Fall Alternative Break: Boone, North Carolina

     What made the Fall Alternative Break trip worth while?



     Maybe it was the beauty of the Autumn leaves on Rough Ridge Parkway, or perhaps the cool air of the Great Smoky Mountains, it may have even been the peanut butter and bologna sandwiches, but more than likely it was a combination of the entire experience that makes FAB Coordinators Jill Conley and Taylor Pennell look forward to planning future alternative break trips. 

The Viaduct View from the Rough Ridge Parkway

       This year FAB spent the weekend of fall break in Boone, North Carolina.  Rough Ridge Parkway is just a part of the Mountain-to-Sea trail on which the volunteers worked for three days. Armed with clippers and pruning shears they were commissioned to clear a small portion of the 1,000 mile trail that winds it's way from the mountains of North Carolina to the Outer Banks.       
      "Leading FAB taught us all the details about how to plan an Alternative Break, but it was completely worth it when we saw how well the group worked together to achieve the goals we had set from the beginning," Conely and Pennell said.  "It gave us confidence to have a successful upcoming Spring Break."

Jared Wilson, the fearless mentor for the FAB Coordinators

            "We were all quiet on the way there," Fernanda Agnes said about the nine hour trip through the hills of Kentucky and Tennesse. But she said it didn't take long for the team to warm up to each other as they heated water over the campfire for mochas. 

Fernanda, Kim and Julia

       When the team wasn't working on the trail, they were eating their meals in picturesque places or layering on clothes to protect themselves from the surprisingly chilly evening temperatures.

The FAB group relaxing on the rocks.

      The menu of the weekend took a surprising twist when people decided to invent new food combinations. Everything from bologna and peanut butter sandwiches to banana s'mores were created. Apparently, they were good too.  

       Apart from fun food experiments, Conley and Pennell agreed that enjoying the mountain scenery was the most memorable.

     "The best moment was when we worked hard on the last day, and when we finished we hiked up to the top of Rough Ridge and were blown away by a breath taking view of the Autumn trees."

     The group was glad to hear that their efforts could be a jump-start for the small town economies within the area, as tourists would begin to use the trail more often.  Residents of the area were grateful, and the students were happy to be of service.



      Conley and Pennell both are looking forward to the Spring Alternative Break trips, and they agree that it is a "great break from the busy life of a college student."

Back Row: Fernanda, Kim, Taylor, Jillian, Jarod, Chad
Front Row: Kailey, Julia, Kayla, Jose, Xiaowei