Into the Clouds

As my sister and I drove away from Johnson City, heading for Roan Mountain State Park yesterday, we had plans to wander around the trails and take some photos. It was a hot summer day with temperatures near ninety.

All that changed as we approached the mountain, which is only about a forty-minute drive from my house. Dark clouds gathered, and the rain began to fall.

Hoping for better weather after lunch, we traveled on to Fosco, North Carolina, where we enjoyed a delightful lunch at Eat Crow. Mr. Mickey and I had planned to eat here many times but had never been there yet. I highly recommend it!

The weather did indeed improve after lunch, so up the mountain, we drove.

As we neared the top of Roan Mountain, we were completely engulfed in clouds. As a child, I took great pleasure in reaching out and passing my hand through a cloud when we would visit the park on such days.

We continued our hike, and the clouds began to disperse.

I have always loved roaming this park alone with my thoughts. This craggy forest has remained mostly unchanged for millions of years. Some rare plant life is only found at more than 4,000 feet above sea level on rock outcrops.

A few years ago, I gave away all of my hiking and camping gear and boots since this is something I so rarely get to do now. On this day, I made do with what I usually wear to walk in my neighborhood. Knowing the temperatures would dip on the mountain, I took a jean jacket with me. It was indeed sixty-five degrees there.

My sweet sister is always well prepared for any outing.

I hope you enjoyed seeing some of the photos from our wonderful Sister Day in the mountains.