Presi Stroll

Jefferson-Clay-Washington-Monroe-Franklin-Eisenhower-Pierce

August 20, 2009

With the trailer in Twin Mtn, we frequently find ourselves hitting the Southern Presi's. And on a sunny warm summer day, Caps Ridge is a favorite trail to quickly get above treeline. We dropped a car by the Highland Center and were able to get started on Caps fairly early.

With just the two of us, we made pretty good time getting to Jefferson in 2 hours. The trail was fairly quiet, making us appreciate another mid-week hike. We enjoyed the views, grabbed a quick snack and headed out for Washington, via Clay. This time of year many of the AT hikers are in the area and we certainly saw our share. We chatted briefly with a few but kept a pretty steady pace. Also took the traditional cog shots along the way, waving at the folks inside and wondering if they think we're a bit nuts hiking when we could be riding.

Washington was quite clear, so the views were impressive. We managed to have someone take a respectable photo together at the peak and now have a new avitar. We enjoyed the luxuries of restrooms, cafeteria and a chance for a fairly comfortable seat, although we didn't stop too long before heading to Lakes, then up to Monroe. This trip reminds us of the year before, making a similar trek with Hiker Bob and Kabose - her first trip to Washington.

Monroe to Pierce is always a favorite stretch. The views are stunning and usually a few less crowds. We continued onward and found ourselves on Ike's rounded dome. From here you still get a good view of our entire journey so far and it does look quite impressive. We dropped off Ike, made our way over to Pierce for yet another peak. Time to head for the car. This is the part that always seems to drag as I'm sure that the trail has been lengthened or the trailhead moved.

Another lovely day in the mountains - a rare day with 'only' B&G hiking together. Wonderful to have some time alone and to just take it all in. We realize how lucky we are to live so close to this wonderful place and be able to hike and enjoy the mountains together.

Length of Hike:
10:00 hours
14.9 miles

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