no water training

This summer has been incredibly bad for kayaking in Tennessee and North Carolina. There was a time that in I would drive around the country and put in on low, low flow runs just to get a fix. I spent years of my life and untold dollars pursuing my love of kayaking. Now, older and (maybe) wiser, I wait for rain. I no longer log 200 plus days a year in my boat, but the paddling I do is high quality. It is worth the wait. In the meantime I run, bike and train. This blog will detail my training on and off the water. These photos are from a 15 mile run I did on Sunday. The Shinbone Creek horse trail goes from Rock Creek Road (Noli put in road) into a traingular swath of wilderness. The trailhead is located at the dirt road that crosess NC 197 at the state line. Park at the AT crossing and take the road that turns right if heading away from Erwin (across from Beauty Spot Rd). The trail twist and turns, eventually leading to the cliffs above Quarter Mile. This view gives a different perspective of the Noli. It shows how remote the gorge would be if it were not for the rr tracks. The first shot is of Flattop Mountain, one of the ridges that forms the gorge. This trail is legal for mtn bikes, hikers and horses. I highly recomend it as a combo paddle/bike/hike day. The views are incredible and I saw a coyote, a bear, wild turkey and several deer.