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Join me on my journey of completing my first ultramarathon - the challenging Uforea 50K (Daytime version) race through the lovely and rugged terrain of Uwharrie National Forest in North Carolina. This race indeed pushed me, testing not just my physical endurance but my mental strength. From navigating technical trails to the relentless ups and downs, each step was a testament to determination and perseverance. Race Details: 📍 Location: Uwharrie National Forest, NC 🏃 Distance: 50 kilometers (31 miles +) ⏱️ Total race time: 7:59:07 🏅 Finished M6 and 7OA #UltraMarathon #TrailRunning #Uforea50K #UltraRunning #RunningCommunity #Uwharrie #BootsontheTrail ___________________________________________________________________ Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for more exciting outdoor adventures! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About me ~ I'm Lee, but on the trail, YouTube, socials, and sometimes even at work, I'm known as Boots. Whether it’s sharing my adventures, tips for hiking, or simply enjoying the beauty of nature, this channel is a way for me to share my journey and inspire others to get out there and explore. I love connecting with fellow outdoor enthusiasts and hearing your stories too! I've set two Fastest Known Times (FKTs): the Mountains-to-Sea Trail Segment One (The Peak to Peak Challenge) and the Mitchell Vertical Mile. But my real passion? That's the annual Hike for Healing event, where I blend my love for the outdoors with a mission to make a real difference. Connect with me: 🟧 https://www.instagram.com/bootsonthetrail/ 📘 https://www.facebook.com/BootsontheTrail 🌐 https://www.bootsonthetrail.com

I completed the Rocky Face Vertical Mile Challenge! The Rocky Face Vertical Mile Challenge is not your average 16+ mile hike/run. The course is approximately a 2-mile loop beginning and ending at the bottom of the climber's rock face, which is directly behind the parking lot at Rocky Face Recreational Area. About a half-mile into the loop, there is a half-mile climb up Stairway to Heaven Trail. Stairway to Heaven Trail is an open rock face climb and at a 20 to 30 degree grade. This section of the course heats up as the temperature rises during the day. Some runners and hikers call this section the skillet because it is so hot…others call it brutal! At the top of the climb, challengers turn left down Hollow Rock Trail and it flows downhill to the top of the lower rock face. At this point, challengers continue down a steep downhill section, followed by 32 steps to the bottom and the end of the loop at the start/finish line. Challengers must complete this loop 8 times for 16+ miles and a vertical mile up and a vertical mile down. There is a check-in QR code located at the office that you must scan each round to verify the loops. This was a very nice day, but I started a bit tired having completed the LeConte Vertical Mile the previous day as part of a 3-day 3-challenge week. ___________________________________________________________________ 👣 Trail Stats Trails Hiked: Grindstone Trail, Stairway to Heaven, Hollow Rock Trail, Buzzard Trail Total Distance Hiked: 17.9 mi Total Elevation Gain: 5280' per the park... Total Time: 5h 18m ___________________________________________________________________ Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for more exciting outdoor adventures! #BootsontheTrail #VerticalMileChallenge -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About me ~ I'm Lee, but on the trail, YouTube, socials, and sometimes even at work, I'm known as Boots. Whether it’s sharing my adventures, tips for hiking, or simply enjoying the beauty of nature, this channel is a way for me to share my journey and inspire others to get out there and explore. I love connecting with fellow outdoor enthusiasts and hearing your stories too! I've set two Fastest Known Times (FKTs): the Mountains-to-Sea Trail Segment One (The Peak to Peak Challenge) and the Mitchell Vertical Mile. But my real passion? That's the annual Hike for Healing event, where I blend my love for the outdoors with a mission to make a real difference. Connect with me: 🟧 https://www.instagram.com/bootsonthetrail/ 📘 https://www.facebook.com/BootsontheTrail 🌐 https://www.bootsonthetrail.com

One minute to the summit of Mt. LeConte... by gaining a full vertical mile! Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for more exciting outdoor adventures! #BootsontheTrail #MtLeConte #Verticalmile -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About me ~ I'm Lee, but on the trail, YouTube, socials, and sometimes even at work, I'm known as Boots. Whether it’s sharing my adventures, tips for hiking, or simply enjoying the beauty of nature, this channel is a way for me to share my journey and inspire others to get out there and explore. I love connecting with fellow outdoor enthusiasts and hearing your stories too! I've set two Fastest Known Times (FKTs): the Mountains-to-Sea Trail Segment One (The Peak to Peak Challenge) and the Mitchell Vertical Mile. But my real passion? That's the annual Hike for Healing event, where I blend my love for the outdoors with a mission to make a real difference. Connect with me: 🟧 https://www.instagram.com/bootsonthetrail/ 📘 https://www.facebook.com/BootsontheTrail 🌐 https://www.bootsonthetrail.com

___________________________________________________________________ Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for more exciting outdoor adventures! #BootsontheTrail #waterfall -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 🌐 https://www.bootsonthetrail.com 🟧 https://www.instagram.com/bootsonthetrail/ 📘 https://www.facebook.com/BootsontheTrail

