This past Friday I explored the Barclay Lake Trail in Baring, WA. I arrived early enough, around 8:30am, that there were only a handful of other hikers when I began. By the time I left around 11am, however, the parking lot was packed and cars were beginning to park along the road leading in. The weather was rainy and chilly which made the trail very picturesque, and Barclay Lake itself was a beautiful reward for the relatively easy hike!
Barclay Lake – Washington Trails Association
Checked out this beautiful hike on July 21, 2020 – making it my first hike as a Washington resident! The trail was very moderate and offered plenty of shade which made it a really easygoing 6.7 miles. I also tacked on the 0.2 mile-long river loop at the end which was definitely worth it! The river was a beautiful spot to grab a snack before turning around. At one point the trail got quite muddy and I managed to step in mud that went up to the knee which was just dandy… Other than that, the hike was very solid!
Lime Kiln Trail – Washington Trails Association
To check out a video of my weekend adventures, click below!
College Updates and Weekend Adventures
Hi everyone! It’s been a hot minute since I’ve updated the blog. Since college has started I’ve been pretty slammed keeping up with school, work, and spending time with friends and family. This weekend I finally had a minute to relax, sleep in, and laze around… but of course I decided to take that downtime and do some exploring instead of catching up on sleep. Be sure to check out my video from this weekend at the link above!
My first stop on Thursday was Blood Mountain, where I decided to take an overnight camping trip. Although I’ve hiked Blood a bunch of times, I’ve never had the chance to camp at the summit. It wasn’t until after I made all my plans and prepared all my gear that I realized I would be camping the night of Friday the 13th. Alone. On a mountain literally called Blood Mountain.
Somehow, I made it out alive. Friday morning I stopped by Mountain Crossings to shower off, grab some food, and get directions to Amicalola Falls, where I met my longtime friend, Hannah.
After hiking the falls, we made our way to a nearby apple orchard for some apple picking and to enjoy some fried pies.
The next day, my friends from school (Hannah and Mckayla) and I decided to check out Minnehaha Falls, about an hour from the school. The short hike had an incredible payoff, as the waterfall is one of the best in the state, in my opinion. Although there were lots of other people at the falls, it was still beautiful.
On Sunday, my boyfriend Solomon and I hiked up to Rabun Bald, a trail we first explored last summer when tackling Georgia’s 5 tallest mountains in 48 hours! Although the trail is short at 1.6 miles, it’s pretty steep. The views are absolutely worth it (it is the second tallest summit in Georgia). Although I didn’t get many photos or videos from the top because there were lots of people, the views are always stunning.
Hopefully I’ll have more time to update the blog as the semester goes on. I have lots of ideas for future adventures and blogs so stay tuned!
Check out the video at the link below:
A Conversation on Solo Hiking – The Video
Hi friends!
Today I want to have a conversation with you all about solo hiking. Solo hiking is exactly what it sounds like – going out and hiking, or camping, by yourself. It’s an experience I first tried in 2016 (check out my video about the experience here) and fell in love with, and it’s something I hope to do much more of this year and beyond.
Unfortunately, I think a lot of people nowadays are afraid of the thought of traveling or hiking alone. While there is absolutely a lot of risk involved in solo hiking, I don’t think we should be afraid of it, and we should instead see it as an opportunity to challenge and learn about ourselves. If you address the potential risks and prepare as much as you can to minimize them, you can have an incredible experience solo hiking.
Make sure to watch the video above for my thoughts on solo hiking and my top 3 tips if you want to try it yourself.
A couple weekends ago, I gave myself a challenge to climb Georgia’s 5 tallest mountains in 48 hours. I ended up accomplishing the challenge in 29 hours and 45 minutes! Check out the video below to hear more about my adventures:
The Stats:
1. Brasstown Bald – 4,783′. Reached summit via Jacks Knob Trail – about 6 miles roundtrip.
2. Rabun Bald – 4,695′. Reached summit via The Bartram Trail beginning at Beegum Gap – 3 miles roundtrip.
3. *Dicks Knob – 4,619′. Reached summit via Forest Service Road 54B, ATV trails, and bushwhacking – about 5 miles roundtrip.
4. Wolfpen Ridge – 4,560′. Reached summit via Jacks Knob Trail – summit is about 2-2.5 miles into the hike.
5. Blood Mountain – 4,459′. Reached summit via Byron Reece Trail (which then connects to the Appalachian Trail) – about 4.5 miles roundtrip.
*Note – while there is some information available on the Internet about how to get to/hike Dicks Knob, I’d strongly recommend contacting a local ranger service or forest watch. They will most likely have the most recent and accurate information.
This past weekend I had the opportunity to take a few days to hike a 40 mile section of the Appalachian Trail (the same section I did last month with my dad), but this time around, I hiked it alone and I completed it in 3 days rather than 5.
