I Hate Backpacking and This Is My Last Trip

Judy’s Hazel Creek Backpack Trip – Day Two - -Hazel Creek Trail/Cold Spring Gap Trail/High Rocks/Welch Ridge Trail/AT – 18.1 Miles UPHILL

We got up at early light and were packed up and on the trail before 8:00 a.m. Looming large was the big crossing of Hazel Creek on the Cold Spring Gap Trail, a nice cold splash to wake us up. As we walked out of camp, we stopped to chat with the two guys who came in after dark. They reported that they had hiked up to High Rocks (part of our route coming up) and back and “got kind of a late start.” They also said that the crossing of Hazel Creek wasn’t too bad. Everything is relative, of course…

We walked 1.3 miles back up Hazel Creek Trail and turned right onto Cold Spring Gap. At .3 miles was our last crossing of Hazel Creek for this trip. From April of '08 I remembered it as wide and deep. The “brown book” says that it is about 10 yards wide and the depth varies from 3 to 4 feet in winter to 1 to 2 feet in drier times. “Consequently, this crossing can be a refreshing interlude or a potential nightmare.”

Apparently my camera set itself to some terrible setting because most of my photos of this day are fuzzy, but I think you can see Judy’s expression as she begins the crossing.

Turns out it was about mid-thigh, no worse than a couple of our crossings from the day before. We put our socks and boots back on and began the 2,000-foot climb up the 3.5-mile Cold Spring Gap Trail.

Some of you may remember my summaries from my Smokies 900 year where Cold Spring Gap was named as one of the don’t-make-me-go-back-there-again trails. Now, optimists would say that Cold Spring Gap is “full of inspiring challenges” and pessimists would say it is “the worst trail EVER”. As a realist, I have to say that any day in the woods is a good day, but this trail is horrible. Some of it is an old logging railroad bed, but not like the other ones I have experienced. It follows Cold Spring Branch for part of the way, meaning that after the rains earlier in the week we were creek walking. The trail is extremely rocky, rutted, muddy where it’s not actually flowing with water, and badly eroded. More than once I had to stop and think, “Are we still on the trail?” The further we went, the steeper it got. Because it is so far into the “back of beyond,” anyone who hikes this trail is hopefully prepared for an arduous climb. There is not one single step of down. I shook my head at the prospect of those guys hiking up it AND then back down it in the near-dark on their round trip visit to High Rocks.

Shouts of hallelujah as we arrived at the gap, where Welch Ridge Trail begins with a left turn. Looking to the right here, however, we could discern a faint manway that I later learned was once a maintained trail down to Bear Creek. But our route took us left onto Welch Ridge and we climbed .6 miles to the intersection with another signed (but unmaintained) trail to High Rocks.

High Rocks is the site of a long-removed fire tower, but the view is still there. The short trail up seemed endless as we fought our way through more blackberry brambles and overgrowth. We topped out at the rocky bluff upon which the tower once stood. The foundation and the caretaker’s cabin remain, although the cabin is extremely deteriorated and there are currently no plans to rehab it. Since I was here last year, someone has made a statement by placing a chair on top of the rocks, inviting valiant hikers to pause and enjoy.

The best seat in the house

No words necessary

What I saw from where I sat

Judy and I enjoyed lunch and a rest here, glad to be done with Cold Spring Gap, but you know the Robert Frost mantra by now: miles to go before we sleep. We thrashed our way back down the jungle trail to Welch Ridge, turned left once again, and began the long hard pull ever upward.

Welch Ridge is 7.3 miles long and we walked every inch. There really is some down to it, such as at Water Oak Gap, and there are some level sections. There are magnificent old trees that were missed by logging, and more cool fungi. There was also more undergrowth than I expected, and no rhyme or reason to when it would crop up and when it would disappear. Thorns tore at my clothes and at least half a dozen times my shoelaces were pulled loose by blackberry brambles (will never leave my gaiters at home again). We really don’t appreciate trail maintainers until we encounter an example like this where maintenance is lacking. I suppose that’s a clue that I should volunteer to do trail maintenance here next summer…

To break up the monotony, Welch Ridge Trail is intersected often by other trails. I’ve found that hiking more than 4 miles without a landmark drives me crazy. At the intersection with Hazel Creek Trail again, I noticed that something had been chewing on the signpost. I didn’t remember seeing this the day before…

On this last pull up Welch Ridge we began to catch glimpses of our destination: Clingmans Dome. Can you tell how far away it is? Seems like miles…well, yeah, it is…but look how pretty the mountain ash berries still are.

