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074<br />
TRAVEL REPORT: NORTH CAROLINA<br />
Trek the Trails<br />
From gentle strolls to strenuous<br />
climbs, hiking tops the area’s list of outdoor<br />
pursuits. One popular option is to hike a 2.4-mile portion<br />
of the Appalachian Trail on Max Patch Mountain, which<br />
is accessed from Hot Springs, NC (36 miles form Asheville), within<br />
Pisgah National Forest. Or, follow in President Obama’s footsteps on the<br />
Mountains-to-Sea Trail, which will go from the Smokies in Tennessee to<br />
the Atlantic Ocean when complete. The First Family hiked the trail along the<br />
Blue Ridge Parkway near Craven Gap during their Asheville vacation last April.<br />
Also accessible from the Blue Ridge Parkway is the Graveyard Fields Loop<br />
Trail near Brevard (34 miles from Asheville). “It can be an easy trip or a full-day,<br />
12-mile loop that goes over Black Balsam Knob and some other peaks,” says Joe<br />
Moerschdaecher, owner of Pura Vida Adventures, which offers hiking and other<br />
outdoor programs in the area. “And in addition to the leaves, the views of two<br />
major waterfalls (Upper and Second) are spectacular.”<br />
Moerschdaecher also recommends the Looking Glass Rock Trail in<br />
Pisgah National Forest. While you won’t see any Cheshire cats or white<br />
rabbits, you will hike among rare Carolina hemlocks, wind in and<br />
out of small coves, and tackle steep slopes before emerging<br />
at the top of the cliff. There, enjoy the views of Pisgah<br />
Ridge, the Blue Ridge Parkway and Black<br />
Balsam Knob, all aflame with color.<br />
pvadventures.com<br />
Zip Through a Forest<br />
Why merely observe the fiery flora when<br />
you can whiz right through the towering<br />
trees? Get your heart racing on a 3.5-hour<br />
zip-line tour with Navitat Canopy Adventures.<br />
The 5,731-foot course, situated in<br />
240-acre Moody Cove, consists of 10 zip<br />
lines, two sky bridges and two rappels. The<br />
GO MAGAZINE OCTOBER <strong>2010</strong><br />
fifth zip line—which carries you from one<br />
mountain ridge to another over a vast valley<br />
205 feet above the ground—is especially<br />
enthralling. “When you come into the<br />
receiving platform and you turn around,<br />
you get this long view to the Blue Ridge<br />
Parkway and can see the mountains<br />
from here to Asheville or further,” says<br />
Abby Burt, one of the company’s five<br />
partners. Throughout the course, you’ll<br />
zoom through a lush forest thick with<br />
yellow buckeye, tulip poplar and red oak.<br />
The adventure ends with a 900-foot-long<br />
bang—one of the course’s longest and fastest<br />
zips. “Guests typically zip at around<br />
35mph through a tight tree corridor,” Burt
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