Until this trip, I actually had not repeated any OAR trips at all. Even then, this trip was much different from the first time I went to Whorley's Cave and Roan Mountain. For one, I did not think that I was going to freeze to death at any points. I went in an early car with Mike, Carolanne, and Mike's mom. We drove to Jacksonville, where Mike is also from, and picked up his mother. We also helped her pack, which was one of the funniest parts of the entire trip. She was horrified by the fact that we don't typically shower on OAR trips and insisted on packing shampoo regardless. Mike seemed irritated but I was entirely sympathetic and told her that I alway carry copious amounts of wet wipes, hand sanitizer, and deodorant. Once she was packed, we took off for North Carolina.
I must note the fantastic restaurant that we stopped at for dinner on the way up. Located in Columbia, South Carolina, it is called Spice Junction and it's an all-you-can-eat Indian buffet just off the interstate. The owners are extremely friendly, though they do frown upon wasting food and they will charge you for an extra plate if you waste too much. They bring fresh bread, called naan, to the table and the buffet itself is delicious. They also have this creamy mango sauce for you to pour over your dessert that is literally to die for. It is INCREDIBLE. Mike and I returned to Spice Junction over winter break and we were both so sad and disappointed that they were out of mango sauce that we discussed it at length during and after dinner. Spice Junction, don't forget it. The reviews on Urban Spoon speak for themselves. They also have a Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Spice-Junction/186180021450925. Google Spice Junction Columbia, SC right now and start planning your own trip there. It's worth it.
We were the first to arrive at Whorley's and I remembered exactly where it was after having been so lost the first time we went. We slept in the cave, which was very disorienting. Caves are just so dark and so quiet that it's hard to tell how much time has passed. People typically have crazy, vivid dreams and I was no exception. When everyone was waking up the next morning, I thought they were just getting there and I was annoyed that everyone was being so loud. Then, I poked my head out of my sleeping bag and realized that I was the only one still sleeping. I quickly packed and headed back to the car. Then we started caving. We didn't spend a lot of time in Whorley's because we got turned around and ended up skipping over half the scale. Regardless, it was an enjoyable experience once again and it was nice to arrive at Roan Mountain with a decent amount of daylight.
Part of the reason that I went in the early car was because we were doing a much shorter version of the hike, heading to the campsite and then turning around and coming back the same five or six miles the next morning. I was actually really excited because last time we had gone to Roan, it had been to dark to see the views atop the balds and to enjoy the first leg of scenery. We hiked as the sun was setting and didn't need our lights until after we had passed the first campsite. When we arrived, everyone was cooking on the fire and there were a ton of non-OAR people there. The shelter is an old barn with a second floor, where I slept. It offered decent protection from the wind though I was still somewhat cold during the night. It was Tara's birthday, so her mom was also on the trip and we all sat around the campfire singing happy birthday, loudly and off-key.
The next morning, we split from the main group and headed back to the car. The hike back was more difficult, with more uphill sections. We stayed mostly together although Mike was much faster. I enjoyed talking to Carolanne and Mike's mother along the way and it was interesting to gain her perspective of the trip. She definitely liked the hiking and I think she also appreciated the opportunity to bond with her son, who, like me, is constantly out of town on similar trips. The trail was also beautiful, with gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains. All the leaves were changing across the mountains, vivid colors of orange, red, yellow, and brown exploding all around me. When we got back to the car, however, I realized that I had two giant, quarter-sized (or bigger) blisters, one on each heel. My hiking boots weren't fully broken in and such a lengthy hike tore my feet apart. Luckily, I didn't notice the pain until I took my shoes off and I had extra shoes waiting for me in the car. I have since learned to wrap my ankles and heels in ace bandages before longer hikes, though I think the boots are pretty well-worn at this point.
Events occurred: October 19-21, 2012
Despite initially hating caving, I found myself signed up for another caving trip the following weekend. UF had a three day weekend for Homecoming, so this trip was packed full of activities. The first day we spent caving at Whorley's Cave, the second day we backpacked Roan Mountain, and the third day we went on a day hike to Grayson Highlands. This trip has by far been one of the best OAR trips I have ever been on. There was a perfect number of people (10) and I am still really close to most of them.
