Reset Button

Time in the mountains is just something I simply need. It's always a reset button for me. To welcome the year of 2013, Shaun and I decided to head to a cabin near Hendersonville, NC.

A rather long gravel driveway led up to the little cabin. We were greeted at the bottom by a big bloodhound/mastiff-looking dog that we eventually would name "Hank". Shaun had to get out of the car to make sure I didn't run him over! After Shaun got back in the car, Hank was like a Wal-Mart greeter and walked in front of the car all the way up the driveway and led us right up to the cabin steps. It was too funny! Hank and the other neighbor dogs visited from time to time throughout our four day stay.

After arriving at the cabin and taking inventory of supplies and amenities, we let Parker and Maisey play for a bit and then headed out for a "quick" trip to the grocery store. Ha! We took a wrong turn somewhere and our quick trip turned into a 40-minute drive to the store! Needless to say, we stocked up for our stay and ate great while we were there.

The next morning I went downstairs to make tea. The peace and quiet was incredible. I took my tea out into the cold morning and walked with the dogs around the property. I love breathing in that chilly mountain air. It feels like it cleanses the entire body and mind. Before getting to the cabin, Shaun and I were looking forward to silence, reading and relaxing. However, while I was outside, I felt slightly rejuvenated and was hoping he'd wake up and want to go hiking somewhere. I headed excitedly back inside (brrr!) and picked up the DuPont State Forest map that was lying on the kitchen table. I chose what I thought would be a good hike and when Shaun came down the stairs, I bombarded him with my excitement! Even in his sleepy state, he was excited too, but wanted to go for a quick run. A very quick run, indeed. Those hills and lack of oxygen brought him back to the cabin in about twenty minutes and then we were off for a hike!

A relaxing morning with Mr. Tea

DuPont is over 10,000 acres of forest and is filled with trails and waterfalls. The map we had was handy and the trails were very well marked. Not sure what it's like the rest of the year, but we only ran into a handful of people the whole hike and not one of them gave us crap for our dogs being off leash! So yes, Parker and Maisey had the best time...EVER!

The first hike we did was about four miles long and led to an amazing view. There's nothing I love more than a hike with a view! It was the perfect spot to share peanuts and a beer among the clouds.

When we did the first day's hike, we ran into the most lovely older couple who spotted Bridal Veil Falls from the current view above. The next day, we decided it to make it our next adventure. The journey there wasn't all too exciting. We were on dirt roads most of the time and I didn't know if they were accessible by cars so I was nervous about letting the dogs run amuck. We did come across an old airstrip landing with an incredible view.

"Airstrip Trail" in DuPont

It was neat to stand in the middle of it and think about how it probably used to be busy with planes coming and going. On this day, it felt particularly desolate. I felt very tiny standing on it. Not just my normal small, but very tiny :)

We eventually made it to Bridal Veil Falls and took a moment to take in it's beauty. The dogs just wanted to swim around, so part of our time was spent convincing them that it wasn't the best idea. Where would they be without us to tell them "no"? Hypothermic, probably.

Bridal Veil Falls

Since we weren't satisfied with our hike to the falls, we decided to plan a different way back. Shaun found us a way and we set off. There weren't any views, but it was so nice to let the dogs run around for some fun and we simply enjoyed the sounds of nature. In the middle of the hike, I got the urge forsome human contact so we sped up a little in hopes that we could get back to the cabin in time to shower and make it into downtown Hendersonville before things closed for the night (it was a Sunday, y'all). 

The downtown was pretty cute! We talked about how it felt like a baby Boulder, CO. Ok, it wasn't even close, but we admired how it felt tucked into the mountain setting. There were cute little shops to enjoy (most of the them closed for the day), but we managed to make it into Mast General Store which I always enjoy and getting a little something for the pups at a store called Wag. It was pretty chilly that day and the sun was starting to set so we headed into the Black Rose Pub for a beer and some food. The Shepherd's Pie was the perfect cozy meal. 

Downtown Hendersonville, NC

The final day at the cabin was bittersweet. Don't get me wrong, the whole trip was relaxing, but I always feel like I finally start to truly RELAX after a few days. New Year's Eve (the final day) was absolutely perfect and filled with nothing. I hung out with Mr. Tea a few times and finished a book outside on the porch with a cozy fire, my baby by my side, my dogs running around like maniacs and the smell of pork and sauerkraut (a northern tradition to bring good luck) permeating the entire cabin. I found myself reflecting on 2012 intermittently and looking ahead to 2013 and what it might bring.

I don't make resolutions. They more often than not get broken, but yeah, there are things that I'm looking forward to this year: a possible trip to Europe (or wherever our little heart's decide), more volunteering, riding lessons, more running/lifting, perhaps a new hobby, continuing to decorate our house, more fun moments with my love and our dogs (friends, too) and... a baby? Will this be our year? Who knows? All of us look forward to a fresh start whenever a new year starts over. We all seem to picture it going perfectly and as our best year yet. But, even if the year doesn't go as planned, every moment and experience (good or bad) is one to grow from. Overall, I look forward to growing more this year (not vertically, of course). I also look forward to another moment, at another cabin, where I can prop my feet up by another cozy fire.

The end of 2012