Backpacking

I'm finishing up my checklist for my 3-day hike in Mt. Mitchell State Park, NC. I am a little nervous knowing that black bears are out and very hungry, the forecast calls for rain and the trails are already muddy and slippery. I'm also tagging along with my husband, father-n-law, and 3 other man friends! What am I thinking? Why am I not going to the beach and going shopping and eating real food rather than MRE's, Cliff Bars, Ramen Noodles and Oatmeal? Well I'll let you all know in the blog world how this turns out when I return! Adios for now. I am sure there's a lot of sites, mud and adventures to talk about in the near future. 

By the way, did I mention that Mt. Mitchell is the highest peak east of the Mississippi and several miles of our trail involves rock scrambling. 

The Mountaineers climbing organization defines scrambling as follows:

"Alpine Scrambles are off-trail trips, often on snow or rock, with a 'non-technical' summit as a destination. A non-technical summit is one that is reached without the need for certain types of climbing equipment (body harness, rope, protection hardware, etc), and not involving travel on extremely steep slopes or on glaciers. However, this can mean negotiating lower angle rock, traveling through talus and scree, crossing streams, fighting one's way through dense brush, and walking on snow-covered slopes."