Trail Report: FHSP - Panther Branch to Debord Falls (Father's Day Hike)

Father's Day has come and gone but it is still fresh in my memory. The day before I had ran a 16 mile trail race in a little over 3 hours, but on Father's Day when asked what I wanted to do, I wanted to spend the day in the woods with my girls. We would only hike a little over 2 miles but the time it took, I wish lasted forever.

I awoke in the morning to find My Robin in the kitchen making breakfast, pancakes and bacon. It was scrumptious and went wonderfully well with my cup-of-joe. It took a bit for Bug to eat, and in that time we got the kiddo up and let her go through her morning routine as well.

Trip Report: Eleventh Anniversary Hike - Interpretive Trail Loop FHSP

Robin and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary back in April. We didn't get each other anything fancy or what-not, but what we did do, was all the better. Considering I had been out of work for over a month while Robin was recovering from back surgery, our finances were looking a bit thin and well we really couldn't afford to do much of anything. So with the lemons we had we made lemonade by spending the day with our girls, outside.

We decided that since it had been almost a month since Robin's surgery, and she hadn't set foot on a trail since late January, we would head to one of our favorite State Parks and give the mostly pain free feelings a test drive for Robin. We got everything ready including all of Bug's stuff (diapers, bottles, etc.) and loaded up in the vehicle and headed out for Frozen Head State Park to hike the Interpretive Loop Trail or as Kiddo has dubbed it, the Interpretive Dance Loop Trail. Teenagers can be so funny sometimes.

A Blue Ridge Road Trip (Pt. 2)

It was our second full day on our Blue Ridge Parkway trip and we (rather I) woke early once again before the girls did. For some reason, this whole trip I was always the first one up. I guess knowing that I had Robin and Ashby to contend with for the bathroom, my subconscious decided it was best to be first before anyone else was up and avoid fights over the bathroom.

It wasn't long after I was done and ready, that Robin was up and at 'em. Not long after Ashby and Dinah were both up and going, we were packed up, loaded up, and ready to check out of the Hidden Valley Motel by 9am. Our first task was to sequester breakfast. It wasn't hard, as we had eyeballed a Cracker Barrel in the heart of Boone the day previous to this.

A Blue Ridge Road Trip (Pt. 1)

The third weekend in July is always family reunion time on my mom's side of the family. Every third Sunday in July, the Patteson Clan gather for fun, food, and reminiscing at Glenwood Park in Princeton, WV. Seeing how Dinah was new to the family, and all my aunts absolutely love to see her we decided we would go to the reunion this year. As an added bonus, I thought it would be fun if on the way back home we spent a couple days driving down the Blue Ridge Parkway. The four of us (Tim, Robin, Ashby, and Dinah) as a family doing a mini version of the vacations Robin took as a kid with her family.

Once the reunion was over, or rather close to the time people were starting to leave, we loaded back up into our SUV and we were Blue Ridge bound. We had made arrangements to stay over night at the Allegheny Inn in Sparta, NC shortly after making it to the Blue Ridge Parkway. We got all checked in and hung out for a little bit before going out in search of food. The Allegheny Inn was a wonderful motel, located in the heart of the quaint downtown of Sparta, North Carolina and only 15 minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway, where we would begin our adventure on the next day. Unfortunately, our adventure wouldn't begin without some sort of hiccup.

Trail Report - Slave Falls/Needle Arch Revisited (A Father's Day Hike)

I really couldn't ask for a better family. Constantly and always on my mind, are the Great Outdoors. Having four walls around me on a daily basis is actually quite confining, suffocating, and if it weren't for the light switch, the fluorescents would be deadly. So when asked what I wanted to do for Father's Day, naturally I wanted to get in the woods for a hike with my girls, and that is exactly what we did.

I had two hikes in mind, one being at Frozen Head, the other in The Big South Fork. Considering that Robin and I had just run a 5k the day before and Robin's back has been and still is in a "shape," I figured hiking to the fire tower at Frozen Head wouldn't be such a good idea. So I opted for the Slave Falls Loop trail. Robin and I hiked to the falls and to Needle Arch last year while she was pregnant with Bug so I figured we could revisit them now that Bug is here.

