Backpacking Gregory's Bald, NC

Location 1: Gregory's Bald, NC
National Park Rd, Twentymile Ranger Station
Location 2: Hillcrest Orchards
9696 Georgia 52, Ellijay, GA
Date: October 2013
Weather: Great
Project: Backpacking
Purpose: Getting some AT, and picking apples.
   

  
Probably the most brutal backpacking trip I have been on to date. I went with OAR again. We parked at a trail head close to the bald and slept there at about 2 am when we finally arrived from Gainesville. I discovered that yoga mats do not make good sleeping mats. 

#BlueRidge #NoFilter

     We spend sunup to sundown the next day hiking up the mountains and getting to the bald. We lie sweaty and tired in the long grass for a while. I crack open a corona at the top to celebrate; everyone stares, but I think they are jealous. Gotta toast to the summit! The yoga mat is actually useful for sitting and lying down on. The view is unbeatable and there was lovely forest the whole way up. Later we tie our food up in the trees away from bears and try to get some damp wood lit. We should have brought dry twigs from the top of the bald.  Some guys next to our camp site share their fire and we have an okay time of it, but the small fire is definitely a damper on the afternoon chit chat. I spend at least 3 hours of the night awake because of cold (we had to use the space blankets) and my bear paranoia. I am never sleeping outside of the tent again!

    In the morning I eat peanut butter on bagels and we have a quick descent back to the parking lot. We pass a river where me and another girl take short, freezing baths before the rest of the group catches up to us (they stopped to take about 50 selfies on a bridge). I had just got my underwear on when the fastest boy caught up to us. It felt so good to be clean, I didn't even care.

     On the drive back we got Ethiopian in Atlanta and stopped in Ellijay,Georgia by the highway at one of those u-pick/ country fair kind of places to milk cows, watch a pig race, and pick apples. I got 3 bags full and made enough cobbler and mulligatawny for an army.

Camping at Rainbow Falls, NC

Location: Rainbow Falls

Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina

Address: N Carolina 281 and Loop Rd, Hogback, NC

Date: September 2013

Weather: Amazing

Project: Camping 

     This was my first trip with a club on my university's campus called OAR that does mainly backpacking and climbing in the Southeast.

     We drove up to NC from Gainesville and got dinner in Atlanta. Gladys and Ron's Chicken and Waffles.

   We got to the parking lot at a ridiculous hour of the morning and needed the after hours gate code to get in. Our camp site was about 1/2 a mile from the parking lot and right next to a little stream that feeds the river leading from Rainbow Falls.

    There is a fork on the main trail that takes you to the national park if you go right and the state park if you go left. I recommend camping to the right because it is closer to the falls and the little stream acts as a natural beer coolant.

     Some friends of a kid on our trip got to the campsite first since they lived farther north and already had a fire going. That night/morning I learned that there are actually a few types of wood you don't want to burn. There are rhododendrons all around the place, but after reading into it,  it seems that the possibility of poisoning yourself with the smoke is very low. Still, I would avoid the use of this plant for fire/marshmallow sticks/ experimental plant ingesting. Actually I would discourage all experimental plant ingesting after my experience trying to cook a cactus ( I don't think I have to explain why this was a poor choice).

     The next morning we wake up at a gorgeous campsite on the river that is only a short hike from Rainbow Falls and spend the day napping and jumping into freezing-cold mountain water. Looking at the falls, there is a spot to the left where people who are good at climbing muddy/ root covered slopes can get up to a 20 ft ridge in a good position to jump into the pool at the base. It is very unsafe but very fun. Personally, I'd rather sun like a lizard on a nice, flat rock.                                                  Continuing up the trail and past Rainbow Falls, we encountered Turtleback Falls, which are totally awesome to slide on. Or so I have heard. I did not actually make it that far because I was sleeping on a rock. The next day we packed up and went to Lake Jocasse. 

Things to do in Cuzco, Peru

1. Book a trip to Machu Picchu, or any one of a million other awesome locations.

     The main plaza and Avenida El Sol are littered with tour agencies ready to book you a trip to many amazing things at a moment's notice. Cusco is close to a lot of cool things besides the Inca Trail, you know. Strange and fantastic opportunities such as biking from THE AMAZON JUNGLE to Machu Picchu, staying on an island in Lake Titicaca, touring various nearby ancient ruins on horseback, ziplining, paragliding, and visiting the Colca Canyon are all a lot more affordable than you would think. Check hostels like Loki for low tour prices online.

