My last high pointing trip ended September 12, 2020, which left me with the entire long Ohio winter to plan my next escape. I know that many high pointers do climbs all year long, but for now, I am trying to avoid the bitter winter climbs. Spring and Fall are my favorite road tripping seasons. I, not only avoid the carloads of family vacationers, but I also avoid some of the bugs and heat as well. I say, “some” because for those who have read my High Pointing around the Great Lakes blog, I know you are laughing at me right now. I may have gotten a little bloodied on that trip and I take, “pics or it didn’t happen” very seriously.
So, I figured if I left on this road trip in early April, that I would have less problems with things snacking on my flesh and blood, but I might run into ice, cold and snow. I went to my new favorite outdoor supply store, Brimstone Adventures, in search of micro spikes, some more warm clothes and snow pants. Somehow I lived in Alaska for a couple of years and never bought snow pants and I just recently learned about spikes. I don’t know how that happened. I was outside all the time hiking, snowmobiling, and photographing all the wildlife that would tolerate me. I think I just adapted to the cold quickly after shocking my body with the one-way ticket from Florida to Alaska when I moved there.
OK, that’s enough about Alaska before I digress even more. So, armed with all the supplies I needed and then some, I loaded up my car once again to head out on my own for another adventure! The plan was to scale up the highest peak in Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and sticky Florida. My parents and grandma live in FL , so I thought it would be great to climb my way down to them, have a short visit, and then head back home to Ohio.
The first day’s plan was to just get somewhere close to Kentucky’s high point and camp. It was a lovely easy drive over on a sunny day. While I was trying to make Siri find me a campground before they closed, I ultimately made the choice to stay at at cheap motel. I didn’t sleep the greatest the night before because of my kitty, Gingi. I also didn’t want to risk being too cold in my car with my normal hammock-in-the-Kia-Soul-set-up.
Gingi was determined to make me stay! He was wailing around the house when I started packing the night before, he ruined my sleep crying all night and scratching at my bed, and he slept on my suitcase instead of with me (when he finally slept). I guess, he wanted to prevent me from leaving while he slept. He’s a smart kitty that knows my routines and knows that the suitcase out means that mommy is leaving him again. He NEVER acts like that all night! It was relentless!
I’m just glad I took this trip! I was very close to canceling my entire trip because of him! As I was walking out, he walked right in front of my feet, looked up at my face and meowed so sad to make one last attempt to keep me there…he almost broke me. Grrr…I gave him his favorite, tuna to distract him and left quickly.
Obviously, I got a late start. I was debating whether or not I wanted to risk driving on 4 1/2 hours of sleep. People underestimate how very attached my cat is to me and I’m always heartbroken leaving him especially when he tries so hard to make me stay!
I was very relieved when David (my friend watching him) went right over and spoiled him! That helped me feel a bit better! My trip started off with waiting in a long line at my Starbucks drive-through. Some guy nearly backed right up into me! He was like 6 inches away from smashing into my car and ruining my road trip before it even started! I laid on my horn and he stopped JUST in time and apologized profusely. I started looking at this as foreboding. First Gingi then this near miss, but NO…I was continuing on! My favorite barista Bree greeted me and asked me what was new in my life while my food was cooking. I offered her some chocolate covered espresso beans that I was snacking on as I told her about my trip I was starting. I felt like I was winning at life by rolling through a Starbucks drive-through and offering THEM espresso! 
It was only a 5 hour wonderful drive before my first real stop. It fulfilled my increasing desire to get in my car and rock out to music and drive without stopping. You know you have those urges too…don’t lie. The drive through the mountains of Kentucky was impressive and I only imagined the hour drive until Black Mountain would be spectacular as well. I checked in at the Daniel Boone Motor Inn shortly after gorging on all the grease right next door at Sal’s Steakhouse! Jalapeño poppers, Bloomin onion and beer ….Dinner of champions…
No cell service at all in my room and spotty in the entire area because T-moble SUCKS!
About a week before my trip,Ii got my annual poison ivy (early this year) and I discovered that Aloe gel plus a few sprays of Bactine really helps to dry it out and helps the itch. Try it! So, I slathered up and sunk into the comfy bed.
April 6, 2021: I had my breakfast at Pine Mountain Grill and Gifts after getting out of the motel by the 11am check-out time. They had an awesome selection of hiking stickers and I got a couple of them.
I made it to the the highest peak in Kentucky by mid-afternoon and it was a perfect, puffy cloud sky. So, it’s pretty much a drive-up only which sucks. The extremely steep and winding road to the top was pretty exciting, however, I had heard that the road was rough, but I had no problems or worries that my Kia Soul (The Green Gremlin) could and would make it happen. I mean, the small engine struggled on the very steep parts, but that’s to be expected, I guess. Seriously, no need to rent a four wheel drive for this, people…unless you plan to do it in the dead of winter, maybe. It was one of the windiest mountain roads I think I have been on, though!
All around the beautiful Mountain Drive, there were a lot of four wheelers, confederate flags, camo, no trespassing signs and mobile homes. I guess this is why many high pointers call Black Mountain the “creepiest” one of the 50. They also mention fog. I didn’t have any fog while I was there nor did I think it was all that creepy, but I can see how the inclusion of fog would up the creep factor. I just had a beautiful Simpson’s sky kind of day!
I was ALL over that little area surrounding the high peak. I lost GPS heading to Black Mountain (I hate you T-moble) and it turns out GPS was taking me to the city of Black Mountain not the actual Black Mountain. Sigh… I actually had to stop and ask a few people (Still no GPS) which included a cop and NO ONE knew how to get to the summit of Black Mountain. I had to go back to a populated gas station and ask others and finally, I got what I needed!
For those that have been keeping up with my blogs, you know that I vowed to hike /climb all of the high peaks. Even on easy drive-ups, I try to hike something. So, I ventured off into the woods a bit where the actual high point of Kentucky is…off of the main road where the sign is. I was not impressed. The gorgeous view is out near the sign on the Virginia side. The high point is right on the border of KY and VA between the welcome signs.