Rhododendron Gardens in Full Bloom - Roan Mtn. State Park

Last weekend we took the time to ride up to the Rhododendron Gardens at the top of Roan Mountain outside of Elizabethton, TN. It's a pretty long haul for us and the weather was brutal, but with circumstances as they were we knew it was the only time we'd have to see the blooms this season and get Bug up there for her first visit. We also wanted to avoid the Rhododendron Festival which is being held this weekend - Sat. June 16 & Sun. 17, 2012 from 10am-5pm. I hear it's a wonderful event, but we wanted a little solitude on top of the mountain.

O&W Bridge - A Hike on National Trails Day

We were recently blessed with the opportunity to do an actual hike (and by "actual" I mean something more than a half mile with a stroller) since Bug has been born. Since she's been doing so well in public, we decided it was time to carry her into the woods. We chose the O&W Bridge trail (4.6 miles) because of its ease and accessibility. A few weeks previous to this day, we'd tried to hike this trail and found that (1) it is not stroller friendly by any means and (2) thunderstorms looming + baby = bad idea. The trail, however, is virtually easy with small elevation gains and the occasional rocky runoff crossing.

Dinah's First Official Hikes

We've been jonesin' to get out on the trail for a while now. We hadn't been on any hikes since September of last year. Well I take that back, Robin did let me out on the Hiker Release Program back in November. Granted we've been on the Songbird Trail at Norris Dam State Park a couple of times and up to the Pinnacle Overlook at Cumberland Gap NHP after our little Bug was born but those were more just strolls along the path and not what we consider "real hikes". This all changed last weekend when we decided we were going to get out on the trail even if it killed us.

We had originally planned on just doing one hike this weekend. However, we had a small dilemma. Dinah is at the discovery age (4 months old) and she's not keen on being in her car-seat stroller. So we had to find a stroller that would allow her to sit up and see the world as it came at her. We found a good stroller and decided that instead of hiking on Saturday, we would just go to a park and walk around to test out the stroller and see how "Bug" did.

We're Still Around

First off, let us just wish everyone a very belated Happy February as well as a belated Happy Valentine's Day. From the looks of it, Spring has sprung rather early for the most of us, and it's quite strange. What's unfortunate, is we haven't been able to get out and enjoy it as much as we'd like, but that's quite alright, we've got very good reason, and we shall be changing that all soon enough.

We're pretty sure that all of you are wondering how life is going with a newborn, and we'll be honest in that it's been stressful, pleasurable, nerve-racking, blissful, fearful, and joyous all wrapped into one. We've done quite a bit with little Miss Dinah since she's come into this world. A few weeks back we made a trip up to Cumberland Gap NHP just to get of the house for a while. We had been cooped up for a while and Robin was climbing the walls. Dinah made her first, but likely not last trip to the Iron Furnace at Cumberland Gap. Of course she was oblivious to the whole thing. What did you expect? Infants sleep, a lot. Well, at least when they are feeling well.

First Walk (Not quite a hike)

On New Years Eve day, the weather was phenomenal, and considering it was likely going to be the last pretty day for a little while we decided to take full advantage of it and get out for a bit. Granted we've been out a couple times since the wee little one arrived almost two weeks ago, it's not been any getting out that we wanted to do. It seems that when you go out because you have to it feels more like a chore than it does anything else regardless if you've been cooped up for any length of time (just ask Robin). It was different this time. Yes, we did hit the big local box mart but not before we got outside and filled our lungs with some much needed fresh air.

Drum Roll Please...

So we've been teasing you for quite some time now about our upcoming little hiker's nursery. In yesterday's trail report, we even offered a photo that was a small spoiler of what the nursery looks like. As you know the nursery was at one time a full fledged bathroom complete with commode, bathtub, and his/her sinks. It also had a nasty carpet on the floor and beige walls. It is now a nursery fit for a little hiker girl and now we are patiently awaiting Little Ms. Dinah's arrival. If she's anything like Robin and I, she will be late, and stuck in the procrastinators workflow, where she's usually found somewhere between Find Food and Randomly Browse the Internet (with mom of course).

