After a one night test run at our local State Park, my friend and I figured we’d go up north and challenge ourselves with 2 nights of car camping and a couple hikes.  Little did we know we were following the tail end of hurricane Isaias!
So our Tuesday drive and setting up camp was in the rain and for most of the evening, a downpour.  Very lucky a friend insisted I borrow their 9x9x6’ht tent! Very lucky. We were still soaked just setting it up, but once we settled down, we could wring out a few things and enjoy some snacks and wine.
After our coffee Wednesday morning, we headed for Cascade Mountain, a 6 mile hike (in and out) with 1,900’ elevation gain.  My Alltrails app described it as “moderate”, and I disagree, although maybe I would agree with (a lot!) more hiking experience.  Boulders or bigger rocks were found along much of the trail, making each step another piece of a climbing puzzle.  Add to that, mud in between the rocks, making slipping a real possibility. (Which we each did at least once!).

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”  Henry David Thoreau

The panoramic views at the top of the surrounding mountains were well worth the rain (yes, again!) and mud.   The rain mostly stopped, and the mist and clouds opened up a bit so we could quickly enjoy that view.  The wind, however, was very inhospitable and we headed downhill a bit before taking a break.  No sketch was done at the top, as my supplies would have been blown away!

What with snack stops and being careful and stepping aside to let people pass, it took us 7 hours. We had planned to do a quick walk after at High Falls Gorge, but it was closed due to all the rain, so – back to camp.  We enjoyed hotdogs grilled on the blazing campfire, and for me, more wine! 🍷

Thursday we went to Wilmington and hiked Cobble Lookout, rated easy, which we both wanted after yesterday.  Really quite easy, with 3 miles out and back, and only 240’ elev. gain. Another fantastic view with wonderful sunshine!  And finally a chance to get a quick couple of sketches in.

Cobble Lookout view