If you hike about 1/4 of a mile, you reach a pedestal with another sign, no view and some hideous radio towers. Meh…BUT, when I posted my photos on the High Pointers Facebook I got told (a few times) that I did not “officially” stand on the highest point. Haha! OK, OK, you all are right! if I’m making a point to climb all them instead of driving (such as Mount Washington), then I should at least walk the rest of the tiny, easy ass walk out to stand on the actual highest spot…even if the view is lame. Fortunately, for me, KY is not a flight away and I WILL go back and make it more official when I get the rest of the East Coast high points this year!
I decided to stay at another cheap hotel for the night because Virginia’s high peak is 10.5 miles and I wanted to be well rested. I still worried about being too cold car camping because I have froze one night each on my last 2 road trips in a row. Even though I had my trusty new hammock under quilt, I was still a little apprehensive.
I grabbed some yummy Mexican food at El Campestre. I had a very large beer for the sleepy-inducing hops. I have to always think about keeping my insomnia in check especially before a long solo hike. I was ready to chill after all my good food and beer back at the Motel 6.
April 7, 2021: Virginia’s highest peak was this day’s excursion. I ate some car noms while driving to it. I was still an hour and a half away. Normally, I like to stay much closer to the mountain I’m hiking the next day, especially if it’s a long one like this one! I drove through a lot more switchbacks in the mountain range getting to this one too…yadda…yadda…yadda.
Now let’s talk about my love / hate relationship with these wild ponies on Mount Roger! I had my first encounter with the ponies after the first easy mile. Eeeee! So, at first I was totally respecting their personal space and not even thinking about touching them…which was VERY unusual for me. I normally go full Elmira on some cute wildlife!
I just had no idea what to expect. They are still wild animals…and large ones that can bite and kick. maybe, I’m getting more cautious in my old age. Haha! I mean, I walked up to a wild burro out west (on the outskirts of a ghost town) and loved on him and he was injured and much more wild!
To my shock, I looked around and saw a little kids hugging and hanging on them and the parents were surprisingly OK with it. So, I decided that it might be ok enough to pat a couple of the sweet babies on their little heads. Then, just as I did, one beautiful black stallion decided that he was tired of people’s shit and charged at some dude and I was like, “I’m out”! I was happy to walk away when I did because I knew I had a long day ahead of me and I didn’t want to be out there after dark.
Shortly after that, I came across a mama and baby far enough away that I had already forgotten about the angry pony charge. So, I had taken home my leftover chips from the Mexican resturaunt the night before and I wanted to eat a snack with the ponies. It was a good spot to take a little break, but as soon as I crinkled the bag SLIGHTLY to open it, I got the attention of the 2 and they started coming toward me.
I stopped and acted all nonchalant and walked a few steps away. I tried again…quieter this time…ahhh she heard…
Quiet, quiet…then I just went for it with speed this time instead of quiet cause obviously they have super hearing…
Ahhh! they both defiantly heard that and weren’t messing around anymore. They came at me…fast this time! Ahhh so I dropped a couple in hopes of satiating them to leave me alone, but that only made them get in my face faster… ahhhh!!!! So I just emptied the entire bag for them and made a break towards a large boulder. Whew! No trees in that part to hide behind! Actually , most of the trail is oddly free of trees.
So much for my snack…
I saw so many ponies on the entire trail, both up and down, to the point that they almost became as common as squirrels in the city to me. Also, on the decent, I really needed to focus (see further below).
The trail smelled like pine cooking in the sun on the Appalachian Trail in various spots. Other times it smelled like good old-fashioned, unpolluted, fresh mountain air. I have a very strong sniffer, so I appreciate the smells on the different trails and even the different states have their own scent. For example, Florida smells like old bug spray mixed with moldy wetness with a touch of fishiness if you are by the ocean (just naturally, not during red tide). But, I’m getting ahead of myself…
Other than the herd of ponies, I met a little snake! I heard a tiny scurry and I was actually fast enough this time to see the finest little guy. So, I grabbed him by the tail gently to say, “Hi”. Right at that moment, 4 old dudes stopped asked me what I was doing (probably thinking that I lost something) and I popped up with the wee snakie in my hands! One of them said, “Oh, that’s cute, I have to take a photo for you!” I practically threw my phone at him. I was so happy to get a photo of me my with my new friend. As I quickly put the snake back on his path, the men asked me (in a shocked tone) if I was alone and all about my Vibrum toe shoes. Those are literally the 2 most used topic starters for me on the mountains. So much so that I do an internal air check mark every time they are mentioned.
Soooo, now for the not so amazing part: I lost the trail quite a bit. Usually it was pretty easy to find it again, but there was one time where I got miles off track because I thought I was on the right path, so I didn’t check it obsessively. There are SO many horse trails that they make while walking around grazing. The horse “trails” look very similar to the actual small human trail and it was messing me up all day. The last time I got lost, I was really concerned about whether or not I’d find the right trail again before dark. But after much bushwhacking in thorns (that felt great on my legs), and the help of 2 different sets of campers (God, I was happy to see others at that point) I got it back and flew down back to my car just before dark! Thanks gravity! I may have panicked a little bit when I realized how lost I was on the side of a mountain. I just stopped and spun in a circle and looked at the insanely spectacular vast view that engulfed me on all sides. I felt so small and insignificant. That’s scary. Even scarier, nothing looked familiar, not a single soul in sight…and the sun didn’t have long in the sky. That’s when I sprung into total focus mode!
Just keep on swimming…
Not only did the ponies make a confusing trail highway system up there, but I also waisted an insane amount of time at the top looking for the summit, when I was actually on it! I just thought there would be…more. No sign, no view, no sign-in book. Just a large boulder with the benchmark marking the highest point in Virginia. Sigh… it was pretty anticlimactic after the entire rest of the trail was super magical, complete with ponies frolicking!! Needless to say, the fun is in the journey and most definitely not the destination on this one. At least I can say that I thoroughly explored the summit on that one! I felt redeemed after the Kentucky snafu.
