for our first big spring break adventure, we dragged the kids out on a three-ish mile hike to the wesser bald fire tower. it was relatively uneventful. derek wasn’t feeling great and ike was nursing a sprained ankle, so they took their time, while i forged ahead with the girls.
we started out a little cold, but as the sun came out, it really warmed up. the hike is a super tiny slice of the appalachian trail, so we saw several thru hikers, which is always fun for me.
the girls and i arrived at the fire tower and climbed the rickety steps to the top, where we went in to lookout mode, watching for ike and derek’s arrival. we spent some time at the platform on top, taking photos of various combinations of family members, back dropped by the north carolina wilderness and mountains in the distance.
after some snacks and chats with fellow hikers, we began our descent. again. the girls and i had a much quicker pace.
back at the car, we had a late lunch. the doofy kids sat in the car with their screens. i opted for a spot in the sunshine with my big dumb salad bowl from the airbnb. please note my new super awesome favorite shoes that i picked up in black mountain. i will never own another pair of hiking shoes.
and. day one was in the books. (i’m actually pretty sure we maybe did something else on this day, but i have not photographs and thus no memories).