Because the trail we hiked was awe inspiring. The first trail we hiked in Pickett State Park–the 9-mile Hidden Passage Trail–took us through diverse terrain. Waterfalls and weathered sandstone “rock houses,” rhododendron forests, and slabs of sandstone atop cliffs and wide open areas devastated by the Southern Pine Beetle. That meant there was a lot of sun, but despite the fact it rained the previous night, we slathered ourselves with sunscreen in the morning. And a good thing because I still got a lot of sun. Redneck, I believe, is the term.
There was mountain laurel and violets, blueberry bushes with promises of the fruit to come, butterflies galore. And ticks. Twenty-eight between the two of us. And the other “awful” thing was the fact that I had planned on buying lunch makings near the park, but there was no store within miles of the place. So, other than a little almond and dark chocolate M&M trail mix, we didn’t get any food until late in the afternoon. But, you know, that was okay. The trail was worth it.
And, before we left the park, we hiked two more trails–The Natural Bridge Trail. Very cool. And the Indian Rockhouse Trail. Very cool, literally. It is a massive sandstone rock house and the temperature was probably very close to a cave-like 58º.
And here are some photos from the day:
Crystal Falls
Hiking through a rock house by Frank
Violet
Thompson’s Overlook by Frank
Mountain Laurel by Frank
Natural Bridge
The Wilderness Road 
You must be logged in to post a comment.