High peak #16!
If it wasn’t for constantly checking to see if I was on the right path, backtracking often, and the lack of, “Yay-you-made-it-to-the-summit-good-job signage after all that, I would’ve enjoyed Mount Roger’s a lot more. I will never summit this mountain again. I was lucky to have another beautiful, perfect Simpson sky day and the ponies are undenably adorable, but no thank you. However, I’d like go back to see the ponies sometime. That first easy mile hike from the road is looking real good about now.
… btw wild ponies love Mexican chips.
April 8, 2021: I woke up in another dive motel. However, I vowed to camp the rest of the trip. Virginia left me a bit sore and I wanted a room to stretch out in. The motel had a bit of a pirate theme going on.
So, the day’s plan was to eat “breakfast” at the Mt. Mitchell State Park Restaurant, then hike, but it was closed! I was really looking forward to sipping on coffee and enjoying the view, but it was to be closed for the entire year for renovations. This is why I pack a ton of car snacks! No problem. As I was heading back to my car, a couple commented on and asked me about my minimalist Vibrum toe-shoes and even took a photo of them, so she wouldn’t forget the name. Oh, Vibrum…where is my brand ambassadorship? Anyways, I ate in my car then focused on the rest of the steep road to the summit.
The previous 2 days included lots of switchback mountain driving and Mt. Mitchell was far from the exception! After all, North Carolina’s highest peak is the highest peak of the entire East Coast! Driving in the area consists of turning your wheel left and then right and then back over and over while paying close attention to that edge that seems too close at times and with no safety net below. It took about an hour to drive all the way to the top and a little slower going down because I kept stopping at all the look-outs. I had no cell service on the drive except for towards the very bottom.
So, how you do Mitchell, is you drive to the summit then take a small, very steep walk to the observational tower. Then, from the parking lot, you have options of a variety of hikes down and up from the summit, if you so choose. My original Mitchell hiking plan was to go up the old Mitchell trail and down Camp Alice trail to make a loop. It’s 4 miles total, but it’s supposedly very strenuous and steep. Pretty much bouldering most of the way, which I LOVE, but I was a little sore from yesterday’s hiking, so I instead did the Balsam trail hike (park at the lower parking lot for this one).
The trail smelled amazing and was dripping with moss! It was a chilly, windy day, but it was super pretty with the storm clouds rolling in until it turned to total soup sky! It was ok because I had just finished up taking photos and was ready to take the long drive back down. I had spent a bit of time at the summit because that’s the only place I had cell service for awhile. I was enjoying the view while chatting with friends and family and waiting for a few quick photos to post to social media. I still had no use for my micro-spikes, but i did see a tiny bit of frozen waterfall in a couple of spots. Virginia had no ice or snow. I wondered if I had just gotten really lucky since I’ve heard of people getting frostbite in April there.
As I was descending the mountain, I found a tiny spot of service and stopped to find a campground for the night close to South Carolinians high point before they all close. I found Lazy J Campground a little over 2 hours away and only 40 minutes from the high point. I booked it! It’s hard not having a co-pilot to help with finding food and campgrounds all while climbing and trying to drive. I often pause during a break on the mountains (when I have service) and book something then.
I rolled into lazy J Campground in the evening, ready to relax. It was dark and, once again, I had no cell service in the entire area. Thanks T-Moble!!!
Getting there was fun. I lost cell service on the way to Acapulco Mexican restaurant, so since I couldn’t check in with everyone on my phone and respond to all my notifications, I was chatting with the servers. When I was leaving, I took a chance and asked a lady and her daughter if they knew where the Lazy J Campground was. Thankfully, they knew exactly where it was! I knew I was only mere minutes away. This wonderfully helpful lady told me that she could try and tell me directions, but that it would be easier if I just follow them because it’s on her way home. She said that she would point out the window to where it was before continuing on home. So, I started following blindly, but instead of paying attention and waiting for her hand gesture, I completely zoned out. When, I snapped myself out of it, I thought, “Oh God! Surely she pointed to it by now and now I just look like a crazy person following her back to her house!.”
So I quickly jerked my car into a U-turn and went back to a corner business that I saw out of the corner of my zoned out eye because I thought maybe that was it. It wasn’t. Crap.
As I was sitting there trying to figure out who else I could ask, she came whipping into the parking lot! We saw each other and just laughed! She told me that she thought that either she lost me or I got into an accident while following her. Her daughter joked that I probably thought she was having me follow her into the woods to kill me. Haha!…awkward pause…
We talked briefly about what I was doing in the area and she said that she would be interested in reading about my adventures. I told her I had a blog and that I would be writing about this very trip upon returning home. I gave her one of my cards and told her to look out for it!
So, she could be reading this…right now. One random, short, but sweet encounter in a small town. As we were talking, I already knew that I would be including them in my blog because it was such a nice gesture. I told her that I would, most definitely, be writing about that moment as it was still happening…
So, Hi and Thank you so much! You were calling your daughter, Faith, but I never got your name.
Anyways, that super sweet lady saw that I wasn’t behind her anymore and literally turned around to come look for me! She said that she worried about me because she knew I was a woman traveling alone without any cell service and didn’t know where my campground was. So we tried again… I followed her and this time paid attention and waited for her to point to the campground then I watched as she continued on and waved goodbye. I honked my horn in response.
Without any cell service still, I chatted with the lady at the campground while checking in. What a cute log cabin looking office. I couldn’t stop looking at all the things decorating the space. She also, asked me about what I was doing in the area. I didn’t mind repeating my story over and over again because I love what I’m doing. After a few minutes, I went to find my home for the night and proceeded to set up my hammock.
