EPIC HIKE!!!!!!!

I'm dispensing with my traditional blog title form, because I have, yet again, a real adventure to recount and it is worthy of special titling.

Sunday, Barrett and I decided to tackle what we titled "epic hike," both Sharp Top and Flat Top in one day. According to the website where we got this hike (http://www.hikingupward.com/jnf/peaksofotter/), our route would cover about 9.8 miles, many of them upward.

We've done both mountains before on their own, and they've both been difficult before, on their own. But, as I am a fool, I always manage to convince myself that I'm in better shape now and will not die before I reach the top of either mountain.

Again, I'm a fool.

We set out around 11:30 a.m. Sunday, starting alongside a dad and two very little children. Every time I see these tiny kids on the trail, I have two simultaneous thoughts. 1) If these kids can do it, of course I can, I'm a grown-ass woman. 2) What if I can't do it, though, and these kids can, and then I'm just going to be embarrassed and sad for the rest of my life?

Of course, we quickly passed the dad and the little kids, and I convinced myself there was no way that two-year-old little girl and her slightly older brother were going to make it, even though the little boy was wearing a pretty sweet climbing shirt.

The initial stretch of Sharp Top is always the worst, as it's pretty much just a straight incline for about a quarter of a mile. I convinced myself, though, that once I conquered that it would be easy going, and kept reminding myself that Flat Top, though long, is a fairly gradual hike. Keep in mind here that I am a fool.

Nothing of too much note happened along much of the Sharp Top trail, other than occasional feelings that I was likely to pass out and die alternating with feelings that I was totally going to make it and was super badass. Near the top of the trail, we came across a mom with two young children, a tiny bit older than the ones we'd passed earlier but still decidedly not old.

The little girl, who was at best three, was snacking on chips and blocking the trail from any passers by. I think her mom was worried that was annoying, but I definitely appreciated the break.

After we passed them and continued upward, I heard the mom trying to convince them to continue on by paraphrasing the great movie A League of Their Own. "If it wasn't hard," she told them, "everybody would do it and wouldn't be cool anymore!"

And let me tell you, it was pretty cool when we made it to the top. We were sort of between the morning and afternoon hikers - we'd passed lots of people on their way down as we were ascending, but we seemed to be ahead of the big crowds planning to spend the mid-afternoon hours tackling the mountains. So that meant when we first reached the very top and sat down to enjoy our picnic lunch, we were the only people at the very top, which was pretty sweet.

People did eventually join us, otherwise I'd be very impressed with my ability to use the timer on a camera and place it perfectly for a top of mountain photo.

After a few minutes, we were joined up top by an older couple we'd been leap frogging the whole way up, both of whom had kick-ass walking sticks. They talked to us for a bit, and mentioned that although they'd never done Flat Top and Sharp Top in the same day, they'd hiked over and around Flat Top before for about a 7-mile trek. It was only then that we learned that Flat Top, although gradual when approaching from the Blue Ridge Parkway entrance, is super steep when approaching from the Sharp Top side.

This was not great news. 

We also eventually were met by the mom and her two little kids. The little girl was nom'ing on an apple, which she apparently had demanded if she was to be expected to go the rest of the way up the mountain. Way to negotiate, little girl.

After a lengthy break, we headed back down - always better then heading up. Just a few feet below the top we saw our other little kid hiking companions, the dad and children we'd started the day with.

I told the kids I was impressed and that they were clearly awesome hikers, and the little boy said something along the lines of "Didn't you see my sweet climbing shirt?"

I'll finish up later today or tomorrow with our adventures on Flat Top (spoiler alert, it was super difficult and life force draining) and more photos. Stay tuned to see if we survive epic hike!