“I was, 'till you woke me up. Now go back to sleep!”

“Sipping coffee - rest of family sleeping - dogs and cats sleeping around me in the office. Sun rising. Trail Talkin'.

Good morning.”

“Good morning all. Isn't coffee lovely on a Saturday morning?”

“Good Morning - Yes, the Starbucks is brewing.”

“I'm happy...I got to sleep in.”

“Yes, but not when you're sitting there waiting, while new tires are being mounted. But now the car is ready to go to GSMNP. Yesterday, I had the security system disconnected (the sun was setting it off), and had the antenna motor disconnected (the antenna quit going down).

And I burnt a bunch of new CDs for playing in the car during the trip. Several with Tchaikovsky music and others with soft guitar music. Move over, bears, we want some of those berries, too.

By Wed. my daughter and I should be packed. We plan to be in Cataloochee Valley Wed. night.

Photographs:

Cataloochee Valley - Near Maggie Valley, NC - Part 1

Cataloochee Valley - Near Maggie Valley, NC - Part 2”

“be sure to post some nice pics of your daughter...er trip I mean”

“whatta dirty old man!”

“That looks like a terrific place to start your hike, Nowslimmer!”

“i was thinking the excact same thang!”

“15 minutes of morning left and I'm eating my lunch. I've been packing my base backpack contents plus water for a total of 45 lbs to simulate carrying a multinighter pack. It's time for some training even when I can only do an hour or two. The training ground is in the foothills 15 minutes from home.

My goals are a multinighter in Oct and a two nighter with bag of Wheeler Peak on 9/14.”

“Cool, Pathman. I'm training for fall too. I picked up a new exercise from my daughter's gymnastics class, only I modified it since I don't have lots of thick mats.

I use a wooden kitchen chair and step up onto it (propped against the wall) and down, many times. It simulates climbing up a boulder field. That and climbing the stairs two at a time.

Just one of many exercises for when I can't get out and do a real hike.”