I added my new under quilt because it was a little chilly still even though I keep heading further south…I’m still in the mountains. It was the first night trying it out. I don’t think it has quite enough space to hang freely underneath my hammock (like it’s supposed to) in my car set up, but it’s super soft and warm and I believe it helped. If needed, I can always use it as a blanket. My evening consisted of hanging out in my hammock, drinking merlot out of my Dora the Explorer Dixie cup and writing about a sweet woman that I met just a short while before. Zzz…
April 9, 2021:
In the morning I woke up to the sound of chickens in the Lazy J campground…yes, chickens. Fortunately, I was already awake before I heard the first screams, so no chickens were harmed in the making of this adventure. Because I still had no cell service (Thanks T-moble), I used my compass to direct me towards the direction that I knew I was heading and then watched and waited for a flicker of one bar of service to appear. When I could, I set my GPS to Sassafras Mountain, South Carolina’s Highest peak. Sassafras Mountain is another one that you can drive up and then take a short, but steep paved pathway to the observation tower. It was oddly similar to North Carolina’s set-up and the observational tower.
In sticking with my hiking what I can up to the high peaks, I planned to do a section of the Foothills Trail to the summit. On F. Van Clayton Memorial Highway, drive about 1.35 miles and park off the road at Chimneytop Gap. There you will find a 2.1 mile (one-way) hike. The trees were still coming back from winter, but there were all sorts of very tiny, delicate flowers emerging along the trail. It was pretty and I was alone.
I was enjoying my alone time at the summit, when 2 guys popped out of a trail and joined me on the observation tower. Not surprisingly, they also asked the standard questions: why was I up there alone, what the heck is high peaking, why am I doing it, and of course, what’s the deal with my shoes. I asked for their help in taking a couple of photos of me by the sign and realized that it would have been difficult to take one by myself in that spot. I welcomed the company and we all sat looking at the amazing view with the strong winds blowing through our hair, for quite a while.
While up there, we watched an old man slowing walking up the paved walkway with something in his hand. Turns out he’s one of the people that helped get the High Point observational tower built a couple years ago and he returns daily to put out bird seed for “his birds”. It made me smile to imagine this elderly man trudging up and down that steep trail daily with food for his feathered friends. We all chatted a few minutes and I learned that the tower, that is right on the border of South and North Carolina was made with no help from North Carolina. In fact, South Carolina has to pay taxes on the land that they bought from North Carolina. Interesting. The sweet old man then excused himself to tend to his birds and I told the 2 hikers that I had to follow him back up the observation tower to witness it. He walked around the circular structure with his little dixie cup (I don’t think it was a Dora the Explorer one Haha) and put a bit of seed at different areas around the entire structure. I left shortly afterwards, so the babes could enjoy their dinner and I decided it was time for me to head back down.
I was so caught up in the moment that I almost forgot that I was trying for a 2 high peak kind of day. I had a little over a 2 hour drive until Brasstown Bald, Georgia’s high peak. I knew that I had plenty of time.
And many more switchbacks to go before I sleep and many more switchbacks to go before I sleep… I started noticing many of the switchbacks are dotted with memorial markers. Like, a lot of them! Yeash! Ok…stay mindful, RED!
The High Point of Georgia is 54 minutes away from the South Carolina border. I’ve been noticing that a good number of high peaks are on the borders of the states. Anyways…here’s a couple of random road gems along the way…
Georgia’s high peak is located in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. A $3. fee is required for park entry and there is a separate fee for the shuttle, unless you want to hike it. Of course, I hiked it! The trail was steep and much colder than I thought it would be. It’s so strange that the more northern states were not as cold as I expected and then Georgia surprises me. I never even considered Brasstown Bald being cold when i was planning for the trip. On the assent, I started to sweat and took my jacket off to wrap around my waist. At that point, I kind of regretted even bringing it. It was so continuously steep on the paved path, and when I got to the summit, at first, I welcomed the blast of cold air to my face. Ahhhh! I took some photos at the sign, but by the time I made it up the look-out tower, the strong wind picked up even more. There is nothing stopping it when you are at the highest peak of the entire state! It was so powerful and it started to freeze my body that was still wet with sweat. I put my awesome Spyder fleece jacket back on and zipped it all the way to my neck, but was really wishing it had a hood!
It was an incredible view from the summit and the observation tower was elaborate and really well done. On a clear day, you can see four states (GA, TN, NC, & SC) and there is great signage on the observation deck showing where to look. I spent some time admiring the view from all the angles and reading the plaques, but the wind was so goddamn relentless! It.would.not.take.a.break! Not even a small lull in the arctic gusts! I really started to get annoyed, and I couldn’t stand being up there any longer. The cold wind was hurting my ears and it felt like the wind was blasting its way into my brain. It already ripped my flesh away and penetrated my bones….I mean, at least it felt like that. The fact that I didn’t experience anything like this on the more northern high peaks, was crazy to me. I guess, I did get lucky.
I ran most of the way back down with gravity holding my hand. I, then, drove 3 hours until I reached Cane Creek RV Park and Campground. I had booked the spot while on the mountain per my usual and it never stops being fun answering the question, “Where are you currently and when do you think you’ll be here?”
“I’m currently on a mountain in a tiny pocket of cell service, so let’s do this quickly.” Haha!
The man on the other end of the phone said that I could just call him when I got closer and he would direct me where to go, so I did just that. Before we hung up, I asked him where I could find a good place to eat in that little town. I was starving! He said that he was currently working at a place 20 minutes away called, Damn Yankees Whiskey Bar and that I could just pay him there if I showed up. No, the irony was not lost on this Yankee girl. Haha! As much as I did not want to backtrack 20 minutes, it appeared that this was the only food I would find in the area, especially at 9:30pm.
It was a long day of driving and hiking with very little cell coverage the entire day. I’m changing my cell plan when I get home.
It was amazing to see how drastically the landscape had been changing before my eyes. An April road trip all down the East Coast was like watching a flip book go from winter to spring. It was lovely to see everything go from completely dead in Northeast Ohio to a lush green dotted with many more blossoms in South Carolina and Alabama.
