Trip West - Maggie Valley - Pink Beds Loop Hike

 Today we decide to Hike the Pink Beds Loop on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

It is a 45 minute drive so we get an early start.

We get to Clyde and run into a road block from Hurricane Fred that passed through here two weeks ago and killed 6 people from severe flooding.  276 is closed and we are rerouted to 215 to the Parkway

215 is a scenic winding mountain road.  We pass by Logan Lake

Even up here you can see damage from Fred.  

You can see where the river had washed over the bridge

and where water had rushed down the road and over the bank

1.5 hours later we arrive at the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Good thing we got an early start

It's always a beautiful drive on the Parkway

We get to the trailhead.  The trail passes the Pink Beds Valley, named by the settlers when the abundant blooms of local plants were visible from the surrounding mountainsides; now that the area has been reforested, the name is more historical than descriptive.

The hike is a 5.2 mile loop

It crosses the South Mills Creek and it's tributaries several times

Passes through some open fields

and into some deep forest

Tucson takes several breaks

The trail is quite wet from Fred and Ida

Sorry Mom

Several bridges are washed out, making crossing a challenge

Tree tree hugger

Good environment for mushrooms

You can see in parts how much the river overflowed from the storms

A sturdier bridge

a boardwalk ahead

and it is a beauty.  Glad we did the loop clockwise rather than my usual counter clockwise.  Nice to have this towards the end

Tucson wants so bad to take another dip but keeping him dry for the trip home

another boardwalk

and back to the first bridge

and the parking lot

and a beautiful drive home

Trip West - Maggie Valley - Haywood County Rodeo

 Tonight we head to the Haywood County Fair and the Rodeo

We get in behind some arriving horses

It is a small fair but even smaller because of the massive flooding from Hurricane Fred.  No animals or 4 H displays and a smaller Rodeo participation

The carnival portion down below

Mama, don't let your boys grow up to be Cowboys!

The Riding on Faith Christian Riders did an opening show

and the Rodeo started with youth bull riding

Women's Break a way roping

Team Ropin

Adult bull riding

and a 6 year old barrel racer

We head out before the end after dark

Trip West - Maggie Valley - Lake Junalaska

 We are only 10 mins from Lake Junalaska.  

A United Methodist community.

It is a beautiful place to walk

Quite the Spider!

A doggy drinking station

A pedestrian bridge crosses the Lake

Walked by this a few times before I saw this dog, 

Tucson wasn't too sure about him.

Gardens and flowers everywhere

The trail loops around the Lake

There is even a swimming pool on the lake and kayak/paddle board rentals

Resident Swan

and a beautiful Rose Walk

The roses aren't the only colorful things

 A statue of Junaluska, a Cherokee who saved Andrew Jackson's life during a battle in 1812, He later  later regretted that decision when President Jackson forced him (and the rest of the Cherokee) to walk 

 Steeped in Wesleyan History, and now connected to the United Methodist assembly. it got its start here in 1908, inspired by the dream of James Atkins and George R. Stuart, who had visited similar Methodist conference centers like Chautauqua Lake, NY.  

The Stuart Auditorium was first opened in 1913 beside Richland Creek, which was being dammed to create a new mountain lake.   It is now a thriving community of  over 3,300.  

 

A Memorial Chapel

a Labrynth

Tucson even gets to take a dip

Malcom, Lake Junalaska's first Swan

The complete loop is 3.5 miles long.  A nice way to get some steps in.