This table is perfect for a beginner builder.  The cuts are straightforward, it's inexpensive and you can adjust the sizes easily, if needed.  I knocked this out in a few hours after work one day, and that included my trip to the store for lumber.  So if building intimidates you, this could be a great starting point.

Shop List
2 - 1"x10" @ 6'
2 - 1"x4" @ 6'
2 - 2"x"2 @ 8'
2 - 2"x4" @ 8'

Cut List
1"x10" - 4 @ 36" (these are your tabletop pieces, so make sure they are all the same length)
1"x4" - 2 @ 33.5" / 2 @ 34"
2"x2" - 4 @ 33.5" / 4 @ 12.75" non-parallel 45 degree cut (distance between long points)
2"x4" - 4 @ 29.25"

Tools Used (click here for a list of our favorite tools)
Miter Saw (could use any saw)
Kreg Jig
1.25" Kreg Screws
Power Drill
Power Sander (could use sanding blocks by hand)
Angle & Carpenter Squares
Level
Clamps
Nail Gun (could use hammer or screws)
2" nails

Start by making a box out of your 1"x4" pieces.  Use a carpenter's square and/or an angle square to make sure it's a true 90 degree angle. 

I used my trusty Kreg Jig to create the pocket holes, set to a 3/4" thick board and using 1.25" Kreg screws. 

Once you have your box built, go ahead and add the 2"x2" support pieces parallel to the 33.5" sides of the box.  Make sure they are flush with the edge of the box.  These will eventually be what you secure your table top to.

Next you want to take your angled pieces and nail them to the frame and to the support beams, as shown in the picture.  This will help keep your table from wobbling. 

Set your box aside and make your tabletop.  You'll do this with you Kreg Jig and 1"x10" pieces.  I used 4 pocket holes for each board that was being joined.

Now you're ready to put all of the pieces together.  Start by laying the table top upside down (pocket holes up) and the center the box on top of it (angled pieces on top).  Nail the pieces together - I used 2" nails and went from the underside.  I did test a two scrap pieces of wood to make sure it wouldn't go through and show on the tabletop, before doing it on my actual table.

Next up are the table legs.  I used 2 pocket holes on the inside of the table, but found that alone to be wobbly.  So I went back and used 2 nails per leg, from the outside of the box.  It worked perfectly and the table is incredibly sturdy.

Once your table is completed, it's time to give it a good sanding.  I used a power sander and 220 grit paper, spending a little extra time making sure the table top and and table sides were smooth, since that is what people would most often brush up against. 

Once sanded, vacuum or brush off the sawdust and then wipe with a rag to make sure that the surface is clean.

Now you're ready to finish your table however you like!  I chose to do a dark stain (Rustoleum in Kona, my fav), but paint would be equally beautiful. 

My process for stain is to use a wood conditioner, then stain, then a water-based polycrilic sealant.  For paint, I typically go for a all-in-one product that is low odor and quick dry.  Valspar is one that I use often.

And there you have it!  A brand new, simple table that your family can enjoy!  If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments and I will post a reply answer.  Happy Building!

If you like what you read, we would love to hear from you in the comments section!  It's fun to get feedback and it helps us create future posts.  And be sure to stay in touch on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, BlogLovin or RSS!

Near:  Linville, NC
Route:  Hawksbill Trail, Babel Tower Trail, Linville Gorge Trail, Spence Ridge Trail, Little Tablerock Trail, Mountain To Seas Trail, LTT, SRT, LGT, Conley Cove Trail, Memorial Highway
Type:  Loop
Distance:  13.6 miles
Difficulty:  Strenuous
Conditions:  cloudy, sunny, cool

One of my favorites hikes and a must see for adventurers in the N.C. area, Linville Gorge is a strenuous, rewarding hike...




Click Here to See More

We added a new page!  Click here to check out Our Favorite Tools!  We use these bad boys to build all of our DIY Projects. 

If you like what you read, we would love to hear from you in the comments section!  It's fun to get feedback and it helps us create future posts.  And be sure to stay in touch on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, BlogLovin or RSS!

This is just a quick post to remind you that Google Reader is going away at the end of the week.  If you use it to follow your blogs, don't panic, there are a few alternatives out there.  Most people seem to be moving to Blog Lovin' or Feedly.  I chose Blog Lovin' because I liked the look and feel a little bit more. 

