Sabbath Hike with Friends

What a beautiful day for a hike!

Several families grabbed a quick lunch after church, then we hit the road! After a scenic drive along the French Broad River, we arrived at the entrance to Weaver’s Bend Road, a five-mile gravel road leading to the Chimney Rocks trail head.

Empty

About the time we got the gravel road, we noticed that the gas gauge read empty. And the light was on too.

Bad sign.

I glanced at Greg to see if he’s noticed. The look on his face told me that he also could see the gas light on. So we prayed that we’d make it at least to the trail head, then we’d cross the next bridge when we came to it.

Well…we did make it, and breathed a sigh of relief when we pulled into the parking lot. Not sure how we’d get home, but it was hiking time!

They say God looks out for fools and children. We aren’t kids, so you can draw your own conclusions as to what that makes us. ?

My husband and I enjoyed some nice talk time while hiking. We didn’t get in a big rush to hike up to the top, and that was kind of nice!

The hike was not terribly difficult, but it did go up and up. So, tiring in a good kind of way. Like knowing that it was good for me, but not particularly enjoying the burning sensation in my back end. No creek crossings or anything like that, but we did see some beautiful vistas along the way.

Good friends, good conversations, and meeting new people was how the day progressed.

We reached the top, where we all enjoyed the refreshing view, and paused for a rest together. One friend shared some devotional thoughts from the Scriptures, and we offered a prayer of thanks for the lovely day!

Chimney Rocks trail — Enjoying the view at the top

I met a new friend on the way down. A kindred spirit in our love of all things herbal. And she also loves wildflowers, so we compared flowers from her property and ours. I taught her about the Trailing Arbutus, and she educated me on the Indian Pinks.

Of course the teens couldn’t resist the urge to hang out near the train trestle, which made me a tad nervous. But all’s well that ends well, and it did end up fine. We grabbed a few photos.

Weaver’s Bend trestle — Weaver’s Bend train trestle

Of course the teens had to prove their muscular abilities. Just to balance and try something new. I like that they are willing to push each other.

Strength — More mature guys still have it!

Oh, and in the end?

We left and managed to drive all the way into town (while our new friends followed behind) without running out of gas. I do think that angels gave us a special escort. And next time, maybe I’ll remember to fill up the gas tank!