A Rescue at Mt. Rogers

Last weekend, Bryce and I went on a hiking trip to Grayson Highlands State Park/Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area with some of our good friends. The two parks are adjacent to one another. It was only about 2 hours down I-81 South from Blacksburg. It is a beautiful area with a unique terrain and wild horses. The Appalachian Trail goes through the area. Mt. Rogers is actually the highest peak in Virginia.

We packed all 6 of us into a sweet 4Runner with 6 backpacks. Impressive? We thought so. When we got there, we got our stuff together and headed out on the trail. Good thing Bynum did a calorie load with his favorite condiment (butter) because little did we know we would be hiking well over what we had planned. It was barely an hour in when we ran into a couple hikers at a campground and a girl. She had been hiking with her Mom and Grandma on Mt. Rogers and somehow got separated from them and got lost. The sun was going down, she was frantic, and somehow she had kept hiking down the wrong trail, away from where she needed to be.

We were blessed to have Nick with us because he is practically a Mt. Rogers area tour guide. He has been going there since high school. The hikers she had come across were simply trying to point her in the direction to go, which obviously wasn't much help for her with all considering. She seemed relieved to have us appear at that moment. We were determined to help her get to where she needed to be. I just can't imagine how I would be feeling if that were me! She immediately joined our group and we went looking for a nearby campsite to set our packs down.

We quickly grabbed all of our headlamps, water, and GORP (we learned that means 'Good Ole Raisins and Peanuts' AKA Trail Mix for the rest of us) and headed down the trail with her. Poor girl, she was so worn out from hiking ALL day. Soon, it was dark, cold, and we were trying not to trip on the very rocky trail. It was my first time seriously night hiking. The wind was pretty strong, and we kept saying, "Wow, the views are probably great here" because for awhile, it felt like we were on top of the mountain or a ridge. While hiking, we kept trying to keep her calm and just get to know her. As soon as she started recognizing the trail from earlier that day, she became more talkative and probably just relieved. Finally, around 10pm, we came in view of the parking lot where her Mom and Grandma were. Along with them were ambulances, a fire truck, paramedics, the full rescue squad on four wheelers and a ton of people. We even ran into a couple park rangers on the trail near the parking lot that were heading out to search for her. Everyone was relieved to know she was found. As we walked to the parking lot, the park ranger told us that there are usually 4-5 major rescues a year, and this was definitely considered one of them. It can get pretty dangerous out there, not only in the cold at night, but also with strange people on the Appalachian Trail. In the parking lot, the Mom, crying, hugged each and every one of us, thanking us.

The park rangers were really nice. They gave us water, kept saying thank you, and gave us a ride to a trail that was a little more straightforward back to our campsite. After a couple hours, we got back to our campsite around midnight. We started a fire, made our dinner, and pretty much fell into bed. As it turns out, we hiked about 8.5 miles that night!

When we had been hiking and talking with the girl, we found out that she was a student at Virginia Tech. What are the odds of being able to help a fellow hokie on April 16th? We were so glad we could help her, and I think all of us enjoyed the adventure together.

We had no problem sleeping in.

On Saturday, we left our stuff at our campsite and hiked around to some sweet peaks to see the views. We stopped for a delicious lunch of quesadillas on the trail. Later in the afternoon, we hiked down to the river and relaxed.

On Sunday, we woke up, packed up, ate breakfast, and hiked back out to the car. A cheeseburger, fries and a sweet tea for lunch at a local restaurant was a dream. A great weekend with great friends. Bryce and I loved the area and will definitely be going back.

Today, we remember

James 5:11
As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

Isaiah 58:11
The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

This video undoubtedly brings me to tears every time I watch it. I was a senior there, with fellow hokies, full of emotions and questions. But the tears are of both sadness, for what happened, and joy for what the Lord promises us.



Let's go hokies!

Easter

We went home to NC for Easter weekend. Two celebrations in one: Amy's and Aaron's 19th birthday (What? 19?) and Easter Sunday. What a fun weekend...

1. Dad made steaks on the grill for us when we got there
2. Breakfast at The Iron Hen, a sweet breakfast spot, with Dionne and Jacob (If you're ever in Greensboro, you should try it out!)
3. Dad, Aaron, Bryce, and Jacob got to go golfing together
4. I went shopping and hung out with Amy
5. Dad, Amy, Aaron, Bryce and I went to Village Tavern to celebrate their birthday (We missed you, Emily, Tim and Abby!!)
6. We went to church and praised God for what He has done!
7. We had a delicious Easter lunch at home with the Basey family
8. We had a mini egg hunt for Amy, Aaron and I
9. Beautiful weather all weekend!
10. We only had to drive 2 hours home (I'm so thankful we live so close!)

