Morrow Mountain State Park – 3/9/19 – 7.2 Miles
Recent relentless rains canceled hike plans left and right; I
was getting very antsy. On an early March Saturday every square mile west of
Charlotte was forecast for rain AGAIN (sorry, am I yelling?) In the land of the flat east of Charlotte, the
morning will be merely cloudy. Morrow Mountain State Park?
Doesn’t generate much enthusiasm from my hiking gene. A drab day too
early for spring flowers, cloudy means no views.
But I needed to get in some training/conditioning in
preparation for a Smokies backpacking trip next weekend (my confidence was
lacking). I could also practice using the GAIA GPS navigation app. Jim and I downloaded
a topo map of the park and sketched out a route of 7 miles with a little bit of
elevation gain. The map was a bit old but I could follow along with the most
recent paper map. Jim gave me a brief tutorial so I could at least turn it on
and locate myself. I won’t learn if I don’t practice and make mistakes.
I got up Saturday morning and just made myself do it – the
summit of Morrow Mountain or bust! At
least it’s close to home.
My hike began at 8:45 a.m., chilly and damp but tolerable.
The parking lot was surprisingly crowded and I learned later about a search and
rescue training session being conducted at the backcountry camping site. I’m
impressed at the versatility and creative use of the park.
A well-worn trail
Like many state and county parks, trails run concurrently
and crisscross frequently – it’s easier to get lost here than on the
Appalachian Trail despite the abundance of blazes and signs attempting to
disentangle the web (I proved this near the summit). There is even one short
stretch of trail where Morrow Mountain Trail, Backpack Trail and Sugarloaf
Mountain Trail all share the same real estate. My route ran from the Visitor
Center parking lot to the top of Morrow Mountain. I can’t name some of the connector
trails, but I basically started on the Backpack Trail (aka Morrow Mountain
Trail)…
(confusing sign, Sugarloaf Mountain Trail also goes to
the right)
…which was a surprisingly steep climb straight up,
then a sudden sharp left turn, leveling out and circling the mountain.
The top is very broad and I wasn’t sure where the true
summit is. I caught glimpses down to the rivers and lakes (Pee Dee River? Lake
Tillery? Mountain Creek? Which is which?).
Are we at the top yet?
There is evidence of fires on this trail, whether from an
event in 2010 or from more recent prescribed burns, lots of charred wood and
burned stumps. Holly trees are flourishing, though, and young pines are on the
rise.
Descending on the opposite side of Sugarloaf Mountain, the trail
heads towards the parking area for unloading horses. All the bridle trails were
closed until further notice because of damage from Hurricane Florence in the
fall of 2018 and recent excessive rains. I opted for the shortcut road walk and
left turn back into the woods on Sugarloaf Mountain Trail again, looking for
Morrow Mountain Trail. [All trails are open as of this posting on 11/30/19.
Always check park websites right before your visit to learn of temporary
closures.]
Ahh, Morrow Mountain Trail at last! A more moderate grade but still a test for me
after a winter of sloth. I was glad for this training, feet conditioning, mostly
mental conditioning. I pushed myself, and when I felt winded self-doubt tickled
at the back of my mind - “you aren’t able to do this anymore” – but as soon as
the trail leveled, I regained my breath and felt perfectly fine. BUT my right
knee was achy especially on downhills and that did not improve.
A brief stretch of Morrow Mountain Trail is covered in white
quartz, gleaming like patches of snow on the wet ground. Bright green moss grew
in patches within the quartz patches, presenting a pristine palette that left
me in awe. A dreary day in winter woods – nature knows no such thing.
Near the top of the mountain, Morrow Mountain Trail
intersects Morrow Mountain Loop Trail, a .8-mile level loop circling the
summit. I followed the loop, catching another
muted view of the bodies of water below.
Again trying to get oriented, I did some back-and-forth
traipsing as the Loop Trail crossed the parking lot and the road. GAIA was no
help, nor was the signage, and my paper map lacked detail as well. Without topo
lines, I couldn’t figure out up from down.
Once I got my bearings, I sat on a stone wall for a snack
break before beginning my descent. I must have turned off the GAIA somehow so
from there my data isn’t accurate, but I remember noting that I had covered exactly
4 miles at that point. (Making mistakes aka learning the technology). I turned the GAIA on and started a new track.
Retracing my steps down Morrow Mountain Trail, I crossed
paths with a group of Boy Scouts and their huffing-puffing leaders hiking up to
the summit. I met a couple more hikers, all going up, but otherwise my day was
solitary. You wouldn’t get that at
Crowders Mountain on a Saturday.
Almost back to the parking area, I took a turn onto Laurel
Trail to see what it is all about. It’s a sweet little half-mile loop that runs
alongside Laurel Creek, passes behind the rental cabins. (Did you know that
Morrow Mountain SP and Hanging Rock SP have cabins for rent? Don’t bring your
pooch, though.) Three deer hanging out by the creek reminded me of a car
camping trip at Morrow Mountain SP when our children were in grade school. Our
youngest was fascinated by the small deer that came so close to our site. Whew,
I blinked and those kids are all grown up.
On the Laurel Trail loop I saw a turkey vulture fly through
the trees and perch on a branch – never seen one in heavy tree cover before. Such a massive, intimidating creature sitting
up in that ol’ tree, dark feathers, red head, yellow beak, made my day – well,
that and the white quartz and green moss. A colorful day after all!
Finished my hike by noon and the drive home went quickly,
listening to my favorite music. Don’t know which is more therapeutic, the
hiking or the music – probably both together. Glad I made myself get up and go
this morning.
Forgot to turn the GAIA off until I pulled into my driveway.
Still learning.
“Nature never hurries. Atom by atom, little by little she
achieves her work.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
