Geocaching and Naked Nutrition

 We're homeschooling again this year, and Cort and Reid have been taking astronomy as an elective.  About a month ago they had a lab learning to read maps that sent us out geocaching, and we've been hunting geocaches several times a week since then.  A few weeks ago we found stage one on a two part geocache, which had coordinates to the second stage.  It was on a busy day, and we knew that we didn't have time to hike that far.  So today we finally returned with hiking shoes, hiking poles, and some Naked Nutrition snacks to find stage two.  

Having a fifteen year old and two twelve year olds, it feels like someone is always hungry.  I think we were on the trail for all of five minutes before Cort wanted to dig into the snacks.  But I told him we needed to wait until we got to the top of the ridge.  We had a couple of miles of walking to get to the top.  We didn't see a soul, and it felt so nice to be out in the woods, the leaves crunching underfoot.

Once we located the geocache hidden in rocks at the top and signed the log (success!), we were all hungry, so we broke out the snacks.  Naked Nutrition sent us their Chocolate Fudge protein bars and their Naked protein Sugar Cookies to try.  

We decided to sample a little bit of each.  I was pleased with how they didn't crumble in the packs during the hike.  The Chocolate Fudge bars are nice and chewy, with a dark chocolate flavor, 180 calories, 10 grams of whey protein and GMO free, soy free, and gluten free (Cort still doesn't eat gluten - these are made from almond flour).  All three of my boys decided they liked the chocolate fudge bars best.  

I thought the sugar protein cookies had a bit of a 'birthday cake' flavor to them, and they were my favorite.  The cookies are clean eating just like the fudge bars.  Cort asked, "Are these snacks healthy?" Pierce replied, "They're Naked bars, they have nothing to hide."  I thought this was pretty clever, until I realized he was reading the slogan off the package!  I do love portable snacks like this with simple ingredients, that serve as healthy and tasty fuel for our adventures in the woods.

The view from the very top of the ridge was so worth the hike up there.  And after our refueling stop, we had no trouble completing the rest of our hike - even having the energy to hit up a couple more geocaches on the way home.  If you're looking for a new protein snack to try for your geocaching adventures, or to fuel a gym workout, or even for the afternoon slump at work, check out Naked Nutrition!

Disclaimer: I received samples of the Naked Nutrition chocolate fudge protein bars and protein sugar cookies for review purposes.  The opinions expressed above are my own.  

A Sense of Wonder

Sometimes in your life you stumble upon a place so magical that you are struck with a sense of wonder.

Last weekend we took a hike to a place called The Channels.  It was almost three hours of driving, a portion of it far off the beaten path, to get there.  But I had discovered an article about this hidden gem a month ago and knew we had to make the trip.

Three miles of well maintained trail, all up, to get to these slot canyons.  We saw an abundance of wildflowers the whole way, and barely any other hikers.  You know you are almost there when you reach the old fire tower.

I cannot begin to describe how fabulous The Channels were.  It didn't feel like Virginia.  It felt like the American Southwest.

The rock formations go on and on.  You can explore for hours.  The twins were deep into crevices, but I stayed in more habitable areas.

I have to say, this is one of my most favorite places, my most favorite hikes, that I've found in Virginia.

As for Pierce and Paul, they explored a little.  But they spent much of the time trying to get a SOTA contact on the portable ham radio at the summit.

I hope everyone is having a marvelous spring, and enjoying their own sense of wonder in nature.  

Beating the Heat with a Waterfall and a Mine

I've blogged about hiking to the Cascades before, but it was about 7 years ago.  We were overdue for a visit.  It's always much cooler there.  We left at around 6:30 in the morning to get an early start. 

 It can get crowded at the Cascades, but we timed it right and there weren't many people around.  It's a two mile hike to get to the falls.

 I have never been there when the water was warm.  Even though temps all week had been in the mid 90s, you can see from Cort's face that the water was shockingly cold.

 The falls are higher than they look in the pictures.  This one of Cort at the base gives you a better idea of their height. 

I fell on some wet rock steps on the hike back and busted my elbow.  While I tried to clean it up with a first aid kit, the boys discovered butterflies all over.  Here, Reid had two that landed on his hands. 

Aside from the crash down the steps, it was a fun hike.  Afterwards, we took a massive detour to go to the Beckley Coal Mine Expedition.  I had fond memories of a visit there with my cousins when I was a kid.  Here are the boys getting ready to ride down into the mine.

I think the boys were impressed by the history on our tour.  They asked a lot of questions.  It was a full day, but one we all enjoyed. 

Snow Hike

We got a few inches of snow, and the boys talked Paul and I into hiking up the mountain.  The snow was blowing all over.  At the top, we found three black dogs.  Not ours, and wearing collars without names.  They were friendly and well-fed though.

 

 

I bought snow shoes with my Christmas money this year.  They strap onto my snow boots.  The are long and grip the ground.  Excellent for going up steep mountains in snow.  I didn't slide once.

 



As I write this, I'm getting a little tired of winter.  I'm looking forward to garden season!