Matthew 28

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."

Praise Him!

Hiking at Devil's Marbleyard

With the weather becoming more and more beautiful, we got a huge itch to get outside and go hiking for a weekend. We really wanted to go somewhere, close, but also where we had never been before. In late March, we decided to go to Devil's Marbleyard near Natural Bridge, VA. We left Blacksburg around 11am on Saturday, got there around 12 and started up. It was great weather on Saturday, high 50s/low 60s and sunny. We did the loop that hooks up to the Appalachian Trail (AT), and then back around to where we parked. It was great!

When we got there on Saturday around lunch time, we were shocked at how crowded it was. It's only about a mile to the Marbleyard, which made sense of the crowd that consisted of a bunch of day hikers just going to the Marbleyard and back. It turns out, Devil's Marbleyard: Liberty University (and other area colleges):: The Cascades: Virginia Tech and Radford. (Remember taking the hated SATs and the famous analogies?) There were a couple groups of boy scouts, and quite a few college students just hiking up the first mile and back.

It was uphill to the Marbleyard, and a little tiring, but awesome at the top. The Devil's Marbleyard was just a huge hill of boulders and rock. Climbing over all the rock to the top provided for a great view. Plus, with all the rock, it was a good place to sit, have a picnic, eat a snack, and just enjoy the view for awhile.

After taking pictures, we threw our packs back on and headed up the trail. The crowd was gone, and the trail was quiet and free. Once we reached the fork, we headed down the AT to see the "helicopter pad." Actually, it was a real helicopter pad at one point. Apparently there was a forest fire on the ridge, and they cleared an area for the helicopters to land. Once we reached it, it was an incredible 360 view of two valleys (and I think one was the Shenandoah). It looked like it could be a great campsite, too, at least in the summer when the wind wouldn't freeze you to death. I was already pretty tired once we got to the helicopter pad...

Then we headed back down to hook back up to the other trail and finish the loop. We camped at a great site where the AT met the Gunter Ridge Trail. Thank goodness for fires and warm sleeping bags, it got really cold that night especially with the wind chill.

Waking up in a tent, dreading everything outside of your cozy sleeping bag is probably my least favorite part of camping, specifically when the weather isn't inviting. We woke up to rain, fog and 30/40 degree weather. We didn't really have much cold weather gear. As quick as possible, we made eggs, tea, and english muffins (yes, the most first class camping breakfast we have had thus far in our marriage), packed up the tent, and headed out. For the first half of the hike back, we were pretty much in a cloud. Once we started going down, it got warmer and the rain let up some. By the time we reached our car, it was pretty clear, around 11:30am.

It was really fun, and really sparked the hiking bug in us. I really loved it, and it was a good distance, too, about 5.5 miles on Saturday, and then about 6 miles on Sunday. Hopefully we can get out this summer and try some new hikes in our area. Maybe this is overly ambitious, but I want to try all the hikes listed in western Virginia on Hiking Upward here. Living in such a beautiful area, we have to take advantage of it while we can.

Williamsburg

Our friends, Jez and Nicki, got married on March 20th, in Yorktown, VA. We were really happy to be able to go and celebrate their special day with them. We actually decided to make it a little weekend getaway for us, since it was so close to Williamsburg.

We left for Yorktown early Saturday morning, and got there in time to go walk around Colonial Williamsburg. I LOVED it. I've only been there one other time, and it was with my English class in the 7th grade for an overnight field trip. Almost everything about the colonial times is attractive to me. I'm just in love with the idea of a simpler life. On a sidenote, Bryce and I have already discussed wanting to have enough land someday to raise chickens for fresh eggs, raise bees for honey, and have a goat. My Dad raised bees and told us how cool it was, so now Bryce is really interested. The other ideas are mine.

Colonial Williamsburg is so cute. We didn't spend any money on tickets to actually enter the buildings, but it is completely free to walk around. There are also a number of little events that take place outside, so even without entering the buildings, you can enjoy a few things. We saw the Fifes and Drums march (Colonial Williamsburg's Fifes and Drums, representing militia field musicians as they march from the Capitol Building to the Palace Green). We also saw a group of people dressed up in costume, dancing a colonial dance to music.