Every hike begins with optimism, a spring in the step, an anticipation of what’s around the bend. If the hike is the right distance, it ends on the same note as it started. If it is a little longer, the hiker loses a little steam but finishes feeling that he/she has met the challenge. If it is a lot longer, the body begins to tire, the pack gets heavier and the pace slows down. There is no way to describe the return portion of the AT to Clingman’s except as a death march. We hiked, we stopped to rest, we drank water, we ate (first backpack trip that I have eaten everything I brought), we hiked some more, and still that mountain stayed in the distance. I challenge anyone to re-measure the distance from Welch Ridge to Clingman’s Dome – it is farther than the map says! We wondered if we should have broken this trip up into 2 nights and stayed at one of the AT shelters – but we knew we would have gotten to the shelter and said, “Hey, it’s only 4 miles to the car, let’s keep going.” For that everlasting last mile I repeated to myself, “I HATE backpacking and this is my last trip.”

With aching knees and tired legs we walked gingerly down the paved trail from the Clingmans tower to the parking lot. Photographers were set up to capture the sunset and even we paused to appreciate it.

Then I looked over my shoulder and saw the full moon.

We were much later than expected and Judy’s husband was calling to check on us (see why it’s important to leave your hike plan with someone?) We drove to Judy’s house and then I stubbornly got in my car and drove home to Charlotte, arriving after midnight, in retrospect not a wise decision. Next time I’ll stay at Judy’s and drive home early in the morning.

Wait a minute…did I just say NEXT TIME???

Don't let people drive you crazy when you know it's in walking distance. ~Author Unknown

33 Creek Crossings - But Who's Counting?

Judy’s Hazel Creek Backpack Trip – Day One – AT/Welch Ridge/Hazel Creek/Bone Valley - 19 Miles

We stepped onto the Clingman’s Dome Bypass Trail, quickly warming up along this half-mile uphill climb and shedding some layers. IMHO, this rutted and eroded trail is good for only two things: avoiding the crowds on the paved trail to the tower and getting the heart pumping on a cold day. But at the top is the magic spot – stepping onto the Appalachian Trail. The more I hike, the stronger the feeling of auras of past hikers on the AT flowing around me. And I discovered on this trip another layer of presence – my hiking partners of the past year as I walked these trails.

The AT descends gently down (doesn’t feel so gentle going back up!) the ridge line, alternately slipping to the left for views of NC and then to the right for glimpses of TN. Brilliant red berries of mountain ash glowed against the blue sky. Once again it was necessary to take a bazillion photographs in hopes of preserving the memory. We walked through closed-in spruce-fir woods and across grassy balds and my heart felt elated at being in the Smokies once again, here on top of the world.

We passed the Goshen Prong Trail coming in on the right and remarked at our hike last year down that trail (river) in a downpour. I resolved to return on a sunny day to every trail I had walked in the rain. As we approached Double Spring Gap Shelter I was looking forward to a bathroom break and a quick snack. Judy was ahead of me as the grassy open area came into view, and suddenly she stopped and whispered that wonderful/awful/scary/where’s-my-camera word: “Bear!”

Now, this bear was hanging out in front of the shelter like it was his vacation home. He (she?) was nosing around the fire pit in front and looked to be eating grass. We stayed behind the trees at the edge of the clearing and watched, thinking that we were undetected. Finally we made a little noise, and Mr. Bear lazily swung his big head our way, then went back to his investigation. What should we do? He was not in a hurry and the trail went right past the front of the shelter. And I had to pee. If he scares me, that will no longer be an issue. Better take a trail break right now…

After taking care of business, Mr. Bear was still at the shelter, so we stepped out to the edge of the clearing and banged our hiking sticks and shouted. He loped away for perhaps 20 feet to the far edge of the woods, then turned and took steps in our direction. My heart jumped and I was glad I had had my trail break! We retreated and decided to take a detour in a wide half-circle to the right, past the spring and behind the shelter before intersecting with the trail on the far side. We left Mr. Bear behind (we hoped) and bounced on down the AT like it was the yellow brick road.

We stopped at another good photo op spot looking eastward and I managed to fall off the mountain while maneuvering to take a photo. But I got a great shot!

