We love to hike with our dog. And, happily, there are some great spots for getting out and tromping around in the woods in western North Carolina.
I will confess to sometimes rolling my eyes at the people out on the trail who are surprised to discover things like:
- If you walk downhill, you will almost certainly need to then walk uphill at some point.
- There are rocks, sticks, leaves, and dirt out here. Plus, very little in the way of pavement.
- The weather can, and will, change quickly.
- Just because there’s a place to park, doesn’t mean there’s a place to pee. Or, rather, there is, but you won’t like it.
- The woods are home to bears, snakes, insects, various other critters, poison ivy, stinging nettle, and other “natural” stuff that might give you issues of approached incorrectly.
Which means I fell in love with the sign posted by private citizens who are gracious enough to allow hiking on their property in Caldwell County, NC. I’m especially tickled by the second bullet there. I’ll certainly respect their privacy. But will THEY respect MINE? I have a sneaking suspicion this one is less about taking care of the snakes and ticks and more about keeping folks between the ditches. Literally.