Paragliding in the Sacred Valley.

2. Walk to White Jesus (Cristo Blanco).

There is an enormous, white,  light-up statue of Jesus on the cross that watches over the city of Cusco. It is impossible to miss at night and pretty easy to see during the day. If you walk toward it uphill from the main plaza you do not need directions to find it. Lots of people hang out and sell corn and horse tours around the statue, and it is a good bit of exercise with a nice view of the city. I saw a llama running amok when I went.

3. Meet some new people and try the local drinks.

     Internationals of many ages gather at Paddy's Irish Pub  and Norton's Tavern  in the Plaza de Armas for a pint of Peruvian beer (Cusqueña) or some excellent shepherds pie. It's a great place to meet globe-trotters and locals alike. Make sure to try a Pisco Sour.

4. Shop at the flea markets.

These places are close to the main plazas and avenues of the city. Go ham on llama sweaters, magic stones, woven blankets, cool hats, rainbow acid-trip machu picchu paintings, ponchos, fossils, and other things that you can't find in the states. All of the prices are negotiable and negotiation is expected.

5. EAT the street corn, DRINK the juice, and go to GREENS.

The bread loves you.

     Old ladies in colorful skirts sell all kinds of interesting products on the street; but you want to find the corn woman. It doesn't even matter what kind of corn or how it is prepared. It will be delicious and it will be cheap.

     Nothing goes better with a bag of salty, tasty street corn than a glass of guanabana, maracuyá (passion fruit), guayaba, mango, chirimoya, or blackberry juice. PeruJuice and similar vendors in town offer delicious, liquefied fruits you have never heard of  and must experiment with. Just try all of them if you aren't sure.

     Greens is one of the best restaurants in Cusco. ALL Peruvian food is delicious, and more authentic places should  be visited on your trip, but Greens is just so damn good. The alpaca salad is amazing; as are the smoothies.

     For traditional flavor, you will want to go to lunch ( dinner is typically small in South America).  Tasty Peruvian dishes I recommend are patatas a la huancaina, lomo saltado, ceviche, and anything with the word "choclo". Avoid the rocoto pepper!It it way too hot, and that is coming from someone who eats whole serrano chiles on the reg. 

     Also of note is the "European Quarter" directly behind the largest Cathedral (there are two Cathedrals in the same damn plaza) in the main square.  Follow a street map from the plaza up to Carmen Alto where Juanito's Sandwich Shop is. Lots of young hipsters from France, Germany, Italy, and other countries own boutiques, hostels, and restaurants here. The prices are higher, but it is a pretty section of town with great food and shopping.

My girls at San Jose Obrero Didascalio

5. Donate to a School or Orphanage.

     The city of Cusco has several orphanages and run-down schools, as well as many homeless beggars. These people depend on volunteer forces and donations to survive. If you have time before your trip, collect items like toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, children's books (English or Spanish), toys, school supplies, or clothes to give to a school, orphanage, or volunteer organization such as Máximo Nivel (located on Avenida del Sol).

Making bonbons from fresh chocolate.

6. Take a Class and Learn the Culture

     Make sure you read a little  about Peruvian and Andean cultures before you go ( I recommend Turn Right at Machu Picchu). What holidays will take place during your trip? Will you be there for the Andean New Year (beginning of August) or Independence Day? Will you be there during Inti Raymi (winter solstice celebration) ? The people of Cusco celebrate a mixture of Christian, Incan, and Andean holidays. Don't miss out on local events!

     Learn to make chocolate at the Chocolate Museum ( a must ) , visit the Museo de Pisco ( a Peruvian Liquor museum) , sign up for a Spanish or Quechua class, learn to cook traditional dishes, have your fortune read by a shaman, take salsa lessons, or do a guided tour of a traditional textile village.

7. Chew the Coca and Eat the Cocoa

      Peruvians will tell you that the coca leaf will cure your altitude sickness, but I have observed that even 5 cups of coca tea a day does not improve my ability to climb basic stairs in Cusco. There is no real medication you can take either. In extreme cases, oxygen tanks are used to treat altitude-related symptoms, but most of the time your go-to strategy should be maintaining your blood sugar (eating chocolate is the most delicious way),  and drinking lots of water. Caffeine will not help you either.

