“NOT I – NOT ANYONE else, can travel that road for you. You must travel it for yourself.” ~ Walt Whitman

As I write I am sitting in Hobbes with a cup of coffee listening to birds singing and the distant sounds of parents and children playing in the campground here in Petit Jean State Park near Conway, AR. Friday is sleeping quietly on the bed after a little three-mile walk in the woods this morning. It’s an overcast lazy Sunday and the campground has emptied out as the weekend campers return home or move on to their next destination.

In recapping this past week I will highlight the trails run and hiked, with a brief overview of the terrain, notable features, photos. I would also like to mention some of the wonderful friends I reconnected with and others I had the pleasure of meeting along the way.

DAY 1 ~ MARCH 31, 2017 (FRIDAY)

Cindy, Friday and I arrived at Grandfather Campground near Banner Elk, NC and promptly set up Hobbes and made dinner. Our camp was located along the Watauga River and the sounds from the running water were very relaxing. The temperature dropped overnight into the low 40’s as we spent our first night in our little travel trailer!

DAY 2 ~ APRIL 1, 2017 (SATURDAY)

Cindy and I awoke to cool temps and overcast skies as we prepared for our first trail run along the Maze Trail located on Moses Cone Memorial Park near Blowing Rock, NC. Our eight mile looping route winds along a zigzag trail originally designed for horse-drawn carriage rides for guests of Mr. Moses H. Cone (whom I believe made his fortune in the denim industry in the 1800’s). It is a moderately easy run/walk on a path of hard packed earth (and a little gravel) with mild incline/decline terrain. It is used by horseback riders, walkers (many with dogs) and other enthusiastic runners! The trail begins at Bass Lake where there is plenty of parking and restrooms (which we discovered are heated…very nice amenity when its chilly outside). A wide packed dirt/gravel path circles the lake with the Maze Trail feeding in from both sides.

The pay off comes when you crest the ridge to see the Moses Cone Mansion ( a location used in the movie “The Green Mile“) and the spectacular view looking back down to Bass Lake and the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance.

DAY 3 ~ APRIL 2, 2017 (SUNDAY)

Perfect weather!! Cindy, Friday and I hike the Sims Creek Trail (2.3 mile loop). This is a very easy trail which could make for a fun short trail run.

Following the hike we drive through beautiful Valle Crucis, NC to visit Mast General Store. Don’t let the quaint old-time feel misguide you. This little store has so many items for purchase I think it could give Amazon a run for its money!

As the day moved into mid afternoon the time came when Cindy had to return to our home in Surf City, NC. A long hug was exchanged and tears filled our eyes as we knew it would be six long weeks before we reunite in Lake Tahoe for our 10th Wedding Anniversary.

DAY 4 ~ APRIL 3, 2017 (MONDAY)

Drive from Banner Elk, NC to Foster Falls in South Cumberland State Park, TN is 320 miles and was made in heavy rain and traffic all along I-40, I-26 and I-75. Not fun. But once I settled in and took a little walk about 200 yards from my campsite I was rewarded with this view!

DAY 5 ~ APRIL 4, 2017 (TUESDAY)

The following morning I set out on the “Fiery Gizzard” Trail from Foster Falls. This is an easy to moderate trail except in a few areas where the terrain is steep and the footing challenging. I lost count of the number of waterfalls along the trail and the forested sections provided me with a peaceful and relaxed pace.

Now when I started out it was my ambitious intension of running back to my camp, but as I approached the four-hour mark at 13.9 miles and reaching the Grundy Forest parking area,  I cringed at the thought of having to retrace my path. And this is when I remembered the Park Ranger at the South Cumberland State Park Headquarters giving me the phone number of a guy who occasionally gives rides to day hikers back to their campsites. As I dialed the number I was thinking “this guy is not gonna just drop whatever he’s doing and come pick me up”, but that’s just what Troy Finchum did! This gentleman (if memory serves me right) works for the Human Services Department in Tracy City, TN and when he gets a call from hikers asking for a ride he says he can usually take a quick break from the office and give them a ride. He asks for a $10 donation for his service and, in my humble opinion, it is worth every penny! Thanks Troy!!

DAY 6 ~ APRIL 5, 2017 (WEDNESDAY)

Today I drive to Memphis, TN to visit my roommate from my days at The Winchendon School in Massachusetts. Jimmy and I have been like brothers ever since we met in 1978 and its been 10 years since we last got together.

In that time he has married a lovely and talented woman and they have a beautiful son who is now eight years old. As I consider them family and this being the first time I’ve met their son JT, I wanted to bring him a gift that represents something of my passion for life. I have a few surfboards left over from our business in Rehoboth Beach, DE and so I thought JT might enjoy having this one.

