SNAKE!!!

Yesterday, I hiked in the Gorges State Park area of WNC. The trail is just west of Rosman & takes you down to Lake Jocasee. As you can see, I came across a beautiful snake along the trail! Many ask if the snakes scare me when I hike. Well, believe it or not, just beyond this snake was a much more dangerous obstacle - a fast moving water crossing! Hikers are more likely to slip, fall and drown in low water if they don't respect these crossings. This snake was just sunning himself and minding his own business! The hike started out as an "easy" 11 miler. When I reached Lake Jocassee, there was a sign showing a different trail back to the car. The only thing missing was the distance from where I was to the other trail intersection. My estimate was 3.5 -4 miles. It turned out to be 5+ miles so I ended up with my second 18 mile hike of the month! If you think that's not far, look down on your odometer in your can the next time you drive and see how far 18 miles is! With the hikes this month, I have reached 174 miles - right on track for my 600 mile year.