September 2012

You get a sunny February day with a predicted high of nearly 60, plus a not-too-far destination with a pretty view, and every once in awhile, you can get some big numbers for a hike.

With as close to a truly winter day as we've had this winter, we opted for the once-a-year of lunch in the Peaks of Otter Lodge at the pause point between a hike up a mountain on one side of the Blue Ridge Parkway and up a mountain on the other side.

It could've been a formula for disaster: a threatening winter day and two nine-year-olds starting up a mountain at 10:30 in the morning with the chances of rain inching up by the hour.

The contrast of up-to-lunch and down-to-car was especially keen on this walk with grandson Matthew, as on the way up he said he was a little tired, and so he and I ended up lagging well behind The Greatest Day Hiker Of Them All at several points.