From the Lost Files--What's a Crag?

So, of course I had to Google what the heck a "Crag" was.  Here's what I found: "a steep rugged rock or cliff".  OK.  Sounds cool.  I was advised by 2 of my coworkers to go to Hawksbill Crag, so I did.  I got this great hiking book written by a local photographer.  It's pretty cool.  It even has a checklist...I like lists.  And a CHECKlist...woah.  That's really cool.

To start the weekend off, I tried to ride my bike around Harrison.  Yes, I won't be doing that again anytime soon.  I think I pushed my bike more than I actually rode it as there was a STEEP hill at every turn.  I had my iPhone out at every intersection, trying to find an alternate route.  Grrr...I opted for my last way home, and still pushed.  AND, I swear a pickup truck (with a "hemi" of course, sped up when he saw I was frantically trying to cross a street.  I think I heard him yell, "BIKER WEARING BLAZE YELLOW, 100 POINTS...Y'ALL!" Yeah, I won.  I don't think I'll be challenging him anymore though.

RIDICULOUS HILLS + RIDICULOUS PICKUP TRUCKS + WOMAN WHO VALUES HER LIFE & HAPPINESS= 

BIKE CAN CONTINUE WINTER HIATUS

One of the more "milder" hills in Harrison.  No, I moved onto the next option home.

Saturday, I went to work for 2.5 hours and came home to 74 degrees and sunny!  I hit up Wal-Mart so I could get some DEEP Woods OFF...I am NOT going to find a tick on me.  No, No, No.  I don't care if it has Agent Orange or whatever it has in it.  No ticks.  

Jumped in El Morado (my purplish colored Ford Edge), opened the now greased up and fully functional panoramic sunroof (the pièce de résistance of El Morado), cranked up the tunes, and I headed off into the winding, twisting, Pee-Wee Herman-meets-Large Marge roads leading to the Upper Buffalo Wilderness Area in Newton County.  The views along the road were spectacular and I had to keep my eyes on that nutty road.  There were a few areas to pull over and take pictures, but I was on a mission to the Crag!  I'll have to go back on a photo taking mission some other day.

I made it to the trailhead, sprayed down, and took off my fleece vest as I was already toasty.  I reminded myself I wanted to be warm, noted to the world of Facebook that I was heading out into the wilderness and where I was just in case...you know.  The warning in the guide reading, "Please be careful-if you go to the edge to have a look and slip, you'll probably die," initially had me, but it was more like the clumsy stepping into potholes that I should have been worried about.  Good thing my toothpick ankles are stronger than I anticipated.  Yes, siree, I'm making strong ankles...;)

The Crag was pretty steep and rugged:

Hawksbill Crag (aka Whitaker Point)

Took some pictures using branches and rocks as a tripod (I went home and ordered a Gorrillapod after  that):