Trail blazer

Thursday I hiked the Appalachian Trail.

Okay, so I hiked about .10 miles in order to try to meet my friend on the trail leading into Hot Springs, NC. It was kind of awesome.

I was dressed completely inappropriately. I had on mary-jane flats with worn-out soles, a pair of shorts and a long sleeved shirt. No hat. No socks. No bug spray or sunscreen. It was kind of awesome.

I walked over the bridge in town that crosses the French Broad River, a swift flowing river that feeds into the Tennessee. I found a perch on the bridge that didn't feel too dangerous and sat and waited. And waited. And waited.

After a while, some older gentlemen stopped by to post a sign about their 9th Annual Trail Angel cookout on May 1st. We chatted for a while, then I waited a while longer.

Finally, I decided to walk down the steep hill, via the makeshift steps, and follow the trail until I ran into my friend. I had very little idea of where to go or what to do, and no clue about the terrain I'd encounter, but I figured if came across anything too tough, I'd just turn back.

What I saw was beauty. There were black and yellow butterflies. Blue butterflies. Teal flying beetles. Periwinkle flowers on tiny stems growing atop moss by the river. Little red flowers. Dogwoods. Redbuds. It was all so, so beautiful.

Turns out my friend's phone doesn't work this far south on the Trail, so he didn't get my texts asking how far he and his hiking partner were from Hot Springs. Turns out it didn't matter. I ran into them as I was about to give up climbing an incline.

They were as amazed at what was there as I was. Nothing like nature to remind you of the incredible diversity that surrounds us.