You can follow A Trail Life on Blog Lovin' by clicking here. 

And the good news is, both of them automatically bring over all of your blog subscriptions from Reader so it's pretty seamless.  There are tons of tutorials out there so I won't recreate one, but it's super easy and straight forward.  Just Google that ish.

Happy Tuesday, y'all!

If you like what you read, we would love to hear from you in the comments section!  It's fun to get feedback and it helps us create future posts.  And be sure to stay in touch on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, BlogLovin or RSS!

Hike Date:  June 14, 2013
Route:  Davidson River Trail
Type:  Out and Back
Distance:  2.2 miles
Conditions:  Sun!
Difficulty:  Easy






Read Review and See Pics Here

Our goal is to post a picture every weekday.  You can see the latest pic on our homepage and you can see all of the past entries by clicking here.

Rooney! So cute, so excited! This is what ya get if you take him into the woods.

If you like what you read, we would love to hear from you in the comments section!  It's fun to get feedback and it helps us create future posts.  And be sure to stay in touch on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, BlogLovin or RSS!

Hike Date:  June 17, 2013
Route:  Auger Hole Trail
Type:  Out and Back
Distance:  10 miles
Conditions:  Cloudy, Humid
Difficulty:  Strenuous

Impressions:  For what ever reason, I've been staring at this area on my map ever since we moved down to Asheville. First, I'm a sucker for State and National Parks, I like to see how each state embraces their natural wonders and often they are encompassing some amazing landscape. Second, the sound of a "gorge" is always appealing. So, with a day off, Rooney and I went down to check it out, it's only a little over an hour from Asheville, NC...


Click Here for Pics & Trail Review

Gather 'round, kiddos.  I want to tell you a story about the craziest hike we ever went on.  The one that was just supposed to be a sunny winter day hike to see a few waterfalls.  Instead... this happened.

So just to set the stage, we were on a trail just outside of Hampton, TN sometime in the winter of 2009/2010.  We didn't have Rooney yet so it was just the two of us and even though it was cold and wintery morning, we were excited to see the waterfalls that this trail promised.  So, off we went in our head-to-toe rain gear and thermals. 

We're a mile or so in and come across the first waterfall.  Stunning, super high and exactly why we were excited to be on the trail.  Jill does a little happy dance to celebrate.  And bonus, it warms her up.  Serial takes about 100 pictures of the waterfall, from every angle imaginable.  It's just that pretty.

We keep hiking and are thrilled that it's uphill because it keeps us warm.  The sun continues to come up and it actually feels good to be outside.  We start to get feeling back in our fingers so we shove some snacks in our faces. 

We keep walking down the forest road and are loving the day, talking about how we should do more winter day hikes and that they're really not that cold.  That's about when we stumble upon this beauty.

No biggie.  There's probably somewhere shallow we can walk across some rocks and not have to get in the ice cold water.  We check around a little.  Hmm... nothing. 

Alright, whatever, we've crossed streams before and we've been cold before.  If our socks get wet, it's okay, we're going home tonight and this is just a day hike.  Plus, to turn around would mean retracing our ~6 miles and most of it would be uphill. 

Let's just go for it, we say.  Jill crosses first and then takes this picture of Serial's first step into the water.  There's video too - it's pretty funny.

Alright, that wasn't too bad.  It was actually kind of fun.  Cold, but fun.  Then we get to stream number two.  Our shoes are still wet, so we go ahead and stomp our way through it.

Oh come on.  Another one?? 

We ford SIX more streams and are exhausted and freezing, but still kinda determined to keep moving forward.  We are too far in to turn around and we need to finish the loop to get back to our car before dark.  On we go...

Then it happens.  We get to stream crossing number ten and we just stare.  Look at Serial.  Even from the back you can just tell he is overwhelmed.  I don't know if the picture does it justice, but the water was over waist high and moving very fast. 

This is the contraption that is set up there to help you get across.  I can't even think about how we would have managed if that cable had been on the other side of the stream.  Or what we would have done if there were more than just the two of us.  Our friend was actually supposed to come with us and cancelled that morning.  Phew.

So the idea is that you hold on to the cable that hangs vertically across the top cable and try to shimmy it across, while you hold on for stability.  Uh.  Sure.