This section of the Appalachian Trail is absolutely beautiful, and the weather this weekend was perfect. Everything was lush and green, there was a nice breeze all day long, and even though there were definitely some tough sections, I enjoyed every moment of my hike.
Check out my adventures below:
This trip really felt like the beginning of my gap year, and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to spend some time on my own in such a beautiful place. Getting to reflect on high school and think towards the future has only made me more excited for this upcoming year.
Until the next adventure,
Lizzie (trail name: Spitz)
Last week, my dad and I spent 5 days hiking the first 40 miles of the Appalachian Trail, starting at Springer Mountain and ending at Hogpen Gap (just past Blood Mountain). This was my first time taking a multi-day hiking/camping trip, and it was an incredible experience. Here’s what I learned along the way:
The weekend before Thanksgiving, my family decided to go on a impromptu camping trip along the 8-mile-long AT Approach Trail to the top of Springer Mountain, which is the southern terminus for the Appalachian Trail.
Before this trip, I had never actually gone on a proper camping trip, so I was really excited to have the experience and spend a weekend outdoors, exploring the trails of Georgia.
The hike turned out to be interesting. Which is code for: I thought I was going to die approximately 27 times. Let me explain:
The hike started off beautifully: the weather was cool but sunny and we were making good time on our hike.
About a mile from the top of Springer Mountain, we begin to hear gunshots coming from somewhere in the distance. I become convinced that some crazy redneck is trying to hunt us down. That’s probably not what was going on but regardless, the fear was real.
We get to the top of Springer and it’s awesome: there’s a plaque for the Appalachian Trail and everything. There’s also a piece of paper taped to a tree warning prospective campers that due to BEAR INCIDENTS, overnight camping on the mountain is discouraged. We’re too tired to hike anywhere else and there’s quite a few others staying at the summit so we still decide to camp there. I become convinced a bear is going to attack us in the middle of the night.
We set up camp and all is fine and dandy. It begins to get colder, so we pile on the layers. We have a fire and make s’mores and all that good stuff and end up going to sleep around 7 because apparently everyone in my family is 85-years-old. I wake up in the middle of the night and hear a sound outside my tent: obviously, I believe it is the crazy redneck from before trying to kill me. I lay awake in fear for about 30 minutes before falling asleep. The next time I wake up, I am convinced a bear is outside my tent, trying to get inside to eat me. Somehow, I fall asleep again. By the third time I wake up, I don’t even care if something is trying to attack me: I just don’t want to see it coming. So I zip my sleeping bag up all the way and go to sleep for good.
The next morning, I stick my head outside and it’s like a winter wonderland. Everything iced over throughout the night so everything is winter-y and peaceful and I feel like singing some Christmas carols. Until I notice how cold it is. We break down our campsite in about 10 minutes and realize our water is frozen so we can’t make breakfast. We eat some mixed nuts and hike on.
About a mile in, my hands get so cold they burn and I have a meltdown because I remember that movie Everest and I become genuinely convinced that my hands are going to have to be amputated. I am not as tough as I thought. My dad gives me his hand warmers like a true gentlemen and we carry on.
We stop once some of our water has melted to make some coffee and end up hiking the rest of the 8 miles back to Amicalola Falls on nothing but a protein bar and some mixed nuts. Once we reach the end of the trail, we go to the lodge to stuff our face with the only vegan food available: salad (which wasn’t even vegan because there were bacon bits mixed into the lettuce).
And there you have it folks. Even though camping at the end of November probably wasn’t the best idea, I still had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed my weekend with my family. I can’t wait to go on another camping trip with them and share all of the adventures with you.
This past weekend my mom and I completed the Georgia Canyon Climbers Club Challenge (whew, that’s a mouthful!). The challenge was to climb each of Georgia’s 4 canyons (Tallulah Gorge, Amicalola Falls, Providence Canyon, and Cloudland Canyon), and my mom and I ended up finishing the challenge in just over 48 hours! This was the perfect way to get out for the weekend and explore parts of Georgia that I didn’t even know existed.
Check out my video and pictures to get a taste of what we experienced over the weekend:
A couple weeks ago my family traveled to Colorado and South Dakota for a family hiking vacation. The first mountain we decided to tackle was Black Elk Peak (formerly known as Harney Peak) in South Dakota. Black Elk Peak is a beautiful mountain located in the Black Hills of South Dakota that shares a fascinating history with local Native American tribes and is still considered sacred Native American ground today.
The hike itself was between 7.5-8 miles and was no walk in the park, although it was insanely beautiful. It was interesting experiencing the terrain and landscape of the Black Hills in comparison to the forests and mountains my family typically hikes here on the east coast. If you ever find yourself in South Dakota, I would highly recommend hiking Black Elk Peak; the history of the peak and the surrounding areas is fascinating, and the views are spectacular. It’s also fun to spot the local wildlife: we even saw a lone buffalo in an area near the peak!
Wandering the Gap 