President and Michelle Obama took an hour-long hike on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail north of Asheville. They planned to go from Ox Creek to Craven Gap, a two-mile section east of Asheville but they didn't make it. They turned back after a mile. So much for the first hiking couple.

I don't doubt that the President and the first lady could walk four miles (round trip) but they were probably hot and getting sweaty. Maybe no one thought to bring water and snacks. What I can't understand is why no one thought to put a car at Craven Gap so they could have a shuttle hike. With all the comforts and logistics at their disposal, you think that someone would have thought of that. But no one was a hiker, I guess.

He was the first sitting President to come to the Blue Ridge Parkway and you can believe that Superintendent Phil Francis was thrilled.

The above is not what they would have seen. It's a picture from Lunch Rocks, about 2.5 miles from the Folk Art Center.

I walked it (and back) to scout it for a hike which I'm leading for Wordfest, a poetry festival, in two weeks. What am I doing with all those poets? I have no idea; I'm not even interested in writing a memoir but they asked me to lead a hike and when people want to hike, I'm there.

We will hike to Lunch Rocks and then stop to write some poetry. OK, they'll write poetry; I might write about the hike and people's reaction to being on the MST. So check out Wordfest!