South Mountains State Park, North Carolina - May 15th to 16th, 2023
We love the mountains. Add waterfalls, flowers, and nice hiking trails and we are happy campers. But if you add meeting up with old friends, then it is perfect.
Monday we drove up to our friends’ house in North Carolina from Hunting Island State Park in South Carolina. It was a long day of driving for us, five and a half hours of just driving time. It was the first time we’ve been to their new house there. In fact, we haven’t seen our friends, Roger and Bonnie, in ten years. Time seems to fly faster the older you get. Their beautiful house is in a lovely setting in the Appalachian Mountains. After being in the flat lands for over a month, it felt nice to be in the mountains again. We had a wonderful time catching up on each other’s lives.
On Tuesday, Bonnie and Roger took us on a hike in the nearby South Mountains State Park along with their two beagles. The forecast called for severe thunderstorms in the afternoon, but the rain held off until we got back to their house after the hike. The weather was beautiful during our hike.
The trails we followed were the High Shoals Falls Loop combined with the Headquarters Trail and the Big Bear Trail. The High Shoals Falls and the falls at the end of the Big Bear Trail were gorgeous. The huge boulders at the falls were in a peaceful wooded setting. There is something about the sound of water that is just so soothing.
The mountain laurel were in bloom. We even saw one bush with beautiful pink colored blossoms. Butterflies were flying all around us. A snake slithered across the steps in front of us and millipedes crawled along the trail beside us.
In total, we went 6.2 miles with an elevation gain of 1070 feet in four hours and 20 minutes. It was hike 19 of our 52 Hike Challenge for 2023. We hiked at a leisurely pace so the dogs could keep up and we could continue our wonderful conversations.
After returning to the lovely home of our friends, the severe weather hit. High winds, heavy rain, lightning, and small hail hit fast. The winds and hail stopped, but the rain and lightning continued off and on for the rest of the evening. The power went out for several hours, just as Keith was finishing his shower. The house is on a well system which requires electricity for the water pump. Luckily, our friends had already prepared most of the food for dinner. Unfortunately, we had a load of clothes in both their washer and dryer when the power went out. The worst part was that there was still meat on the outside grill, but Roger donned his raincoat and finished the grilling. We made the most of it, enjoying yet again a tasty homemade meal that our friends graciously provided and enjoying each other’s company. The power came back on before needing to go out and use Red Tail’s (our Winnebago EKKO’s) bathroom.
Thank you, Roger and Bonnie, for hosting us. Thank you for inviting us into your beautiful home, in a beautiful setting, and serving us delicious meals. Thank you for leading us on a wonderful hike in the mountains. But most importantly of all, thank you for your company and lovely conversations.
Check out our related video: South Mountains State Park, North Carolina
(Ann)