Another pretty day, another hike. Surprised? This time we headed an hour northwest to Frozen Head State Park. A charming park if you don't mind it being adjacent to a maximum security prison...
We chose to hike the North Old Mac Mtn Trail to the fire tower, then return to our car on the South Old Mac Mtn Trail, circling the mountain in a little over 7 miles. Of all the trails we've hiked*, this one isn't going to come highly recommended. No views, no water features of any kind...just trees, a few mushrooms, and, if you're lucky, a frog.
The Picture Story:
Honey, I guess we need to leave the martini's in the car!
Just another mushroom picture.
Although I look normal in this shot, I'm actually starving. My breakfast of cereal and a granola bar didn't hold, and about a mile in I was famished. Extreme hunger and hiking don't mix. I was moving at a granny's pace and all Mark could think of on the way down was what toppings to put on his pizza. 
The top of the fire tower...with more East-TN style views. It's impossible to escape the haze unless you're out in early spring or winter.
Morgan County, in all it's splendor!
Hello up there!!!
This tree was growing between those 2 rocks. Crazy.
It's a sandwich tree.
And the classic "stand by the sign" picture we try to capture at each park we visit. We got this one on the way out. * Below is a list of trails Mark and I have hiked together with total miles hiked in parenthesis. These are the one's I can remember at least. Four of our favorites: Ramsey Cascades, Ozone Falls, the Mist Trail, and Penebscot Mtn. And the most difficult hike by far: Yosemite Falls.
National Parks:
Acadia: Acadia Mtn (2.5), Great Head (1.4), Penobscot Mtn to Sargent Mtn (5.2). GSMNP: AT from Newfound Gap to Charlie's Bunion (9.5), Chimney Tops (4.0), Abram's Falls (5), Ramsey Cascades (8), Trillium Gap to Brushy Mtn (7.2), Rainbow Falls (5.5), Middle Prong (7.5), Big Creek (4), Gabes Mtn (4.3), Laurel Falls to Cove Mtn (8.2), Rabbit Creek/Hatcher Mtn/Little Bottoms (7.8). Shenandoah: Little Devils Stairs-Keyser Run Fire Rd (7.5), Byrds Nest (2.8). Yosemite: Mist Trail (3), Yosemite Falls (6.8), Mirror Lake (5).
TN State Parks:
Frozen Head: N. Old Mac Mtn to Lookout Tower (3.3), S. Old Mac Mtn (3.4). Long Hunter: Couchville Lake (2). Cedars of Lebanon: Limestone Sinks Trail (0.5). Big South Fork: Twin Arches-Charit Creek Loop (6). Burgess Falls: Burgess Falls (1.5). Fall Creek Falls: Gorge Overlook (2.2), Old Stone Fort: Enclosure Wall Trail (1.25). Ozone Falls: Ozone Falls (0.5). Radnor Lake: Lake Trail (1.7)
NC State Parks:
Mt Mitchell: Deep Gap Trail to Mt Craig (2). Linville Falls: Erwins View (1.6)
Total Miles: 131.15 (this total assumes we've only hiked each trail once, which isn't actually true...but we'll pretend it is. I've also excluded some short hikes we've done in the Muir Woods and Point Reyes National Seashore in CA, and Amicalola Falls in GA.)
2 comments:
Hey, it doesn't say "no mojitos", right?
And this is where we hit a major wall in our alike-ness. Although it could be worse. I am not an avid exerciser/outdoor person/camper. But I did do a lot of it growing up, and with a gun to my head, I would chose to hike over the elliptical machine any day.
You guys keep it up though, because I like to read about your adventures. I think you should try to do a hike in every state of the union.
I am frightened by the color of that mushroom! I am jealous you can hike in shorts I would be chaffe city.
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