Saturday night, we went to the wedding in Yorktown and had a great time. Weddings are so fun! They are like mini reunions with friends that we went to school with. We got to catch up with a lot of them, dance, and eat some delicious food. The wedding was beautiful. Jez and Nicki actually went on their honeymoon to the Sandals Resort in Antigua, the exact place Bryce and I went on our honeymoon!



On Sunday, we woke up early, ate breakfast at our hotel (the cheapest one we could find in Yorktown), and went to check out the outlets. We only spent about an hour there, and then had lunch at The Cheese Shop before leaving town. The Cheese Shop is so delicious. Fresh sandwiches and specialty foods, plus their own wine shop downstairs. One of the things I liked were the sun dried tomatoes and watercress on the sandwiches instead of just plain lettuce and tomato. It really dressed the sandwich up. The shop is in a great location, just next to Colonial Williamsburg.


(I just learned how to make these genious photo collages with Picasa, thanks to Cindi!)

Aaron's Spring Break

My "little" brother, Aaron, had his Spring break 2 weeks ago. He and his girlfriend, Christin, went on a roadtrip to visit Emily, Tim and Abby in Cincinnati, and then down to Blacksburg to visit us on the way back to NC. It was a short trip, but we had fun seeing them. Bryce gave them a tour of his lab, which they both enjoyed since they are also in engineering. We went to Macado's for lunch, and then I took them to the Cascades for the afternoon. It was perfect weather! It's a really nice hike that doesn't take too long. I think almost everyone who goes to school at Virginia Tech probably goes to the Cascades at least once. It takes about 30 minutes to get there from Blacksburg, then it's about 30 minutes to hike to the falls (about 1 mile), and then back about 30 minutes. In the summer, I think some people go in the water, but I haven't ever done that. In the winter, I've seen pictures of the Cascades completely frozen and it was beautiful...but I also haven't been there in the winter. Maybe next year.


While Aaron was here, I made him a birthday cake. Amy and Aaron are April Fools Day twins!

Snowshoe Weekend

We met Brett and Rachel, Ashley and Brant up at Snowshoe to go skiing in early March. I had never been, but the boys grew up in West Virginia, so they had all been a number of times. Snowshoe was much nicer than I had expected. I guess I have heard from some experienced skiiers that there's not much to offer on the east coast compared with other areas of the country. Although just a couple of days was all it took for me to be impressed. We got there on Friday night, hung out, went skiing all day Saturday, and then headed back home on Sunday morning. It's about a 4 1/2 hour drive from Blacksburg. Brett has a friend who has a little condo right off the slopes that we were able to stay at for the weekend.

All three of the four brothers love snowboarding and were ready to hit the slopes when we got there. I have been skiing and snowboarding in the past, but hadn't been for years. My family was more of a beach-vacation family than a mountain-skiing-vacation family. Rachel had also been skiing before, but it had been awhile. It was Ashley's first time on a pair of skis. We all had a lot of fun. After a couple runs, it came back to me. Maybe it's one of those things like riding a bike?

They have a bunch of nice green (beginner) trails, and even a separate "Western Territory" for the advanced. Bryce was actually hoping to make it over there, but we only spent one day skiing. I think it was around 4pm when the Snowshoe skiing area closed and the Silver Creek area opened for night skiing. Brett, Bryce and I went over there for about an hour until we were cold and hungry for a delicious dinner of BBQ beef brisket! (one of our faves)

There was a ton of snow up there; they said that they got over 9 feet of snow this past winter!

It wasn't too crowded, which was nice so we didn't have to wait in huge lines at the chair lifts. I loved the area, and it was cool that the little town was at the top of the mountain instead of the bottom.





Bryce kept saying, "Wow, they have built this place up so much! You wouldn't believe what it looked like when we used to come here." So, when we got back, I was curious. Snowshoe Mountain opened to skiing on December 13, 1974. The area had been logged from about 1905 to 1960, after which it was virtually barren and abandoned. A dentist from North Carolina came along and started building a ski resort. Financial problems hit, although it's popularity continued to grow. Finally in 1995, Intrawest, a Canadian ski-resort operator which had become well known for expanding mountain resorts through village-style commercial and condominium real estate development, bought Snowshoe. Soon, it became a cute, bustling little ski town.

(Photo and info from Wikipedia)