When I walked into Damn Yankees, I noticed right away the rustic, log cabin feel and saw more people than I expected to see. I, then, remembered that it was Friday! I walked right up to the bar and got a beer for my nightcap and a plate of fettuccine. Shortly after I sat down, a musician started setting up in the corner. One man with a mic and guitar started singing country covers. I guess that should be the expected genre in Alabama. “If he doesn’t play, Sweet Home Alabama, I will cry in my beer!” I thought. He didn’t play it. He played several songs I did not recognize, but a guy sitting right next to me knew every word and had no problem singing loudly along. I already got my “Sweet Home Alabama” fix anyways when it came on my Spotify while crossing the border. While eating, the Cane Creek RV Park and Campground guy came up to me. How did he know who I was? Ha! I think it was pretty clear that I was an outsider. He said that since I’m only using the shower and space for the night and not electricity, that he would just charge me $10. instead of the normal $20. Sold! He told me that when I go back to just pull into a dark area in a large field next to the shower house. That’s all I need.
I left the restaurant at around 10:30pm and couldn’t wait to get my hammock set-up and relax. But, the moment I got super comfy and all tucked in, I started feeling the beer pressing on my tiny bladder. Shit! It started to rain already and even thought the sound was lovely, it was not helping my situation. Fortunately, for me, I was alone in this big, dark field and I had parked my door facing wilderness because I know I have a bladder the size of a pea. I somewhat regretted having beer knowing I wouldn’t have a bathroom close by. I knew that beer would need to come back out sooner than later. I must have gone through the “pee process” at least 6 times that night. Getting out of my hammock, finding my shoes, unlocking the car, looking out for people (still no one), and squatting in the rain. All with cold water dripping down my back and my feet getting more and more submerged as the night went on. Was that pee that just splashed up on my leg, or rain? Meh, It doesn’t matter at this point...
April 10, 2021: By the time I got up for good, the field was even more water-logged and swampy. I so enjoyed my hot shower. The bathroom was decorated really pretty for a campsite! Fitting for a mountain mermaid. Haha!
I was only a half hour away from Cheeha Mountain: Alabama’s Highest Point. On the drive, I started getting concerned if I could hike at all because even though the rain was at an acceptable hiking level, thick fog rolled in.
By 1:30, I was eating a grilled cheese sandwich with Blackberry wine at the state park’s beautiful bistro, Vista Cliffside Restaurant. I was taking my time eating in hopes for a miraculous clear up while looking out at the whitest whiteout of fog and rain. I was hoping it would blow over by the time I was done. The grilled cheese was meh (minimal partially melted American cheese slices only) and the wine was good, but too sweet for more than one glass. I sipped on my wine and zoned out at the “view” and imagined how beautiful it might be… at another time. I started mentally scrapping the 7 1/2 miles that I had planned on doing.
When I was almost done dragging out the tiny bit of wine I had left in the already tiny glass, I heard gasps from the table next to mine. I looked up to see a very gasp-worthy scene, indeed! Somehow, in the time it took me to blink and take another sip of wine, the fog cleared completely! Like it was never there. I downed my last gulp of wine and left.
Since the hostess did not have a different trail suggestion for me, I went to the ranger station / gift shop and chatted with the park ranger, Jarod. He, along with my high pointing friend (on-line), suggested I do the short and steep Lake Trail to the summit. I knew I had plenty of daylight left in the day, so I went driving around and up to the summit first to check it out. Then, I drove my car back down the mountain and parked by a gorgeous lake scene in order to climb up Lake Trail.
It was my favorite of the trip! I didn’t know what I was missing on this trip until I found it on that climb. The trail involved quite a bit of bouldering and I loved every second of it. That’s what I was missing! Virginia’s highest Point might’ve been the longest mileage wise, but Cheeha was the one that made me sweat and pant like a dog. I loved it! I would SO do it again! The only people I saw on the trail were in the beginning. Four 20-somethings were in front of me for a short while. I helped take some photos of them and found the trail at one section of slight confusion. Once, I had found the path up, I thought I would have company for the entire climb, but when they saw what was up ahead, they all decided to head back down. I tried to convince them to follow my lead, but it was a, “No.” Oh well...on my own again…I scrambled on up…
I really liked the entire park. I drove all around and walked about a bit because I didn’t want to leave. I talked to the nice and very helpful park ranger, Jared, again before I left. I told him that I not only took his trail suggestion, but I loved it! I was a bit hesitant to do it because of how much emphasis he and the shop clerk put on it being “very steep”, but it was not horrible. Straight up at some points, but so do able. It was endearing the way Jared seemed to start and end every sentence with, “Yes, Ma’am”. And often, he threw it out there as a full sentence. I guess I’m just not used to that southern charm.
Cheeha’s name comes from the Creek Indian name for the mountain, “chaha”, meaning “high place”. This reminds me of Alaska’s high point, “Denali” with its similar translation of the Athabascan word, “The High One”.
Cheeha state park, lake and mountain just have a good feel. Some highpeaks feel like home and I never want to leave and others are just ones to do to mark them off my list. Cheeha felt like home. I wanted to put it in my back pocket and take it with me.
Oh, and for those of you water loving peeps, Cheeha lake is open for swimming and Alabama’s highest pool is up there too filled “with cold mountain fresh water” according to the park website. So, you could climb Alabama’s highest peak and then take a dip in Alabama’s highest pool.
After, I pulled myself away from Cheeha (I just like saying this word), I tried to find a campground, but assumed all of them, even though it was a Saturday, were closed by then at almost 5pm and it was slim pickings anyways. So, the plan was to drive as close as I could to Florida’s high peak and find a rest stop. The thing is about rest stops…you always think there will be another one…until there is not… and I hate going back. I like to play Russian Roulette: rest stop style. The more into the boonies you drive, the less prolific they are. It can, and has, gotten pretty risky playing the rest stop game to the point where I just find a dark corner at a gas station to crash for the night. Haha! This is how I do.
Anyways, I drove for 4 hours and as I was about 10 minutes from my next high peak, I got lucky and found a rest stop. I’m pretty sure it’s the only rest stop in the area. Whew…that was close. That was the closest rest area before my destination without going over. And that’s how you win a game of Rest Stop Roulette!
