In preparation for my Appalachian Trail thru hike in 2025, I took a week-long hiking and backpacking journey to the North Carolina High Country!
A friend suggested I visit Linville Falls before leaving North Carolina. I did. While there, a stranger walked up to me to ask about the Jeep Gladiator (rental) I was driving. I told her it was a rental . . . during the conversation, she suggested I visit Crabtree Falls as well. So I did. This page is that adventure!
Day 5: Altogether I hiked about 4 miles this day. Not an overly strenuous day on the trail. But I did end up here (picture to the right) at some point. LOUD! Well worth the hike! Well worth the adventure!
Challenges
Traversing rock-face mountain side using cables
Climbing steep cliffs & narrow passages
Climbing ladders along the mountain face
Grow, learn, and build friendships - the way friendships should be created . . . through trust, actively helping, and encouraging the people around you. This is an opportunity for US Service Member Veterans to challenge themselves, expand thier world, and become a better version of themsleves.
Day pack to full pack, learn to carry your equipment to successfully accomplish the mission. What's in your pack? Be ready for what life brings you!
Investing in yourself takes effort. Embody the whole person you want to become, and allow the path of life guide the way forward.
What is your compass? Your values? Your destination? Where are you going in life? How will you know you arrived? Don't be left behind.
Know thyself! And know how the universe around you works. Harmonize you with your environment to become the best version of yourself.
Steep Slopes - Narrow Passage Ways - And LOTS of Rocks
Reaching MacRae Peak is less about climbing and more about intestinal fortitude. It's not a hike; it's an obstacle course. In part, you must use cables and ropes to climb the sheer cliff face.
That's right; I said it. And I squeezed through with a full 30-pound overnight pack. It's as narrow as it looks. Part of the many obstacles to reach the peak.
It just might be. From a distance, you can see a ladder climbing up. There are a few of these ladders along the way. All of them intimidating. All of them risky. All present their own challenges. Climb up or go back.
This is at the beginning of the trek. The climb to reach the summit of MacRae peak is full of dangerous obstacles. ONLY EXPERIENED HIKERS & CLIMBERS SHOULD ATTEMPT! So, what am I doing here? I asked myself the same question. My answer: Face my fears and leave them on the mountain to die.
Having read the warning, I continued on my way. I knew the risks, and I knew my fears. And the only way to overcome them was to face them. The fear of heights was only one of my challenges. I took this journey alone. It was up to me to make the trip a success. And that's what I came here to do.
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What does it take to take on one of the most dangerous peaks (not the tallest, just one of the more dangerous) in the Southeastern United States? A deep breathe and a steady focus on what you came here to do. With this as my intent, I went on to traverse the obstacles, climb the cliff face, and hold on for dear life!
Test Your Limits
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