DAY 7 ~ APRIL 6, 2017 (THURSDAY)

The day started with taking JT to school and attending a meeting for recovering alcoholics/addicts like myself. Following the meeting Jimmy and I take a ride out to his family farm on a beautiful spring day. That evening I had a wonderful dinner with Jimmy’s older brother John and his beautiful and gracious wife, Janis. While I’ve only spent brief periods of time with them, they treat me as family and I feel very blessed to call them my dear friends.

DAY 8 ~ APRIL 7, 2017 (FRIDAY)

Time to move on to Arkansas! I know very little about this state and as I set up camp I have no real expectations. What I discovered after 2 1/2 days in Petit Jean State Park near Conroy, AR is that I totally underestimated the beauty of this area.

DAY 9 ~ APRIL 8, 2017 (SATURDAY)

Trail running day! I’ve chosen to run the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Boy Scout Trail which is comprised of several shorter trails that when combined create a 12 mile loop.

Much of it meanders along both sides of Cedar Creek, but a 4.5 mile loop runs along the Seven Hollows Trail. It is a fairly modest trail with only a few challenging steep terrain changes.

The most difficult aspect of this course for me was determining where the route goes. More than once I took a wrong turn and consequently turned my trail run/hike into a 14 miler!

Now here’s the kicker… I was not aware that the “Hoof it for Heifer” trail race was being run that day and that approximately 300 participants had started the same course I was running about an hour earlier! One of the volunteers for the race was so gracious and when I explained that I was in the process of running trails all across North America she offered to give me one of the gift bags all the participants of the race received. I thanked her for her kind gesture and I offered to make a donation to their organization, but if it was alright with her I’d do it on my return from running the trail. So off I went…in the opposite direction (I had no idea I was running upstream so to speak) of the other 300 runners on the course. As the lead runners began to approach me head on, I fully realized what I’d undertaken. Not only was this going to be a long trail run, but I’d be negotiating heavy runner traffic for several miles. I contemplated quitting and running the next day, but I soon discovered that I enjoyed cheering all the runners on as they past by me!

More than a few inquired if I knew I was running the wrong way and even a few asked me if THEY were the ones going the wrong way. As I returned to the start/finish line several of the runners and volunteers were still there and I enjoyed speaking with them. I made my donation to this wonderful non-profit organization and the same, kind woman I met earlier that day gave me a nice gift bag and even a box of delicious dark chocolates that were made in Ecuador by a small community that has been helped by the Heifer International group.

DAY 10 ~ APRIL 9, 2017 (SUNDAY)

Friday and I took a nice 3 mile walk along the Cedar Creek Trail under overcast skies and cool breezes.

As the weekend crowds departed the weather cleared and by mid-afternoon it had become a picture perfect spring day! I decided to take the bike Jimmy so kindly gave me in Memphis for a little ride (12 miles). I had no idea I would unintentionally wander along a path that ended at the Mather Lodge.

This beautifully rustic lodge offers rooms and cozy cabins for rent and has the distinction of being the only lodge built-in Arkansas by the Civil Conservation Corps. On my return bike ride I decided to deviate down a country road that took me to the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Institute. Operated by the University of Arkansas, this first class conference center offers a variety of programs, culinary classes as well as hosting corporate meetings in a beautiful natural setting on what at one time was a working farm. I am grateful to Isaac at the reception desk for answering all my questions and allowing me to tour this impressive and serene institution.

I hope you enjoyed the content and as the trip evolves, I will try to touch on a few other topics which intersect with the trail running experience. Lastly, I have posted my tentative itinerary below. Please let me know if you’d like me to run a few miles for a charity close to your heart.

TRAIL RUNNING ACROSS NORTH AMERICA 2017 TOUR

*BLOWING ROCK/BANNER ELK, NC

*SOUTH CUMBERLAND STATE PARK, TN

*PETIT JEAN STATE PARK, AR

*SANTA FE, NM

*SEDONA, AZ

*ZION NATIONAL PARK, UT

*SANTA BARBARA, CA

*SANTA CRUZ/MONTEREY BAY, CA

*YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, CA

*SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, NV

*TRINIDAD, CA

*EUGENE, OR

*BEND, OR

*OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK, WA

*TOFINO, VANCOUVER ISLAND, BC

*WHISTLER, BC

*GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, BC

*BANIFF, AB

*PRIEST LAKE, ID

*GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, MT

*YELLOWSTONE/GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARKS, WY

*STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO

*OURAY/TELLURIDE, CO

*PAGOSA SPRINGS, CO

At this point I have not decided whether I’ll take a southern or northern route back east.

Till we meet again…

HAPPY TRAILS!!