The only stop I made before the rest stop was to check out a very overgrown cemetery that caught my eye right on the side of the county road. It was small. A couple of caskets were popped opened, but I just couldn’t bring myself to look inside. The place reminded me of another very dilapidated cemetery back in my dad’s hometown of Ironton, Ohio, Kelly’s Cemetery. My family and I have explored the one many times.
I rolled into the Covington County Rest Area in the small town of Florala at 10pm. This is the latest I have been out and about on the trip and I was sleepy. I had gotten used to being in my hammock cocoon early, so I could be up “early” to have more daylight. I was still in Alabama, but just barely. The Florida’s High Point is yet, another one that is super close to the border.
As, I was driving down, the plan was to have my friend (that I never met) meet me at Florida’s “high” point cause I thought that would make for a fun “first meeting” story, but we didn’t really think about the logistics. It would have been way too long of a drive for her to just take a photo with me on a “hill”. So, we changed the plans last minute. I was just going to wake up, take some photos by myself, hike the tiny trails around the area and head down to meet her and see my Florida fam.
But before I get ahead of myself, let me tell you one more story about that sweet southern charm in Alabama…
The moment I pulled into the rest area, I saw a sign that said, “Overnight Parking Prohibited”. Cue tired internal screaming. I drove all over the area looking for a spot I could sleep at overnight, but started getting bummed out thinking i’d be sleeping at a gas station that night. No hotels….nothing in the area. As I was creeping along, reading signs, I noticed an older man walking towards my car. “Great, I’m about to be yelled at or something.” I thought, but I quickly realized that I did nothing that should get me yelled at. I rolled down my window to talk to him as he waved me into a parking spot with a smile. Oh, Alabama is serious about this southern hospitality thing. Even rest stops have welcome committees.
As soon as the 67-year-old man with a thick southern accent made it to my car he started quickly saying that I will be fine sleeping there. I pointed to the sign saying that I couldn’t stay overnight and that was the only reason I was hesitant to stop. He quickly waved that thought away and said that was mostly to discourage truckers from staying overnight. He continued to assure me that I would be more than welcome to make that my home for the night.
He was just my best friend from the moment I stopped my car. As I got out and started my set up, he told me that there’s 24 hour surveillance of the area and that he would be protecting me. “I could sleep without worry” he said because he pointed out that there was an armed female cop inside, as well. Then he started asking me all about traveling alone and if I had protection. I showed him my mace. He showed me his mace. He tried to give me his jacket because he thought I was cold. I showed him all of my blankets and jackets. He tried to give me various snacks and I turned them all down because I told him I had a car full of snacks. “I’m all set”, I said as nicely as I could to not offend this sweet man. But his face drooped. He said in a quiet voice, almost to himself, “I wish you’d take these cheesy crackers”. He looked really upset that I wasn’t taking what he was offering, so I accepted the cheesy crackers. I thought that would be enough to satiate him, BUT then he went back to his car and pulled out a black flashlight and handed it to me. I told him that I had various flashlights, a headlamp AND a camp lantern, but again he insisted. He showed me all of it’s features then he placed it in my hand.
Then, for the last time, he went back to his car and got a small note pad and pen and handed it to me. I looked at him confused. He said that I was going to be a famous adventurer and my book on my travels would sell like crazy and he wanted my autograph now. Awww! I felt slightly uncomfortable with all of this “celebrity” attention, but also completely flattered and giddy. As if that was not enough, he went on to say that I looked smart and he could just tell that I was a smart girl, so he asked if I was a scientist. I kind of laughed until I saw that he was serious and quickly said that I was not a scientist, but had an art degree…far cry from a scientist. Still he persisted and kept saying that he could tell I was smart and brave and he was proud of me for what I was doing. Wow! How adorably sincere, sweet and raw was this man!
Armed with the most wonderful feelings, I nicely made it clear that I couldn’t wait to get comfortable in my hammock and relax. He took my hint and left me to get settled. He seemed all set to talk with me for hours, but I just didn’t have it in me.
Shortly after finishing my cheesy crackers in my hammock, I heard the precious man talking to his replacement at 11pm. I had my one window slightly cracked open for fresh air and they were in the space right next to me, so I could hear the entire conversation. The moment he got out of his car, the sweet man said, “We have one lady sleeping right here and I told her that you would be replacing me and that you would protect her too. She’s very interesting and smart and she’s traveling…” Before, he could say too much, I yelled, “Hi! I’m still awake, I’m just relaxing!” He, then continued to assure me that I would be well protected. They couldn’t see me through my car screen, but they heard me. They both told me, “Goodnight” and I finished my wine and tried for sleep with a big smile on my face.
April 11, 2021: I woke up early because I had to pee, as usual. As I was walking to the bathroom, I saw the guard that I heard, but didn’t see the night before. He was so kind to wait until he started doing loud yard work until he saw me awake. “How did you sleep?” he yelled from across the lot.
After brushing my teeth in the bathroom and making myself look as presentable as possible with humid hair, I left for Britton Hill: Florida’s “high” peak. It gets the notoriety of being the lowest of the high peaks. Ha, way to go Florida.
So, this joke of a “high point” is basically a just a rest stop on the side of the highway. I’ve always known Florida was the flattest state, but after traveling through some of the most beautiful mountain ranges to actual high points… The landscape of Florida looked unusually flat to me. Holy crap, was it always that flat when I lived there? I missed the mountains already.
The first thing I did was hike all three of the small trails there. All three of them together was hardly a mile. They were flat, full of pine needles, but actually pretty in its simplicity. There were lots of cows on both sides of me mooing loudly back and forth to each other. Turf war? I never saw them, but they sounded very close. The constant sounds of angry cows were broken up with tons of happy bird sounds. It worked. I was alone on the trails.
