Father's Day Hiking to Standing Indian

Sometimes fathers get to pick the Father's Day Activity.
This time the "Father" picked hiking to Standing Indian in the Nantahala Wilderness in North Carolina.

Those of you who know me well, know that hiking to Standing Indian is not my usual preferred activity.
It's not that I don't like the great outdoors, I love it, but I don't hike all that much.
But... what the heck it was Father's Day (and I didn't buy him a present.)

Boy was I glad I went!  This place was gorgeous!
The wild azaleas were blooming way up above our heads...
and at eye level.

Some were yellow and others were coral colored.  Beautiful!

The rhododendrons were blooming in the lower elevations--not yet higher up.

There were stands of ferns and astilbes and heuchera and Solomon's seal and cardinal flower blooming.

I'm sorry I didn't get more pictures, but he hikes fast and I wasn't about to be left behind.

 Kimsey Creek runs through the park and campground area at the foot of the mountain.

It was heavenly--a couple of preteen age boys were practicing their fly fishing--a lady was sitting in her camp chair by the creek reading a book. The air temperature was in the low 80's...sigh.

The water temp was  just above freezing.

I have to say here that this hike was somewhat misrepresented.

He said it was 6 miles, but it was really 10, with the last 4 pretty much straight down the mountain.

Going up was hard, going back down was really hard.

So at the end Kimsey Creek was just what the doctor ordered.

I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

But I won't camp in a tent in the woods with the bears and snakes.

Hope you had fun on Father's Day.

Later,
Patti


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