08/28/2026
Yay for my 3rd solo hike! 🦋
It was Felicity’s turn to come along and I choose a nice loop with 2 waterfalls. I've been choosing waterfall hikes because of the summer heat and I know the dogs love the water!
We hiked about a mile without seeing anyone then saw maybe 10-15 total people within 0.5 miles of the waterfall (but managed to have the waterfall to ourselves!).
After that, we didn't see anyone for 3-4 miles. That's the longest I've gone so far while solo hiking!
Typically, I'd love to see absolutely no one on the trail when I'm hiking with my husband, but it's kind of reassuring to see a handful of people when I'm by myself.
With that said, the 3-4 miles by myself were both soothing and unnerving. The trail took us deeper into the woods. NC has dense forests and it was so quiet. We did big chunks of trails between creek crossings, so there wasn't even water noise for most of it.
Like Bill Bryson said, "Everything sounds big in the woods." And boy is he right. A squirrel sounds like a bear. A bird sounds like someone coming up behind you.
I had a couple minutes of asking myself, "Why am I out here alone?!" But overall, I kept a level head and enjoyed myself.
Until next time!! 🦋
