Mountains to Sea Trail: Shut in Trail to Sleepy Gap

For an easy day or recovery day, we like to do what we call a wog (walk/jog).  This is the time we take to get outside, move the legs to get the blood flowing to all the muscles to help in the aide of recovery after a strenuous workout the day before.  It's also a time to really take a look around ourselves, enjoy the scenery and have a  picnic.







Today we took an out and back wog on a portion of the Mountains to Sea Trail starting at mile marker 395 off the Blue Ridge Parkway for 3 miles to Sleepy Gap parking area.  This section of the MST is a small portion of trail known as the Shut in Trail.  The Shut in Trail was built by George Vanderbilt as a way to travel from his home at the Biltmore Estate to his hunting lodge (Buck Spring Lodge) near Mt Pisgah.  We started on one of the steeper sections of  the trail with a 20% grade but it eventually leveled out into more  rolling terrain mixed with two steep sections before we got to Sleepy Gap.

We started off with a tough 20% climb

one of several switchbaks

Sometimes in life we feel so small

Oh Boy, this is the best day EVER!

Walnut Cove Overlook

 

Trail toward Sleepy Gap

View from Sleepy Gap Parking Area where we had lunch before our return trip

This is the best picnic EVER... any more food???