Afros Hike on the Mountains to Sea Trail in North Carolina

On a recent, misty afternoon, Outdoor Afros gathered at the Falls Lake Dam Visitor Assistance Center between North Raleigh and Wake Forest, North Carolina, to walk along a portion of the Mountains to Sea Trail. This trail runs from the Great Smokey National Park in the western part of the state to the Outer Banks on the Atlantic Ocean.
The OA Banner hung on the car made it very easy for folks to see that they had arrived at the correct location.

The weather was on the cloudy side, but once we were under the canopy of the trees, it was impossible to tell whether or not it was actually raining. The evidence of spring was everywhere. We heard Cardinals and Robins and a variety of woodland birds and saw a Great Blue Heron flying over the lake.

About half way into the hike we stopped for a rest, a snack and a moment to just sit and enjoy the nature around us.

We also saw a number of cairns and noticed some interesting tree growth along a creek bed.
      
We ended our hike back at the Visitors center and the ranger came out to take our photo.   Members referred to the hike as “refreshing,” “renewing,” and “relaxing.”