So the moment you've all been waiting for (other than the announcement of her birth) Robin and I proudly give you: Dinah's Nursery.

Happy Trails,
Tim and Robin

Hiker Release Program - Big Loop Hike @ Big Ridge State Park

It's been a couple of months since our last hike, and with Robin in her 9th month, there's not much chance she'll be visiting any trails in the near future (unless of course we go for a short walk on the Songbird Trail at Norris). Since our last hike was in June, I've been jonesing to get into the woods for a walk. Like a crack addict, I was willing to go off without my trail partner and tramp around on my own. I had hoped to do this the prior weekend but a little cold virus got in the way of that. It was more or less God's way of telling me I ought not leave Robin home to go play forest boy.

This past weekend however, I was determined to get out no matter what. I had originally planned on going on a much longer hike than the 6 miles I actually did. The original plan included 10+ miles of hiking at Big Ridge State Park and covered all but two trails in the park and half of the Lake Trail. By the time all was said and done, I ended up cutting out over 4 miles. For one, there was weather imminent and I didn't want to be caught in the rain. For two, it was 11am by the time Clover and I reached the Dark Hollow/Big Valley Junction. I wanted to be off the trail by 1pm at the latest so I could get home and be available to assist Robin's dad in troubleshooting our water heater (he's got more plumbing experience than I do).

5 Tips for Fall Foliage Photography

We've all seen them. Those gorgeous fall photos that easily make it into magazines but don't seem to easily reproduce themselves on our memory cards. What we see with our eyes is rarely what we bring home and plug into our computer. So, how can you get your camera (yes, ANY camera) to soak in all those glorious autumnal pigments?

Diffused Light
Don't discount those overcast days. In fact, they are the best ones to photograph in. You've probably heard this time and time again, but if you haven't tried it yet, now's the time. The diffused light cuts down on the contrast, and the soft, diffused light actually enhances color. But don't put your camera away if it's bright and sunny either. Just make sure you are shooting with the sun at your back.

Apples, Oranges, and 5K's

We hope everyone had a chance to get out this weekend to enjoy the perfect fall weather. It was perfect for most of us out in the east here, but I did see where there was some snow out west. Yikes! Snow in October?! I know that's not totally unheard of here but it would be unusual. Anyway, the leaves are turning color more and more each day. We are nearing peak around here in the East Tennessee Valley. From Cumberland Gap to Cherokee National Forest and down to Knoxville, the colors are magnificent. It won't be long before "Old Man Winter" is knocking on our doors. So if you haven't yet, you better get out and enjoy this weather before it gets too cold.

That's exactly what we did this past weekend, and look forward to doing just that over the next few weekends. We started the weekend by heading out to Coalfield, TN for the Coalfield 5K supporting the Coalfield Cross Country team. The race started at 8:00am and ran through a subdivision next to the school then through the cross country trail on the school grounds, back in front the school and down another road before turning around and heading back to the school for the finish. It was a pretty fast course with a nice little uphill just after the start. Then there was a nice 1.5 miles or so on the trail the cross country team uses to practice on. It's a graveled trail with a couple of foot bridges and two covered bridges. After the trail, it's back to the road and a slight up hill just before heading back to the finish at the school.

Trail Report: Judge Branch Trail - Frozen Head SP - 9/11/2011

Woohoo, all the outside work has been completed and now we just sit and wait. Well not exactly, we still have some cleaning inside to do before the appraiser comes, but until then our weekends will not be spent working all day long. It couldn't have come at a better time either. The weather has cooled a bit and it's September: our favorite month and a signal that our favorite time of year is here.

