Solo Trip, Day Two, Grandfather Mountain

I arrived early enough to be the only person at the bridge!

There's my van!

I was one mile, five feet, six inches tall!

The trail goes straight up out of the parking lot.  There's a hiking parking lot, but an employee said it was okay to just leave the van in the upper lot because they were not expecting a full house.

I took the Grandfather Trail out and the Underwood Trail back.

The trail had a HUGE variety of...variety.

It also had ladders, which I learned I do not like.

Look!  You can climb this rock face, then a ladder, followed by ANOTHER LADDER.

At the top of the second ladder is a THIRD ladder.

Look, that FAR hill is where my van is sitting.  I think the view from my van is probably identical to the view I was currently getting minus the stomach acid.

Oh.  If you think I did not cuss, you are DEAD WRONG.  

Let's look back down.

Then let's look up.

See the way the top fades into white?  Because it reached the outer limits of the actual world.  There is no need for color that high up because no one goes there.
I should mention that because I was there so early, there was no one else on the trail.  Also, I thought there was ONE LADDER.

Do you see how part of the ladder isn't over rock?  It's over nothing at all, there's just over a mile of drop.  THAT'S ALL.

Okay, so there was still color up that high.  But only blue and green.

UGH.  If there had not been another way off the mountain, I would have called for an air rescue.  Or an air drop with some food and a charger because I would have been living up there.

The far side of the gap.  Let's zoom in and see what that line is, shall we?

OMG!

It WAS pretty.

Nope.

The other trail had CABLES
I did not like these either, but at least my hand fit around it!

This doesn't even count as a ladder, it's like a toy replica.
Look how the end extends over the top of the cliff face so you don't have to crawl over the edge.  This is a ladder for toddlers.

Only one ladder left.  I CAN DO IT.

Look, trees to break my fall!

The view down from the swinging bridge.
There was a group of women clustered at the end, too scared to cross it.  I wanted to shove them out there and yell, "YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT FEAR IS, WALK!"
Instead, I sass-assed across like I was on a catwalk.  Shoulders back, butt swaying, feet following a straight line.  I had DONE something, yo.

There's the mountain!

I hit the museum on the way down.

Someone needs to brush this bear.

Nia?

One last peek at the peak.  I DID THAT, yes I was scared but I did not turn back.  I went all the way to the top!  By myself, under my own ability, taking the time I needed to do it.

Go me!!