In Search of the Geocache

When we find ourselves with a free day, we enjoying hunting for geocaches.  You use a GPS to find hidden containers which house trinkets the boys like to trade.  You can find them in the woods and in the city - they are all over! We prefer hunting down the ones in the woods.

Somehow, when you're out in the woods looking for treasure, time just flies by.  We've easily lost track of several hours at a time.  But we end up finding hidden pieces of the forest we would never see otherwise.

Below?  This is actually a geocache.  It quite alarmed Paul when he found this rat hidden amongst the rocks.  The belly of him was hollowed out, and inside was a teeny tiny geocache.  Just big enough to sign your name on a slip of paper to mark that you'd found him.  Of course the rat is now a favorite of ours.

A long lost ruin, deep in the woods in the mountains.  This used to be part of a radio tower I think.

The mysterious car that is on the side of a mountain just off the hiking trail.  No road nearby.  Who knows how it wound up there.

Painted rocks seem to be all the rage right now, and we found our first on top of a trail sign.  It's a little Yoshi.  We rehid it. 

An interesting caterpillar.  Look at those colors!  I was fearful to touch him with all those spikes. 

Sorting through the trinkets, looking for things to trade.  This cache was under the faux rock formation to the left. 

What a fun time we had!  And there are many more geocaches out there to find.  Readers, have you ever looked for a geocache?

Hiking Catalina State Park, Arizona

My in-laws live within a couple of miles of Catalina State Park in Arizona.  One morning we got up very early for a hike there.

 Yet again, I was stunned by the beauty.  I don't think I would ever grow tired of these amazing desert landscapes.

 It was very hot, even though we got going early.  Pierce seemed to struggle the most in the heat.  He couldn't believe how hot it was!

 Paul invested in a new sun hat, having run over this other one with the tractor by accident.  He was overdue for a new one.

 Reid and Grandpa Bob take a rest and enjoy the overlook after hiking up a bit of a grade.
 

 

 Here the boys come up another long grade.  We didn't see as much nature on this hike as the one in Honeybee canyon, but it was also hotter on this day.

Another amazing overlook!  We took along plenty of water, so everyone made it through our hike just fine!  From there, we headed out for some more fun adventures, so stay tuned for next week.

A Father's Day Hike

Last month I saw where a new hiking trail had been formed not far from us, so we decided to give it a shot on Father's day.

 The trail had lots of white dashes painted on trees, but there were times when it wasn't quite clear which way to go, and we did end up doing one loop twice by accident.  There were so many berries teasing us - not quite ripe yet.

Our favorite part was an old cemetery, which is located just off the trail.  I later learned this is the Boone-Hardy cemetery.  It went from very primitive stones:

To slightly less primitive (most of the stones were from the 1800s, although there were a number with no markings):

To (in comparison) more ornately carved stones:

The fence was fallen in most parts, and we found the old gate propped against a tree.  In google, I found that the town is hoping to restore this cemetery as an area of historic interest.  I hope that will happen.  But it was an interesting place deep in the woods. 

The trail doesn't have a name yet, but perhaps if more people hike it, it will shape up and earn a name.

Hiking on Black Friday

I don't like crowds.  I just feel like I have better things to do with my time than stand in lines with angry people.  So I try not to go to any major chain stores in the period between Black Friday and New Years (because the week after Christmas is still chaotic with people doing returns and blowing holiday gift cards).  You especially won't find me in Sam's Club or Walmart! 

This year on Black Friday I took the boys hiking with my friend, Trina.  Paul was doing a bike ride that day.  We hiked the Star Trail up to the top of Mill Mountain in Roanoke.

It was a beautiful day for a hike and warmed up quickly.  The boys enjoyed using the rain jacket/wind breakers my aunt and uncle got them for their birthdays. 

Cort and Pierce check out the view.  After the overlook, we spent some time at the playground until it became crowded.  Then we hiked back down.

I can't think of any other way I'd rather spend Black Friday. 

Carvins Cove

I took this cell phone picture overlooking Carvins Cove when I did my 20 mile trail run on the Appalachian Trail.  It seems like some mythical world, doesn't it?  Not like something you'd see in Virginia.

Carvins Cove is the water reservoir where Roanoke City residents get their water.  They allow canoeing and kayaking, but no motor boats or swimming. 

By some play of light, this picture ended up in silhouette, even though when I took it at 3:30 in the afternoon, there was still plenty of light out. 

Readers, have you found any mythical worlds in your state lately?

20 Mile Adventure Run on the Appalachian Trail

In training for a race in November I'm trying to put in as much time on my feet as possible.  I thought maybe I should try to do a run that would prove to be very challenging, in an effort to build up resilience and confidence.  I've always wanted to run a 20 mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail that goes from Route 311 to Troutville, passing by a number of scenic overlooks.  I have backpacked the stretch before, but have taken two days to do so.  A normal 20 mile run for me on pavement would take under 4 hours, and I needed to spend more time on my feet than that for training purposes.  It takes a significantly longer time to cover 20 miles on the AT due to the terrain, but it would be a fun and novel way to do it. 

