Climb Every Mountain Fitness Challenge Week 9

Week 9 Climb Every Mountain Fitness Challenge Week 9

The Spring 2017 Climb Every Mountain encourages participants to exercise an average of at least 20 minutes per day. Week 9, beginning April 30 and ending May 6, features Gorges State Park.

This relatively new state park is located in Sapphire, NC in Transylvania County. A flood in 1916 occurred when a dam broke, destroying several communities in the area. In 1982, nearly 300 acres were placed on the NC Registry of Natural Heritage Areas where nearly 125 rare and 12 endangered or threatened plant and animal species are located. Some plants normally found in the tropics thrive here.

Visitors can pick up a plant and animal checklist at the Welcome Center while enjoying the view at 3,372 feet. Visitors may wish to camp, pack a picnic, fish, ride a horse, or enjoy the waterfall overlook. Ten hiking trails are offered here, ranging from easy to strenuous. Rainbow Falls trail enters the National Forest.

Although I have visited almost all of the state parks featured in this fitness challenge, this is one that is on my bucket list of places to see. Have you ever visited Gorges State Park? If so, what were your favorite activities?

For more information about joining this fitness challenge, click here.

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

I Kings 19:11-12