Since, I knew this “peak” would be easy, I planned to do a beached mermaid type photo there. I brought pearls, fish netting, mermaid leggings, shell hair clips, a pirate flag, and a shirt that said, “Drink like a pirate, dance like a mermaid”. I was alone, so I had no problem getting ready there right at my car. I had a ton of fun taking my selfies at the high point. I flew my pirate flag from the bush branches behind the pedestal, I flicked off my sandals and hopped up on up there. The thing was slightly angled down and super polished, so my shiny leggings kept making me slide right off of the stone. I kept having to take more photos because the wind would blow my flag down or I’d slide and cover the inscription marking the highest point or you couldn’t tell what was on the flag. I was laughing and having a blast with it! When I was happy with a shot finally, I jumped off to see a landscaping truck in the parking lot. Hahahaha! I wondered how much, If any he saw through the trees. I thought about going up to the truck and asking for help with a photo, but I really liked my struggle selfie snap.
I know I have humid hair and unshowered!
It’s so humid at the Florida High point. How humid is it?! It’s so humid that even the toilet paper in the bathroom was damp. Yuck. Toilet paper should not be wet before you use it. I, then, signed the guest book. Also wet. Ugh! Florida, your walls are dripping.
I got back to my car with a few extra bug bites and plugged my parents address into GPS. 7.long.hours.ahead.of.me.
About 6 hours into the drive, I couldn’t take it anymore and I had to stop and eat. I was starving since I’d only been nibbling on car snacks. I was having a hard time finding any food for awhile, then it was all unappealing places. I stopped at Cracker Barrel. Mmm!
Then there was only an hour an hour and half left until I could relax in my own bed in my old room in at my parents house. I pulled into their driveway in Saint Petersburg just after sunset. I was greeted at my car by my parents. I had made it! I high peaked my way all the way down to Florida!
How do people that live in Florida not feel the humidity? I was complaining about the insta-frizz hair I got the moment I crossed the border. My mom actually said that the humidity was “not bad” yet and my dad agreed! Um…“not bad” according to my weather app, is apparently 91%. Hmm…
We sat and chatted and drank from my box of wine that I had been sipping on since Ohio. The sisterhood of the traveling wine box?? Later that night, It felt good to be in my bed again. I bought the new bed and box springs shortly before moving out, so it was still fairly “new”. Ahhh…
April 12th, 2021-Friday, April 16th: Florida is strange. The humidity makes you wet. Wind freezes the wetness on your skin. But it’s still 1,000 degrees, so you are hot, but also cold. And it’s so sticky. Ocean salt air? Ugh…I just never feel clean in Florida. I just thought I’d explain why you see people wearing flip flops and a jacket at the same time. Socks with sandals? I don’t get this one, but it’s probably cause their feet are cold, but also, it’s still hot and sandy, so you have to wear sandals.
Anyways, I don’t want to spend too much time on my Florida visit since the blog is about high pointing, however there is a few things I’d like to remember. So, keep reading if you want to learn of some of my favorite places in that area…
By late afternoon, the day after arriving at my parents, my friend, Berna came by. I attacked her with a giant hug right away! I had been talking and virtually walking with her and others for a year, so it was great to finally meet-up in person! I took her to my favorite tiki bars; PCI (Post Card Inn) and Jimmy B’s Beach Bar. We were able to walk together in person for once…we walked down the beach to one bar and then to the next. Yay! Haha! I introduced her to Bushwackers! Pretty much the best boozy, beachy, chocolaty, frozen, milkshaky drink EVER! Seriously, try it. She loved it! We hung out and listened to some guy play some tunes at the outside bar, but she had a long drive back home and we said our goodbyes after a lovely, but too brief (2.5 hours) visit. The time flew by! It was great to be able to relax on the beach and not worry about driving to my next destination or focusing on hiking. Ahhhh! Then for diner mom and I (dad went to bed early) went to El Maguey Mexican Restaurant. Someone remind me that this place is always slow and it’s not that worth the wait. I keep forgetting and keep going back since it’s so close to my parent’s house.
The next day (13th) was breakfast at The Frog Pond on St. Pete Beach with the parents. By 11am, we were walking along the beach for nearly 3 hours in the heat of the day looking for shells for my mermaid bra I want to make. Since I was still burnt from Virginia’s high peak, that might not have been the best choice, but no regrets. By 2pm, we were eating ice cream at the best candy / homemade ice cream place in FL, Candy Kitchen. Then I got to visit with my last remaining grandparent. My grandma will be 93 in July! For dinner, it was Taco Tuesday at Tijuana Flats.
The 14th was spent hanging out with my parents in the morning and then we headed back to the beach to go check out Daiquiri Shack for lunch. I used to hang out there when I lived in Florida, but it was called Daiquiri Deck back then. We sat on the large patio and took our time eating, chatting, and feeding some birds (Grackle and crows) that were eyeballing our food. Yeah, we are those people.
I wanted to allow the sun time to find some clouds to hide behind, so I would not burn my skin more. So, after eating, we went and shopped the touristy John’s Pass Village beach shops. I found a colorful, amazing hoodie made by hand in Nepal to cover my red skin and 2 clam shells for my mermaid bra. By the time we pulled ourselves out of the stores it was early evening and the sun was partially shrouded by clouds. It was perfect for another beach walk to collect shells.
Now, every fisherman out there always has his own Blue Heron watching them intently. They wait to be tossed the small fishes that the guy doesn’t want. But usually from a safe distance away. However, we watched one, that the guy named Harvey, run after him back and forth to and from the water. Every time dude would walk back to get more bait, he would toss some to Harvey and then say, “Come on, Harvey” and Harvey would trot behind…over and over. Like an awkward lanky puppy. He would stay by his side and watch so intently to see if his buddy caught him anything. They had a bond that I hadn’t seen with the other fishermen. It was really sweet to watch their routine. The man’s blue sidekick had no fear and stayed close-by his meal ticket. He was fed very well for his patience. Cutest thing ever! For once, I didn’t take photos. I didn’t want to get super close and interfere, even though I don’t think either would have minded. I just enjoyed watching.
