Weekend Adventures: Bryson City, NC

For a dual anniversary-birthday celebration extravaganza, husband and I recently spent a few days around Bryson City, NC. We started off our trip with one night of car camping at Tsali Campground, located near Fontana Lake. The weather was cool and crisp, but not too cold for sleeping in a tent.

Friday morning we started with breakfast over the campfire, freshly brewed coffee, and then off for some mountain biking. Tsali has multiple options for biking, and we opted for the 8 mile trail. The path wound through the mountains following the edge of Lake Fonatana. While there were a few technical parts that required walking from an amateur like yours truly, the trails were very rider-friendly and filled with turns, hills, and little jumps.

After a day of biking at Tsali, we headed into town to the West Oak Bed & Breakfast, a perfectly adorable B&B located on the hill just on the city's edge. Our room was small, as are most bed & breakfasts, but included a complete kitchen and a washer/dryer. There was a lovely outdoor patio for drinking coffee and enjoying the mountain view.

Saturday was spent in the mountains of Deep Creek, where we spent 14 miles hiking through the beautifully colored fall leaves. We stopped often to admire the waterfalls near the base of the mountain, and even saw a little black bear on the trail! It was a great hike, with plenty of uphill climbing, lunch on the trail, and incredible views of the fall colors.

Forever 21 vest & earrings, H&M shirt, Joe's skinny jeans, The Loft scarf, vintage boots

While in Bryson City we ate at Anthony's Pizza and devoured the most delicious Margherita pizza I have ever eaten! Chicken, fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic, and mozzerella. Yes, please. We also had a cozy breakfast at the Freymont Inn, complete with a fire in the fireplace, blueberry pancakes, and home-cooked potatoes.

Bryson City is definitely one of our favorite places in the southeast for outdoor adventures, especially in the fall. There's just something magical about the Smoky Mountains with their vibrant leaves and looming morning fog. It's charm pulls you in from your first glimpse.


Happy Adventures, friends.
xoxo

copyright Hiking in Stilettos

Run This: Leadville Trail 100

The Leadville Trail 100 mile race began 29 years ago when ex-miner Ken Chlouber invented the "Race Across the Sky" to generate tourism in the city. The first LT 100 had 45 runners, only 10 of whom actually finished. To date the course follows the same 50 miles out and back as the original route, winding through the Rockies and topping out at 12,600 feet at Hope Pass. (It's important to note, too, that the lowest point in the trail is 9,300 feet.) The racers are provided with flashlights and batteries as approximately half of the race is run in utter darkness, (old mining roads in the mountains don't have street lights) and typically only a little over half of the runners make it to the finish. Exhaustion, broken ankles, and altitude sickness are common in the Leadville ER the weekend of the race.

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While I will admit that the idea of a 100 mile race is slightly intriguing, I definitely don't see myself actually withstanding 30 hours of running, half of which may be in the dark. (The 4:00 AM start time and mandatory medical check are also great deterrents.) The Marathon and Heavy Half Marathon, however, are a bit more within my reach. The half/marathon course winds its way through the historic mining district of Leadville via old mining roads and tops out at the 13,185 feet of Mosquito Pass. Not exactly your weekend trail run, but an appealing challenge nonetheless.

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So if you are in the Leadville, CO area during the summer months, there are a number of events for you to attend. From Lance-approved mountain bike races, to 10ks and training camps, Leadville has definitely made a business out of its trial running. But don't worry about the crowds of racers, Leadville still maintains it's small town affections. One participant described the trail 100 mountain bike race as riding with 1500 of your friends.

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{read more about the LT 100 history here.}

Happy Trails.
xoxo


copyright Hiking in Stilettos