A Thanksgiving Day Hike! One that was on my list for a long time, the LeConte Vertical Mile Challenge isn't for everyone, but is a great challenge for a lot of hikers to complete. and I've seen a lot do just that. The rules here are simple - start anywhere on River Road in Gatlinburg, TN north of LeConte Creek (to ensure you start at a low enough elevation). Dip your hand or foot in the river, start your watch/tracker, then, hike/run up to High Top on Mt. LeConte (6,593') by any route of your choosing. Return to the river and touch the water once more to complete the challenge (stopping your watch at that point). Doing so ensures you gain (and lose) a net 5,280' in elevation equating to one mile. This is also a highly contested FKT (not for me, lol) and to count your official time, you must not at any point stop/pause your tracker until you are done, including for any breaks, snacks, conversations, photos, etc. TOTAL time is what matters here (not just moving time). This was a great Thanksgiving day for me and this was the first of three back-to-back hiking challenges I completed Th-Sa. The weather wasn't ideal as it was cold and wet, but that also helped me keep my focus as a day of self-reflection and thanks. Getting to Gatlinburg early ensured I could park on River Road (for free), right beside the river, which is the start point for this challenge. My chosen route was up Cherokee Orchard Rd to Twin Creeks Trail to Rainbow Falls Trail to Blvd to High Top -- then back to the lodge and down Bull Head to Cherokee Orchard Rd back to the river. I did see a few Thanksgiving refugees (turkeys) along Twin Creeks and Rainbow Falls was as full as I have personally seen it. Past the falls, the trail was essentially an unavoidable stream itself for 90% of the hike to High Top. Coming down Bull Head really wasn't much better in this regard. I saw a handful of people en route to Rainbow Falls, but only 1 person past the falls on this trail. The shelter seemed to have 7-8 people there as I passed by, and I only saw 2 people when I briefly stopped at the lodge restroom area on the way down. I literally saw zero people on Bull Head. 22 miles, 7h 20m total time from river to High Top to river (no tracker pauses). A good day, a great hike, a wonderful challenge! ___________________________________________________________________ 👣 Trail Stats Total Distance Hiked: 22mi Total Elevation Gain: 5,400' Total Time: 7h 20m ___________________________________________________________________ Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for more exciting outdoor adventures! #BootsontheTrail #LeConte #VerticalMile #GreatSmokyMountains -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Royalty Free Music: Bensound.com License code: 5AGXU8ZMKHQIT5GA 🌐 https://www.bootsonthetrail.com 🟧 https://www.instagram.com/bootsonthetrail/ 📘 https://www.facebook.com/BootsontheTrail 📧 Email: lee@bootsonthetrail.com

Join in on a great group adventure along the Indian Creek Trail at Hanging Rock State Park in North Carolina! Several small creek crossings along this hike led us a variety of flora and interesting rock formations. We got some nice views of the crystal clear Dan River and spent some time exploring all around Window Falls and Hidden Falls on our way back out. The hike itself was quite easy, but most sources would likely rate this as moderate due to the distance (~9 miles). A lot of this hike also is a part of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail which traverses 1175 miles across the state of North Carolina. #HangingRockStatePark #NCHiking #NorthCarolina #WaterfallHike #MountainstoSeaTrail #Waterfalls #BootsontheTrail ___________________________________________________________________ 👣 Trail Stats Trails Hiked: Indian Creek Trail/Mountains-to-Sea Trail, River Bluffs Trail Total Distance Hiked: 9.32 mi Total Elevation Gain: 1300' Total Time: 3h 50m ___________________________________________________________________ Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for more exciting outdoor adventures! Royalty Free Music: Bensound.com/royalty-free-music License code: DEHIGMO6TU4RH1VG -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 🌐 https://www.bootsonthetrail.com 🟧 https://www.instagram.com/bootsonthetrail/ 📘 https://www.facebook.com/BootsontheTrail 📧 Email: lee@bootsonthetrail.com

If you love challenging hikes, hidden waterfalls, and pushing your outdoor limits, this video is for you! In this episode, I take the arduous journey to one of the Smokies' most remote and breathtaking waterfalls - Steeltrap Creek Falls. This wasn't just a hike - it was a full-blown adventure! Beginning at the parking lot of Kuwohi, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park's highest peak, I traveled several miles down familiar trails, then the real adventure began. A half-mile creekwalk, up and over cascades, in and out of the water, dodging rhododendron thickets… but the moment I caught the first glimpse of Steeltrap Creek Falls, I literally stopped in my tracks at this 80' stunner; I was truly blown away! After taking in the sights and sounds of this hidden gem, I began the grueling climb back out, making my way through briars, brambles, and of course more rhododendron. As the sun set, I finally reached the Appalachian Trail, hiking over the summit of Mt. Buckley and Kuwohi in the dark before finding my way back to my car. A long day, but a great day. (Hike off-trail at your own risk) #GreatSmokyMountains #Hiking #Waterfall #bootsonthetrail ___________________________________________________________________ 👣 Trail Stats Trails Hiked: Forney Ridge Trail, Forney Creek Trail, (Off-Trail), Appalachian Trail, Kuwohi Trail Total Distance Hiked: 9 miles Total Elevation Gain: 2770 Total Time: 6 h 30 m ___________________________________________________________________ Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for more exciting outdoor adventures! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Music by: Bensound.com/royalty-free-music License code: JIZRVUO5KKZAJMSD 🌐 https://www.bootsonthetrail.com 🟧 https://www.instagram.com/bootsonthetrail/ 📘 https://www.facebook.com/BootsontheTrail