A few weeks ago I hit the road with a couple of friends to do some hiking. I haven't done as much here in SC as I would have liked but it is getting better. Jane likes it (some) and Isabelle I think tolerates it (are we there yet? when are we going to be there? can we go home?), sort of. The Geocaching helps since it makes it more like treasure hunt but it's still hard sometimes. So with the girls in Nova Scotia and a few weekends alone I went north to the mountains. Fabrice and Mylene came along, or maybe I went with them, I can't remember. Either way we were all without kids so the only complaining came from ourselves. We had no one else to blame.
We went to Jones Gap State Park. It was pretty a pretty cool spot. There is some great hiking there with lots of trails and several really good waterfalls. The campsites seem very nice too. They're right along the creek. The two waterfalls we visited were Rainbow Falls and Jones Gap Falls. There were both amazing, but the hike up to Rainbow Falls made it the best by far. We took a dip under the pounding water to cool of and truly enjoyed the hike.
On the way down we could hear the thunder coming our way but managed to get our lunch in before the clouds opened up. At the higher altitudes it feels like the thunder is right next to you. As we finished up with lunch it started to rain so we sat under the veranda at the visitors center and all had a nap until the storm passed.
On the way back to Greenville I introduced the other two to Geocaching with a short hike in the rain. It was a good walk but I think we all slept well that night.
Here are some shots of the falls and the trail.
You should be able to click the pictures for a larger view.
Now for the boat. I think Pascal has been waiting to buy a boat since I took him to the Sunrift Adventures fall sale last year. This is the big sale where they put out all their rental gear and have a huge yard sale. This year there was food and music too, and they raffled off some really cool gear. I think there was a boat, a tent, a bike, and some sort of adventure up for grabs. (There was also a fire truck and an ambulance, before the sale even began, but I think the fellow who fell off the mountain bike course in the front parking lot will be OK in the end).
They usually have about 200 kayaks and canoes, 50 or more tents, and about a 100 of so bikes for sale. In addition all the accessories are marked down and everything in the store is on sale too. The whole thing is just a great time for anyone looking to get some new or used gear.
I always tend to go too late so this time I was up before the sun rose and picked up Pascal by 7:00. We we got there about 7:30 and were not the first by long shot. Some had been there since 5:00 or earlier. It was quiet for a while but by the time the doors opened at 9:00 the place was very busy. In the end I got the spare whitewater paddle I wanted (to go with my other boat) and Pascal got a 12 foot Native Watercraft kayak, complete with paddle, PFD, and spray skirt. I think he's happy, at least he looked happy on Lake Robinson earlier today. He wouldn't stop smiling, but then again that's how I get when I buy new toys.
For the record I did not buy a boat to add to the armada I already have, but I did see a few I liked. Maybe next time...
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