Halfway There

It turns out they call this place the "Highlands" for a reason.  It IS high and it is also VERY windy.  Pretty much all through the night, the winds were howling.  (Also all of the electronics were beeping battery low warnings because I forgot to turn the charging circuit on.)

As dawn broke and I opened an eyelid it was obvious it was going to be a nice day.  And if you believe that "dawn broke" thing, I've got a wooded estate for sale in Tennessee.  (See blog from 12 May)

Today's goals were (1) the Pinnacals which as you can guess by the name, are even higher and more windy than the campground, and (2) Cabin Creek Falls which are way down low in the valley.  How does one dress for a strenuous hike on a sunny but nippy morning, to the 40 mph wind-swept heights, then back down the mountain to the protected valley floor in mid-afternoon sun?

There better be a pot of GOLD up there.

The hikes were fairly short, but strenuous, first up 600 ft then down then further down 500 ft then back up again.  Maybe about 1,000 foot net elevation change. Both hikes were (as I am sure you are tired of hearing) exceptionally beautiful as the pics will confirm.

Make that TWO pots of gold!

I'm SURE there must be.

If I get my feet wet, I'm geting ANOTHER
pair of shoes.

OK, no gold, but a Hellava view.I

And a pretty damn good waterfall.

And besides, the company is great.

I'm guessing we're about halfway through this trip, but it only feels like we've been out a few days. For a no-plan trip, it's gone smoothly and we've seen a lot of the mid-south. As we talk to other travelers, (yes I do speak to people I don't know), we get suggestions on other sights to see and trails to walk and ride. So even though we're on the return leg, each day is still something new.