Hiking Adventures, etc.

[Tartan Hiker]

As some of you know I am the director for a summer hiking / trail maintenance program in Montreat, North Carolina. One of my staff just gave me a disc with pictures taken earlier this summer...I thought some of you might enjoy these.



Three weeks ago we had to evacuate a hiker who blew a knee on one of our trails. The only comment I got was from one of the firemen..."At least one of us is nice and cool."



A few days later we took a long hike to Rocky Knob. The peak over my right shoulder is Craggy Dome, and to the left is Blackstock Knob. This range is about 7 miles south of Mount Mitchell (highest point east of the Rockies) in western North Carolina. As you can tell it was pretty windy.



A few minutes later one of my rangers caught me napping after lunch.



On the way home we came across this dandy female Timber Rattlesnake sunning herself in the trail.



Here she is close up.



Finally here I am with my son Patrick in his first kilt. I think he's been looking at Riverkilt's photos with his tie-dye/tartan combos. Fred (part Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever / part ?) is posing nicely. This is after my trail accident two weeks ago that left my right knee in shreds, thus the brace. Oh yeah,,,there's my X-Marks kilt pin!

[Tattoo Bradley]

Man, I like the looks of the nap under the tree.

[Caradoc]

Man, I like the looks of the nap under the tree.

I dunno. It's hard to tell in the picture, but the plants in the left side of the image (by his right foot) look a lot like poison oak.

[mrpharr]

Beautiful photos. I was born in North Carolina but sadly I was too young to remember any of it. I will have to return one day. My only memory is tall trees...
s

[Southern Breeze]

Great pics! I've been up on Rocky Knob several times in the past few years. That pic stirs the memory. Thanks for posting them.

[HeathBar]

Perhaps when your knee has fully recovered, we should all plan a kilted hike.

[Rex_Tremende]

Man, I like the looks of the nap under the tree.

I know I'm just a naïve city-slicker, but if there are rattlesnakes lounging about, is napping among the ferns a wise idea?

Cautiously,
Rex in Cincinnati

[Tattoo Bradley]

I know I'm just a naïve city-slicker, but if there are rattlesnakes lounging about, is napping among the ferns a wise idea?

Cautiously,
Rex in Cincinnati

this is true

[Riverkilt]

Great pics cousin!

Good to see you and your son in Gordon tartans...and cool that there's another generation coming along to explore the fringes of kilt fashion.

That's a fat rattler...did you eat her? They be delicious. Most folks will cringe at the thought, but if they risk a taste they'll fight you for every last morsel.

For the uninitiatied - a plump rattler tastes like a combination of pepperoini and chicken when fried up.
Ron

[Tartan Hiker]

Nah...she was fat 'cause she was full of babies. Timbers are protected in NC, so collecting them for any reason is a no-no. They're not too common, so I'm more worried about ants than snakes when I nap.