President of the Outdoor Club, senior Sarah Freeman, walked a few more steps to the edge of the Looking Glass rockface as she took in the view. Her uphill adventure for more than two hours was worth the wait and effort as she looked down from the 1,649-foot drop.
“I think it’s awesome when you start from the bottom of a mountain or even just meadows and then you get to the top and see the distance you went and the change in elevation,” Freeman said. “Everything changes as you get higher.”
With the weather warming up, many other West students are joining in on the hiking craze. Students are beginning to dedicate afternoons and weekends to traversing trails in hotspots such as DuPont State Forest and Pisgah National Forest. For many, living in the mountains offers the perfect
opportunity to get outside and be active.
“My favorite time of the year to go hiking is in the fall when all the leaves are turning. I love it when the air is crisp, but it’s not freezing,” junior Jessica Parce said. “I enjoy being outside the most when the weather feels cool, but not hot.”
Some students suggest that hiking helps them escape from a world dominated by social media.
“I think it’s helpful for people to get away from it all. Social media almost becomes like a job as far as checking it all the time,” Freeman said. “It’s nice being able to put it aside and get away from it.”
When trying to juggle both academic work and college planning, junior Marshall Beaty believes hiking is the perfect way to escape the stress that accompanies school.
“I like being able to take a break from the stress of everyday life,” Beaty said. “I also enjoy looking at the views and taking a break from responsibility.”
However, Freeman also believes the popularity of hiking has peaked because of sites such as Instagram and Facebook.
“I know a lot of friends I work with and just people here at West who put amazing pictures of trails that are as close as 10 minutes from here,” Freeman said. “This spikes people’s curiosity, and they want to go to see the views themselves because pictures can only display so much.”
According to www.hikewnc.info, the best moderate hikes in the area include Craggy Pinnacle, Linville Falls, Sam Knob and Graveyard Fields. For more advanced hikers, the website recommends John’s Rock Trail, Green Knob and Looking Glass Rock.
“I have hiked the John’s Rock Trail several times. The loop is incredibly difficult, even for someone who hikes pretty often,” senior Tazmae Padilla said. “But there are a lot of bridges and interesting elements to the trail.”
Nevertheless, students are calling other trails their favorites. Junior Jessica Parce frequents Black Balsam Knob each Sunday with her family. Located at Milepost 420 on highway 276, Parce enjoys the sense of seclusion that comes from the 360-degree views and high peaks.
“Hiking has a good effect on people,” Parce said. “I love the way it gets people interacting with one another while exercising. I have even slimmed down since I started.”
While exploring local trails is just an after-school hobby for some, Freeman hopes to hike the entire Appalachian Trail section by section.
“My goal is to hike the entire Appalachian Trail. I am not sure if I want to start in Georgia and go all the way to Maine. I might just hike state by state,” Freeman said. “It would be an amazing experience not only to accomplish something like that, but to also meet so many interesting people along the way.”
By Polly Phillips
