Try a loop you can create from the Ivestor Gap and Art Loeb trails in the Shining Rock Wilderness in the Pisgah National Forest, about an hour west of Asheville. Start on the Ivestor Gap trail, a flat, old logging road that travels through beech, birch, spruce, and fir around the Tennant Mountains. Choose an out-and-back on the Ivestor, or eventually hook into a portion of the 30.1-mile Art Loeb trail, which will take you straight to the top of 6,214-foot Black Balsam Knob–a fun challenge for your daughter. For more detailed information, Drew and his helpful coworkers at Black Dome Mountain Sports (), just east of downtown Asheville, can help you custom-design the perfect route.
国产吃瓜黑料 Medical Kits
In addition to water, snacks, and cell phone, I鈥檇 take along the Trails Illustrated map of the Pisgah Ranger District ($12; ). This detailed, waterproof, and tear resistant topographic map was revised in 2009 and will keep you going in the right direction.
I鈥檇 also pack the Women鈥檚 Edition Outdoor 国产吃瓜黑料 Medical Kit ($40; ). The size of an overstuffed envelope, this new-for-2010 kit is waterproof, lightweight, and has everything women need to hike in safety and comfort: multiple bandages, medications for bee stings, insect bites, and diarrhea, antiseptic wipes to clean cuts and scrapes, cramp-relief tablets, tampons, and an odor-proof bag. They even thought to include hand sanitizer and Blistex lip moisturizer–two fewer things you need to put on your packing list.