'Tis the reason for the season

After wandering around the gorgeous metamorphic rock cliffs of the Linville Gorge in North Carolina we were reminded why trad climbing is often more part adventure and less part climbing. We spent the greater part of three days looking for two of the most classic lines in the gorge, which involved shlepping around heavy packs, bushwacking down ravines, and fighting our way through prickly berry bushes. While We never really found the start of the Mummy or the Daddy, we had a great time climbing a beautiful line called The Prow, a route so classic that we did it twice. The gorge was an absolutely incredible wilderness area and we would love to go back, with more beta, a better guidebook, or someone who really knew their way around.

Inspired by getting lost and then found again, we decided to stay off the interstate and head south on state route 211 from the Gorge, working our way toward Savannah, Georgia. Some of you may remember our luck with finding ourselves in the middle of small-town, rural parades (see Kerala, India), and route 211 happened to take us straight down Main Street in Rutherfordton, North Carolina, at 5 PM on December 1st - which coincided exactly with their huge, once a year holiday parade. Actually, come to think of it, there wasn't much other holiday representation - it was all about Christmas.

If you are ever in North Carolina, be sure to check out Rutherfordton, as it really is a charming town. Walking down the main street amongst the crowd of one-deep parade watchers we were reminded how small town parades usually have more people in them than are actually watching. We grabbed a cup of hot chocolate from the local cafe and strolled up and down the strip while enjoying the soulful tunes of the local African-American gospel choir. This group was rocking, and a drummer that might very well have been ?uestlove after a haricut drove the energy with some funky hip-hop beats. Finally, we had arrived in anti-corporate nirvana, off the highway, away from the box stores, and in the heart of America.

And then the parade started. The enthusiasm was contagious as floats rolled by and observers and floaters alike bellowed "Merry Christmas" at everyone they knew, which was usually every single person. The first half of the procession was marked with a few definite, flavorful highlights - the local Martial Arts dojo strutted their best disciples out for everyone to see, with mock fighting occuring every 20 yards. The tumble bus ushered forth a gaggle of adolescent girls doing flips, handstands, and twirls across the pavement. Thank goodness the tumblers came before the horses.

As the parade finished up, we watched the colorful floats and presentations slowly morph into a real-time, three dimensional commercial segment. Of course the local businesses got in on the action with decorated floats and wavers dressed to the nines. As Frosty the Snowman floated by on the Pizza Hut float, the lady observing next to us screamed "I want one with pepperoni!", and we realized that while the box stores had not yet invaded the holdout of Rutherfordton, NC, they were trying their hardest. Perhaps we could organize the Martial arts group and the local ATV club to set up a resistance and keep the peace for a bit longer. But then, where would everyone get their pepperoni pizzas?