Sitting on a fallen log and panting about halfway up Jacob’s Ladder – on the Appalachian Trail, near Stecoah Gap – I make the decision to turn around and head back to my car.
“OK, this isn’t fun anymore,” I think to myself as I begin my descent. “Maybe next time.”
Still though, part of the reason I moved here was the hiking trails, and so far the Appalachian Trail has not disappointed.
Each time I go out on the trail, I am more in awe of the region’s beauty. I feel myself becoming more comfortable on the trail every time I go. I hope that feeling of amazement at the striking beauty never goes away – even if that means I stop and take pictures of everything like some kind of tourist.
I’m sure my friends on social media are fed up at seeing a thousand pictures of Stecoah Gap every time they visit my page. However, I don’t plan to stop taking those pictures anytime soon.
I did some hiking back home in Mississippi – and I was heavily involved in Scouting as a teenager – but until I moved here, I never had the opportunity for anything like this. Just to put it in perspective, Woodall Mountain – the highest point in my home state – peaks at a whopping 807 feet.
See what I mean?
Being out there almost feels religious on some level and I feel similar walking onto the trail as I do walking into a chapel. Seriously, I’m just as in awe watching the mountain landscape and nature’s beauty in Graham County as I would be walking into an opulent cathedral somewhere in Europe.
I hope to get better at hiking the longer I live here and acquire some proper gear soon, so I can safely and comfortably stay out for longer periods.
Maybe some day I’ll go on a longer journey. Heck, maybe I’ll even thru-hike some day.
But it’s baby steps for now, literally and figuratively.
Charlie Benton is the staff writer for The Graham Star. He can be reached by phone, 479-3383 or email, news@grahamstar.com.