Last summer Kristina and I visited her family in North Carolina. We spent some time hanging out with her family in Charlotte and Asheville, and also spent some time at the historic Firefly Cabin that we rented from the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy. We drove around and visited a bunch of the beautiful towns in the area. This year we decided to go back to the southern Appalachians again, but to go separately so one of us could stay home with our pets rather than arrange for somebody to take care of them. Kristina went in the spring and I went in late summer. I had a goal of hiking in as many southern Appalachian designated wilderness areas as I could. I flew to North Carolina, rented a car and – armed with my hiking gear, Benchmark and Delorme atlases, and a book called “Where Nature Reigns: Wilderness Areas of the Southern Appalachians,” by Jack Horan (published in 1997) – I headed off on my adventure. I saw a lot of beautiful scenery, and I also met some very nice people.
Mark Trail Wilderness sign, just off Highway 348 in Georgia. 
Looking south from the Raven Cliffs Wilderness. 
The trail went right between these two trees. 
I enjoyed watching for Appalachian Trail signs, and I enjoyed hiking on the trail. 
Sunlight on flowers in an oak forest. 
I don’t know what kind of mushrooms these are, but to me they looked like pancakes. 
These flowers had such a nice geometrical shape. 
Turk’s-cap Lily. If you look close you will see a tiny crab spider on the flower (lower left). 
The happy hiker. 
I loved the color of this mushroom and was impressed with how perfectly circular it shape was.
I ended out visiting ten wilderness areas and one wilderness study area – starting with the Southern Nantahala Wilderness in North Carolina and ending with the Ellicott Rock Wilderness in South Carolina. Each wilderness area had its own special charm. One of the highlights of the trip was driving up xin Georgia, with the Mark Trail Wilderness on the right and the Raven Cliffs Wilderness on the left. The Mark Trail Wilderness is the only wilderness area named for a comic strip character and I think Raven Cliffs is one of the best names ever for a wilderness area. I drove until I came to a trailhead for the Appalachian trail. I hiked a ways into the Mark Trail Wilderness first, and then I did a little hiking in the Raven Cliffs wilderness. I especially loved the oak trees and flowers in the Mark Trail area, and the spectacular views from the Raven Cliffs area. Both areas had amazing mushrooms. I hope you enjoy the photos of this part of my Southern Appalachian wilderness Chadventure.
Uintah Wildman 