Family Friendly Hikes Archives - Nancy East

Tenacious Trekkers

Mon, 22 Jun 2015 00:51:00 +0000

Tenacious: Not readily relinquishing a position, principle, or course of action; determined. My family has had the privilege of hosting several groups of folks thru hiking the Appalachian Trail. It works this way–I stumble across a blog of someone thru hiking, get attached to the writer as I read about their journey and struggles, and...

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Summiting Shining Rock

Sun, 17 May 2015 15:43:00 +0000

Summit: The highest point of a mountain or hill; The highest attainable level of achievement. The summit of Shining Rock! The Shining Rock Wilderness area was what cinched the deal for me to move to Waynesville. I spent a day working in the hospital where I would soon be employed and then headed for a...

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The Best Education

Thu, 16 Apr 2015 00:17:00 +0000

This past Saturday was a very special person’s birthday–my Mama. She would have been 65 if cancer had not robbed her life. Despite her absence here on Earth, I refuse to let April 11th pass without celebrating her birthday. Some years the act is as simple as baking a caramel cake (her favorite), but this year, it felt absolutely right...

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Scavenging in the Smokies

Fri, 20 Feb 2015 02:58:00 +0000

A new acquaintance of mine recently asked how I was so successful getting my kids to love the natural world as much as video games. I had to chuckle when she asked, because it was a clear indicator that our relationship was still new. My kids are no different than any other American child. To unwind they...

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Foothills Folly: Attack on the Trail

Fri, 05 Sep 2014 02:14:00 +0000

On Labor Day, as I tore off the sheet on my daily calendar, it read, “In our leisure we reveal what kind of people we are.” (Ovid). Ah, I thought, what a perfect segue this will lend on my blog about the day’s upcoming hike. Like most parents, I am guilty of not carving out enough leisure time in my life, but...

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Foothills Folly, Part III

Fri, 29 Aug 2014 02:52:00 +0000

Our Foothills journey continued one August weekend, and we were fortunate enough to gain Riley on our trip! He had recently backpacked part of the trail for six days with his church’s youth group and was pumped about joining our crew to teach these ol’ moms a thing or two! I especially enjoyed getting to know him...

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Foothills Folly Continues

Sat, 09 Aug 2014 00:57:00 +0000

If you are fortunate enough to thru hike the Foothills Trail, your name will be forever emblazoned on their website as having completed the adventure. Since our kids are all about tooting their own horns at the end of this journey, you’d better believe we’ll be letting the conference know they rocked it and applying for the...

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Finding Me Again on the Foothills Trail (Oconee State Park to Burrell’s Ford)

Sun, 27 Jul 2014 21:13:00 +0000

I was twenty years old the first time a friend took me backpacking. I spent the night in the woods with nothing more than what I could carry in on my back. It was one of those life changing events when your eyes become opened to an entirely new way of seeing the world. As I...

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