Guess What?? We've Moved!

We have moved and so has our blog!  Please visit us at www.jkbadventures.com as we create new adventures in the great state of Colorado!

Thanks for following!
JKB

Blood Mtn Hike

A beatiful day for a snowy hike on the Blood Mountain section of the Appalachian Trail. There were LOTS of families hiking and enjoying the day.

 The beginning of the trail....

The trails were beautiful, but slippery.

View from the top:

Tree at the Mountain Crossings at Walasi-Yi.  Appalachian Trail hikers leave their boots here...

Book by the owner of the Mountain Crossings store.  I haven't read it yet, but it sounds great!

After our hike, we stopped by the old Choestoe cemetary to see the memorial for Micajah Clark Dyer.  He was a native of Union County, GA and it is believed that his drawings and patents for a "flying machine" pre-date the Wright Brothers.  Check out this website for more info:   http://www.micajahclarkdyer.org/. 

Happy Thanksgiving from Brasstown Bald

Click here to view Live webcams from Brasstown Bald.

On Thanksgiving, we decided to take a morning hike to Brasstown Bald (the highest point in Georgia) to view the sunrise.  Unfortunately, we chose the cloudiest morning of the year!  And interrupted Furry B's beauty rest....

Cataloochee National Forest

 Cataloochee Valley is right outside of Maggie Valley, North Carolina.  Since 2001, the area has become more popular with the reintroduction of elk in the National Forest.  The elk are an experiment by the National Park Service, to see if they can once again survive in the mountains that were once their home.  It is believed that the last elk to exist in this state were killed in the 1700s.  

 Cataloochee Valley Info & Directions

Info regarding the Elk Experiment

Wild Turkeys....

Nuts & Berries = Bear Poo

We had fun exploring and photographing barns, houses and other buildings from the 1800 and 1900s.

Wide Open Spaces

Furry B's thoughts regarding today's adventure:

The Lost Sea Adventure

The Lost Sea is a national landmark located in Sweetwater, Tennessee.  It houses a rich history that includes the Cherokee Indians, Civil War soldiers, and Cold War artifacts.  But of course the main appeal is "The Lost Sea" itself, which is over 4 1/2 acres and includes North America's largest Rainbow Trout.  And sorry fishermen -- No Fishing is Allowed.

For more information:  http://www.thelostsea.com/

Food and water were stored in the caverns during the Cold War.  Would anyone like a cracker and a glass of water?????

The caverns can recognize objects that are foreign to its environment and try to remove them.  This white, moldy substance is "attacking" the garbage can.

A signature from the Civil War.....

A Great Adventure!!

Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest

Sunday was a beautiful day to get outdoors!  We headed north to a beautful area just outside of Robbinsville, NC.  The Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest was created as a memorial for American poet and fallen soldier, Alfred Joyce Kilmer.  One of his best known poems, "Trees," was the inspiration to create this living memorial for Kilmer.

  

Beautiful Fall Colors!

Some of the trees are over 400 years old....

Photo op

 In order to keep the area natural and to not disturb plants and rich soils, the Forest Service provides little maintenance to the area.  However, there are a few wooden steps and bridges, but they are designed to blend in to the outdoor surroundings.

Cool, clear water....

GA 41 - TN 14

The first big win of the season...Go Dawgs!!! 

 The view from our seats...

J with Russ in the background.

Hairy Dawg --- not sure who the kid is...J just jumped in for a photo op, so L and I followed suit.

Furry B & Buster

Furry B had an adventure of his own.....He spent an entire weekend with his new friend Buster.  They played hard and had lots of slobbery fun.  Friends for life.....

Off-road Adventure --> Beasley Knob

We took a short off-road adventure on Saturday at Beasley Knob in North Georgia.  Beasley Knob is a well known OHV trail where drivers can test their driving abilities.  We only traveled on the Nelson Cove trail; but there are several trails to explore.  Had lots of fun, except for Furry B.  He didn't seem to enjoy the trip as much as everyone else.  I think the hills and tight turns made him a little nervous --- notice his anxious expression.

Ocoee....We're Back!

We just returned from a great weekend.....camping and whitewater rafting with friends on the Ocoee River; And celebrating my sister-in-law's birthday. Unfortunately, Furry B was left behind for this adventure (but he said he had a great weekend with Grandma and Grandpa).

We set up camp at Thunder Rock Campground, which is only a short drive from the Ocoee Whitewater Center. In case you ever want to camp along the Ocoee, this campground is a great choice.  It's very convenient to the river, and the camp hosts keep it well maintained and very clean.

The first evening was spent grilling Bubba burgers; and soaking up the water (courtesy of the afternoon showers) in our tent.  On Saturday morning, we loaded up and headed to the upper part of the river to begin our whitewater adventure.  We spent most of the day trying to keep J from falling out of the raft and protecting my sister-in-law's front teeth. :) We tackled many rapids....Diamond Splitter, Table Saw, and Cat's Pajamas.  But J was no match for Double Suck.....it sucked him right out of the raft and down the river!  The finale was Hell Hole...and it did its best to flip our raft, but we prevailed!  We ended the evening with pitchers of beer and pizza at The Ocoee Gondolier.  Good times and Great friends!