I had just finished a six month hike up the Appalachian Trail and had relocated to Swain County in western NC. I did not have it in me to go out for a hike. It felt empty, a symptom of withdrawal from a cold-turkey stopping of long distance hiking. My partner Ellen and I eventually decided to do an overnighter in "the Park" (Smokies). We loaded up our packs and walked for a couple of hours stopping to have lunch. We stared at each other and came to the same conclusion: this was just "playing" hiking. It was "just like camping" but, not really. As if it were a game: go in the woods, set up camp, eat, sleep and go home. We turned around right there and went home.
  
What is this need for adventure, recreation? Re-creation. Us humans often go into nature to create an appreciation for a sense of who and where we are on this rock. Since that aborted trip in the Park, I have periodically immersed myself back into the rat race of cell phones, emails, highways and virtual worlds. Lately, I can hardly believe when I find a coveted, entire day or weekend to "be" in the backcountry. The closer I got to Maine on the AT, the less I stayed in town. Those necessary trips to town were pulling me "out" of my reality. I get unusually sad when I get back to the trailhead after a trip, in good weather or bad. What is this addiction?

When I was old enough to walk I was out the backdoor and exploring. Only the dinner bell brought me home. I discovered bicycles and my range increased. I graduated to cars and eventually planes and have seen more beauty and adventure than I thought was possible. This blog will share the places in our area that I find beautiful and nourishing to the soul, from subtle to the sublime. I want to inspire you to get out and hike, bike, paddle, climb and explore in this playground we call home in our southern highlands. I will share stories, both mine and others. I will occasionally assemble a visual multi-media presentation with images I've had published in national magazines, guidebooks and more. This is an adventure I am looking forward to and hope to stray from the beaten path, bushwacking of sorts. That dinner bell is ringing now. Check back in soon to see where we end up.

The Stray Cat