Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Walking Off Cold Mountain

A vacationing friend managed to find an internet connection and send in the following account of her bucolic life in the mountains of North Carolina. I haven taken the liberty of hyperlinking the references so we know what the hell she is talking about. The words are exactly her own, and she has given me permission to share it with all of Gotham and the larger W.O.T.B.A. reading public.
"I'm sitting out on the screen porch, it's 60 degrees and I can hear the waterfall and several crows communicating casually in the tree tops. We had a few 50 degree mornings but mostly around sixty then warms up to 80's and cools off again at sunset. We have had a fair amount of rain but have enjoyed it for the most part. The exception being a 14 mile hike, attempting to climb Cold Mountain, took a wrong turn (it's a wilderness trail so they don't mark trees, stupid if you ask me,) in the rain plus some lightning and thunder. I usually relish that kind of experience but we were far enough up to get cold and at one point I really thought D. had been hit by lightning. At that point I literally felt the adrenalin rush, the survival instinct and very much focused on getting down, down, down to the dry car as fast as I fucking could.

Our goal this year has been to hike the entire Art Loeb trail which is 30 miles total. (Since we didn't make it to Cold Mountain the other day we are trying again tomorrow, it will be our last hike.) We have hiked other trails in addition to the Art Loeb, not sure how many total miles but close to fifty including Art Loeb.

Have been thinking about what it is about mountains and climbing them that appeals to me so (my connection timed out here and I lost the other half of the email will have to tell you the rest. Here is the main thing, a book Wanderlust: A History of Walking by Rebecca Solnit. She talks about all types of walking in all kinds of places. You might enjoy looking at it if you don't know it.)"

Wasn't that a nice description? Can't you see them running down the mountain?

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Walking Off the Big Apple is on The New York Times City Room Blogroll.

"Wandering around New York City nearly always throws up some surprises, and at least is an enjoyable way of taking in everything it has to offer - if you disagree, Walking Off the Big Apple will set you straight and more than likely inspire you to go for a wander of your own."
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"Walking Off the Big Apple: A Strolling Guide to New York City features several locations. With each one, you can look at a map, see pictures and read an overview of the things you'll encounter. Each featured stroll recounts the author's experience. You can spend all day getting to know the city this intimately. So, remember to bring comfortable footwear, water and a camera."
- featured in the article "New York City Self-Guided Walking Tours," Livestrong.com

One of 25 Best Blogs for Runners & Walkers - "Whether you live in New York City or are just planning a visit, you’ll appreciate this collection of guides to special walks around Central Park and the city."
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