Camino de Asheville - Section 2 Extended - 9 miles - Strenuous

Please join me for a camino in the Grove Park - Sunset Rd. neighborhood. This will be an extended version of the hike we normally do. We will go down to the Omni Grove and rest for 10 minutes or so and back up again.

WHERE: We will meet at the Harris Teeter Parking Lot in the northwest corner. GPS: 35.60447310291415, -82.55463932695355

Difficulty: There is about 900 to 1,000 ft. of elevation on this version of the hike. I have rated the hike strenuous for normal hikers or people who don't hike that much.

PACE: This hike is at a 2.5 to 3.0 pace, but mostly toward 3.0 mph even going up hill. Please be aware of your abilities and level of physical fitness. We will stop and wait for people to catch up in certain spots, but we cannot wait a long time.

NO-SHOWS: I will be paying attention to no-shows. A no-show with no notice prior to the hike or without changing your RSVP will make sure you end up on a wait list for my future hikes and backpacks if I decide to put a limit on the group size.

WAITLISTERS: I may also bump people up to going who have been coming regularly to my camino hikes if they are on the waitlist. This is just an FYI in case you are next on the list and people behind you get added. You can also lose this status if you stop showing up or bail out a lot. This is in place to reward people who keep coming back each week! In addition, please keep an eye on your RSVP status even on the day of. It may change to "going" within an hour of the hike with the way people drop in and out.

PLUS-ONES: If you are bringing a +1, please chose the +1 option when you sign up or edit your RSVP. I like to have an accurate headcount going into a hike. Additionally, please make sure your +1 is capable of doing the above mileage and pace.

WEIGHTS: I may bring along a weighted pack for added challenge. This is called rucking (www.goruck.com). It's also good training for backpacking, but I would recommend an actual backpack meant to carry heavy loads if you plan to carry over 15 lbs. This is because actual backpacking backpacks will sit on your hips and shoulders better preventing pain or injury to your back or other muscles. This is optional of course, you don't need to bring any weight, and I would recommend starting out light if you have not done this before.

We will be going to Asheville Pizza Brewing Co. after the hike.