After the beach, I spent time with dad in his “Secret Garden” and watched as his fed his squirrels and birds. The I chatted with my EverWalker friend, Mel while I walked around my parents “jungle” in their backyard.
On my last full day in Florida (15th), I went and had a nice long hang with grandma. Once I left her house, I told my parents to meet me at the beach. The plan was to walk the beach a bit then I needed to introduce my them to the wonders of Bushwackers and Tiki bars. But, once we started walking, the plan changed to just head straight for PCI and forget the shells. I guess they need me to come 1,250 miles to show them fun places only 20 minutes from their house. They don’t get out much. They had their first Bushwacker at PCI and they loved it then we walked to Jimmy B’s down the beach because they sometimes have better live music playing. We got mudslides because they were out of Bushwacker ingredients. Gasp! We sat on the patio and listened to a band play Brown Eyed Girl. I squealed when I heard the first notes to the song because no trip to Florida is complete until I hear my 10,222 bad rendition of that tune. And it was pretty bad, but I loved it! The parents spent just enough time to finish their one drink, then they left me to listen to more of the band and pet someone’s humongous horse-dog thing. I knew that they would not want to chill there for as long as I wanted to, so it was good that I suggested that we meet there. I just wanted to soak up some more of the atmosphere before my long drive back to Ohio the next day. I walked back to my car as the sun was setting and said goodbye to the beach until next time…
On the 16th, my parents and I had breakfast at the house and chatted while I leisurely packed up my car and said goodbye to their kitties. I finally got going around 1pm. I plugged my address into GPS. Almost an 18 hour ahead of me. This is a job for Starbucks!
I felt like I flew through the long state of Florida and squatty Georga with ease. I was feeling good. Normally, FL and GA seem to drag on forever because they are so large, flat, and boring, but for some reason, those were in my rearview mirror quickly and I didn’t even have my first yawn until the halfway point of the trip. That’s also when my butt started going numb. That’s even with a major slow down in Atlanta.
An hour outside of the peach pit of hell, I saw six lanes of traffic with nothing but red taillights staring at me….On the drive down, I went through Atlanta, Georgia during Friday night traffic and then, somehow on the way back I hit their Friday night hell again! How does that happen?! Who’s in charge here?! I know that it’s exactly 8 hours (NOT during rush hour or weekends) from my parents to Atlanta, so I normally would do the math and literally avoid the city during that time. This time, I didn’t care and was just going with the flow…until I hit that traffic a second time. I was stopped dead.
Most of the trip I was playing my Rest Stop Roulete game. It’s something I started doing years ago on long road trips. Even though I didn’t feel any strain until about halfway, I enjoy making note of every rest area I pass. When the sign gives me a warning, “Rest stop ahead 20 miles”, I start playing the game. (Cue Jigsaw on his tricycle) I check in with myself and see how I’m feeling. I know I have the option to stop ahead and I have 20 miles to decide whether or not I want to stop or not. If I decide to pass it, I do this game again at the next one.. and hope there is a next one when I absolutely need it. LOOPHOLE: Sometimes, the sign tells you how many miles until the next rest area. So, then I can assess if I’m up for another 20 miles or so. There is not much risk when you are traveling throughout big cities, but when you are in tiny towns, or in between towns, or on a county road, the risk is huge! I have had some fails in my time. This charade keeps me mentally alert, somehow.
So, when I was Leaving Florida, it was 84° and 61% humidity. When I finally stopped at a rest area, it was 78% humidity and 45°! Burr! I made it all the way Williamsburg Kentucky! I stopped at the welcome center. So close! But, it was around 1am and my eyes started closing. I had gotten somewhat used to a more normal sleep schedule while traveling. I had to stop. I decided not to set-up my hammock because I wanted to try for just a quick nap cause I was so excited to just be home with my kitty again. FAIL! I went back on the road. FAIL! Stopped at another rest stop to nap. FAIL! I think all in all, I might have gotten 3 hours of sleep, but I waisted SO many hours trying to sleep when I could have just been home already with my kitty in my own bed. Normally, it’s Tennessee that makes me have to stop. I always drive though that area late at night and the dark mountain highway is usually shrouded in fog, rain or both and I have to stop because visibility is nil. I think that this was the first time (at least in years) that I’ve gotten all the way through TN without having to stop till the sun came up.
When I was about 3 hours from home, I stopped in the lovely city of Dry Ridge, Ohio to load up on caffeine and food. Cracker Barrel won again. I wasn’t about to play Food Roulette. I mean, anymore…I was starving and needed coffee in the worst way. Then before going all the way home, I stopped and got an energizer smoothie.
When I finally pulled in my driveway, I was so excited to surprise my kitty! I could hear him meowing as I walked up the steps. He was so happy to see me again! I got severely marked, head butted, and licked the moment I came inside…and then he begged for food. He had been spoiled when I was gone.
Minus the few days visiting my parents, and minus the times I was lost, the trip millage was 2,788 miles. So to beak it down for ya: The moment I left the house till the moment I got to my parents in Florida. Pause. Then pick up recording again when I left St. Pete, FL for home. Got it? Where was I? OK, my trip took me through 8 states (WV, KY, VA, NC, SC, GA, AL, and FL). I did 7 state high peaks. 6 times screaming loudly where no one could hear me. 5 dogs petted. 4 moments of questioning my choices. 3 motel stays. 2 campsites and one rest area (3 if you count me trying to sleep at 2 on the way back to Ohio).
It was the best!
…And the moment I got home I was already mentally planning to summit NY’s high peak, Mount Marcy in a month.
What an Amazing adventure! Truly a remarkable read, thank you!
Thanks so much!
Even though you told me all about your trip, it was still so enjoyable reading about it and seeing your awesome photos. My daughter is so talented!
That was a fun read! I stumbled upon your blog completely by accident, while I was reading some posts on Facebook about a Cracker Barrel complaint! I’m so glad I came by to check out your cool adventures.
Thanks! I’ll be writing more soon!