At the intersection with the Welch Ridge Trail we stopped, checked for a cell phone signal, and I called the Park’s backcountry office. A mid-day encounter with a habituated bear at a shelter (i.e. the bear was not afraid of humans) is a sad and potentially dangerous situation. If the bear continues to be a nuisance then the Park service will have to do something about it. And if the bear is that brave in daylight, imagine what it may be like in the dark. I was glad not to be staying at that shelter! The park ranger was very interested and wanted a photo of the bear – well, I’ll have to send that in later.

The “brown book” (Hiking Trails of the Smokies) aptly describes Welch Ridge Trail as “a long rib off of the spine of the main range of the Smokies.” We had a short walk on Welch Ridge (1.7 miles) to reach the beginning of Hazel Creek Trail, but we got a bad taste of things to expect on our return trip up the entirety of Welch Ridge (7.3 miles) for Day 2. The trail was extremely overgrown with blackberry bushes and dying flower stalks, often shoulder height and above, damp and scratchy and slowing us down. We were very happy to turn right onto Hazel Creek Trail.

This was Judy’s first experience with upper Hazel Creek but my memory kicked in of the first hiking weekend of my Smokies 900 quest. The main theme of that day was “23 creek crossings” when Jim and I stubbornly stopped and switched to water shoes each time, eventually giving in and leaving the water shoes on. My plan for this trip with Judy was to put the Crocs on at the first crossing and keep them on until we got to camp for the night. (Turned out I walked nearly 10 miles in my Crocs, wearing a loaded backpack – and it felt great!)

The first couple of miles descending on Hazel Creek consists of steep and narrow switchbacks, and the sound of water gradually increases until the first crossing, an easy rock hop. At the second crossing we zipped off pant legs, put on the Crocs (kept on the Smartwool socks – because wool keeps you warm even when wet) and plunged in. All of the crossings were more substantial than on my previous trip, but only twice did the water reach mid-thigh. Judy and I have a healthy respect for water crossings (instilled by this same Hazel Creek) but we have become very adept at reading the water and maneuvering across. Sometimes one would watch the other to see where to step (or not to step) and sometimes we waded through together by different routes. On the other side I often did a little “this-water-is-cold-as-I-don’t-know-what” screaming dance to get the blood circulating again. Best remedy for cold wet legs: keep hiking!

After a couple more miles the trail became more gentle and the walking between water crossings was quite pleasant. We saw hoof prints and these curious paw prints – probably a raccoon? The crossings were frequent enough to keep us guessing what was around each bend, and at least once we crossed and immediately crossed again. I guess it made sense when the railroad track was being laid here by the logging folks. At long last a bridge appeared and the trail became a wide road bed. From this point the walking became dull and I began to check my watch to estimate our timing. We had made an ambitious plan to drop our packs at Campsite 83, hike out to Bone Valley and back, and then Judy had another .6 miles to go down Hazel Creek to the intersection with Jenkins Ridge Trail – and .6 miles back to Campsite 83.

A missed opportunity today: we hesitated at an unmarked intersection and chose to take the lesser path for a short distance to see where it led. Around the first bend we saw the “no horses” symbol, a horse silhouette inside a red circle with a red line across it, which indicates that the trail led to a cemetery. We walked a little bit farther, but then decided to abandon the trail because of the miles we had yet to go. Cemeteries can be as close as .2 miles or farther than a mile up a side trail and we had no idea about this one. Neither of us had read up on the trail description before the hike – later the “brown book” told me that this was probably the Walker cemetery, a half-mile in.

Hazel Creek Trail is steeped in history, homesteads, cemeteries and artifacts of bygone residents. Judy and I resolved to return to Hazel Creek on a multi-day trip for the sole purpose of investigating the phantom communities. I felt a little ashamed to be bypassing it all for the sake of miles. But still…

We arrived at Campsite 83 at the intersection of the Hazel Creek and Bone Valley Trails. Knowing that Bone Valley had 5 creek crossings (meaning 10 for the out-and-back), we kept the Crocs on, grabbed our water bottles (I also took my headlamp because ya nevah know), hung our backpacks on the bear cables, and practically flew up Bone Valley. The trail is quite flat and the water crossings were much more robust than I remembered. At the trail’s end we checked out the Hall cabin, but we skipped the cemetery that is a steep half-mile up the mountain behind the cabin.

