A beautiful view from Max Patch Mountain in Western North Carolina.

Is Max Patch getting steeper? No, I’m just a year older and more out of shape.

Friday was a gorgeous day in the North Carolina mountains, and a good day for hiking up to Max Patch, a beautiful area on the Appalachian Trail in Madison County, NC, near the Tennessee border. My sister, Patricia Smith, and my dog, Tyler, It’s the third year in a row that we’ve made the hike.

Here’s another view from Max Patch, near the NC-TN border.

Trish and I both commented on the effect on our muscles and joints, and how sore we’d like be. The hike didn’t seem to phase Tyler, who has actually had hip surgery.

Here’s another view from Max Patch.

Once we got to the top (almost), my sister threw down a blanket. We rested, had a snack, drank some water, and took some photos. Then we made the hike down the mountain. Gravity was on our side. The trek down the mountain was a bit less strenuous than the hike up.