The Trail Beneath My Feet @trailbeneathmyfeet - Tumblr Blog

Green Time Outdoors is a Cure for the Blues

Remember the shock factor the movie Avatar had on the population? Some people experienced gloomy feelings and some even felt depressed after the movie ended. One Avatar forum poster said when he awoke the next day after seeing the movie that “the world seemed … gray.” The film offered viewers an escape from the reality of a monotonous routine, and launched them into an imaginary landscape…

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Finding Peace of Mind at Purchase Knob Bald

There’s something magical and transformative about a hike in the wilderness, and today I needed an escape from my routine. Purchase Knob is a popular hiking spot. The Bald is located about 5,086 feet in elevation on a ridge above acres of farmland where we now live. It’s known for two landmarks. One is the Appalachian Highlands Learning Science Center, and the other is Ferguson’s Cabin; plus…

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Are the Wild Elk in The Smokies Dangerous?

After finishing our mundane late Sunday afternoon chores at the trash and recycling center on Jonathan Creek Road (J-Creek), I turned to Marcus who was driving our Jeep Wrangler. “Let’s go see if we can find the elk!” We remembered Big John at the Waynesville Visitor’s center describing this area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on our first visit in late August; the weekend of Marcus’…

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Our First Bear Encounter at Purchase Knob

[aesop_quote type=”pull” background=”#145718″ text=”#aa7942″ height=”20px” align=”left” size=”1″ quote=”It’s truly amazing what can happen in your life when you push your limits; when you refuse to quit, and when you make a conscious effort to cast aside your fears.” parallax=”off” direction=”left”] I’ll admit, hiking in the Smoky Mountains triggers one of my deepest fears; a fear of large wild…

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#bear #Bear Cub #Great Smoky Mountain National Park #Great Smoky Mountains #Purchase Knob

Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Woods? Part I: Fear of Bears

The media dramatizes chance encounters with fierce animals, poisonous plants, disease-born insects and other creatures that could be viewed as a threat to our existence. Fears associated with the outdoors can stem from comments made by parents and other adults. These anxieties are fueled by news worthy events about people getting attacked or bitten. Filmmakers perpetuate these fears even more by…

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#bear #bear attacks #bear behavior #bear habitat #black bear #camping #fear of bears #fear of nature #hikes #reduce stress #safety tips #wilderness

Town Park Pittsboro: Wildlife and Wilderness Outside our Back Door

There’s a trail we walk several times a week and its right outside our backdoor. It wasn’t always this way, because the woods were overgrown during the summer months with thick leaves, long grass and vines. We thought about taking a machete to the overgrowth, but decided to avoid the poison ivy, prickers, ticks and copperheads.

This past fall after all the leaves had fallen and the ground was…

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#greenway #north carolina #Pittsboro #Town Park

My Escape Route: The Peninsula Hike at Harris Lake

It was the day after Christmas 2014. My holiday spark had disappeared along with the burning wrappers I stuffed in the fireplace that morning; the spiraling smoke had cunningly stolen the magic of Christmas right up the chimney. Away went my spirit into the invisible air, and outside my house. No matter how hard I try to keep things simple, all the shopping, planning, and partying seem to rob me…

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#harris lake #materialism #new hill #north carolina #nuclear power plant #peninsula hike #post Christmas blues

Hitting The Wall at Hanging Rock State Park

Hopefully, since you’re reading this blog post, you have a sense that both Jill and I have a passion for hiking, camping and the outdoors. We celebrate our time in nature, find a peace and tranquility that we seldom get in our hectic day-to-day activities, and feel a sense of satisfaction having overcome a difficult terrain or challenge along the way. However there are those times when one or…

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#Hanging Rock State Park #physical limits #Stokes County

The Threat of Storms on Shortoff Mountain

The clouds were ominous as we approached the mountain range, and my mood was starting to turn gray. I was skeptical about arriving at Shortoff Mountain in time for our hike, since it was already almost 2:00 o’clock. We were driving along a stretch of road towards the stormy mountain range and were questioning whether it was safe enough to hike. The GPS signal was unreliable because of the cloud…

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#blue ridge mountains #caves #hikes #hiking #linville gorge #north carolina #shortoff mountain

Mt. Tammany Hike in the Poconos: A Place of Renewal at the Delaware Water Gap

Several months ago our niece Jamie Lynn and her husband Gabe sent us an invitation to their wedding in Sturbridge, Massachusetts for a date in June. We were really excited to celebrate with my brother’s family at the wedding this summer, and to have a chance to see Marcus’s family up north. We thought this would be a perfect excuse to include an out-of state hike but the closer we got to making…

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#Delaware Water Gap #Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area #hikes #Mt. Tammany #New Jersey #Pennsilvania #Poconos #Shawee-on-Delaware

Flight and Fall of a Great Blue Heron

The leaves were just starting to turn in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and our walk to the lake was colorful and scenic. There’s something about autumn that gives me a strong sense of purpose—maybe the falling leaves are a reminder that life is precious and short.

We were living near Jordan Lake at the time, and Johnny, our black lab, enjoyed walks to the shore for his daily swim. The path took us…

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#great blue heron #jordan lake #Triangle Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic

The Loblolly Trail at William B. Umstead Park

The Loblolly Trail is the second in what Jill and I consider the three main hiking trails at Umstead Park. As some of our readers may recall, we tackled the 6 plus mile Company Mill and Company Mill Spur trek last year. This is not to say that these are the only trails in the park, but it seems as we progress in our hiking capability and expertise, we don’t consider anything less than five to six…

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Geese in Landing at Night

The early evening sky was light tonight and the temperature was warm when we arrived home from work. Daylight savings is a reminder that spring isn’t far away. It magically lifts the heaviness of the long dark winter, and brings a promise that there’s more time to spend outdoors.

Marcus and I took our dog Johnny down to the park for a walk. It’s about 3 miles total including the trail that leads…

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#flight pattern geese #geese #hikes #hiking #nature