy daypack that includes a gigantic first aid kit plus about 4 liters of water. (Each person at the Grand Canyon is required to carry a gallon of water so we are working towards that). I have also scouted out one or more options at each of our venues, so I'm getting in some extra miles. Feels good!
We had to cancel one Saturday because of severe thunderstorm forecasts and I was bored all day long. So the next day, Sunday, Jim and I drove up to Boone NC and did a five-mile loop on the Boone Fork Trail off the Blue Ridge Parkway and then took our son out to dinner. Felt much better after getting outside for an afternoon! I highly recommend the Boone Fork Trail, a moderate to strenuous trail, lots of water, hopping back and forth across creeks.
On this trail I tested my new weekend backpack, an Osprey Aura 50 http://www.ospreypacks.com/Packs/AuraSeriesWomens/Aura50/. I have a size medium and it fits beautifully, feels GREAT. It weighs 3 pounds alone and I loaded it to about 15 pounds. It is ventilated, has space to hang a hydration bladder, has pouches on the hip belt. This coming weekend I'm going to load it to 25 pounds and see how it goes. Stay tuned!
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