Pisgah Forest: Old Favorites

Last Friday, with the morning entirely to myself, I headed up through Pisgah Forest to visit some familiar spots.  I wanted to get there early and have the place to myself, but I hadn't taken into account how long it takes for the sun to make its way over the mountains and trees.  The forest wakes up slowly:

My first stop was Looking Glass Falls, which is just off the highway and a few hours later would be packed with tourists.  I have such good memories of lazy afternoons spent here, sunning on the rocks while our children played in the creek and swam in the pool under the falls:

Then I went a little further, to Sliding Rock, which a little later would also will be covered with excited kids, bold teenagers, and somewhat hesitant parents, all flying down the surface into the shockingly cold water at the bottom.  In the silence of the early morning, the remains of yesterday's adventures were apparent in the two dozen or more abandoned t-shirts, towels, sandals and, even, swimsuits -- hmmmm:

When I was a camper in North Carolina 40 years ago (yep -- same camp where my children now work), trips to Sliding Rock were highlights of our summers.  We put great effort into passing the prerequisite swimming test, and great care into choosing the shorts sturdy enough to keep our swimsuits from being ripped to shreds.  I hear that insurance concerns now prevent the camp from taking young children there, but it was an exciting rite of passage back in the dark ages:

Walked: 3 miles.