We made it back to Campsite 83 in record time, and I gave Judy my headlamp so she could continue on to tag up with Jenkins Ridge. Starting to feel the chill of the fading day, I put on my “warm fuzzies” (thermal shirt and pants) and dry socks and my boots. By the time my tent was up and my nesting was complete, Judy was back. She set up her camp and we cooked and ate a hot supper and enjoyed our hot tea. We noticed that other campers were set up at the other end of this enormous site (Campsite 83 is a horse campsite) but no signs of life. Well, as we were heading for bed, headlamps came bobbing along. Guess they had a long day somewhere as well.

Total miles for me today: 19. Total miles for Judy: 20.6. Welcome back to the Smokies!

But indeed, it is not so much for its beautythat the forest makes a claim upon men's hearts, as for that subtle something,that quality of the air, that emanates fromthe old trees, that so wonderfully changesand renews a weary spirit. ~Robert Louis Stevenson

Late September View at Clingman's Dome

A few weeks ago I was lured back for my first Smokies hike since finishing the Smokies 900 challenge back in April. My buddy Judy is working on completing her miles and asked me to join her on an overnight loop of (gasp) the AT/Welch Ridge/Hazel Creek/Cold Spring Gap/Welch Ridge/AT with a little side jaunt in-and-out of Bone Valley.

The air was cold but clear, no wind. We had some difficulty leaving the parking lot at Clingman's Dome because of the early morning awesomeness of the views. I narrowed my pre-hike photos down to the following. Click on each one to enlarge and sit back and enjoy the view with me:

All photos are looking down on the NC side of the Park

Who needs the Grand Tetons anyway?

Next time I'm bringing a lawn chair and staying a while

The clouds look like a river of silver

More layers of mountains today than I have ever counted before

Can you choose a favorite photo here? I can't.

Is it any wonder why we return to this place over and over again? At last Judy and I set off on another ambitious walk in the woods.

The mountains are calling and I must go. ~ John Muir

Excuse Me - Could You Tell Me If This Is Peak Leaf Season Yet?

South Mountain State Park – 9/27/09 - High Shoals Falls Loop and Chestnut Knob Trail to Overlook – 7.3 Miles

My good friend Nora, who has long been a flea market cohort and is fast becoming a hiking buddy, joined me for a jaunt to South Mountain State Park, another gem in North Carolina’s state park system located in the rural region south of Morganton, west of Lincolnton, north of Shelby – well, you get the picture. Our original plan was for Saturday, but a heavy rain convinced us to delay until Sunday. Jacob’s Fork River was still running high and we had blue skies to greet us.

A funny thing happened on the interstate – I got a call on my cell phone from a friend in the Carolina Berg Wanderers hiking group. Why was Ruth Ann calling me on a Sunday morning? Had I forgotten about some hike I had signed up for? Turns out Ruth Ann was driving right behind me… and she was headed for South Mountain! Thank goodness, too, because my memory of directions was sketchy. Ruth Ann and her friends led us all the way to the park entrance. She is a frequent visitor to South Mountain and her group was hiking a different loop than we were.

Nora is a novice hiker who spent time outside before entering the consuming world of parenting. She has lots of enthusiasm and a readiness to re-discover the outdoors, and I am finding an increasing delight in guiding people like her to our terrific NC resources. Maybe in addition to Girl Scouts, I can become a resource for women “of a certain age” who are looking for an introduction to outdoor exploration…

But first, South Mountain State Park: the attractions here are many, with 20 (count ‘em) backpack camping sites in 6 areas of the park, a primitive family camping area (pit toilets, no electricity, first-come basis – Jim and I camped here with our kids about 12 years ago), group camping facilities (can be reserved) and equestrian camping (ditto). There are horse trails, of course, and mountain bike trails, and all trails are open to hikers – watch out! There are also picnic areas and shelters, free of charge. Less than two hours from Charlotte, I consider this about the closest we can get to the real mountains.

Nora and I visited the main attractions for hikers, first following the H.Q. Trail to the High Shoals Falls Loop, criss-crossing Jacob’s Fork River on bridges and climbing up wooden steps. Like Stone Mountain SP, there are lots of manmade structures to protect humans from themselves! Yellow and brown leaves were sticking to the big wet rocks, signaling fall has arrived here. High Shoals Falls was thundering today, the force of the water blowing our hair back, and the normally dry platform was slippery wet.