After finishing up all the outside work on Saturday, we decided that Sunday we would get out for a much needed walk in the woods. Besides, Robin's Trinity Maternity Trekking Pants from Mountain Mama arrived a couple days prior and she was itching to try them out. The only caveat to this: Robin is now limited as to how much she can do. With that in mind, it had to be short, not very strenuous, and most of all something that she didn't need to carry any gear - except her camera, which I don't think I could rip out of her cold, dead hands. So we decided that the Judge Branch trail at Frozen Head State Park would fit to a T.

Trail Report - Frozen Head Loop Attempt - Frozen Head State Park - 7/17/2011

On day two of our camping trip at Frozen Head State Park, we awoke kind of late compared to our normal rise time while camping. We finally crawled out of the tent sometime after 9am and hung out about camp for a little bit. After the usual trips to the bath house, Robin started on water for coffee and breakfast and I started on getting a fire going to relax by before the day really got underway. Once breakfast and coffee was put down our throats though, we soon got dressed into our day clothes and immediately broke camp.

Just a little after noon time, we were all packed up and ready to go for another hike. Of course we had to run out to town first because Robin wasn't too keen on the coconut in the Granola and Blueberries with Milk from Mountain House, and thus didn't eat but half of it. Likewise Clover wasn't keen on the Mountain House Lasagna either so the both of them were still hungry and burgers were wanted in a major way.

Hiking to Camp Sam - Norris Dam State Park 7/2/2011

Another 4th of July has come and past us by. Two weeks later and the neighbors are finally getting the fireworks out of their system. Of course it'll probably be another 2 weeks before their completely out of explosives... and then they'll reach into their ammunition stores. For the rest of us (here at the Bird House) we are over the basement fiasco, thankfully. The pipes are repaired, everything that was ruined or deemed as junk has been cleaned out, and hauled off to the landfill. I call that progress.

So the weekend of 4th of July (on the day of the basement fiasco and prior to the get together), Robin and I decided we needed to take solace in the woods for a little while. It had been nearly a month since our last hike so it was well overdue. We packed up our day packs and headed out to Norris Dam State Park, just a hop, skip, and a jump from our house, and decided to hike the Camp Sam trail via the Norris Dam Tea room.

Alice And The Rabbit - Kephart Prong Trail GSMNP - 6/4/2011

This past Saturday was National Trails Day, and regardless of the fact, we had already been planning to hike earlier in the week. You see last week Robin finally received her Vasque Taku GTX hiking boots and Goodhew hiking socks as a result of winning a "Gear Review Opportunity" from the OBN. So just like a kid at Christmas or a kid who receives a new pair of Nikes, she was ready to take them out on the trail.

We actually made it to bed early (11:30pm EDT) by our standards so that we could get up early in order to avoid the heat of the day and the crowds in the Smokies. We were so excited about our hike that it was hard for us to either get to sleep or stay asleep. We were both up, ready, and out of the house before 6:00am and on our way to the Great Smoky Mountains. Of course we had to make a couple pit stops for petrol, breakfast, ice, and well, nature calls more frequently when there's something pressing against your bladder almost non-stop.

Happy Memorial Day (and the Winner Is....)

We hope that everyone has enjoyed their long Memorial Day weekend. We hope it has been fun and safe for you all. We've been having our fun that's for sure, starting with our two 7-inning vacations on Friday. We spent the day at the pool playing ladder ball on Saturday (of course this was after taking care of some yard work). We followed that up with some much needed shopping on Sunday (frankly we were all in need of some new duds so we spoiled ourselves a little). Today, we played tourist in our own back yard Pigeon Forge, spending the day at Dollywood's Splash Country. We play tourist in Pigeon Forge about twice a year (once around Christmas Time to look at the lights, and at least once visiting attractions like Dollywood's Splash Country or Dollywood).

We are definitely wore out after having been beat down by the sun all day. I don't know how much longer we will last before our beds claim us for the night only to rest up and start the rat race all over again in the morning. However, the bright side to this are that after having today off, it's only a 4-day work week (Woo-hoo).

