Camp Creek Bald Lookout Tower – 1/17/15 – 11 Miles
Haven’t been there before, two maps that don’t quite agree,
don’t know what trail conditions are like, a long drive to and from: all good prerequisites for an adventurous
exploratory Carolina Berg Wanderers hike.
I posted my desire to hike to the Camp Creek Bald Lookout Tower on the Bergs
Meetup page and got a good response from a cross-section of hikers. To my amazement, even the “old-timers” had
never done this hike before. We would
truly all be “first-timers.”
Why Camp Creek Bald Lookout Tower? It’s my last hike to complete the Lookout
Tower Challenge.
Where is Camp Creek Bald Lookout Tower? It sits just a smidge away from the
Appalachian Trail, 20 trail miles north of Hot Springs, NC. There are several ways to reach it: hike north or south on the AT, of course, or drive
close to it via a Tennessee access road, or (my choice) hike a few miles on a lollipop
route originating on a North Carolina gravel road in Pisgah National Forest.
Nine hikers tumbled out of cars at the trailhead, pulling on
boots, opening trekking poles, deciding on layers (how cold does it feel? How long until I warm up?). The sky was deep blue and the trail was
waiting.
Off to a grand start on an impressive multi-section bridge (Jeff's photo)
A few obstacles on Hickey Fork Trail, but overall conditions
were better than I expected
The trail climbed alongside the West Prong of Hickey Fork
Creek for about 1.5 miles. It was not at
all tempting to go down this waterslide
At the bottom of the slide, I’m looking skeptical
Hard to see even in wintertime with minimal foliage, but
Jeff got a good photo anyway – a 30-foot unnamed waterfall on West Prong of
Hickey Fork
Icy chill
Once the trail left the creek the serious climbing started, at
times crazy steep to the point where swear words were necessary to stay
motivated. The only two short
switchbacks were near Seng Gap; 20 switchbacks would have been helpful. But this is a national forest, not a national
park, and different guidelines for trail building and maintenance apply.
On a steep trail it’s imperative to stop often to enjoy the
view
Seng Gap was confusing with five intersecting trails and
required some thought to choose the correct one, even using the guidebook
narrative, because signage was missing.
This was the end of Hickey Fork Trail and we turned right onto Pounding
Mill Trail, still going up but at a more moderate grade.
About a mile later we reached another inter- section, this one at White Oak Flats Trail. We took a short break to gather everyone together and make note that on the return hike this would be the decision point for a loop back to the car or just go back the way we came. We were plenty warmed up by now. (Jeff's photo)
About a mile later we reached another inter- section, this one at White Oak Flats Trail. We took a short break to gather everyone together and make note that on the return hike this would be the decision point for a loop back to the car or just go back the way we came. We were plenty warmed up by now. (Jeff's photo)
The climbing wasn’t over. In fact, the total hike to the lookout tower is 5.5 miles and 3,000 feet elevation gain. That is a serious workout, but isn’t it better outdoors than in a gym? Jennifer, who was hiking with us for the first time in almost a year, began to lag behind a tiny bit, worrying about being last. Mike hung with her and encouraged her, reminding her that she would arrive at the same place as everyone else just a few minutes later (true).
I hiked alone for the last mile until the trail reached the
AT, where I paused to wait for Mike, Jeff and Jennifer. A little hiker humor here.
When they reached the sign, Jennifer decided to stop and eat
there rather than push on the last .2 miles to the tower, a smart decision because
she knew her body needed the fuel. We
continued on and checked out the tower amidst all the communication junk.
The tower cab was locked so we were only able to
climb up the stairs. A stiff wind was
blowing and I struggled to hold my camera still.
Mike and me at Camp Creek Bald Lookout Tower – challenge completed!
We found the rest of the crew eating lunch behind a service
building in a spot protected from the wind.
And who should appear but Jennifer, well fed and feeling better! She confessed that today was the first time
she had stepped onto the Appalachian Trail.
No wonder she stopped to eat there and have a private moment.
Perusing the guidebook’s trail map (much more detailed than the NatGeo #782 map), we decided to try a
short alternate route back to Pounding Mill Trail. We hiked south on the AT for about a half-mile
(Jennifer’s first hike on the AT!) and then left the trail to bushwhack. (Wintertime is the right time for
bushwhacking.) In less than a hundred
yards we connected with Pounding Mill Trail, cutting off more than a mile, and enjoyed
the downhill back to the intersection with White Oak Flats.
At that junction everyone opted to take White Oak Flats,
making the loop of the lollipop route and avoiding the steepest section we had
climbed. White Oak Flats is a longer
trail, so we added back the mile we had cut off, but with a more gentle
descent. I assumed that this trail would
be similar to the other trails we had seen so far, but I was wrong. It started out along an old forest road, but
soon dropped off onto a much narrower, less distinct trail. Wasn’t hard to follow, just a different
character, a lesson not to ever make assumptions in the woods.
White Oak Flats Trail (Jeff's photo)
The trail ended at FS 465 facing a 1.4-mile walk to our cars.
Although it was a flat walk, it felt
like a lot more than 1.4 miles. The last
mile is always the longest because at the end of a hike your pace slows down
without realizing it.
We finished the hike with some daylight left before 5:00
p.m., which made me very happy, no injuries, everyone accounted for and ready
for Mexican food. Bring on the
margaritas!
And will the next hiking challenge please stand up?
“I am always more interested in what I am about to do than
what I have already done.” ~Rachel
Carson
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