We continued to climb past the top of the falls and crossed the wide and calm Jacob’s Fork on a long bridge. Surprisingly, very few people were on the trail (I guess we were sinners skipping church to get here early). As we walked across the bridge, I told Nora about our family visit years ago. I remember that our son Brett was wearing his first backpack, getting in shape for backpacking since he had advanced in the ranks to Boy Scouts. I also remember that our youngest daughter, Laura, was wearing denim overall shorts and she fell into the water – yes, we let the child play in the calm water at the top of the waterfall. Many lessons learned since then…

Nora and I followed the Falls Loop Trail back to the main trail and stopped creekside for a little snack, then headed for another park highlight – Chestnut Knob Overlook. The Chestnut Knob Trail is 2 miles one-way and fairly steep, so a little bit of a cardio workout. Summer flowers were fading but the fungi and lichen were interesting – in fact, Nora was “likin’ the lichen.” Some interesting finds:

Moss, lichen and fungi - oh my!

Ruffles

Cool fungi and leaf arrangement on the end of a log

Fall colors - is it the peak yet? Nora and I enjoyed belly laughs over people who want to know when peak leaf season is. "Excuse me, sir, is this a peak leaf? If it is, it's beautiful - if not, it's just so-so." BTW, This is a sassafras tree.

Chestnut Knob is a rock outcropping with a wide view out to the Kings Mountain range. We took our front row seats for this peaceful scene, enjoying the rest and another little snack. We heard voices approaching..and here came Ruth Ann and friends. Soon a lone hiker joined us, and as he scanned the horizon he said, “Well, I see the Charlotte skyline.” Sure enough, when I put on my glasses and held my tongue just right, there was the faint outline of Charlotte rising from the horizon just like the Emerald City! (Look about a quarter of the way in from the left side of the photo. See it??)

The descent back to the parking area was quick – along the way we saw these unusual purple leaves. We also saw lots more people, as church had finally let out.

On our drive home we stopped at Red Bone Willy’s, a local country store in Lawndale that sells bits of nostalgia, old-fashioned candies, Grape Nehi’s, moon pies and homemade ice cream. Nora and I got the last bit of pumpkin-apple-vanilla yumminess before who walks in? Ruth Ann & Company once again! A delicious ending to a delightful day!

In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous. ~Aristotle

The Book Club Gals Go Hiking

Hawksbill Mountain - 9/12/09 - 1.4 Miles

Members of my book club asked me if I would quit talking and take them on a hike. I chose Hawksbill in the Linville Gorge Wilderness, which is a short but challenging hike with million-dollar views. (I first hiked here on Day 6 of Jim's Blue Ridge Parkway adventure trip.) Four of us had a gorgeous Saturday for the two-hour drive up, laughing and chatting and solving life's problems. Suzi, Cindy and Leida were not hikers when we started, but they sure were by the end! The trail is short but the elevation gain is significant (700 feet in .7 miles). Fortunately they were too breathless to curse me before they saw the view, and then all was forgiven. Let's tell the rest of the story in pictures (click on photos to see full screen):

First step for Cindy - sneakers instead of sandals

Ready to conquer the mountain!

Still smiling on the uphill

Suzi with Table Rock in the background

Leida and Cindy have the giggles. I believe Cindy is trying to push Leida off the mountain.

Now climbing is fun!

A perfect photo for the scrapbook - or the Facebook page!

A promise of the fall season ahead

Funny, in the photos the skies look threatening but I don't remember noticing. We ate lunch, enjoyed the cool breezes and the views of Linville Gorge and Grandfather Mountain, and the walk back down was very quick, as was the drive home - more laughing, more talking, maybe some sore muscles, but an enormous feeling of accomplishment all around.

It can be scary to introduce something you love to friends: will they love it too? Will they get bored? Will they think it's a little odd? But sharing Hawksbill with the book club gals was one of my favorite hikes so far. I think from now on I'll call them more hiking friends!

There is no season such delight can bring as summer, autumn, winter and the spring.~William Browne

Max Patch

Appalachian Trail Overnight Backpack Trip – 9/5-9/6/09 – Davenport Gap to Max Patch – 17 Miles

For Labor Day weekend some Berg friends planned an overnight section hike on the AT, northbound starting from Davenport Gap where the trail leaves the Great Smoky Mountains NP. The mileage was low and I welcomed the chance for a “leisurely” trip after the Tetons.

