It's wonderful to see all the water in the Smokies.  We can only hope to continue with this balance of rain and sun.  It's nice to see the water dripping down the moss covered rocks on the sides of the trails.  Last year it seemed like we saw too much rain and clouds.  The year before that brought too much sun and drought.  I hope that by spending more time in the beautiful Smokies I can find some of that balance for my own life.

    A nasty day yesterday left us beautiful spring snow in the Smokies.  The higher elevations of the Smokies saw first rain, then sleet, hail and finally snow.  We have been expecting a spring snow and we may see another before winter finally loosens it's grip.  As this snow melts with the sun this week we will see some beautiful flowers coming out in the mountains.

    I'm grateful to be back in the mountains after a few days in town.  Some of my family from Virginia came in to visit and my cousin Judy fell ill while she was here.  She is recovering and we hope she will be fine so send positive thoughts Judi's way.  But we did have a good visit at Mom and Dad's house and a great Fish Fry.

    Before our much needed rain came in I was able to do some hiking and take in some beautiful sights.  The wildflowers are coming out everywhere now except at the highest elevations.  I saw some Spring Beauties on the slopes of Mt. LeConte.

    The trails are a joy to hike in the cool Spring weather.  I hope you can get out as soon as this spring rain clears.  Keep my Cousin Judy in your thoughts and Prayers. 

    What a day to be grateful for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  What a day to be grateful for all of the environment around us.  I think that if on Earth Day we can all do just a little bit more for the space around us the impact on the environment will be HUGE!  So Happy Earth Day.  I hope we are all a little more grateful for the beauty around us today.

    When I am inspired with  such a fantastic view I have to ask myself why I haven't always been out in nature enjoying God's handy work.  I think that in large part Fear kept me from it.  For a long time I was in fear of stepping out of my comfort zone and just getting out of town.  Now we see it almost every time we drive to a trail head.  A family piles out of a van, takes pictures at the overlook and then piles back in the van to drive on into town.  Hey, there's nothing wrong with town, I love going there!  But when I was fearful to get out into the real back country, that wasn't right.  I hope that if you are wishing you were somewhere other than where you are, you will overcome that fear and just go.

    When I take in the vastness of the Mountains it reminds me of just how much I like people.  When I take in a view like this and I sometimes feel a little small and humbled.  I think of how lonely it would be to not have anyone to share this with.  I think, what would it be like if I had no one to try and tell how a view like this makes me feel.  My times of solitude in the mountains make me grateful for my fellows.  I hope you enjoy the blue skies and green mountains just as much as I do.

    I got to enjoy a fantastic view of Cliff Tops this week.  I made my way out to West Point from the Alum Cave Trail.  I found a spot that offered a view of Cliff Tops back through the thick brush.  It was a pretty overwhelming view.  It reminded me of how fortunate we are to be able to explore these beautiful mountains.  I hope you have been able to get out and enjoy this beautiful spring weather.  If I'm honest with myself I must admit that there's no where else I would rather be.

    With only a 30% chance of rain tonight and tomorrow followed by more perfect weather, this looks like another awesome weekend to get out and enjoy the beauty of the Smokies.  The wildflowers are popping out everywhere.  Everything is turning green and growing.  It's impossible to bring petty resentments, anger or negative energy out here.  In the literal and spiritual sense you can take a breath of fresh air.

    Meet my friend John Northrup.  John has been bitten by the 900 mile bug.  If you don't know what that is, it's when you wake up one rainy February day and say, "I think I'll hike every trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  Yep, all 900 miles of them.  And I won't rest until I'm done!"  I haven't been bitten by the 900 miler bug yet but if I hang around John long enough I just might.  John is an avid hiker and an awesome photographer.  I have a lot to learn from John.  I always get excited when I meet someone who is enthusiastic and fired up about what they are doing.  And that's John Northrup.

    Visit John's website and take a look around. www.SmokiesStoriesAndGlories.com

    Time for another installment of "Cool People I Know!"  Peter is raising money to restore the Shuckstack Fire Tower in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  At Peter's website, www.PeterOnTheAT.com you can donate a penny for every mile that Peter hikes.  All of the donations Peter Raises will go to help restore the Shuckstack Fire Tower.

    Here's a quote from Peter's website to tell you a little about him ,"
It has been a dream of mine since I was a small boy to hike the Appalachian Trail. With the desire only increasing and the time in my life never more opportune than now, “the mountains are calling, and I must go.” The next five months will be an adventure of a lifetime. Yet my hiking the Appalachian Trail won’t simply just be an outdoor journey, but will represent a significant transition in my life – both in priorities and values. Hiking the trail is the start of living a life dedicated to both pursuing adventure and dedicating myself to my love of the outdoors, mountains, and history. While my thru-hike will be an adventure, another exciting adventure awaits when I return home where my wife and I will be moving to Asheville, NC. We will be in a new town, new home, and I will be attempting to start a new career pursuing my passions.

My trail name is “Whippersnap” – a name affectionately given to me by my Smokies hiking friend Gretchen Kirkland (Slowalk) when we first met. When I began hiking in college, I was a bit wet behind the ears – to say the least. I sought advice from many older, experienced hikers – many of which became my close hiking friends. Still at a young age, I covered a lot of peaks and trails and even wrote a book, so the name stuck. Admittedly it is a name I will outgrow, if I haven’t already. But it is a reminder of the enthusiasm with which I started hiking, something I’ve never lost since."

    Peter has also written a book about his passion for Lookout Towers.  I hope you have an opportunity to check it out.

    How Can You Help?  Here's another quote from Peter, "The single greatest act that someone can do to help me during my hike is to contribute any amount to my efforts to raise money for the restoration of the Shuckstack lookout tower on the Appalachian Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I am hoping that those interested in my thru-hike will be willing to contribute $21.78, or one penny for every mile that I hike. I ultimately wish to raise $2,178, a dollar for each mile hiked for this project. To find out more about the project and help out, visit my Save Shuckstack website. In generosity I receive along the trail, I’ll recognize everyone who helps me with this project so dear to me."



    Thanks Peter, Have A Great Hike!