I decided to do the first 3.5 miles with the boys, as it went to McAfee's Knob (some say the most photographed location on the AT - and indeed, it was crowded up top with people and their selfie sticks) and since it was uphill and rocky in places, I wouldn't have been able to run much of it anyhow.  We got an early start, as the day was expected to hit 90 degrees.

Reid stuck with me and we kept a nice pace to the top.  Pierce and Cort quickly lagged behind, and Paul stayed back with them. 

Unfortunately, Reid and I had to kill almost an hour on top before the others caught up!  I wasn't planning on such a long break and was itching to move on, as I knew I had many miles to cover in the heat.  Once Paul and Pierce and Cort arrived, I headed right out on my own.  I carried with me a small Camelbak day pack that included first aid supplies (including a few meds like electrolyte pills, ginger chews, and ibuprofen), headlamp, knife and firestarter, map, water filter, food and water.  I knew some of those things I was unlikely to need, but I wanted to have them just in case things didn't go as planned.

My plan was to run any part that wasn't severely rocky or steep uphill (those parts I would walk).  After McAfees, I had a decent runnable stretch before I had to walk up the section to Tinker Cliffs.  It was getting really hot by this point and I was feeling queasy and concerned I wouldn't have enough water for the amount of heat I was experiencing.  I stopped for a minute to enjoy the view (if you're curious, I wore Hoka Challenger trail shoes with running gaiters over top to keep out debris), check my water situation, and take a liquid lemonade energy form called Glukos.  I only had about 20 ounces of water left and wasn't even halfway.  With temps nearing 90 at this point, I knew I'd be rationing.  I had a LifeStraw in my pack and planned to drink from streams at any places I found them. 

Shortly after Tinker Cliffs, were some fun rock formations I scrambled up and through. 

I was able to run a bit after the rocks and was headed downhill.  I started to feel a little better and was able to take a Gu.  I took a picture here, at the halfway point of my run. 

Not far from halfway, I came to a trail shelter.  I asked the people at the picnic tables if there was water, and they pointed me downhill.  Unfortunately, it had been really dry for weeks and the stream was almost dried up.  Still, beggars cannot be choosers.  I whipped out the LifeStraw, which filters out everything but viruses (which are extremely unlikely in the North American backwoods), and hoped for the best, as the water there wasn't even really a trickle.  I drank as much as I could.

I had so many beautiful overlooks along the way.  The next section had many runnable areas.  It was very hot and I got so thirsty.  I continued to feel queasy off and on, but tried to take a Gu when I thought I could stomach it (throughout the day I only ate 7 Gus and was unable to eat any real food - this is definitely because of the extreme heat that day). 

At one point I came around a bend and heard a loud scritchscritchscritch sound.  What on earth?  It was two black bear cubs sliding their way down a tree when they heard me coming. They were right there!  I smiled so big as I watched them run off.  Then I looked for the mother.  I found her on a ridge above me.  She and I eyed one another warily for a moment (I did have mace in my shorts pockets in case of emergency).  Then I walked down the path until I was out of her sight before I started running again. 

 As thirsty as I was, I didn't encounter another water source until a tenth of a mile from the finish. A nine mile dry stretch. So I got dehydrated because I didn't want to drink what water I did have too fast.  With such high temperatures I really needed double the amount of water I had.  I was even seeing double a bit towards the end.  The views of Carvins Cove were amazing though, and gave me a sense of elation despite the hard conditions.  Even though I had discomfort, I never felt like I was in danger of not finishing, and I kept in touch with friends via text throughout.  Most of the time I seemed to have a cell phone signal. 

The final miles were very runnable and mostly downhill.  I had a sense that my downhill muscles would be trashed the next day.  I had been on the trail over 8 hours (if you include the hour break when I waited for the boys to catch up in the beginning) and my feet and muscles were all feeling it.  I fantasized about buying the biggest size fountain drink I could at the Exxon station beside where I had left my car so many hours earlier (which was exactly what I did - with lots of ice too!). 

I loved this run and hope to have the opportunity to do it again someday.  Next time though?  I'm definitely picking a day with cooler temps! 

Spiderweb

Another amazing piece of nature's artwork.  I saw this shimmering in the sun on our hike to Stiles Falls a few weeks ago.

I marveled at how tight and close together the spider put the threads of this web.  She should have her own gallery!

Readers, what have you seen in nature lately that stopped you in your tracks?

Hiking to Stiles Falls

Over Labor Day weekend we did a family hike to Stiles Falls.  It started as a scenic road.

At the end of the road, we finally turned off onto a single foot path in the woods, often by a nice stream.

Pierce had done this hike before and told us the water was deep and to bring lifejackets.  Trust me - lifejackets are not necessary! 

Towards the end of this path, there was a little bit of rock scrambling just before the falls.  We did see a garter snake on one of the rocks.

The ultimate reward!  This hike is only about an hour from us, so it's strange we had never done it before.  It made for a very nice day.

After a picnic lunch and some splashing in the (very) cold water, we headed back.  It was a fairly easy hike and nothing quite beats a waterfall at the end.

I'll be taking the rest of this week off from blogging.  Hope everyone has a great week.  See you next Monday!