So before our bodies decide to shut down on us for the evening, I know you've all been waiting to see who won the "Orion Sky" print giveaway. You've all shared your favorite constellations, liked us and Random Joy Fine Arts and Photography on Facebook, shared the post on your walls, Tweeted and even mentioned the giveaway on your blogs. For that we thank you all for your participation and support of Appalchia & Beyond. So without further ado, we give you the winner of the "Orion Sky" print by Random Joy Fine Arts and Photography. After plugging in the 26 comment numbers into the Random Number Generator at Random.org, we are pleased to announce that comment #7 - Jobiwan is our grand winner. Joe, send us an email at appalachiaandbeyond (at) gmail (dot) com with your mailing address and we will get the print out to you in the next couple of days. We hope you enjoy the print, after reading your first entry comment we are certain that you will.

That's all we have this evening. Our bodies are ready to shut down at any time now, so we'll bid y'all adieu and hope you have a wonderful week. Stay tuned as we will have more posts to follow in the coming days and there may even be another giveaway opportunity for you to jump on too.

Happy Trails,
Tim and Robin

"Orion Sky" Print - A Memorial Day Giveaway

The Announcement
We've been at this blogging thing hot and heavy since October last year and we've not had a single giveaway for you, our fans, our readers. So here's the deal, just in time for Memorial Day, we're having a giveaway. Yes, you read that correctly, a giveaway.

Now you are wondering what it is we have decided to giveaway. Could it be some cool gear for the outdoor lover? You know a camp stove or a pair of trail shoes? Not quite, but you outdoor lovers will definitely be clamoring for it. You've been following along, reading our tales and living vicariously through our love of the Appalachian outdoors. Likewise, you've been ooohhhhing and aaaahhhhhing over the amazing photography that accompanies our posts, and if the title didn't give it away, then something is clearly wrong. LOL.

The Prize
What is it already? Okay okay, we have decided to give away an original Random Joy Fine Arts and Photography print. This is not some ordinary run-of-the-mill print. No, not by a long shot. This is one fandy-tastic 16x24 starry evening print titled "Orion Sky" (original photo below - print will not have watermark) and printed on Kodak Professional Metallic, archival quality paper taken by Random Joy Fine Arts and Photograpy (a.k.a. Robin). That's right folks, this is the kind of print that will have your friends green with envy and wondering where ever did you get your hands on such a fine quality shot.

The Rules, Instructions, Details, ETC.
Now, are you jumping up and down with hard to contain excitement yelling, "how do we get our hats tossed into the ring for this one?" Well here's the deal: you have until Sunday, May 29th to get your entries in. At 11:59p.m. EDT we will shut down comments on this post.  Each valid comment in the comments section will be given a unique number in the order they were received. On Memorial Day, Monday, May 30th, we will use random.org to pick a winner. So what are you waiting for? Oh right, the entry details.

You have a chance at up to 4 entries and each chance is detailed below:

Entry 1 - Comment on this post letting us know what's your favorite constellation and why?

Entry 2 - Like Appalachia & Beyond on Facebook. Then share this post on your Facebook page. Come back to this post and leave a separate comment stating that you have done so.
              (Disclaimer: This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook. You are providing information to Appalachia & Beyond only and not to Facebook. The information you provide will only be used for this giveaway.)

Entry 3 - Like Random Joy Fine Arts and Photography on Facebook. Then come back to this here post and leave a separate comment stating that you have done so.
               (Disclaimer: Once again, this giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook. You are providing information to Appalachia & Beyond only and not to Facebook. The information you provide will only be used for this giveaway.)

Entry 4 - Follow @anbblog on Twitter then share this giveaway post on your own Twitter account. Come back to this post and let us know that you did this in a separate comment.
              (Disclaimer: This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Twitter. You are providing information to Appalachia & Beyond only and not to Twitter. The information you provide will only be used for this giveaway.)

That's it folks. The moment you have been waiting for is finally here. Now get to clicking that comment button, click those share on Facebook and Twitter buttons, and click those "Like" and "Follow" buttons on our Facebook page and Twitter accounts, too.

Good Luck and Happy Trails,
Tim and Robin