everything and more

As I was coming down the final descent to the Nantahala River from Wesser Bald after three days on the AT my stomach was grumbling and I took a mental inventory of the food I had left and it settled on the pack of graham crackers that somehow had not yet gotten crushed during one of the many emptying and then refilling the pack sequenences of the weekend and a packet of peanut butter that had somehow been forgotten - it would make for the perfect final snack. Such important matters decided, I let my mind return to revery and flip back through the pages of the weekend, from the sunrise and sunset on Siler Bald to the pigs and dogs on Rocky Bald, the endless views and kaliadiscope of color. When we paused at the Jump Off to soak in one last view I pulled the still intact graham crackers and peanut butter from my pack and had my snack. It was everything I'd imagined it would be, and more.

Bernie's Falls

Boomer Inn Falls

pmbar 2026 pictures

proper attire required

We hadn't even had time to discuss just what was meant by proper attire when the first atv came up from behind but I was pretty sure I wasn't wearing it. Akira atleast had a collar and a vest - I had nothing but a battered old tshirt, some hiking pants and a camera strapped to my pack and my companion wasn't looking too much better. We knew we weren't on private property and weren't expecting a gate there so that caught us by surprise but the sign itself - Proper Attire Required - really threw us for a loop as you often don't see a dress code posted at a forest gate but given the speed of the response it was clear we were being watched and decided instead of continuing on up the creek we'd go another way so we told the driver of the second atv we would just head up the other road back up to the gap. He assured us we would be better off taking the road that actually went there but seeing as how we had come from that direction we just thanked him and headed the other way instead. Nice enough guy but we never did hear any shooting.

young pisgah