Welp, I made it to the last park on my list a little later than I had hope but I made it nonetheless!! :)
And although i didn't plan it, it was very fitting that my last State Park was in the place (Boone/Banner Elk) where my love of the mountains first began - how beautiful is this life we live sometimes! :)
The Profile Trail is a trail I've always wanted to give a try during my time in Boone, but I was never able to make it happen.
Before going on the hike, I was warned that it was a doozy of a hike with over 3000 ft of elevation gain and 10 miles of hiking! But I was so pumped to finally hike on this famed trail that I wasn't intimidated at all!
The profile trail turned out to be my absolute most favorite hike of at all 41 state parks! The views were just fantastic. Not only were the views amazing but many parts of the trail were exposed so you had views for what felt like days!
Additionally, the varied terrain on the trail made parts of it feel like less of a hike and more like a playground! I giggled like I kid on the various rock scramble parts and my blood/adrenaline were pumping on the ladders that the profile trail is famous for!!
I made it to the visitor's center in about 4 hours a little tired and sore and kinda hoping someone would give me a ride back to my car so that I wouldn't have to hike the same trail back! I put on my best pathetic "I need help face" but didn't have any luck :(.
The hike back was definitely tiring but I was so pumped and filled with adrenaline that I ran the last .4 mile!
Most of my trips to the state parks were solo trips and although I love hiking alone I so longed to run into someone on my last hike to have someone to share the experience with! I didn't hold on to this wish too tightly but lo and behold about 3 miles into the hike I ran into an ole coworker Rob! He's a legend and someone I hope to be like one day and it was so neat running into him!
!
It felt like such a gift from the universe to run into him!
The moment I'd waited for for 13 months!!!! :)
Welp, that's it that was my last NC State park!
I literally smiled almost the whole 2.5 hrs drive home the next day! I couldn't believe that a little random dose of curiosity and a dream became a reality!
Life! Gahhhh! :)
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