A Much Needed Walk in the Woods

Day 120

What a gorgeous day! Our temperatures climbed into the mid-’60s. We decided it was time to take our daily walk a little north. We have a membership for the North Carolina Arboretum, so we decided to go to Asheville and get some fresh air.

We dressed in layers not knowing how the temperature would be. As we drove into the Arboretum we noticed the Blue Ridge Parkway was closed — most likely due to remaining snow and ice or downed trees. Ice was evident on the drive in. Temperatures were running about 5 degrees cooler than at home.

We stopped by the office and picked up a trail map, grabbed our hiking sticks and some water then headed out on a short three-mile hike. The trails are well maintained although a little muddy today from melting ice and snow.

Our walk was leisurely — not our usual push. It was nice to have the changing terrain and places to stop and take photos. The surroundings reflect a different beauty when the trees are bare. It’s amazing to think it is only 46 days until the first day of spring. Before we realize it, the buds will start to appear on the trees and my redbud trees and dogwood trees will start to escort spring in and winter out.

The trails we chose today were easy to moderate but so refreshing. We walked a good bit by the creek. The sound of the moving water takes me back to my youth. The trails are lined with rhododendron and there are lots of nice stops along the way should you need to rest. There was still plenty of evidence of ice alongside the edges of the water as you can see at the end of the following video.

We got a little dirty, but all in all, it was a really great afternoon to be outside and enjoying our little slice of heaven. The view coming off the trail was stunning. I loved the clouds allowing a peek of the sky over the distant mountain peak. This is the kind of view that allows me to breathe in deeply and relax.