     Regardless of the medical properties coca leaf may or may not have, you should enjoy chewing it while you are in Peru. It is tasty and so are the coca taffies.

Macchu Picchu in a Weekend

View from Huyna Picchu

 Since I was meeting up with a friend from Lima, we decided to take the train from Cusco to Aguas Calientes together. We played bullshit with a kid in our booth for the whole trip. We got in late at night to our hostel (The Mystical Hostel), which was AWESOME. The owner has his psychedelic paintings of Machu Picchu on display and a small store of magical stones and such in the basement. The whole place is rainbow-themed, which I loved. At night, the sounds of the nearby river were loud and sleep-inducing.

The next day we got on the earliest bus to the mountain, where we flashed our pre-purchased passes to Huyna Picchu. I didn't find the climb very difficult after two weeks living in the much higher altitudes of Cusco. The view from the top is so worth the extra effort.

There's actually a little bar on the mountain, so I had a quick chilcano de pisco before our tour of Machu Picchu. I definitely recommend a guide, because the history of Machu Picchu is complex and interesting. Apparently no one is really sure how the Incas were able to build such an impressive system of roads and a friggin city on the tops of mountains. My favorite part was wondering how they cut such huge slabs of perfectly rectangular granite.

Backpacking Linville Gorge, NC

Date: March 2013

Location: Linville Gorge Wilderness, Pisgah National Forest, NC

Trail head: Spence Ridge

Nearest GPSabble Adress: 120 Bost Road Morganton, NC 2865. Then continue north on 181 and follow signs for Table Rock Picnic Area

Project: Backpacking 

     My first backpacking trip. A friend and I sign up on a whim with my university's outdoor/hippie/adventure club. We have never been camping and decide that our crash course will be primitive backpacking on the Appalacian Trail. That's how turn-up we are. I am in it for the rocks (we just don't have many in Florida), and to gain wilderness skills. I can only assume that my friend is in it for the sense of adventure. 

      I rent a backpack from the university outfitter that is far too large and spend about 3 hours going over the pack list. I discover the first joy of backpacking: shopping for delicious non-perishable foods at Trader Joes. Half of the squeezable apple sauce and salmon jerky is gone before the trip starts. I also discover the first con of backpacking: trying to jam a large sleeping bag into a small stuff sack. I pack enough sweaters to swaddle a rhinoceros and sleep in my friends dorm so that we are ready to walk to the student union at 4 am and begin the drive from FL to NC.

     After a half hour of sleeping pad tetris and cramming our belongings into the trunk of a large van, 11 students and I set out on I-75 to explore the Northern wild.  A number of road trip games and ice-breakers ensue, which is only somewhat annoying at a time of day when one should be sleeping. The food makes up for the awkward bonding activities, however.  Our trip leaders have packed all kinds of deliciousness you would not guess was non-perishable such as pita pizzas, buffalo carrot wraps, and even breakfast burritos. The drive is almost enjoyable with all of the conversation and people to sleep on. Skipping Friday classes makes it even better. It takes us all day to drive to the trail head. 

Ze gorge.

     We began on Spence Ridge, which connects to the larger Linville Gorge Trail. The van is strategically parked at the end of the Linville Gorge Trail so that we can hop in and drive home on Sunday. Hiking up to the campsite is short, nearly vertical, and brutal. My backpack is huge and heavy and sways uncertainly on my child-sized body. I am grateful and tired when we reach camp, but I stay up with everyone else and talk until the fire dies because it is so cold. I slept with every one of my sweaters on.

     The next day we hike to the falls, which are frozen. The view of the gorge is still beautiful, and I bore a few people with the orogenic history of the Appalachians. Somewhere we find running water and use iodine tablets to purify it. We hike though a burnt forest to get to our next camp site and I eat more food than I believe I have ever eaten. It is cool how everything we need to survive is on our backs, but it kind of sucks to carry it over a mountain range. 

     

    The remaining part of the trail is short, and within a few hours we are back at the van. We stop at Louise's Rockhouse Restaurant, where we have  excellent berry pie and enjoy the use of running water. Everyone is smelly, dirty, and happy, and I make the decision to go backpacking many times in the future.