The Wandering Fox

 Photo by Bianca Gonçalves from Pexels This is how I imagine a conversation with a Mountain would go...      I crest the top of the mountain and drop my pack on the ground. I settle in a cleft between two jutting rocks and pull out my little one-burner stove. The flame stutters in the wind, so I cup my hands around it to shelter the heat like a baby bird. Once it is burning bright, I add my pot with instant coffee and water.      The rocky ridges surrounding me are crisp and bright in the sun. I can see wispy white clouds rifling over the peaks in the startling blue sky. Then, I feel a slight trimmer from the mountain below me, like a cough building deep in its chest. The pebbles and shale seem to hum with energy as the rumble grows. Then it is here, the heart of the mountain.       I can see it and not see it at the same time. A presence is obviously here, in front of me, but it is more like a collection of energy hanging in the ...

(A stop on St. Cuthbert's Way, photo by Julie Guthrie)      I am excited to share this guest post by Noah Guthrie. Noah is the mind behind The Green Phoenix , a website that "strives to use writing and online dialogue to cultivate a healthy and holistic relationship with the natural world." Without further ado, enjoy. --Cami Hiking The Sacred      Some of my favorite hiking memories come from St. Cuthbert’s Way , a Scottish pilgrimage trail that my family went on in the spring of 2019. The trail goes from Melrose Abbey to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, and many believe that it traces the footsteps of St. Cuthbert , a 7th century hermit renowned for his miracles. My family took this journey mostly by foot (occasionally aided by taxi), and it lasted four days, starting at the Eildon Hills.      My most vivid memories of the Eildons involve the gorse. These were huge bushes, some of them as tall or taller than I was, rolling up and down the sl...

    Mount Pisgah has a rich and varied history. First populated by the Cherokee tribe, the mountains were home to rich primeval forests. In later years, the Pisgah area was used for farming until George Vanderbilt acquired the land in 1888 and used it to start one of the first forestry programs in America. The hike to Mount Pisgah is a quick but steep 1 mile trek that offers amazing views from the top. The trailhead is right off the Blue Ridge Parkway, making this a great stop during a day of exploring.  Getting There At the beginning of the trail you will see a sign, nearly encased in lush folliage, that reads: "This trail leads through Pisgah National Forest to the summit of Mount Pisgah. Named after the biblical mount from which Moses first saw the promised land. This peak affords a panoramic view of Western North Carolina."      The sentiment seems so poetic at first. I imagine travel-weary settlers looking out over the lush, achingly beautiful blu...

     There are some things that you never think about until you are camping. Like, what do you do during a rainstorm? In everyday life, you would just go inside and continue on with your day, but what if there is no inside to go to? Most campers can relate to this conundrum because the reality is, if you spend any time outside, you're eventually going to get wet. While rain may seem like a bummer if you’ve planned a day of outdoor adventures, it actually is possible to rock a rainstorm while camping. Over the course of many rainy days, I’ve discovered some awesome ways to enjoy the weather. Check out this list of things to do during rainstorms and see why rain has become one of my favorite parts of camping. Storm chase      Rainstorms are absolutely gorgeous. For real, have you ever sat at a window or porch and watched a storm roll in? It’s breathtaking! This is a part of life that we don’t often get to experience in the everyday world but camping gives yo...

    Learning to rock climb is a tricky task when you live several hours from the nearest crag. This fact is obvious to anyone who uses logic, and yet, I've been bitten by the rock climbing bug anyway. This summer it has been my constant mission to find anything, literally anything, to climb on. In a flurry of increasingly obsessive internet searches, I discovered that there is, in fact, a place to climb closer to home. In the town of Great Falls, Google told me, there are some seldom-visited rocks next to the local river where I could go bouldering. Since then, I have been making the slightly-more-acceptably-long trek to Great Falls to practice my skills. I am lucky to have found what I expected, namely rocks. More unexpectedly, though, I also discovered a new town and it got me thinking...what follows is the fever dream that resulted.      Most boulderfields are found in pretty deserted places; the deserts of Indian Creek or the alpine slopes of the Rockies. Bu...

     Black Balsam is one of the most unique areas in Pisgah forest. While most of the mountains are covered in thick deciduous forests, this area is a patchwork of Balsam forests and balds. The road to Black Balsam is the jumping-off point for many epic destinations including Shining Rock and of course Black Balsam Knob itself. However, one of the best ways to get acquainted with this beautiful place, and one of my long time favorite hikes, is Sam Knob.      Sam Knob is a strangely saddle-shaped mountain that pops out of the middle of a meadow. From the top, you can see all the other mountains circling the Knob like a ring, and there are some rock outcroppings to take in the view from.  The loop I'm covering in this post ascends Sam Knob and then swings by Flat Laurel Creek before returning to the parking area. On the trail, you will be able to pass through much of the varied scenery that Black Balsam has to offer including distinctive Balsam forests, ...

     One of my favorite things to do while hiking and backpacking is to forage for wild plants. By now, it has become a game with myself to see how many edible plants I can find on my way, and the prize for winning is a delicious snack. I like that foraging helps me learn about the plants in the area where I am traveling and gives me an interesting type of insight into that area. And, on the most practical level, foraging for edible plants while backpacking means that you get to have fresh vegetables to supplement your dried ramen and beef jerky. It honestly doesn't get better than that.       I have been learning about edible plants and foraging for about 5 years and, while I'm no expert, I have learned some useful information along the way. I decided to make this list to showcase some of my favorite tried and true plants that I like to pick when I'm out and about.   For this list, I focused on the attributes that are most important to a travelin...