By, Vickie Leff, MSW, LCSW aka RunnerMom.com

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Oct. 19-20 - Garner to Atlantic Beach

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Section 12 of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, the 24-mile stretch between Linville Gorge and Beacon Heights at the base of Grandfather Mountain, is described as “Waterfall Backpack through the Pisgah National Forest.” It lived up to its description yesterday for Diane Van Deren on Day 7 of her quest to hike the Mountains-to-Sea Trail from end to end.

“Let’s just say we’re glad we didn’t tackle this section during the rain on Sunday or the runoff on Monday,” reports expedition coordinator Chuck Millsaps, who accompanied Van Deren.

The bulk of Wednesday’s hike was through the Wilson Creek area, a rugged 49,000-acre area at the base of the Blue Ridge escarpment that includes Wild and Scenic and Wilderness designations. It’s best known for its abundance of waterfalls and for its numerous creeks that make them possible. Because of its protected status, there are no footbridges; every crossing is a rock hop/ford/swim.

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Word from the high (and wet) country is that Diane Van Deren made it through Linville Gorge last night and is working her way today through the Wilson Creek area on her quest to trek the close-to-1,000-mile Mountains-to-Sea Trail in a record 21 days.

“We climbed through Linville Gorge yesterday and pulled out at Table Rock around 10 p.m.” reports MST Endurance Run expedition coordinator Chuck Millsaps. “It was a great hike. Been a few years since I was in there so The Chimneys were a bit daunting in the dark but we figured it out.”

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By Joshua Stevens

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Roswell, Ga. - Aug. 18

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By Joe Miller

Sunday, Day 4 of the MST Endurance Run, began on schedule for Diane Van Deren with a 3:45 a.m. wake up call. After getting off the trail the previous evening at 9:36 with Annette Bednosky, her trail guide for the weekend, she’d gotten her first good night’s sleep — 4 hours. She arrived where the Mountains-to-Sea Trail passes the Folk Arts Center in Asheville ready to rock a 43.8-mile day.

The mischievous Southern Appalachian Mountain gods had other plans.

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July 7 - Durham

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The MST Endurance Run officially began at 4:30am Thursday, May 10 2012. With temperatures in the low 30’s clouds covered Clingman’s Dome tower and made for visibility limited. Diane Van Deren, excited to begin this adventure, wondered what her first experience in the Smokies would hold.

It held a lot! The first day included 60+ miles that included the new section of the Mountains-To-Sea Trail, likely the first time this section has been traveled in one single outing. A brief rest came that evening as she climbed to the where the trail meets the Blue Ridge Parkway was an amazing adventure with over 65 miles covered as Diane Van Deren climbed the MST just below Richland Balsam, the Blue Ridge Parkway’s highest elevation. Getting to that first night’s campsite was just a bonus to the adventure.

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Tom Caughlan, Endurance Sports Media Group

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