We left Charlotte on Friday night and camped at the Cosby Campground – felt wonderful to be back in the Park after so long, even if I wasn’t really hiking there. As we were kicking back and contemplating dinner, a downpour began and continued for essentially the rest of the evening. The six of us huddled under a tarp and cooked black bean burgers and other yummies, then crawled into tents and prayed for the rain to end by morning.

Which it did! Though the clouds stayed and there was a mist in the air, it was certainly great hiking weather. Cathy and I dropped off all the packs and people and then set up our car shuttle (one vehicle at Max Patch, then one at the Big Creek ranger station) and then walked up the gravel road to the trailhead – so she and I had 1.5 miles logged before we actually hit the AT. Cathy’s husband John was waiting with our packs, while Barbara, Ruth Ann and Emily started out ahead of us.

Ah, that first white blaze! It snags you like a lasso and pulls you along. How can I possibly add the AT to my list of challenges? Thru-hiking has never appealed to me because of the time away from home…but completing the AT in North Carolina is intriguing. And what about Tennessee? Don’t forget the first part in Georgia, it’s not all that far away. And of course I love my home state of Virginia…For the rest of the trip we talked about such goals and I pondered.

The descent down to Waterville Gap was quick. Fun stuff along the way:

Fall colors gearing up

A great weekend for fun fungi

Whitewater rafters on the Pigeon River

We walked across the Pigeon River on Waterville School Road. This was the first time I had crossed a major road during a hike.

Notice the white blazes underneath the directional arrows at the bottom of the sign

AT trail sign at top of stone steps after crossing the road

Foxglove

Wood aster and goldenrod nodding across the trail

We caught up with the gals about halfway up the ascent of Snowbird Mountain. As we stopped for a breather, a southbound hiker passed by and stopped to chat. She had finished her thru-hike in August and here she was back again to enjoy Max Patch – when she passed through in the spring there was a snowstorm and she pretty much missed the view. I can understand the pull to return to the AT as soon as you have finished it – the goal of completion is intoxicating to think about, but being done is kind of like a hangover – gee, I wish I was still at the party…

Atop Snowbird Mountain is an FAA tower and the only really good views of the day. Cathy and Emily and I arrived first and checked it out as we waited for the rest of the crew. The gnats were vicious, though, and standing or sitting still was torture.

Emily protesting the gnats

Cathy's fashion statement

Barbara and the white blaze - one of my favorite photos

The long descent to Deep Gap was a bit of a wake-up call compared to the ease of the earlier part of the hike. Our overnight home was .2 miles off the trail at Groundhog Creek Shelter, where a nice young couple was already settled in. We put up tents, strung up the tarp again in case of rain (didn’t need it) and went about the many camp chores. Interesting fact: the Groundhog Creek Trail that runs through this camping area is part of an old road that runs from Deep Gap down to the Pigeon River at I-40 – and was an original route of the AT in the 1930’s. So even when we were off the AT, we were on the AT!

We chilled in the waning daylight as we each cooked our own suppers around the campfire ring. I especially enjoyed getting to know Emily, who is Ruth Ann’s 17-year-old daughter. Emily has done a good bit of backpacking and is contemplating a thru-hike before she gets old (i.e. 22?) I was impressed with her maturity and especially how she took good care of her mom/hiking partner, sharing stuff and not acting like your typical teenage daughter. Good job, Emily (and Ruth Ann)!

We had a noisy night with cicadas in full force and a company of owls conversing overhead. I stepped out of my tent for my usual pre-dawn potty break and some coyotes began to howl, perhaps three feet from me – or it sounded like it, and I could not see that far. I scrambled back inside the safe walls of my little Big Agnes tent and enjoyed another hour of snoozing.

Isn’t it funny how safe we feel inside our little nylon kingdoms? Kind of like a toddler who plays peek-a-boo, we think that if the wild animals can’t see us, they don’t know we are there. They also cannot break through those miraculous steel walls that only weigh a couple of pounds when we carry them on our packs. Are humans really supposed to be the smartest of all creatures?

The next day was shorter mileage that began with the inevitable uphill pull, this time to the top of Harmon Den Mountain. This entire section of the AT is well graded and well maintained, very enjoyable. Our group spread out and I hiked solo for most of the way, though I occasionally caught glimpses of those ahead of and behind me. Such a great feeling to be walking in the woods! I wish everyone I know could have this experience. Don’t you love this huge fungus that looks like a clamshell?

Another interesting fungus thingy

We caught up to one another at the intersection with Cherry Creek Trail. While we waited for the entire group to gather I took a zillion photos of this inchworm exploring my backpack.

