AT in NC: Siler Bald

Appalachian Trail in NC – Wayah Gap to Winding Stair Gap – 9/17/17 – 6.3 miles

So… trail conditions on the first day of this trip were horrendous; on the second day, no big deal. Now I’ve got a 25-mile gap and half a day for hiking.  Mike was going to help set up my shuttle and then head home himself, so if I ran into trouble I only had myself to get me out of it.  With all those factors in play, I opted to hike the little section between Wayah Gap and Winding Stair Gap, leaving 19 miles for a future trip.  U.S. Highway 64 bisects the AT at Winding Stair Gap, so that was the best place to drop my car.  Mike shuttled me to Wayah Gap and waved goodbye, and I stepped into the woods on a beautiful fall day.

In the first mile I was a bit dismayed to count 13 downed trees, but the second mile through rhododendrons looked almost untouched. I met a man and a woman hiking down from Siler Bald, flipping limbs off the trail along the way. They confirmed that there were no significant obstacles further along.

Thoughts: Tropical Storm Irma was pretty intense on its northwesterly path, it’s pretty hard to knock down rhododendrons, and it’s good to not be the first person out there after a storm.

The peaceful Sunday morning was punctuated by gunshots – hunting on Sunday?  It’s illegal in North Carolina between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.  The gunfire was intermittent for more than an hour as I hiked up Siler Bald, so it was likely someone’s private shooting range.  I hoped they were good at hitting targets and there were no stray bullets buzzing through the woods.  I have no philosophical differences with hunting, but on public lands where hunters and hikers co-exist, everyone needs to know and follow the rules in an abundance of caution. Hunters:  respect the setbacks and don’t shoot across the trails.  Hikers:  know the seasons and wear blaze orange.

The main event of this six-mile section of the AT is Siler Bald.  Some friends experienced last month’s solar eclipse at the summit.  Me, I’m just hiking hiking along on a Sunday morning and loving it.  Photos going up, views from the top, and going back down.  

The side trail goes up to the tree line and turns right to continue to the summit

 

 

  

Walking back down

Backpackers spent the night on the bald

If you are planning an overnight on this section of the AT, be aware that Siler Bald Shelter is not at the summit.  It’s a half-mile off the AT on a little loop trail. Depends if you are a shelter person or you like pitching your tent.  Personally, I’d rather tent on the bald.  There are plenty of shelters along the AT where there are no views. Just remember to BYOW (bring your own water) because there is none at the top of the bald.

The remaining five miles to Winding Stair Gap was a downhill jaunt through the trees, no more big views, so I turned my attention to the interesting things growing all around.  The last mile has a few tricky turns on and off forest roads, so keep those white blazes in mind.

 

 

 

View from Winding Stair Gap

With the music turned up loud, the long drive back to civilization went by quickly. Dinner with Jim, our son Brett, and his sweetheart dog Bodhi – always a welcome home.

“Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads.”  ~Henry David Thoreau