Everyone on this trip was athletic and on about the same level, although Jeff has his own special category of "robot," which I learned the first night. The most difficult part of Whorley's Cave was finding it. We drove around searching until about 6:45 AM, when we pulled over into a church parking lot. Half of us camped under the car port and the rest of us (including me) slept in the cars. I woke up to a police officer knocking on my window and I was sure that I was at least going to get a ticket. Apparently our driving and turning around in resident's driveways had alarmed the locals but once I assured the officer that we weren't vagrants but were college students looking for a cave, he wished us luck and left us alone. Enter Robot Jeff. He woke me up around 8:30 and was ready to go. He had located the cave and wanted to get started immediately, running on less than two hours of sleep. I thought he was kidding but I was mistaken.
Whorley's isn't necessarily any better than most caves but I had such a great experience with that particular group that I decided caving deserved a second chance. Unlike Tumbling Rock, Jeff was not very familiar with Whorley's, so we moved around at a more reasonable pace and we all got to explore different passages and squeezes. My favorite part was sliding down the mud, which I was coated in by the time we left.
That afternoon, we drove to Pisgah National Forest, right on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina, to backpack Roan Mountain. As we drove, a cloud descended upon us and everything grew darker and colder. I put on all of my layers, including a blanket that had been in my car that I had sworn I wouldn't take hiking. Despite all the layers I was wearing, I did not warm up during the four/five mile hike to the campsite. It was dark and we were hiking through a cloud. Everything was cold and wet, the ground was muddy and slippery. Though I didn't notice any, apparently it was snowing at the top. When we got to the campsite, the shelter was full. We set up two tents and crammed five people into a three-person tent. Dinner that night was anything we could heat up, no matter what it tasted like. Carolanne and I ate a particularly nasty can of mac-and-cheese just to feel the warmth sliding down our throats. Luckily, I had my sleeping pad on this trip. I had a synthetic sleeping bag, so I took a spot on the end. I was shaking the entire night and my teeth were chattering. At one point, I turned my head to Carolanne and sputtered out "so-o-o-o c-c-c-o-l-d."
The next morning, there was frost on my sleeping bag and everywhere else. Yet, it was beautiful and clear outside: perfect hiking weather. Roan Mountain is one of the most beautiful hikes on the Appalachian Trail. The scenery varies from large, open grassy balds to thick woods with mossy rocks and streams. We stopped a lot along the way to climb large boulders and even did shirtless yoga on top of one of the peaks. The weather was a dream: cold enough that the heat generated from our packs didn't overwhelm us and warm enough that we could be comfortable in short sleeves. The clear blue skies gave us access to scenery that was so pretty it seemed fake, as if someone had photoshopped it. We ate lunch on the rocks with breathtaking 360 views of surrounding mountains.
The hike was long but not particularly strenuous, mostly downhill with gradual uphills. We got to the end in the daylight and, as one of the drivers, I got the privilege of hitchhiking back to my car with Michael, the other driver. We were extremely lucky and got picked up almost immediately. Hikers often hitchhike along these roads so people in the area are accustom to giving rides. We got in three different cars and made it back to the rest of the group before nightfall. We then all went to dinner at the first restaurant we saw, a local cafe. Almost everyone ordered chili, grateful for hot food. That night, we opted against camping again. Bevin, one of the girls on the trip and the current OAR VP (since Frank graduated from his PhD program last spring), contacted the Logels, a family in North Carolina that many OAR members have befriended over the years. The Logels are the most welcoming of families, and they let us stay in their basement in a nearby town in North Carolina. The second oldest, who we all just call Logel for the most part, was college roommates with another current OAR member back in San Diego and is as much a member of OAR as I am. We spent some time with the entire family, having a basement jam session with their ukuleles and guitars.
The next morning, we woke up early and drive to Grayson Highlands, Virginia. Grayson is known for it's wild ponies. In the list serve email concerning this trip, Jeff described these ponies as "curious," a moniker we embraced, referring to them as "curious ponies" every time we discussed them. In addition to their curiosity, these ponies were also delightfully fat. They let us pet them and hug them with ease. The day hike in Grayson is about ten miles but part of the trail was flooded so we got a little creative on the way back. Again, the scenery varied a lot. There were a lot of really cool boulders that we climbed and also some gorgeous wild flowers. By the time we were a little over half way through the hike, I noticed a spot of blood on my heel. I knew better than to take off my shoes until we got to the car. My heel didn't hurt, but once the shoe came off, there were no guarantees. This ended up being a very wise decision. My entire heel was blistered and bloody, a large flap of skin dangling. Another sock sacrificed for the sake of OAR. Yet, I enjoyed the hike so much that I am actually planning my own trip to Grayson this upcoming April. Hopefully the ponies are still fat and curious.
Events occurred: November 3-6, 2011