So Serial goes first just to test it out and when get gets to that second section of fast moving water, he loses his footing a little.  Jill screams (super helpful) and he somehow regains his footing, then comes back to the starting point to rethink our game plan. 

We decide that we have no choice and that we have to go together and with our packs on.  We discuss plans for what we will grab on to if we get swept away and we talk about keeping our heads safe from rocks.  Feeling less than confident.

The first couple of steps are okay, but as soon as we hit the rapids, Jill's feet fly out from under her and she's horizontal on her back/pack.  She's still hanging on to the cable, but the water is trying really hard to grab hold.  Once your feet are out of the water, it's pretty impossible to get them back in and stand up.

Serial gets a surge of protective energy and starts hulking out.  Like, full on grunting like he's in a strongman competition and turning into a beast. 

He somehow manages to pull Jill across, while occasionally losing his own footing and scrambling to keep us both together.  We have no way to explain this other than sheer adrenaline.  That and he is superman. 

We get to the other side and embrace.  Jill maaaaay cry a bit.  We're thankful that we are uninjured and safe.  Our feet are pin-prickly cold and we're a little banged up, but we're okay.   On we go...

But wait.  What's that you say?  Another stream?  Perrrrrfect.

This one doesn't look as bad so we decide to go individually and take it slow.  Serial goes first so Jill can see where the tough parts are.  Turns out that big rock in the center creates quite the pull and current.  It's tough and the water is up to Jill's chest, but we make it across. 

We're soaking wet and shivering, but know we have zero choice but to move forward.  We do have headlamps & food and we could sleep outside if we needed too, but we are soaking wet and freezing.  We declare that we are getting to that damn car.

Believe it or not, we actually come to one final stream to cross (number TWELVE for those counting).  We assessed it and determined it was too risky.  The water was far too deep and moving much too fast.  Here's where the weird twist of fate part comes in.  We had just received a GPS for Christmas and this was our first hike using it.  It couldn't have been better timing. 

We fired up the GPS, knowing that we had to be near the car by now, and bushwhacked our way out of that damn forest.  It was not easy.  There was no trail and we were cold, wet and tired.  The next hour was pretty much just pushing and pulling our way through a bunch of thorny bushes and trees.  The whole time dreaming of dry clothes and pizza. 

When we finally got to the trailhead and caught a glimpse of our car, we sprinted to it and were just so thankful that we were alive and well.  There were so many moments when things could have gone badly and considering everything that we encountered, we were lucky.  I'm sure this trail is beautiful in the summer, but in the winter, all of the snow runoff makes for one crazy hike. 

If you like what you read, we would love to hear from you in the comments section!  It's fun to get feedback and it helps us create future posts.  And be sure to stay in touch on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, BlogLovin or RSS!

Hike Date: December 6, 2009
Route:  Profile Tr., Daniel Boone Scout Tr., Grandfather Tr.
Type:  Out and Back
Distance:  11 miles
Conditions:  Icy, snowy, cold
Difficulty:  Extreme

Here's a look at one of my favorite hikes I've ever done in North Carolina.

Click Here to See and Read More

Now that we're back down south and in an effort to keep my sanity by maintaining only one blog, we're bringing over the extensive trail content from SerialHiking.com to A Trail Life! My old site was a trail and gear review fest with tons of pictures and I hope to continue that. Over the next few months, I'll be adding current and past hikes in order to build my Hike Index here. We've also given our Hiking page a once over and it's looking extra shiny. Things are definitely coming along!

Here's a look at a recent hike:

Hike Date:  May 15, 2013
Route:  Spencer Gap Trail
Type:  Out and Back
Distance:  3.3 miles
Conditions:  Bright and sunny day!
Difficulty:  Easy

Impressions:  I was looking for something to get into today, as I'm still in my first weeks here in Asheville, NC and love to explore the new area.  After picking up the National Geographic Pisgah Ranger District Map, I headed down the Blue Ridge Parkway in search of adventure. After arriving to and driving down F.R. 5000, I considered a couple of other options before settling for this random trail, Spence Gap.  The current National Geographic Map for the area has this section of trail mislabeled, so the section I've done here is just the upper 1.65 miles near the parkway...      Read More and See Pics