Laurel Falls in Great Smoky Mountains NP

Today we headed to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We hiked the Laurel Falls Trail.

Laurel Falls is one of the most popular destinations in the park.

Laurel Branch and the 80-foot high Laurel Falls are named for mountain laurel, an evergreen shrub which blooms along the trail and near the falls in May

It appeared to me that the falls were not as abundant as they are sometimes, so I'm guessing the water levels must be low.

They were really beautiful! This is the upper falls.

Here you can see the upper falls and lower falls. The upper falls are in the far left corner.

The lower falls from below:

I didn't go down to the lower falls. Nathan and Aric did. They ended up having lots of excitement down there. I'll let Aric share it with you, which you can read on his blog here: Aric's Blog



If you go back and look at the first picture, it will give you a hint of what they got pretty close to down there.



Living the life in Tennessee.

Acadia :: Another visit to Schoodic Point

Monday, September 17th - - Today was moving day. We were traveling Down East out toward Cobscook Bay and Campobello Island. After a few stops in Ellsworth, and with plenty of time to spare, I decided to stop once again at Schoodic Point. I had checked the tide schedule at the campground and knew it would be high tide at Schoodic about the time I was passing by. Besides, it was yet another beautiful day!




























I had planned to stay for about 30 minutes but enjoyed the sunshine and waves for a full 90 minutes before moving on...

Nathan and Daryl in the Tournament

After watching these two play this last week, I knew that they would do well.

I would not have wanted to be playing against them.

They played tough, fierce games against the competition.

They ended up in the championship game. They won their bracket. Woohoo! WTG, guys!

Purple Wild Flower

This purple wildflower is blooming all over the desert. This one is right by my house. They are such a lushish shade of purple but if you look close you can see the hair-like stickers that they will have when they are through blooming. These will go right through cotton gardening gloves and are as bad as cactus stickers to remove for the glove or your skin.

Bush wack!

I still have scars on my shins from two of last summer's adventures.



My plan was to stay on the snow and my skis as long as possible this year with the amazing NW snow pack. Avoiding new scars was the thought.Then I saw this.Nice reminder. Make sure to dbl click the picture.













If you are intoREALadventure skiing..plenty of iton these twogreat blogs.



http://slcsherpa.blogspot.com/



http://slc-samurai.blogspot.com/



SLC? Who'd thought...the Chamonix of the USA? But with bush wacking. It is afterall an American tradition!







Dbl click..amazing pictures.All photo credits here to both the Sherpa and Samari blogs.

Assateague Island :: Sunrise

One of the things I had promised myself that I would do while at Assateague was to get up early enough to watch the sunrise over the marsh. The first three mornings had already gone by and I hadn't gotten up in time but when Friday morning (October 23rd) rolled around, I awoke before the sun was over the horizon. The clouds in the sky were bathed in streaks of orange and pink. It turned out to be a spectacular sunrise. One of the best. Ever. Mother Nature outdid herself that morning.

7:00 a. m. Walking over to the marsh boardwalk.
It was cold. And Dark.
But I just knew it would be worth the effort.
That was an understatement.

7:07 a. m. From the middle of the boardwalk.

7:13 a. m. From the far side of the boardwalk.
Looking just a little to the south of the sun.
The sky and marsh were completely bathed in wonderful light.

7:18 a. m. From a distance, using the telephoto feature.
Looking directly into the rising sun. Magnificent.

7:22 a. m. From the same spot as the previous photo.
Longer telephoto setting.
The sun rising over the horizon.

7:24 a. m. The morning has risen.
Breathtakingly beautiful. Quiet. Tranquil.
All mine, and mine alone. Until now, when I share it with you.

7:32 a. m. My only companions were the birds.
A small flock of Snowy Egrets.

Celestial Beings

[image via Spernicelli]


Depending on who you speak to, it is either the most over-rated vintage bicycle in existence, or the Holy Grail: The classic Bianchiin the legendary "celeste" green.






[image viaSpernicelli]


The first time I saw a true vintage Bianchi wasa couple of years ago,in Austria. It was many decades old and partially dilapidated, hanging in a dark corner of a stuffy bike shop - among dozens of other classic Italian bikes. Still, the Bianchi was the one I noticed. From across the room, I walked toward it with a flutter in my chest, my hand already stretching out to touch the lugwork. Amore.






[image via Mike's Bikes]




Started in Milan in 1885, Bianchi is described asthe world's oldest bicycle company still in existence. Though it has always produced a wide variety of models, Bianchi is best known for its classic racing bikes - particularly in the distinct "celeste" shade that has become its signature colour. Of dubious origins (some say inspired by the Milan sky, but most likely a product of surplus WWII paint), the exact formula of "celeste" has varied throughout the years. But it has always been some magical mix of sage green and powder blue - offset by the seductive shimmer of Campagnolo components.






[image via the Fixed Gear Blog]




As I stare at these images and sigh, I wonder what on earth attracts me to these bikes - Straight out racing bikes that two years ago I would not have even known how to mount, let alone ride.






[image via theoelliot]




Bianchieven produced several mixte models throughout the years - But somehow, it's the classic racing bikes that really draw me in.



And while initially my interest in Bianchi was purely aesthetic, that began to change as my cycling skills expanded. Over time,I have transitioned from thinking ofthese bicyclesas mere eye candy, to seeing myself riding one in future - most likely as my "wildcard" bike, to replace the vintage Trek currently occupying that spot.








[image via prollyisnotprobably]


One interesting industry development, is that the current Bianchi company is re-introducing lugged steel to its modern line-up as part of the Classica line. This began with the partly lugged Dolomiti roadbike in - greeted with some dismay due to its awkward mix of modern and classic features. The line up looks more promising, with the Tipo Corsa and the Pista Classica - both featuring chrome lugwork and fork crowns. Though the lugs look somewhat generic to me and the price is likely to be prohibitive, I am excited to see this and look forward to the models being released. Bianchi "celeste" is at its best when surrounded by lugwork, on a classic steel bike.