Originally we planned to hike straight to the parking area when we intersected Max Patch Road, but Cathy, Barbara and I decided to continue on the AT to the summit of Max Patch. The others headed for the car to drop their packs and then climb by a different trail to the summit. But if I’m counting AT miles (am I?) I didn’t want to skip this little bit.

Beauty along the trail

Climbing to the top of Max Patch

Max Patch is easy for anyone to walk to, less than half a mile from the parking area. I’ll bet my book club would love this!

As you sit on the hillside, or lie prone under the trees of the forest, or sprawl wet-legged by a mountain stream, the great door, that does not look like a door, opens. ~Stephen Graham, The Gentle Art of Tramping

Stone Mountain State Park

8/10/09 – Stone Mountain State Park – 9.5 Miles

It’s been probably a dozen years since my family visited Stone Mountain State Park near Roaring Gap. A lot has changed since we followed the white dots up the granite dome face of this gem of North Carolina. Danny Bernstein's book "Hiking North Carolina's Blue Ridge Heritage" has an excellent overview and trail descriptions. Stone Mountain is a great day destination for everyone, with fantastic natural rock formations, lovely waterfalls and Hutchinson Homestead, a mid-19th century farm. So on a hot Monday morning I drove northwest of Charlotte to spend a day in the park.

What’s new? Stairways and railings and cables galore. This is a much-loved park, as evidenced by the well-worn trails and multiple shortcuts. The stairways and railings are an attempt to funnel people going across the rock faces on the way to the summit, but there are still plenty of places to wander and possibly fall off the face of the earth. However, on this Monday I would have had no witnesses to my demise. I did a figure-eight hike of roughly ten miles starting from the lower trailhead parking lot and only saw a few other visitors, all near Stone Mountain Falls.

Views begin early on the trail to the summit

Cables seem like overkill here

Remember to look back over your shoulder as you go up!

Looking at Cedar Rock from Stone Mountain - later on I was over there looking back over here

Very impressive tree growing out of the rock

A busy bee on a summer day

Joe pye weed blooming on the slopes of Stone Mountain Falls

Looking up from the base of Stone Mountain Falls (or is this Stone Mountain slip-n-slide?)

After Stone Mountain Falls I made the side trip to Middle and Lower Falls. Middle Falls is kind of so-so, Lower Falls a little nicer destination, good for a snack and a rest. The highlight of this side hike, though, were several deer that watched me curiously as I passed them. I briefly stopped to take photos, but the gnats were merciless buzzing around my eyes and I had to keep moving to stay sane. Insects were annoying me all day long, but on this trail they were nearly unbearable. And shame on me, I think that's why I forgot to look around for the evidence of moonshining as described in Danny's book.

Full view of Stone Mountain from the valley floor

Nearly all the way around the Stone Mountain Loop Trail I passed the Hutchinson Homestead but I continued on to turn left onto the Wolf Rock Loop Trail. (This would take me to the Cedar Rock Trail and then back to the Stone Mountain Loop and back by the Hutchinson Homestead a second time.) Wolf Rock and Cedar Rock are also granite dome faces, in my opinion just as cool as the namesake rock. If you want to be by yourself and wave to the folks on Stone Mountain, go to Cedar Rock.

This mushroom looked like a pedestal cake stand

The cap was the size of a dinner plate

A long low rock wall near the top of Wolf Rock Trail - reminds me of the Smokies

On top of Wolf Rock -the world's strongest tree that split the rock in half!

Beautiful view from Wolf Rock

Looking at Stone Mountain from Cedar Rock











On my family’s visit so long ago we somehow missed the Hutchinson Homestead, so today I explored a bit. The buildings are open on weekends during peak season and include a log cabin, barn, blacksmith shop, corncrib, meat house and original furnishings.

Stone Mountain State Park has car camping facilities as well as group and backcountry camping, making it a great weekend base to explore. The Mountains-to-Sea Trail runs through it as well. Now that I have rediscovered it, I will return with some of my non-hiking friends (who are becoming hiking friends now!) to watch them gasp at the beauty of this place.

It was my good fortune that today they were paving the main road in the park, so I got to chat with the flag guy as I waited to get around the heavy equipment. He told me that he and his buddies frequently come to Stone Mountain to rock climb, but he's never really hiked the trails for the sake of hiking. To each his own...

If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive. ~Eleonora Duse