Go State!

While visiting the skating rink the other night, I spotted a guy standing along wall on the ice a couple of yards from me wearing an NC State sweatshirt. Unlike the other universities in the Triangle, people usually don't wear NC State gear unless they actually went there. So I flashed the Wolfpack sign and shouted "Go State!"

He turned my way and gave me a rude look. His expression changed though when he saw my Wolfpack sign. He laughed, and said to me, "Sorry, I thought you yelled at me to 'Go Skate!'".

Go State, Go Skate!

Art Loeb Trail up Black Balsam Knob

In December, I took a short hike up Black Balsam Knob along the Art Loeb Trail. Black Balsam Knob is accessible off the Blue Ridge Parkway, 37 miles southwest of Asheville. Coming from Asheville along the Parkway, you turn right onto Black Balsam Knob Road. Drive 3/4 mile up the road. Trail heads off on the right. The map (from this site on the entire Art Loeb hike), shown below has the Black Balsam portion shown at the bottom. It's a quick hike, but you break the tree line halfway up, and can see for miles around at the top. Without trees at the peak, it can get very windy.

In the pictures below, shows the terrain at the base of the trail when it's still in the forest and the black balsam trees as you start your climb. Further down is the rocky trail as you start reaching the tree-less portion of the bald, and the view around.

Jughandles in Asheville

Visited Asheville a couple of weeks ago, and came across a couple of jughandles of interest. First, at the base of Black Balsam Knob on the Art Loeb Trail, I came across a jug of water with my name on it. A bit creepy actually.

Asheville also has a Jersey jughandle in the westbound direction on Patton Avenue at the intersection with southbound Clingman Avenue. Excited to see this intersection type outside of the Garden State.