Sitting here on the living room floor after a nice bowl of soup and big salad I am left pondering what made today so great?! Was is the fantastic company (wifers and dog), was the the unusually warm fall weather, the clear blue sky, the awesome section of A.T. (thanks Jon for the recommendation)...in the end I think without a doubt it was the perfect combination of all three.
We hit the trail about 9am on some rather sore legs after a day of hill repeats on Ferguson Peak and Little Pisgah Mtn in the Hickory Nut Gorge (picture below) but our spirits were high and with such amazing weather it was very easy to find energy and motivation for the expansive balds that lied ahead.
The trail was perfect with a few leaves matting the trail making the run rather comfortable on the good ole knees. With the trail and the mountains all to ourselves enjoying views in every direction. We made our way from Sam's Gap roughly 6.5 miles to Big Bald. On top the wind was blowing but the sun was shining and it was glorious. The warm breeze was very uncharacteristic of mid November weather but much appreciated. We enjoyed the views, soaked in the sun, drank some some wild air. Another awesome run and gorgeous day.