Melissa, Oh!

Tag: Mount Mitchell

  • “Do you have any drugs?”

    Who needs drugs? When you can go out for an early-morning stroll and see this:   And when you get to the top you’re surrounded by rolling hills like this:   —  We hit the Appalachian Trail this past weekend for some exercise and some R&R. A few in the group are doing a South Beyond 6000…

  • “Do you have any drugs?”

    Who needs drugs? When you can go out for an early-morning stroll and see this:   And when you get to the top you’re surrounded by rolling hills like this:   —  We hit the Appalachian Trail this past weekend for some exercise and some R&R. A few in the group are doing a South Beyond 6000…

  • The one where snow ruins everything

    I used to *love* snow. I mean, what kid doesn’t? A free pass from school and something fun and new to play with … can’t beat that … Then I got a job at a newspaper. And they had a lovely rule in which we had to drive into work even in inclement weather. Understandable,…

  • The one where snow ruins everything

    I used to *love* snow. I mean, what kid doesn’t? A free pass from school and something fun and new to play with … can’t beat that … Then I got a job at a newspaper. And they had a lovely rule in which we had to drive into work even in inclement weather. Understandable,…

  • You are what you carry in your pack

    Chris B. asked me last week to write a gear list regarding what I took, should have taken, and shouldn’t have taken on my recent trip to Mount Mitchell for winter camping. So, without further adieu, here it is: Head to toe Here’s what I wore on my trip: Balaclava – I fought against one…

  • (Mountain) lions and clowns and bears, oh my!

    Things I learned on this camping trip: – I burned more calories backpacking last weekend than I did running the marathon last month. – Chris is terrified of clowns. – Bears do come out in the winter, and when there is snow on the ground they leave the tracks to prove it. – The guys all knew…

  • I’m so hydrated you can’t even see my pee

    Gear I would not do this trip again without: In addition to the usual stuff, of course … – Yaktrax – attaches to your hiking boots to make them easy to walk in snow/ice – Toe Warmers – I used to think they were a luxury. In this weather, they were a necessity. Next time, I will…

  • I’m so hydrated you can’t even see my pee

    Gear I would not do this trip again without: In addition to the usual stuff, of course … – Yaktrax – attaches to your hiking boots to make them easy to walk in snow/ice – Toe Warmers – I used to think they were a luxury. In this weather, they were a necessity. Next time, I will…

  • Cold feet. 30 extra pounds. Questions of survival.

    Quotes from the trip: Me: We saw some tracks that looked like a cat. Would that be a bear? A mountain lion? Andrew: No, that’d be a cat. Chris: I’m gonna get one of those at some point (spoken every time someone showed him a piece of gear. Any gear.) Chadd: I hate rabbits (spoken every time…

  • 9 people. 4 degrees. 3 nights in the snow.

    Destination: Mount Mitchell Elevation: 6,684 feet to summit Total miles I hiked: 10.5 Number of hikers in our group: 8 9 (apparently I can’t count) Number of female hikers in our group: 1 Degrees (low) that we saw on our thermometer: 4 Feet of snow on the ground: About 2 Number of animals seen: 2…

  • So, I had this whole post in mind …

    … about my hiking trip this weekend. I was going to photograph all my new gear and tell you all about it. However, I packed my gear in my pack last night and hell if I’m going to pull it back out now! So, I’ll show it to you when I get back. It’s time…

  • So, I had this whole post in mind …

    … about my hiking trip this weekend. I was going to photograph all my new gear and tell you all about it. However, I packed my gear in my pack last night and hell if I’m going to pull it back out now! So, I’ll show it to you when I get back. It’s time…

  • Life is a gift. Use it or lose it …

    So, I’m a little late on the the whole “look back/look ahead” post that comes at the end of the year, but I was too busy celebrating the holidays to take the time to sit down and think about it! So, better late than never, right? Last year I wrote about some thoughts on 2008,…

  • Axe murderes and ice storms and bears, oh my!

    Previously I brought you Day 1 and Day 2 of our hiking trip to Mount Mitchell. Today I bring you Day 3, sadly, the final day this round. Day 3, Sunday: Do we have to go back to reality? After leaving the warm campfire Saturday night, I finally fall asleep, warm in my sleeping bag,…

  • Red light doesn’t always mean video camera

    I wrote about Day One of hiking Mount Mitchell yesterday. Today, I bring you: Day 2, Saturday: We actually hike. I wake up sometime in the middle of the night, finally warm in my sleeping bag with my puppy. And, drat: I have to pee. Peeing in the woods always sucks for girls, but especially…

  • What happens in the middle of the woods at 1 a.m.?

    Kevin and I hiked the Black Mountain Trail at Mount Mitchell last year. His goal was to hike the trail during winter. However, we ended up going the first day of spring – a fact that Jeff has never let us forget (although he and Ronnie bailed at the last minute last year; so what if Jeff…

  • No sex. No chasing the dog. No future talk.

    So today is the big day: Today is the day I bundle up in the warmest, lightest-weight clothes I have and go sleep in the woods. In the winter. Like a crazy person or a hobo although I am neither (the crazy person part is arguable.) My fellow crazy persons in crime turned out to…

  • No sex. No chasing the dog. No future talk.

    So today is the big day: Today is the day I bundle up in the warmest, lightest-weight clothes I have and go sleep in the woods. In the winter. Like a crazy person or a hobo although I am neither (the crazy person part is arguable.) My fellow crazy persons in crime turned out to…

  • Cold hands, cold hiking, and I miss my mom

    Apologies if this doesn’t make much sense. I’m on deadline and I’m sleep deprived. I asked Chris what I should blog about and he said “cold hands make it hard to type.” Which is true – I make a lot more typos when I’m cold. So apologies to those of you who Instant Message with me, because…

  • Climb Every Mountain

    No, this blog post isn’t as awesome as this one that mentions the song by that same name, but here goes …  I am going to Mount Mitchell in a week, and I cannot wait! A trip to REI yesterday resulted in a lot of fun. $360 later, I have a new pair of hiking pants,…

  • Climb Every Mountain

    No, this blog post isn’t as awesome as this one that mentions the song by that same name, but here goes …  I am going to Mount Mitchell in a week, and I cannot wait! A trip to REI yesterday resulted in a lot of fun. $360 later, I have a new pair of hiking pants,…

  • Climbing a mountain in the wintertime

    I’ve done this before. Well, not technically. Kevin and I climbed Mount Mitchell a year ago, his goal was to do it in wintertime. However, we ended up there on the first day of spring, a fact Jeff has not let us forget all year. So, this year we’re doing it officially in wintertime. And…

  • Don’t hike tall mountains with the wrong gear

    So my brother Kevin invited a bunch of us to go hiking over Easter weekend (he had Good Friday off of work, so a good time to go.) I have not been on an overnight, not-car-camping hike since I was 12 and was going to Trailblazer Camp at Bethelwoods  (I’m certain my dear friend Jenny…