Road to Kilimanjaro - Last of the Prep Treks

It has been difficult to train for my hike lately because of the holiday parties, bad weather and other fun activities but I managed to hike a couple of short trails.

                             Went to the Panthers Jets game last Sunday...Panthers Won!!


Last week I tried out my equipment in the rain and hiked a local trail at New Hope Overlook in the Jordan Lake area. This is really a very nice trail that is easy with views along the shoreline.  It was a great hike in the rain because the birds came out to frolic and the clouds enveloped the lake in a mysterious beauty.

                                               Jordan Lake New Hope Overlook

 The forecast for today was sunny with highs in the low 70's a perfect day to travel to the highest point in North Carolina (east coast) and hike up Mount Mitchell.

30 minutes from the trail head, it was foggy, raining and we encountered road closures due to ice.  It was 61 degrees!  We drove so far how could the road be closed??!!!

                                                                    Mount Mitchell back in November

No problem, we can drive further south to Mt Pisgah to hike...But 15 miles from the gate signs announced road closures.  Determined to get one last hike in before we travel to Kilimanjaro we decided to try to make it to Stone Mountain.

                                          It was a beautiful trek in the light rain. 

                    Yes, the technical cliff climbers were out again showing off their Christmas spirit.

My hiking buddy and I are lucky that we got back without getting a traffic ticket...we counted about 10 state troopers with cars pulled for speeding. 

The last two weekends was a good test for my equipment. It revealed that my rain equipment is not adequate so finding new rain gear will be my focus this week in addition to baking Christmas cookies with my nieces and ice skating with my nephews!

2 weeks to go!!!

All, have a wonderful Merry Christmas!!!

Road to Kilimanjaro - Why?

The one question I am often asked is why did I decide to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro.  It wasn't on my bucket list and I don't consider it a spiritual journey but it will be a new personal goal.  It wasn't until a friend who's wife recently died of cancer asked me to go that I considered it.

After looking into the details I realized this was a very serious trek with only a 40% success rate because of the altitude so I asked myself...What did I get myself into?  At least I asked that question prior to leaving for the trip rather than the usual...when I am in the middle of it :-)


Peru - Huayna Picchu 1,180 ft higher than Machu Picchu

 At Machu Picchu - Huayna Picchu in the background

While at Machu Picchu my traveling buddy said lets do this...I said OK...then I found out a couple of people just died climbing it.

            Yes, it was pretty amazing to sit on the edge of the cliff overlooking Machu Picchu.

I didn't know prior to the trek that parts of the trail were vertical and one slip could mean injury or death.  I asked my self several times during the climb what was I thinking????  If I make it back down I will never do anything like this again. 

Never say Never...


Great Wall of China- Hiking from Jinshanling to Simatai 4-5 miles....not a problem right.

           This is one of the most amazing experiences and views!!! I can't believe I was there.

My driver to the that part of the wall didn't speak any English, I was by myself and there were thousands of stairs!!!  No one said the zip line at the end was across a large body of water.  What in the world did I get myself into???

Then...

Mt Sinai  in Egypt 
Long 2.5-3.5 hr climb - I was excited about this trek until 45mins into it and realized it wasn't a walk in the park. Yes, I wanted to ride the camel up but that would be cheating.  Would I make it? What was I thinking?

Now, I understand why the Israelites were not happy and wanted to return to Egypt.  Beautiful but very very barren.

My guide was very supportive which led to my success. We climbed up in the middle of the night in freezing temps to wait for the sunrise while my clothes were soaked with sweat. The hike down 3,750 steps with nearing 100 degree desert temperatures was a little challenging too. 

One of my fav shows is the Amazing Race because of the many places they visit around the world, their interactions with the locals and thrilling experiences.  The only way to make it up Mt Kilimanjaro is to have the right frame of mind so I will think of this trek as my Amazing Race...focus on doing my best regardless if I make it to the top.



 

Road to Kilimanjaro- Occoneechee State Park Hike

Hopefully everyone had a nice Thanksgiving holiday.  Mine was pretty nice, one because my roasted Duck came out great, second it was nice to see loved ones and thirdly, I was able to share my training with my family.

                                         The Duck

I took off from work on Friday, no we don’t get it off, and decided to do a hike close to home at Occoneechee State Park in Hillsborough NC.  Not to be mistaken for the one in Virginia.  This is a great park because it is only about 15-20mins away and has some small hills which can get your heart rate up.  This little park has the Eno River, a pond and a nice bluff in which you can see well into the distance (847 feet high), I think it is the highest point in the triangle and maybe from that point to the coast. I love the old quarry and my favorite trail is the Mountain Loop that is a little over 2.2 miles.   

My dad participated in my training this weekend and hiked with me on the trail.  I have to hand it to him because he kept up a brisk pace and didn’t seem at all out of breath.  He could handle Kilimanjaro.

                                         Dad checking out the view

I am 85% ready for the trip…packing wise. My trekking poles finally arrived which will make my training easier.   As for training…I need to step it up.  Early this morning I did my 4mile run but it was a little slower than normal…could it be that apple pie I ate the night before slowing me down?  Maybe I will hit the stairs at the stadium in the morning.

For those who live in the area stop by the park for a quick break, get back to simplicity away from the busy schedule.

                                 The Eno River.  We walked along side if the river briefly before hiking up

http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/ocmo/main.php

Road to Kilimanjaro - Training Hanging Rock

In less than 7 weeks I will tackle one of my greatest physical challenges by climbing Kilimanjaro so I decided to share the experience by documenting this once in a life time event .  It has been fun training for the big climb and today we hiked Hanging Rock's Moore's Knob Loop in North Carolina which has over 600 steps up to the summit with an awesome view.

The practice hikes also server as a learning experience as to what to wear, the equipment I will need and how my body responds to different types of challenges.  Today, I feel like I need new hiking boots because mine are very heavy.  Going to look for new boots tomorrow.

 Pilot Mountain in the distance...Mt Airy is not too far which is the inspiration for TV show Mayberry. Andy Griffith is from Mt Airy.  Cute little town with a jail and a old fashion candy shop.

The summit has some of the most amazing 360 views of the NC Piedmont with Pilot Mountain in the distance.  I never tire witnessing the beauty blossoming all around me with every step!

Cook's Wall...Did this peak 2 weeks ago during the 8.5 mile hike.

The pond and beach....coming off of the trial you can walk around either side of the lake.

My hiking partner thought I was lost each time I took out the trail map to check distance or the next intersection...isn't the point of using a map not to get lost???? :-)

I would recommend this state park to others for a nice weekend activity that involves physical activity and nature and it is only about 1.5hrs away from the Chapel Hill-Durham area.

http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/haro/main.php